Much better script than Arabian Nights, with many of the problems sorted out. But surprisingly enough, not as much fun. Jon Hall’s dad, the Caliph, is overthrown by Mongols and betrayed by a treacherous second in command. His young son runs off into the desert and finds a cave which can open by saying “open sesame” where he hooks up with a bunch is thieves. How cool is that! What little boy at some stage hasn’t wished they could run off to the desert and wound up leading a gang of thieves living in a cave, fighting a tyrannical ruler?
The kid grows up to be Jon Hall and we cut to a scene with him and the thieves riding along singing a la The Desert Song. They decide to kidnap the Khan’s fiancée, who is of course Maria Montez. But instead Hall instead up being caught himself – and is tied up in the square awaiting for execution, only to be rescued by his men… a sequence that is an exact copy of the opening of Arabian Nights, only centering around the hero instead of the baddie.
A surprising amount of screen time is devoted to Turhan Bey, who plays one of Maria Montez’s servants who helps out Hall. Presumably this role was written for Sabu, but Bey’s casting makes it entirely different. Sabu was a big kid but Bey is more mature, suave, grown up, with careful pro-noun-ci-ation – Sabu was never a sexual rival to Hall but Bey he could be (indeed, he played Montez’s love interest in Sudan). Bey gets all these close ups of him looking dreamy – it’s like they were building him to be a star, which I found odd, mainly because I guess I’d just seen a bunch of movies where he played suspicious support characters and gigolos, billed ninth (if that) in the cast list.
Hall is a bit awkward and all-American to play a dashing hero but is okay, helped by a pencil moustache; again, he is actually beaten during the final duel with the baddie but fortunately his mate comes along to stab the baddie just in time.
Montez is pretty, imperious and wears a neat turban; she goes for two swims, one in a lagoon, one in a bath, but she’s not much of an actor – she can’t even look upset when her father is killed in front of her eyes, and during the final fight she can’t look scared or excited (at one stage Turhan Bey asks her to open castle doors to let in goodies – but she doesn’t even move). Andy Devine plays one of the thieves, an enjoyable anachronistic piece of casting (“I haven’t killed a Mongol all day,” he whines at one stage).
There is some hokey dialogue (moons reflecting in eyes, you will prey for death, that sort of thing.) Despite all the strong things about the film – a better script, colourful sets – this did feel a bit flat in places. Maybe it was the absence of Sabu, with his youthful zest; Bey’s character is a bit creepy – why would he be so in favour of Ali Baba? Is he in love with Montez? Hall? It doesn’t work.
Neither does the fact that Hall wants to lead a revolt to take his throne back mainly to stop Montez getting married. It’s like he’s sitting on his arse in a cave, happily being a robber while his people are suffering – and only acts when someone tries to pinch his girlfriend. There’s also a lack of action, although the finale, involving the jars, is quite enjoyable.
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