Arabian Nights
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Rawlins
Written byMichael Hogan
(story and screenplay)
True Boardman
(additional dialogue)
Produced byWalter Wanger
StarringJon Hall
Maria Montez
Sabu
Leif Erikson
Billy Gilbert
Edgar Barrier
Shemp Howard
Thomas Gomez
Turhan Bey
Elyse Knox
Acquanetta
Carmen D'Antonio
CinematographyW. Howard Greene
Milton R. Krasner
William V. Skall
Edited byPhilip Cahn
Music byFrank Skinner
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures Company, Inc.
Release date
  • December 25, 1942 (1942-12-25) (US)[1]
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$904,765[2]
Box office$3,453,416[2]

Arabian Nights is a 1942 adventure film directed by John Rawlins and starring Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Sabu and Leif Erikson. The film is derived from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights but owes more to the imagination of Universal Pictures than the original Arabian stories. Unlike other films in the genre (The Thief of Bagdad), it features no monsters or supernatural elements.[3]

The film is one of series of "exotic" tales released by Universal Pictures during World War II. Others include Cobra Woman, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and White Savage.[4] This is the first feature film that Universal made using the three-strip Technicolor film process, although producer Walter Wanger had worked on two earlier Technicolor films for other studios: The Trail of the Lonesome Pine at Paramount and Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 for United Artists.[5]

Plot

In ancient Persia, the young women of a royal harem read the story of Sherazade (Montez), unfolding the film's story. Sherazade, a dancer in a wandering circus, captures the attention of Kamar (Erickson), the brother of the caliph, Haroun al-Rashid (Jon Hall). Kamar's infatuation influences his attempts to seize the throne from Haroun and make Sherazade his queen. His revolt fails though, and he is sentenced to slow death by exposure. Later, Kamar's men storm the palace and free their leader. Haroun is thus forced to flee his caliphite. Eventually, he wanders upon Sherazade's circus and is spotted by the young acrobat Ali Ben Ali (Sabu). Aware of Haroun's identity, Ali hides him in the circus. Later, upon awakening from his rest, Haroun first beholds Sherazade and is taken with her beauty.

Meanwhile, Kamar assumes the throne, but his dream queen Sherazade is not to be found. He orders the captain of his guard (Turhan Bey) to find her. But a scheming Grand Vizier, Nadan (Edgar Barrier), approaches the captain with the order to make Sherazade 'disappear.' After finding them, the captain sells the troupe into slavery. Then, in order to conceal his treachery, Nadan murders him. Later, Haroun, Sherazade, and the acrobats escape. But then they are taken by Kamar's army to a tent city in the desert. Kamar reunites with Sherazade and proposes. However, she is in love with Haroun. The scheming Nadan, recognizing the caliph Haroun, uses this knowledge to blackmail Sherazade into helping him remove Kamar from the throne. In secret, however, he plans to have Haroun killed once he has crossed the border.

Upon learning of this insidious scheme, Ali and his fellow performers rescue Haroun, who then decides to free Sherazade with the help of the acrobats. But Haroun and the others are quickly captured, and Sherazade finally learns his true identity. Kamar engages Haroun, his brother, in a sword fight, while the acrobats set fire to the tents; this precipitates a massive battle. In the end, as Kamar prepares to deliver the deathstroke to Haroun, Nadan assassinates Kamar. But as he prepares to do in Haroun, Ahmad and Ali interfere, forcing him to flee. Nadan is then stopped by a spear, and he dies in a burning tent, leaving Haroun, Sherazade, and their loyal friends celebrate victory.

Cast

Maria Montez as Sherazade and Jon Hall as Haroun-Al-Rashid, publicity photograph for the film.

Production

Walter Wanger had just joined Universal for whom he had made Eagle Squadron. Looking for a follow-up he noted the box office success of The Thief of Bagdad which starred Sabu, who was under contract to Universal. The studio announced they would make the film on 24 March 1942. Montez, Hall and Sabu were always meant to star.[6]

John Rawlins was assigned to direct and filming started in June.[7] Even before filming began Universal announced the trio of leads would appear in a follow-up Cobra Woman.[8] Shortly after that the studio said they would appear in another film White Savage.[9]

The movie was the first shot in colour on the Universal lot in 12 years.

Parts of the film were shot in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah.[10]: 287 

Reception

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times panned Arabian Nights, complaining that it "bears just about as much resemblance to the body of stories generally known by that name as a pulpwood fiction resembles Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales ... It is not the story of Sinbad, the fabulous sailor, nor of Aladdin and his lamp, nor does it contain a Magic Carpet nor even a Flying Horse. It is just a conventional fiction, dressed up in flashy costumes..."[11] Variety liked the film better, calling it "a colorful and actionful entertainment in tune with present audience requirements ... script and direction keep things moving at consistently fast clip, with dialog crisp throughout."[12] Harrison's Reports called it "an exciting, fast-moving extravaganza" though "hampered by a weak story."[13] Film Daily wrote: "The film captures with tremendous success all the riotous color and excitement of Araby of the story books ... [Wanger] must have spent a fortune in costumes and sets and has dressed the whole production in a show of color that has never been equalled on the screen."[14] David Lardner of The New Yorker called the film "muddled" and suggested that Hollywood had been experiencing difficulty finding new roles for Sabu ever since Elephant Boy.[15]

Box office

The film was a commercial success and earned a profit of $1,851,921.[2] It earned rentals of $1.7 million in 1943.[16]

It was one of the most popular films in France in 1946 with admissions of 4,498,985.[17]

Awards

Arabian Nights was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Recording (Bernard B. Brown) and Best Art Direction (Alexander Golitzen, Jack Otterson, Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb).[18][19]

References

  1. ↑ "Arabian Nights". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Matthew Bernstein, Walter Wagner: Hollywood Independent, Minnesota Press, 2000 p441
  3. ↑ Article on Arabian Nights at Turner Classic Movies accessed 10 January 2014
  4. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (April 9, 2022). "The Campy, Yet Surprisingly Interesting Cinema of Jon Hall". Filmiink.
  5. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911137/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2
  6. ↑ Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES. (Mar 24, 1942). "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: 'Arabian Nights,' Next Walter Wanger Film, to Star Jon Hall, Maria Montez and Sabu 'THE INVADERS' HELD OVER To Continue for Fourth Week at Capitol -- Double-Feature Bill at New York Theatre". New York Times. p. 25.
  7. ↑ Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES. (June 3, 1942). "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Metro Buys 'A Thousand Shall Fall' -- Charles Brackett an Associate Producer NEW PICTURE AT CRITERION ' Remember Pearl Harbor' Is Arrival -- 'Take a Letter, Darling' Held Over". New York Times. p. 27.
  8. ↑ Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES. (June 4, 1942). "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Mariene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott to Be Co-Starred in 'Pittsburgh' FOUR NEW FILMS ARRIVE ' Mrs. Miniver,' 'Ten Gentlemen From West Point,' 'Broadway' and 'Almost Married'". New York Times. p. 23.
  9. ↑ Schallert, Edwin (July 13, 1942). "DRAMA: Ann 'Oomphs' to Piano; Exotic Trio to Sail On". Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
  10. ↑ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
  11. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (December 26, 1942). "Movie Review – The Arabian Nights". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Film Reviews". Variety. New York: Variety, Inc. December 23, 1942. p. 8.
  13. ↑ "'Arabian Nights' with Jon Hall, Maria Montez and Sabu". Harrison's Reports: 207. December 26, 1942.
  14. ↑ "Reviews". Film Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.: 6 December 23, 1942.
  15. ↑ Lardner, David (January 2, 1943). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker. p. 46.
  16. ↑ "Top Grossers of the Season", Variety, 5 January 1944 p 54
  17. ↑ French box office of 1946 at Box Office Story
  18. ↑ "The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  19. ↑ "Arabian Nights". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.