by Martin Unsworth
Australian label Imprint surpass itself once more with this hard box collection of adventures largely inspired by Eastern legends. Presenting five films over four discs, it highlights movies that would not likely be made the same way in our more enlightened times but are immensely entertaining if you can overlook the non-PC nature of the casting.
Arabian Nights (1942) kicks the set off in style. It’s a swashbuckling tale that takes one of the famous fables and plays it straight. Despite featuring characters such as Aladdin (who has lost his lamp, with a running joke having him rub that he comes across) and Sinbad (played by Three Stooges star Shemp Howard), the overt fantasy elements present in other adaptations are missing. It looks spectacular, with the combination of sets and matte paintings working amazingly in the newly adopted three-strip Technicolor.
The Desert Hawk (1950) is another variation of the same story, this time with The Munster’s Yvonne De Carlo as Shaharazade, the daughter of the Caliph, forced to marry an evil prince before eventually being sold into slavery. Only the titular Hawk (Richard Greene) can save her! Another lavish-looking production featuring comic relief from Jackie Gleason (The Honeymooners) as Aladdin and backup from Rock Hudson.
Levity raises A Thousand and One Nights (1945) above the other entries, adding comedy and song to the classic tale of Aladdin (Colonel Wilde) and his lamp. That humour is brought in the shape of the fast-quipping Phil Silvers as the thief Abdullah and the genie Babs (Evelyn Keyes), who is torn when she’s tasked to help Aladdin get the hand of Princess Armina (Adele Jergens) in marriage. It’s a fun romp that brings a slight contemporary edge to the story with Silvers’ gags.
Victor Mature is the title character in 1956’s Zarak, banished for falling in love with his father’s youngest wife (played by Anita Ekberg). It’s a fun romp packed full of outstanding talent. As well as the two legends already named, there is Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) and Hammer regular André Morell. Director Terence Young went on to helm the first three James Bond films.
1957’s Omar Khayyam sees Colonel Wilde return to Persia has his love life ruined when his beloved marries the Shah. Omar becomes his advisor and tries to stop the Shah from being assassinated. The Day the Earth Stood Still’s Michael Rennie also appears under the race-altering bronze.
Putting all the films in one set makes sense on paper, but they’re not films that stand together too well. Repeated themes and conflicting mythos could harm the purists, but regardless of that, they represent some rollicking fun romps interspersed with old-school romance. There are the aforementioned issues with the use of Western actors to portray Eastern characters, which is regrettable, unfortunately.
