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Arabian Nights (1942 film)

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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 Erickson
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 (1936) at Paramount and the 1937 Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 for United Artists.[5]

Plot

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In ancient Persia, the young women of a royal harem read the story of Sherazade, unfolding the film's story. Sherazade, a dancer in a wandering circus, captures the attention of Kamar, the brother of the caliph, Haroun al-Rashid. Kamar's infatuation influences his attempts to seize the throne from Haroun and make Sherazade his queen. His revolt fails, and he is sentenced to slow death by exposure, but Kamar's men storm the palace and free their leader. Wounded and forced to flee, Haroun chances upon Sherazade's circus and is spotted by the young acrobat Ali Ben Ali. Aware of Haroun's identity, Ali hides him in the circus. Later, upon awakening from his injuries, Haroun beholds Sherazade and falls in love with her.

Meanwhile, Kamar assumes the throne, but Sherazade is not to be found. He orders the captain of his guard to find her, but a scheming grand vizier, Nadan, approaches the captain with the order to make Sherazade 'disappear.' After finding them, the captain sells the troupe into slavery. When the captain is found out, Nadan murders him in order to conceal his treachery. Haroun, Sherazade, and the acrobats escape the slave pens, but are found by Kamar's army and taken to a tent city in the desert. Kamar reunites with Sherazade and proposes, but she has fallen in love with Haroun instead. Nadan, recognizing the caliph, uses this knowledge to blackmail Sherazade into helping him remove Kamar from the throne, in return for safe conduct for Haroun out of the caliphate. 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 in a swordfight, while the acrobats set fire to the tents; and the arrival of the caliph's loyal troops, summoned by Ali, triggers 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 stopped by a thrown spear and dies inside a burning tent, leaving Haroun, Sherazade, and their loyal friends to celebrate victory.

Cast

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

Production

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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

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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

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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] In the UK it earned £164,198.[17]

It was one of the most popular films in France in 1946 with admissions of 4,498,985.[18]

Awards

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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).[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ "Arabian Nights". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c 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 [user-generated source]
  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. ^ James Chapman ‘The Billings verdict’: Kine Weekly and the British Box Office, 1936–62' Journal of British Cinema and Television, Volume 20 Issue 2, Page 200-238, p 209
  18. ^ French box office of 1946 at Box Office Story
  19. ^ "The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  20. ^ "Arabian Nights". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
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