Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)
List Price:
Our Price: $2.39
You Save: $12.59 (84%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Billy Gilbert, Jon Hall, Leif Erickson, Maria Montez, SabuBrand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Restored, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Color; Dolby; DVD; Full Screen; Original recording remastered; Restored; Subtitled; NTSC
DVD Reviews of Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)
DVD Review: Sabu, gloriously rich Technicolor are the main draws in uneven mix of adventure and slapstick
Summary: 3 Stars
Arabian/Oriental adventure was one of the rages in Hollywood of the war years, made all the more attractive by the huge commercial and artistic success of the Alexander Korda production THE THIEF OF BAGDAD in 1940. A couple of years later, Universal decided to do its own "Arabian Nights" adaptation, making it quite apparent by the obvious title, the hiring of BAGDAD costar Sabu for a major role, and the use of Technicolor (a first for the studio) that it was going for the same audience. The film didn't disappoint at the time, getting several Academy Awards technical nominations and making a decent chunk of change for producer Walter Wanger and the studio.
Sadly, it doesn't really hold up today, and certainly isn't going to be any kind of competition for the British film among the annals of classic adventures. The problems are manifold; first, a tired storyline that makes the fairly simple plot of the earlier film seem Proustian in comparison, in which good Caliph Haroun Al-Raschid (Jon Hall) gets overthrown by his evil half-brother Kamar (Leif Erickson), flees and falls in love with Kamar's intended Scheherezade (Maria Montez), while being helped back to his rightful place by loyal acrobatic performer Ali Ben Ali (Sabu, of course). Second, plodding direction by John Rawlins - forgotten today and deservedly so if this is a typical example of his work - which tends to cut away from the action sequences before we can actually get into them, and focus far too much on boring exposition, with uninteresting set-ups throughout that rarely help to take us out of the cheap sets and into fantasy-land. And third, terribly mediocre acting on the part of nearly everyone apart from Sabu - and a focus on slapstick antics that, again, keep us continually aware that we're watching a movie. Casting Shemp Howard as Sinbad certainly doesn't help, and a vaudevillian/slapstick sequence at a blacksmith shop towards the end is a serious low point.
But Sabu IS compelling, as always - he belongs in a better film; and the color, particularly in the early sequences, is excellent, even stunning. Montez gets a lot of flack as an actress in general, and I can't say that I find her as beautiful as her reputation, but her odd accent and seriousness actually work pretty well here, though she's not really given much to do apart from a dance scene at the end which looks like it could have been body-doubled for the most part. And I suppose that all in all, this probably works as a camp-fest if you can't take it seriously (and how could you?).
Nothing much in the way of extras here on this well-mastered DVD, just a nice little Robert Osborne intro and the original trailer. All in all, a fun waste of an hour and a half, and worth a look for anyone who, like me, is a bit obsessed with this kind of exotic adventure story. Just don't expect this to be one of the best examples.
Description of Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)
ARABIAN NIGHTS - DVD MovieBestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Jason and the ArgonautsSony; Release date: 1998-07-14; DVD
Best price: $6.78
Price in other shops:
The Cecil B. DeMille Collection (Cleopatra/ The Crusades/ Four Frightened People/ Sign of the Cross/ Union Pacific)NBC Universal; Release date: 2006-05-23; DVD
Best price: $13.19
Price in other shops:
Captain SinbadWarner Brothers; Release date: 2009-06-22; DVD
Best price: $11.92
Price in other shops:
The Jungle BookAlpha Video; Release date: 2002-02-19; DVD
Best price: $1.53
Price in other shops:
Pirates of the Golden Age Movie Collection (Against All Flags / Buccaneer's Girl / Yankee Buccaneer / Double Crossbones)NBC Universal; Release date: 2007-05-08; DVD
Best price: $4.90
Price in other shops:
Cobra Woman (Universal Vault Series)Release date: 2011-07-27; DVD
Best price: $19.98
The 7th Voyage of SinbadSony Pictures; Release date: 1999-11-30; DVD
Best price: $4.77
Price in other shops:
Cleopatra 75th Anniversary Edition (Universal Backlot Series)Cleopatra; Release date: 2009-04-07; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot Series)NBC Universal; Release date: 2009-07-07; DVD
Best price: $12.61
Price in other shops:
The Thief of Bagdad (The Criterion Collection)Image Entertainment; Release date: 2008-05-27; DVD
Best price: $27.36
Price in other shops: