Les frères Barberousse

This is physically one of the most beautiful films ever produced, in my judgment, with art direction by Bernard Hertzbrun, Bill Thomas's superb costumes, Russell Mettey's photography and wonderful outdoor scenes and lavish indoor sets. The cast is exemplary also, by any viewer's standards. Jeff Chandler has one of his best roles as Tamerlane the independent-minded Bedouin warrior, Maureen O'Hara is lovely as the exotic and intelligent Princess he wants. In the talented cast, one can also find Dewey Martin and Royal Dano as Chander's men, Maxwell Reed as the villain, Susan Cabot, Richard Egan, Buddy Baer, Lon Chaney Jr., Richard Hale and others. As if this were not enough, the author of the script was Gerald Drayson Adams, veteran of the Grecianized Near-Eastern genre; and the film was directed by action-film expert Charles Lamont. This color thriller is several things-- a strong romance, an historical adventure and a male-versus female story all in one... The clear storyline opens with Chandler and two men in pursuit of a fabled black horse, Shazzada. He is about to capture the stallion when O'Hara comes riding along and scotches his try;. She finds her father has been poisoned, and that her cousin has been named ruler--but Tamerlane had spanked her before he had learned she is a princess and before she learned that her father lies dying. She is grateful for his saving her from the stampeding horses, and forgives his understandable anger, promising to repay his help. Both head for the city of Tunis separately, and she hears her father's last speech. He leaves her cousin in command of the city and dies; his final order is that the Barbarossas, red-bearded corsair pirates, not be given her hand in marriage as they have asked. They threaten the city, by their mere presence in the harbor with two warships at present. The cousin vows a holy oath promising to protect her. That day also, Chandler arrives to sell the one fine blooded mare he did capture on his hunt. At the Barbarossas' camp, their champion's favorite, Susan Cabot, causes the death of one man by enticing him and the champion slays him with a dagger, all according to the Corsair Law. The new king arrives and is coerced into agreeing to the marriage after all. Then Chandler arrives, once he has left, just as the cruel pirates are ignoring the pleas of newly-captured Christian slaves. He offers his mare for sale. The two Corsair lords tell him to leave her till the morning. Before he can depart, Cabot dances again and flirts with him. The angry champion challenges him to a duel over her. Chandler chooses an Israelite sling against the other's dagger as weapons and kills him. Cabot howls for revenge; Tamerlane and his man hide, as the corsairs' men seeks them through the city. To escape their pursuers, he boldly goes to the palace and demands audience with the princess. She is contemplating suicide rather than marry one of the Barbarossas as her cousin has informed her she must. Arguing with Tamerlane, she learns he is off to catch the black stallion, and sends her own men to try to beat him to the great horse--because he is the swiftest horse in Arabia and only he can outrun the Barbaraossa brothers' champion steeds. He goes; she brilliantly announces to the brothers that the winner of the grand Taifa horse race will be the one able to name whom she marries. They expect to win the race as they have in the past and so agree, laughing raucously about the prospect. The capture goes well, for Tamerlane. But when the great race begins, he is hidden nearby and enters, after the others, saluting the Princess. What he can only guess is that the cousin has threatened him with death if he does win. The race is run fairly, and he finally outdistances the furious brothers. Tossing to the Queen her royal token which she had given to him, he proclaims that she is free to wed the man of HER choice; then he dashes off. The king orders him caught. but the brothers know no horse in the land can catch him, and trample the new king to death in their barbaric wrath. Meanwhile, the princess quits the royal palace with its death, cruelty and intrigue, and she goes to Tamerlane; then they learn they both have much to teach each other. This is a splendidly-photographed and lavish-looking "B" film. It is a classic of its genre and very satisfying on many counts, not the least of which is the ethical stature of the lovers and the capabilities of the actors who play them so unusually well. Its message about being free of restraints in order to be truly happy would play well in any nation of freedom-loving minds; it was indifferently reviewed and received in the United States, whose leaders had turned against the independent mind long since without officially admitting this had been done. I predict it will be rediscovered in the future, many times.

Ten years earlier, you would have seen Maria Montez and Jon Hall, but at the turn of the fifties, Montez - Hall left Hollywood, so Universal Studios had to replace them and the choice was excellent. There will be several films starring Maureen O'Hara, Yvonne de Carlo, whilst Paramount Studios will hire Arlene Dahl and Rhonda Fleming for this kind of exotic, colorful adventure yarns which settings - studios lot most of the time, not necessarily natural locations - will be paradise islands of the South Seas, Jungle, Arabic deserts; modern stories or One Thousand and One nights tales.... This one is pretty entertaining, excellent time waster for old timers seeking their lost childhood. No matter the story, just enjoy the magic, fantasy atmosphere of this magnificent little gem.

Bedouin chief Tamerlaine (Jeff Chandler) is engaged in the hunt for the legendary black stallion Shahzada. Also chasing the prize steed is Tunisian Princess Tanya (Maureen O'Hara), who desires to capture the horse to race in competition against hated brothers Borka (Lon Chaney) and Hakim (Buddy Baer), so she will not be forced to marry one of them. After a prolonged and deadly rivalry, Tamerlaine decides to join forces with Tanya to trap the stallion - and in the process, the two fall in love.

Intelligent adventure starring Maureen O hara and Jeff Chandler is beautifully shot, the landscapes and horse chasing are great, but it can be talky in between, and seems to be a bit ponderous, however, if it's a well-shot Arabian adventure with horses you're looking for, then don't look further....

Without leaving California, Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler are transformed into characters from Arabian folklore, and like their faux-location they are not very authentic! She is "Tanya" - a feisty Tunisian princess who is doomed to marry one of the marauding Corsair pirates. Fortunately for her, though, the ever-wooden Chandler ("Tamerlane") is on hand. He is seeking "Shazada" - a stallion of great fame, and it may be that he and this great horse might be the only way of thwarting the dismal fate awaiting the trapped princess. The plot is actually quite fun, but the execution is really poor. There is no chemistry at all between the stars, the sets look like they have been made of polystyrene and the dialogue is about as banal as it is possible to be. This vein of fantasy and mythology ought to have provided for a much richer storyline, but somehow here everyone seems to be just going through the motions and what little action there is, is all too theatrically staged. Maybe nobody liked filming in the desert on a hot day? The advertising was in colour, the film in monochrome - that rather sums this whole thing up.

Saw this film when I was 13, and it struck me at the time that Maureen O'Hara -- as Irish as the Blarney Stone -- plays an Arab. They didn't even give her a brunette wig.

At one point one of Maureen's retainers says "You will ride unveiled!" Maureen replies "If necessary I would ride unclad!" now that would be worth seeing!

Jeff Chandler does his usual solid job. 4.8/10 might be a bit of an overrating.