A Thousand and One Nights

Harry Cohn must have gotten a little jealous at all the money Universal was raking in with those Maria Montez/Jon Hall Arabian Nights films that they were grinding out. Cohn decided Columbia deserved a bit of that market itself.

What Cohn was smart in doing was playing this one tongue firmly in cheek for his sand and sandal epic. Cornel Wilde, fresh from his Oscar nominated role as Fredric Chopin at Cohn's studio, cuts a romantic and dashing figure, playing Aladdin of Cathay for laughs in a way that more serious swashbuckling rivals like Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn would never have done.

Wilde's in love with the forbidden blonde Arabian princess Adele Jergens, but it is forbidden for him to rise above his station. Cornel's going to need some supernatural help and he finds it in the person of the genie with a lamp, in this case not Barbara Eden, but the one who must have been her inspiration, Evelyn Keyes.

Though she's crushing out on Wilde big time, Keyes does help him in his romantic quest and coincidentally works against plot by the dastardly twin brother of the sultan to usurp the throne. That would be Dennis Hoey who is clearly enjoying hamming up, both roles.

Phil Silvers is around as well as the jive talking Abdullah who rumor hath it was born some 600 years ahead of his time.

Part homage to The Thief of Bagdad and part Road to Morocco as well, A Thousand and One Nights is enjoyable enough because it doesn't take itself too seriously even as satire.

But what about hard working Evelyn, what's her reward. Think The Palm Beach Story and remember she does have a magic lamp.

Although the Arabian Nights Technicolor fantasies of the 1940s and 1950s were mainly the domain of Universal Studios, the other Hollywood majors understandably jumped on the Oriental band wagon while it was big box-office, and this endearingly modernistic revamp of the mythical tale of Aladdin was Columbia's contribution to that WWII craze. Having first (and only) read about this one on Leonard Maltin's Film Guide and never encountering it on Italian TV in my childhood, I leapt at the chance of acquiring it on DivX but, as is becoming increasingly (and frustratingly) regular with this format, there were lip-synch problems which, thankfully, were corrected via conversion to DVD. But, enough of this techno-babble…

Aladdin is played by Columbia's star Cornel Wilde – he had just been Oscar-nominated for A SONG TO REMEMBER (1945) – who is curiously fourth-billed here; he even gets to sing several times (a talent of his that I had previously been unaware of…if that was indeed his voice on the soundtrack); incidentally, I should be acquiring another somewhat obscure Wilde costumer very soon called STAR OF India (1954) which I intend to watch over the Christmas week. As I said in my introduction (and perhaps to differentiate itself from the rival Universal product), the film-makers also engaged the services of another currently hot commodity in bespectacled comedian Phil Silvers as Aladdin's pickpocketing sidekick. At first, I balked at his modern-day savvy personality (with in-jokes towards The Lone Ranger, liberal use of hip words like "groovy", etc.) but was eventually won over by his gauche schtick culminating in his hilarious Frank Sinatra transformation at the film's very end. Another asset to the film is the delightful (if belated) presence – as a mischievous female genie of the proverbial lamp – of the late (she died earlier this year aged 91!) Evelyn Keyes; naturally, she falls in love with her master Aladdin but, losing him to Princess Adele Jergens, she creates her own clone!

Speaking of the Universal rivalry, I was surprised to see Dennis Hoey (best-known as the bumbling Inspector Lestrade of Universal's ongoing Sherlock Holmes series with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce) in a dual rule as the villain, not to mention Rex Ingram reprising (albeit too briefly) his celebrated giant characterization from THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940)! Like its prototype ARABIAN NIGHTS (1942), this film was also looked on favorably by Academy Award voters in the technical categories: art direction-set decoration and special effects (mostly having to do with Silvers being unable to see Keyes and Wilde's transformation into a dog – another nod, I suppose, to that afore-mentioned Alexander Korda production).

A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (1945) is a Technicolor "Arabian Nights" romp with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. The lightweight script contemporizes the tale of sultans, sorcerers, magic lamps, and romance in Old Araby. The film is pretty weak, but it seems like the kind of movie that would be fun for kids and young folk. (Or at least young folk in 1945.) The colors are vibrant, there are some "magical" special effects, a few songs, and a sense of exotic adventure. Plus more than a few winks at the modern audience.

Phil Silvers is a walking anachronism, complete with 1940s slang and a variation on his signature specs. He plays the comedic sidekick to Cornel Wilde's Aladdin and is a vehicle for pop culture references. His shtick is nigh insufferable here. Wilde plays a rather bland hero, a handsome vagabond who makes women swoon with his singing in the marketplace.

The best thing about this film is Evelyn Keyes. I know her from 1950s noirs like THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950) and THE PROWLER (1951). Here she is adorable as the redheaded genie who grants wishes for Aladdin. She shows up about twenty minutes into the movie and makes the whole thing worthwhile. She looks great in Technicolor and steals every scene she's in. As the genie can only be seen by the person who possesses the magic lamp, she's always skipping around, up to some playful mischief while "invisible". It's fun watching her, even when she's not the focus of the scene.

Keyes's genie falls in love with Wilde's Aladdin when he first rubs the lamp, and she's rather put out that he only has eyes for the daughter of the sultan. Still, she has no choice but to help Aladdin get the girl. The princess is played by Adele Jergens, a blonde Virginia Mayo type. She's beautiful, but personally I would've run off with Evelyn Keyes.

The cast also includes the lovely Dusty Anderson as the princess's handmaiden, Dennis Hoey as the sultan (and his evil twin), Philip Van Zandt as his scheming vizier, Richard Hale as a random cave-dwelling sorcerer, John Abbott as a poor tailor with a thing for redheads, and Rex Ingram seemingly recreating his diaper-wearing giant role from THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940).

As with other Arabian Nights films, like the 1924 and 1940 versions of THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, it's interesting to note the similarities to Walt Disney's ALADDIN (1992). In this film particularly you have a vagabond named Aladdin (with a pickpocket sidekick) who falls in love with the sultan's daughter. The evil vizier conspires against the sultan and wants to marry the princess. Aladdin uses a genie's magic to pass as a prince and enter the palace to woo the princess. There's even the scene with the old sorcerer in the cave ("Let us out!" "First give me the lamp!"). I don't know if the folks at Disney screened all these old movies for inspiration or if the plot points are just common to the traditional Arabian Nights tales.

A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS is not a great movie, but it's a fun spin on Arabian Nights adventures. The film certainly doesn't take itself too seriously. There's little substance for the serious film buffs, but it's a colorful curiosity and an interesting product of its time. The closing bobbysoxer gag is great.

Escapist fare was always welcome during the troubled '40s-era, especially just after World War II when movie fans were clamoring for entertainment to take their minds off their woes. So Columbia jumped onto the bandwagon with a fluffy Arabian Nights sort of adventure starring their hot new box-office star, CORNEL WILDE as Aladdin in A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS, teaming him with up and coming EVELYN KEYES and wise-cracking PHIL SILVERS for comedy relief.

And with eye-popping Technicolor added to the mix, it's a pleasure to report that it succeeds as escapist fare on its own terms--with Silvers largely stealing the show with his array of anachronistic gags that help whenever the action gets dull.

But that's not too often. CORNEL WILDE was an ideal choice to play the adventure hero Columbia assigned him to after his success as the pallid Chopin in A SONG TO REMEMBER. He's at home among the plush fairy-tale settings and shares some charming on screen chemistry with co-star EVELYN KEYES, but only has one chance (at the finale) to indulge in a swashbuckling duel with Hoey. Wilde turned down a chance for the Olympic championships in dueling to start his film career instead.

DENNIS HOEY plays the Sultan and his villainous twin brother with energetic relish. Wilde's romantic interest is ADELE JERGENS as the Sultan's beauteous daughter. The story, of course, is a tongue-in-cheek variation on Aladdin's use of the magic lamp with the help of Genie (Keyes) instead of the genie we all saw in THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD (Rex Ingram), who makes an appearance in the film as a token gesture.

It's all complete nonsense, with typical humor from Silvers ("I wish I had a gun. What am I sayin'? Guns haven't even been invented yet!"). He's turned into a crooning Sinatra after Genie Keyes decides to do him a final favor with a rub of the lamp. She gets her wish too--a clone of Cornel Wilde so that she doesn't end up alone.

Pure escapist fun, totally unsophisticated and clearly aimed at a youthful audience of the '40s crowd. Whether you like it or not, depends on your sense of humor and nostalgia for this sort of thing.

Comical variation on the Aladdin story. Aladdin (Cornel Wilde) falls in love with Princess Armina (Adele Jergens) but is forced to flee the kingdom with his sidekick Abdullah (Phil Silvers). He finds a magic lamp with a genie (Evelyn Keyes) inside and uses her wish-granting powers to help him return to his princess.

This is definitely a different-looking Cornel Wilde than I'm used to, with somewhat effeminate hair and makeup. Particularly in the early parts where there are lots of close-ups of him. His performance is good, though. He's suited for parts like this. Phil Silvers, who I'm not always crazy about, is lots of fun here. Adele Jergens and Evelyn Keyes, blonde and redhead respectively, are both beautiful in Technicolor. Keyes is the highlight of the film for me as the genie Babs. Dennis Hoey, of Sherlock Holmes series fame, is quite good in a different role. Two roles, actually. Shows he had some range. Lovely Technicolor, great sets and costumes, and nice effects. It's a fine piece of escapism.