The Magic Carpet

I totally disagree with some previous comments. It seems as though everyone wants message films, or biting dialog for a picture to be great. Whatever happened to films being made strictly for entertainment sake. If you are looking for academy award performances forget it, but for a rainy afternoon and you just want some simple escapism then this is just the thing. The interesting thing about the whole movie was how Lucille Ball foiled all of the bigwigs who tried to put the screws to her by offering her this movie to fulfill her contract obligation. they all thought she would turn them down but she fooled them and accepted and as soon as the film wrapped she was gone.

Lucille Ball didn't have to do THE MAGIC CARPET and chose to make it just to finish off her contract with Columbia and move onto her planned new TV show, and we all know the result of THAT. Columbia did not believe that Ball would accept the role in this film, but she outfoxed them all and played the villainess in this Arabian Nights-type fun film. I saw it initially when it was first released, and I LOVE LUCY was already a smash hit on the tube. It was the second half of a double bill, and the audience enjoyed every minute. It was an unintentional(??) riot to see Ball so out of the character that we had come to expect already from LUCY. The SRO audience hooted, laughed, giggled, and had a great time. I don't even recall what the main feature was.... But THE MAGIC CARPET is still remembered, and I would love to find a copy.

Harry Cohn making use of those sets he constructed for Cornel Wilde and A Thousand And One Nights made this B film The Magic Carpet that starred John Agar, Lucille Ball, and Patricia Medina. It looks like it should have come from Universal which specialized in these Middle Easterns in post World War II America churning them out by the dozen for its young contract stars, Jeff Chandler, Tony Curtis, and Rock Hudson.

But John Agar never attained the stature of these guys and doesn't quite cut it in sword, sandal, and camel. Poor Lucille Ball she was just waiting for I Love Lucy to start and just running out her contract. Lucy especially put all the emoting of George Raft into her role as the usurper princess. Of course her red hair looked as out of place in these films as Maureen O'Hara did.

As this story opens the Caliph of Bagdad is proclaiming his infant son his heir when he's struck down in a palace coup. Before the revolt is finished the Queen is also killed, but not before she dispatches the infant like Moses not in a waterproof basket, but on the family flying carpet, set on autopilot and to the home of William Fawcett a physician who brings up the kid in his profession never revealing to the kid who grows up to be John Agar his true identity. Fawcett even keeps the carpet which proves of immense help.

Patricia Medina who appeared in more than one of these kind of films has the proper spirit playing the girl who Agar really likes. But I sure can't believe she's George Tobias's sister. Raymond Burr who appeared in some great films and some not so great like this one is always good, here as the villainous vizier of the false Caliph who discovers who Agar is and tries to destroy him.

The Magic Carpet is a mediocre sand and scandal story with leads who just can't really summon up any conviction.

The leads are the main guy, the funny guy assistant kinda dopey amusement, the good girl, and the evil girl played by the famous lady, so basically I think they have a good fun thing here. The script is actually just routine, however this is even made up for the dir. wisely somehow understanding this and filling the movie with just action scenes after another which is a success, also the magic carpet itself is nifty. I think this is a fun movie.

Considering "The Magic Carpet" is a costume drama starring John Agar, this film isn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

After the Caliph is murdered, his son (baby Agar) is placed on a magic carpet that spirits him away. It lands in an alley, where the baby and carpet are picked up by the guy who played Pete on the TV series "Fury." The grown boy (adult Agar) is now a physician's assistant. He pulls out a tongue depressor and tells one of his patients to open his mouth and say "Ali Baba." (I kid you not.) Meanwhile, the new Caliph, played by Gregory Gaye, aided by Raymond Burr as the Vizier, is taxing the populace to death.

It's time for a hero. Agar becomes (drum roll) the Scarlet Falcon!!

I must admit, Agar looks simply stunning in red. Apparently, he is the only clean-shaven man in the Middle East. He also displays feats of derring-do, with some nifty sword fighting and a few wrestling moves (he takes out a few dudes with a monkey flip and hip toss). Agar may have had a career doing some action flicks, instead of the 1950s-60s sci-fi crap in which he was saddled.

Agar manages to infiltrate the Caliph's lair by curing the old geezer's hiccups. We get a gratuitous shot of Agar in Arabian bathing trunks. Fortunately, the producer (Sam Katzman, who else?) spared us the sight of Burr in similar garb.

George Tobias is on hand for some comic relief. Patricia Medina plays Tobias' sister, and she has eyes for Agar. She also dances for the guys. She's pretty.

Did I mention Lucille Ball is in this? She plays the evil Caliph's sister. She discovers Agar is really the Scarlet Falcon, so it is off to the chopping block for Agar.

Can the Magic Carpet save him? Will Agar take his rightful place on the throne? Will Agar and Medina get to do a little nookie-nookie on the Magic Carpet?