That's the whole point. This movie could (and probably did) play in Peoria.
They don't make 'em like this any more. Hollywood at its cheesiest. Inside jokes a la vaudeville and a talking horse, maybe a year before Mister Ed --> could this have been the idea for Mister Ed? The world was a simpler place then. The middle east was the land of Ali Baba and his 40 thieves. Flying carpets, genies, wild curved swords and glamorous babes.
Nothing was politically correct or historically accurate. Everyone is in silly costumes that they either take seriously or appear to be having a great time with. It's all very silly really, but that's all good, this was a feel-good Saturday Matinée classic. This is the last period of studio pictures, and this film has the feel of a lot of films from earlier times, but the consciousness of the hip early sixties as well, and the sets are imaginative - evocative of the middle east and maybe India, just authentic enough that you buy it, but the whole thing is a romp - you can't take it seriously, but watch this film and realize that after watching a film like this, viewers had more of an idea of what the middle east was all about than they probably had before.
I'm not familiar with either of the lead lovers, but am familiar with Dick Shawn, and I have to say, this is a great silly piece of old Hollywood, I watched it on FMC and really got into it, if you like campy comedies, you'll love it, I sure did.
They don't make 'em like this any more. Hollywood at its cheesiest. Inside jokes a la vaudeville and a talking horse, maybe a year before Mister Ed --> could this have been the idea for Mister Ed? The world was a simpler place then. The middle east was the land of Ali Baba and his 40 thieves. Flying carpets, genies, wild curved swords and glamorous babes.
Nothing was politically correct or historically accurate. Everyone is in silly costumes that they either take seriously or appear to be having a great time with. It's all very silly really, but that's all good, this was a feel-good Saturday Matinée classic. This is the last period of studio pictures, and this film has the feel of a lot of films from earlier times, but the consciousness of the hip early sixties as well, and the sets are imaginative - evocative of the middle east and maybe India, just authentic enough that you buy it, but the whole thing is a romp - you can't take it seriously, but watch this film and realize that after watching a film like this, viewers had more of an idea of what the middle east was all about than they probably had before.
I'm not familiar with either of the lead lovers, but am familiar with Dick Shawn, and I have to say, this is a great silly piece of old Hollywood, I watched it on FMC and really got into it, if you like campy comedies, you'll love it, I sure did.