Tongue-in-cheek fantasy film set in Baghdad and loosely based on the One Thousand and One Nights medieval story.Tongue-in-cheek fantasy film set in Baghdad and loosely based on the One Thousand and One Nights medieval story.Tongue-in-cheek fantasy film set in Baghdad and loosely based on the One Thousand and One Nights medieval story.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 nominations total
Eddie Abdo
- Muezzin
- (uncredited)
Francine Ames
- Handmaiden
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Bailer
- Harem Girl
- (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette
- Hasson
- (uncredited)
Noble Blake
- Blackamoor
- (uncredited)
David Bond
- Herald
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaShelley Winters is most easily spotted as one of Adele Jergens' blonde handmaidens, standing in the background at the aborted wedding scene.
- GoofsTwo prison guards fall over each other in their haste to catch escaped prisoners but as one gets up the back of his white neck shows up against his dark Arab facial makeup.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Kanya Ya Ma Kan, Beyrouth (1995)
- SoundtracksBeauty for Sale
(uncredited)
Performed by Cornel Wilde (dubbed by Tom Clark)
Music by Saul Chaplin
Lyrics by Edgar De Lange
Featured review
Not Much At Day Light, But Oh Those Arabian 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.
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.
helpful•120
- bkoganbing
- Sep 24, 2007
- How long is A Thousand and One Nights?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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