Arabian Nights (1942)

Director:

John Rawlins

Writers:

True Boardman (additional dialogue)
Michael Hogan (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Dashing Thieves of Baghdad...riding out of the magic and splendor of

Plot:

Dancer Sherazade was told by the stars that she will become wife of the kalif in Bagdad. She tells Kamar...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Dancer | Arabian

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Sabu	...	Ali Ben Ali
Jon Hall	...	Haroun-Al-Raschid
Maria Montez	...	Scheherazade
Leif Erickson	...	Kamar (as Leif Erikson)
Billy Gilbert	...	Ahmad
Edgar Barrier	...	Nadan
Richard Lane	...	Corporal
Turhan Bey	...	Captain of the Guard
John Qualen	...	Aladdin
Shemp Howard	...	Sinbad
William 'Wee Willie' Davis	...	Valda
Thomas Gomez	...	Hakim
Jeni Le Gon	...	Dresser / Dancer's Maid
Robert Greig	...	Eunuch
Charles Coleman	...	Eunuch
Adia Kuznetzoff	...	Slaver / Auctioneer
Emory Parnell	...	Harem sentry
Harry Cording	...	Blacksmith
Robin Raymond	...	Slave girl
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Harem girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Acquanetta	...	Ishya (uncredited)
Carlos Alvarado	...	Officer (uncredited)
Daniel Barone	...	Tumbler (uncredited)
Robert Barron	...	Bidder (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Blind beggar (uncredited)
Anthony Blair	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Linda Brent	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
André Charlot	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Provost Marshal (uncredited)
Paul Clayton	...	Black boy (uncredited)
Rosemary Dempsey	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
June Ealey	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Virginia Engels	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Phyllis Forbes	...	Virgin (uncredited)
Frances Gladwin	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Amador Gutierrez	...	Tumbler (uncredited)
Eloise Hardt	...	Virgin (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Bearded bidder (uncredited)
Jamiel Hasson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Cordell Hickman	...	Black boy (uncredited)
Elyse Knox	...	Duenna (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Patsy Mace	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Edward Marmolejo	...	Tumbler (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Guard (uncredited)
Kathleen McCormack	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Art Miles	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Mary Moore	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Alice Neilson	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Veronica Pataky	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Helen Pender	...	Virgin (uncredited)
Eva Puig	...	Old woman (uncredited)
Rebel Randall	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Nedra Sanders	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Peggy Satterlee	...	Virgin (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Hangman (uncredited)
Pat Starling	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Nick Thompson	...	Bearded bidder (uncredited)
Jean Trent	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Ben Ayassa Wadrassi	...	Tumbler (uncredited)
Crane Whitley	...	Officer (uncredited)
Ernest Whitman	...	Nubian slave (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Archer (uncredited)

Directed by
John Rawlins

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
True Boardman		additional dialogue
Michael Hogan		screenplay
Michael Hogan		story

Produced by
Walter Wanger	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Philip Cahn

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)
Ira Webb		(as Ira S. Webb)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(costumes: women)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director
Ford Beebe	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
William R. Fox	....	sound

Stunts
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Sabu (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Howard Greene	....	associate cinematographer
William V. Skall	....	associate cinematographer

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Other crew
Jamiel Hasson	....	technical advisor
Natalie Kalmus	....	color advisor: Technicolor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Kanab, Utah, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This film marks the first use of 3-strip Technicolor by Universal.

Quotes:

Kamar: [to Captain of the Guard] Son of infamy! Every bone in your body shall be broken if you continue to defy me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

Spectacular spectacle

I remember seeing this film when it appeared in 1942, during WWII, a time of tension and uncertainity. It was great escape. The villains were villainous, the heroes heroic. The drama was dramatic and the storyline warm and fuzzy. Seeing it on video has allowed me to revisit that past time when as a child the world was uncertain and it was possible to escape into a costume-splendoured fantasy where the hero gets the girl, saves the kingdom and justice is served. There's nothing ever wrong with that.