Kismet (1944)

This 1944 "Kismet" was supposedly an enormous and expensive MGM production. Filmed in color, the film stars Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, Joy Page, James Craig, and Edward Arnold.There are songs in this movie, not memorable -- it's not the Broadway musical that Vincente Minnelli directed in film form starring Howard Keel.Set in Baghdad, Colman plays Hafiz, who calls himself the King of the Beggars by day and by night plays the role of royalty from a foreign land. He has a daughter, Marsinah, and now that she's older, he realizes that he promised her the world and isn't going to be able to deliver. Marsinah is content, however -- she's in love with a gardener's son (James Craig) who is really the Caliph of Baghdad but likes to go incognito. So Hafiz goes incognito as wealthy and the Caliph goes incognito as poor.Hafiz poses as a dignitary and manages to get into the palace of the Grand Vizier. He's determined to have his daughter become part of the household; also, he's in love with sovereign from a distant land and romances the beautiful Jamilla (wife and queen of the grand Vizier). The big scene in this is Dietrich's dance, with her legs painted gold. As always, she is incredible and beautiful. Colman is a little old for Hafiz, but in this version, he has a teenage daughter. He's terrific as the sly beggar. As his daughter, Joy Page is lovely and innocent. She was Jack Warner's stepdaughter, not that it did her much good. She is still remembered as the young Bulgarian woman whose virtue is saved by Bogie in "Casablanca." The sets are obviously backdrops and studio builds. But somehow, one believes it's a foreign land. The color is beautiful.The musical numbers, except for Marlene's dance, are on the dull side. In the musical Kismet, the songs were fashioned from the music of Aleksandr Borodin, the melodies of which are very familiar, particularly Stranger in Paradise, and And This is My Beloved. So this isn't Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, and Delores Gray; it's Colman, Page, and Dietrich. Since it's not a musical, that's more than good enough.

Third version of popular story (without the musical score) involving beggar/magician in Bagdad who impersonates a prince. Meanwhile, the beggar's daughter falls for a camel-boy who's really a prince in disguise! Somehow, Marlene Dietrich gets shoehorned in as sheltered royalty who rebels by doing a hot dance routine which must've been pretty risqué for 1944 (she's slathered in gold paint). MGM adventure does a nice job rewriting the original play by Edward Knoblock, featuring a colorful production and welcome comedic elements. It's jaunty fun with a fairly fast pace, hindered only by Ronald Coleman's miscasting in the lead (and his surprising lack of chemistry opposite Dietrich). **1/2 from ****

Beautiful photography, fabulous costumes, fast-paced. Classy (although old-fashioned) orchestrated musical score. These qualities are worth a look, but can't save the film.When you consider that Colman is badly miscast, you must admire the fact that everything he does here is sheer acting technique. He certainly was a hard-working and skillful actor. Marlene Dietrich is cast as a "Greek Princess" visiting Baghdad but the blond German is no more believable as a Greek than as an Arab. She obviously could not dance but was savvy enough to deliver a sexy quasi-dance routine that makes you wonder what she could have done if not for censorship.Arnold's laughing villain leaves you scratching your head wondering if this movie is serious or tongue-in-cheek or just a stage musical without songs. The other supporting cast members are so miscast as to be painful to watch (especially Craig and Joy Page).Watchable for stunning photography and costumes, the likes of which will probably never be produced again.

Whew! Beautiful colors! But that's it. Remember "Ninotchka?" "Garbo laughs"? Well, in this movie, Edward Arnold, as the evil vizier, laughs and laughs and laughs, and he's not nearly as good looking. And the two young lovers? There is a reason James Craig is not remembered, he has trouble speaking English with any clarity, rhythm or sincerity. And Joy Page, in the words of Humphrey Bogart, should "go back to Bulgaria." (Yes, that was her. James Craig was the second loser she picked for a husband.) Dietrich provides comedy relief, sounding exactly like Madeline Kahn in "Blazing Saddles." Thank goodness they at least have Hugh Herbert popping up from time to time...and, well, don't tell anyone but I LIKED Ronald Colman in this one....And we haven't even gotten to the truly jaw-dropping (as in bad) special effects. If you want to feel good about yourself at someone else's expense, watch.