Reviews

This really is a nice, little Christmas movie that gets very little airplay. Still waiting for it to make it to DVD. No big musical numbers or production standards, just a simple story about a young widow (Janet Leigh) and her son and how their lives turn upside down once Christmas season when a rather aimless drifter (Robert Mitchum) enters the picture. Some very good supporting actors throughout. Skip the remake. It does play from time to time (Turner Classics), so if you get a chance, watch it...don't expect that much, just a warm little picture, like a nice hot cup of coffee on a cold winter night. With all the crap that has become annual Xmas "Classics"...this one is just patiently sitting on the shelves...waiting. It really deserves it.

One of the main points about virtually all of the early Ray Harryhausen efforts is that once you remove the special effects...and the musical soundtrack, you are mostly left with pretty run-of-the-mill acting and production standards. The "7th Voyage" is no exception. The Harryhausen monsters are classic...and the Bernard Herrmann soundtrack is equally as good....but the rest is pretty dreary, save for a rather hammy Torin Thatcher. Kerwin Matthews makes an OK Sinbad, more waspy...but nothing like Kathryn Grant, with her white toast princess act. I absolutely loved this movie as an 8 year-old in New York. The entrance of the bellowing cyclops onto the beach has probably never been equalled in my mind. Alas, poor Sinbad...while I try so hard to embrace this film now, I am always left with the sinking feeling (not unlike the magic lamp as it slowly sank in the sea before the cyclops scooped it up) that this film could have so much better. But, I still feel it is more good than bad with all the above mentioned positives (Harryhausen/Herrmann)going for it. Listen, any film that I can remember a specific few lines of dialog from has to be good: "From the land beyond beyond...from the land past hope and fear...I bid you genie, now appear" I bid you all fond memories when watching this one again.

**Take 2** Since my initial posting, it is so heartwarming to see all the viewers who have followed with their fond remembrance of this classic. We all seem to share the same childhood memories of having first been exposed to this magical film...mostly, if not all, through the medium of television in the 50's. With the recent DVD release, I can only hope all the new viewers will pass on the magic, because as most of us will all agree, this film has not been given the due respect it truly deserves.As I so posted originally, the "Thief Of Bagdad" is best remembered as a Technicolor dream well worth revisiting.

****** ******* ******* ****** The "Thief Of Bagdad" is one of those rare films that one can watch and remember viewing it as a young child...and still be impressed. This wonderful Technicolor dream holds up better over the years (special effects notwithstanding)and wraps the viewer in it's web of fairy tale magic. It has it all, the beautiful princess (June Duprez) the eager prince (John Justin) and the most sinister villain (Conrad Veidt)one can imagine...and of course, the young thief (Sabu). Noteworthy is the lush music of Miklos Rozsa, the beautiful theme for the princess is haunting, and try not to hum the "I want to be a sailor" tune for Sabu. All in all, a simply magical exercise in movie-making that has influenced so many filmmakers since. Movie Magic at it's absolute best.

I really tried to like this film. It starts out well enough, but so quickly degrades to an almost mind-numbing, depressing series of events. Isn't Xmas supposed to be uplifting?? With the assembled cast you would think there would be some redeeming qualities, but I certainly could not find any. An overall dreary and unfunny effort. Some notables, however...Steve Martin's dyed hair...An almost retarded acting Adam Sandler looking more like he's running through an old Saturday Night Live skit..and some nice Xmas carols punctuate this film that takes a lot of time to say nothing.To all those viewers who commented that this has become their annual Xmas watching fare, I must say: God Bless You Everyone, and please make sure you take your prozac with the eggnog.