Kismet (1944)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Edward Knoblock (play)
John Meehan (screenplay)

Release Date:

October 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

Hafiz, a rascally beggar on the periphery of the court of Baghdad, schemes to marry his daughter to...

Plot Keywords:

Royalty | Beggar | Baghdad | Sword Fight | Turkish Bath

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Ronald Colman	...	Hafiz
Marlene Dietrich	...	Jamilla
James Craig	...	Caliph
Edward Arnold	...	The Grand Vizier
Hugh Herbert	...	Feisal
Joy Page	...	Marsinah (as Joy Ann Page)
Florence Bates	...	Karsha
Harry Davenport	...	Agha
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Moolah
Robert Warwick	...	Alfife

Also Known As:

Oriental Dream (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9797) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Life Magazine reported that Marlene Dietrich had her legs painted with four coats of gold paint, and her hair sprinkled with powdered gold for her exotic dance number.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Suomalainen filmimies Hollywoodissa (1947)

Soundtrack:

Tell Me, Tell Me, Evening Star

Underrated gem

William Dieterle directing, music by Harold Arlen (there's even a tiny bit of the Witch's Guard music at one point!), opulent sets and gorgeous costumes, Ronald Colman -- what more could anyone ask?

The film was very carefully crafted. Even the bit players -- especially Henry Davenport and Florence Bates -- were perfect. From the beginning, you are immersed in a magical world, an Iraq that died long ago, the Islam of Arabian Nights and Haroun el-Raschid, a romantic culture with its own philosophies and mysteries. Karsha foretelling the future with a sand reading, the muezzin and his apprentice singing the call to prayer, or the public bathing place that the rascals hide in, give the film a sense not only of unity and atmosphere but of meticulous attention to detail.

Dietrich's character was not Greek but Macedonian (like Alexander the Great, another blonde). I could have stood for more authenticity in her dance (especially after the Kraft girls who preceded her -- their Deva Dasi style dance *was* pretty authentic) and that gold paint was a little much. Still, the idea was that Jamilla was wild, and did unconventional things.

I do see where it could have been better. Craig in particular sounds jarringly "modern". But you forget that after a while. Modern films don't present this kind of idealism. We have to have everything brought down to sordid reality. A thing like this is good for you after too much "realism" gunk.