Sinbad, the Sailor (1947)

Sinbad is a story teller who weaves great adventures about - himself. Whether they are true or not, no one knows. For this is the story of the eight adventures of Sinbad - as told by Sinbad... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Wallace

Writers:

John Twist (screenplay), John Twist (original story),

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Sinbad
Maureen O'Hara	...	Shireen
Walter Slezak	...	Melik
Anthony Quinn	...	Emir
George Tobias	...	Abbu
Jane Greer	...	Pirouze
Mike Mazurki	...	Yusuf
Sheldon Leonard	...	Auctioneer
Alan Napier	...	Aga
John Miljan	...	Moga
Brad Dexter	...	Muallin (as Barry Mitchell)

Storyline

Sinbad is a story teller who weaves great adventures about - himself. Whether they are true or not, no one knows. For this is the story of the eight adventures of Sinbad - as told by Sinbad. A ship saved by Sinbad and Sabu. A treasure map to the treasure of Alexander the Great, which mysteriously disappears from the ship. The beautiful Shireen - the woman who has stolen the heart of Sinbad. The evil Amir who wants the treasure for himself to own the world. The deadly Melik, who will stop at nothing and kill anyone to have the treasure. A perilous voyage to a mysterious island where the treasure is said to be held.

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Plot Keywords:

sinbad | island | boat | emir | pirate | 

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Taglines:

Out of the Arabian Nights!

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Genres:

Romance | Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sinbad le marin

Box Office

Budget:

$2,459,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Hedda Hopper Show - This Is Hollywood" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 29, 1947 with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Maureen O'Hara reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

Wires are visible on the black bird as it circles the ship's mast.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: O Masters, O Noble Persons, O Brothers, know you that in the time of the Caliph Harun-Al-Rashid, there lived on the golden shore of Persia a man of adventure called Sinbad the Sailor. Strange and wondrous were the tales told of him and his voyages. But who, shall we surmise, gave him his immortality? Who, more than all other sons of Allah, spread glory to the name of Sinbad? Who else, O Brother, but...
Sinbad: ...

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Crazy Credits

The title appears as if it were being poured, in colored water, by faucets into a reflecting pool.

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Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)

User Reviews

Intelligent, Colorful, Consistently-Interesting Adventure

When I assess the popularity of this film in the postwar period of its release and then compare viewers' reactions recently registered to that approbation, I must assert that U.S. viewers appear to have suffered two serious losses over the last 50 years. First, they apparently can no longer listen to intelligent dialogue nearly as well as they once could; and second, viewers seem to have abandoned categories of fiction for emotional predilections, for or against subject matter, actors, etc. I believe that "Sinbad the Sailor" is an interesting, beautifully-photographed and well-acted film. I suggest Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is very good in the title role, although he adopted a device of moving his hands often that is graceful but distracting. Contrary to some adverse comments, if one ignores Maureen O'Hara's Irish brogue, she is excellent, rising to one of her most rewarding earlier parts, one that taxes her to play several moods and many nuances. Walter Slezak is very fine as always as a charismatic villain, Anthony Quinn underplays a villain who only reveals his depths of evil gradually. Also, George Tobias makes nearly the perfect foil for Fairbanks' agile Sinbad. The production is much-admired, with a rich teal blue to the sea in the process shots that many never tire of enjoying.. The elaborate costumes by Edward Stevenson and Dwight Franklin are a delight; the cinematography by George Barnes and the art direction by Albert d'Agostino and Carroll Clark as well as the set decorations by Claude E. Carpenter and Darrell Silvera are all outstanding. Roy Webb contributed fine original music and the direction by Richard Wallace is to my mind intelligent and swift-paced throughout. In fact, he plays with rates of the passage of time unusually well. The convoluted script for the film retailing Sinbad's "eight' voyage" was written by John Twist from a story created by him with George Worthing Yates. The plot theme involves "being true to the best that is in oneself". To feature this, the story-line retails the finding of a derelict ship with a dead crew. Sinbad, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and his partner Tobias, boarding the ship after being marooned, manage to bring the vessel to port where it is impounded. They had found the crew had been poisoned by the ship's water. But who poisoned it, they wonder. The entire film is told as a flashback by Sinbad, recounting his unknown latest adventure. His hints about plague to potential buyers of the ship, causes no one to buy the vessel--except himself, using money stealthily stolen from the auctioneer's own purse. A beautiful woman, O'Hara, it turns out, wants to marry a wealthy prince and also wants the vessel. Meanwhile Sinbad is trying to solve a riddle, involving the broken half of an amulet that had been found about his neck when he was an abandoned baby. The image found there also appeared on a map to a fabled island where lies the treasure of Alexander the Great--a map that later disappeared from the vessel. O'Hara is being sought by the Emir, Quinn; and believes Sinbad can lead her to the wealth.And he Emir wants it and her very badly. What follows is Arabian Nights adventure I suggest at its best-- captures, ship chases, escapes, arguments between male and female, the revelation that Melik, who has sailed with Sinbad, is the poisoner, a man obsessed with the treasure also, etc. The uneasy allies all arrive at last at the mysterious island of Derriabar. Sinbad is discovered to be the ruler-philosopher's long-lost son. He must somehow save the island from the Emir, who plans to use its wealth to make himself master of the entire world. Melik has a fine death scene.Sinbad prefers honesty and O'Hara as Shireen prefers him and the ending is very obviously satisfying. This is a film about ethics, mystery, romance, adventure, dialogue, humor and misassumptions. I recommend it highly to anyone adult enough to listen to it; it was a big hit for RKO when first released. In the good cast also are Seldon Leonard, John Miljan, Jane Greer, Mike Mazurki, Alan Napier and George Chandler.