Very pleasant fantasy nonsense superbly photographed in most attractive Technicolor hues. Jon Hall as usual is hopeless but the rest of the players, even Turhan Bey (pronounced "Two Ron Bay), have a good time and Maria Montez of course acts as if she were a queen to the manner born. The costumes and sets are most attractive and there is plenty of unsophisticated action and even a scene where MM is branded (which we are surprised got past the kiddies' matinee censors). Film has been produced on a fair-sized budget, despite a great many obvious glass shots. And if the script and dialogue iare juvenile and the humor mostly forced (though there are one or two amusing lines) Rawlins has directed it all with plenty of pace and often a visual eye. The music score is unusually original instead of derivative for Universal and it too is as pleasant to the ear as Robinson's photography to the eye.
OTHER VIEWS: As with all the Montez-Hall movies, even the trailer is a real hoot. "I rule the city of Khemmis now!" exclaims that wonderfully deep-dyed villain George Zucco. "The only treason is to defy me!" Now that he has finally revealed his true colors to Maria, he cannot disguise his glee as he instructs his torturers to give Jon Hall, spreadeagled on the rack, "Another turn!" But the campiest line of all falls to Turhan Bey (delivered with a perfectly straight face) as he suggests to our "more alluring, more bewitching" Montez, "I suppose you think it strange that I interfered with your execution?"
OTHER VIEWS: As with all the Montez-Hall movies, even the trailer is a real hoot. "I rule the city of Khemmis now!" exclaims that wonderfully deep-dyed villain George Zucco. "The only treason is to defy me!" Now that he has finally revealed his true colors to Maria, he cannot disguise his glee as he instructs his torturers to give Jon Hall, spreadeagled on the rack, "Another turn!" But the campiest line of all falls to Turhan Bey (delivered with a perfectly straight face) as he suggests to our "more alluring, more bewitching" Montez, "I suppose you think it strange that I interfered with your execution?"
- JHR writing as George Addison.