Sinbad, the Sailor (1947)

In medieval Persia, during the rule of Caliph Harun-Al-Rashid, Sinbad the Sailor boasts about his latest adventures to his friends.

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:

island | arabian nights | hidden treasure | character name as title | three word title | 

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Taglines:

. . . The fabulous adventures of . . . The King of Rogues . . . The Prince of Lovers !

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

In her autobiography Maureen O'Hara says that she was disappointed to learn that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. wore a padded jockstrap to bolster the bulge in his tights.

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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: ...Sinbad the Sailor! Know me, O Brothers, for the truth of my words, and by the ...

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Crazy Credits

Closing credits epilogue: And now, Know ye, all believers of the word of Sinbad, That of his eighth voyage This is the end

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Connections

Featured in Glorious Technicolor (1998)

User Reviews

Great swashbuckler with humor and almost over-literate dialog.

This movie is an adult oriented swashbuckling tale in the guise of a children's movie. The harem scene is quite erotic and suggestive for its time. The script is very literate, almost too much so for a children's film, but there is plenty of colorful action for the kids too. The relationship between the O'Hara and Fairbanks character is very fiery, at times a little over-abusive, but they seem to made for each other. Slezak uses his intelligence to take an over-the-top character and make him believable and interesting. There is a lot of romance, combined with an inner-spective questioning of what true treasure is, and where true happiness comes from; everyone can learn from this. In this sense, it is a very moralistic tale, without preaching, but "showing". Kids will enjoy the action, adults who can get into the spirit of the tale will enjoy the sexual excitement and subtleties of the story and script. And to the casual viewer, it's just a fun film. It is underrated, and deserves a view by the entire family.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Strange Adventures of Sinbad

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

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