"The sands of the desert have barbecued my bunions."
13 April 2009
That immortal line sums it up, folks. This campy desert feature has even more gags than it has harem girls, and they're often as funny as they are unbelievable. Paul Henreid plays a dashing magician (with a dash of Vaudeville) in a kind of low-rent "Arabian Nights" empire. Henreid's famous role in "Casablanca" must have led to a fascination with the Sahara, because he did more than one sword-and-sandal picture later, though they were an odd fit. Patricia Medina, who had her own long career in costumers, is beautiful as the "siren" but doesn't have much chemistry with Henreid. The great character actor Hans Conreid, as Henreid's wise-cracking sidekick, utters the immortal line quoted above, among others. I would like to think that some minor studio executive said, "Paul Henreid and Hans Conreid? Aren't they the same guy?" That's the spirit in which this one was made.
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