The thief of Bagdad 1940 - An enchanting fairy tale for the whole family

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IMDB rating: 7,7

Directors: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan (Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda, William Cameron Menzies)
Main Cast: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez, John Justin, Rex Ingram

"In ancient Bagdad, Abu, a good-natured young thief (Sabu), befriends the deposed king Ahmad (John Justin) as both are imprisoned in the palace dungeon, awaiting execution under orders from the evil vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), who has seized the throne. But they escape and make their way to Basra, where Ahmad, now living as a beggar, meets and falls in love with the Princess (June Duprez), who has been betrothed by her father the Sultan (Miles Malleson, who also wrote the screenplay) to Jaffar. Their fight for the love of the Princess triggers a series of adventures for the young Abu that brings him halfway around the world and into mystical realms with help from a towering genie (Rex Ingram), brushing up against the gods and transforming the little thief into a hero in the process. Along the way, we encounter a wide array of characters, some of them charming, such as the gentle Old King (Morton Selten), and some sinister, such as the devious Halima (Mary Morris), plus a range of color and lushly designed sets and set pieces (and special effects) that still dazzle the eye seven decades later. And it all leads to an amazing and suspenseful ride on a magic carpet, and a race against time to save the king and his beloved.
The Thief of Bagdad is one of those rare fantasy films that has only improved with age as a dazzling example of the screencraft of the era. If seams and joins show on some of the special-effects work, it doesn't hurt, because we accept the film as a fantasy tale woven before our eyes; just as no one minds the brush-strokes on a truly great painting. It has endured as an artifact of a lost world of innocence and wonder - Thief of Bagdad was the last major movie started in England before the outbreak of the Second World War, and the last fantasy film released before America's entry into World War II. And, like Frank Capra's Lost Horizon (1937) and Mervyn LeRoy's production of The Wizard of Oz (1939), the movie speaks from a time before A-bombs, air-raids, and concentration camps, and as such, provided a two-hour escape for those seeking refuge from the horrors of war, which still resonates seven decades later." - www.allmovie.com

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The hurricane 1937 - Classic South Sea adventure with terrific special effects

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029030/?ref_=nv_sr_2
IMDB rating: 7,3

Directors: John Ford, Stuart Heisler
Main Cast: Dorothy Lamour, John Hall, Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith, Thomas Mitchell, Raymond Massey

"Though dated and in places a bit silly, The Hurricane still gets high marks and comes out on top. Truth to tell, Hurricane would rate highly if for no other reason than because its climactic title sequence is one of the most stunning put on film. While listed as a John Ford film, this sequence was actually directed by Stuart Heisler (with the undeniable and invaluable help of special effects wizards James Basevi and R.O. Binger). Make no mistake about it: this sequence is a real humdinger. Even many decades later, it packs a real, thrilling punch. Now, things are not always so enthralling leading up to the hurricane; this is a film with definite ups and downs, and the melodramatic story is not always as engaging as you might wish. Too, the male lad, Jon Hall, though physically impressive, doesn't really convince as an island native. But the rest of the cast is solid, filled with notable players such as Thomas Mitchell, C. Aubrey Smith, Mary Astor, Raymond Massey and the eternally-saronged Dorothy Lamour. They keep your interest when the story sags here and there." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-hurricane-v23941/

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