La légende de l'épée magique

Who could picture in their minds Rock Hudson swinging from drapes, jumping over balconies, or subduing the sultan's guards with his sword? But that's just what Universal gives us in "The Golden Blade." He's surely not on the scale of Errol Flynn, Ty Power, or Stu Granger, but Hudson does a nice swashbuckling turn here.

The Golden Blade is a light-hearted movie of fiction set in a mythical Baghdad. It has some skulduggery that is usual for these desert tales of the mid-20th century. Hudson's physical trysts combine with the energy and rebelliousness of a princess (Piper Laurie) who is always sneaking off to see the world outside the palace. And to do good turns with the people that endear them to her.

The plot isn't complicated and the script is just average. The color, cinematography and costumes add to the enjoyment of the movie. It's not serious filmmaking, but the cast seem as though they are enjoying their craft. Viewers should do likewise. Just sit back and enjoy the color, action, humor and romance of this light but entertaining film.

During those early fifties, Universal Studios tried to replace the adventure movies from the forties starring Maria Montez and Jon Hall. Those colorful and action packed enchanted movies taking place in the south seas, Arabic deserts...So there were those One Thousand and One Nights tales, such as this one and SON OF ALI BABA, VEILS OF BAGDAD, PRINCE WHO WAS A THIEF and many many more. Typical from this amazing studio. Generations of fans loved this kind of stuff and even still now old timers still crave for it. Lousy but fun and full of nostalgia. They don't make such films now. It's a lost period, but not for everyone.

Rock Hudson in his pre-Douglas Sirk days (the director who provided him with his best works, along with Frankenheimer's "seconds") and Iin a movie obviously aimed at the children's market .

The screenplay may look like a poor man's "one and thousand nights" leftover ,but the colors are glistening ,Hudson is handsome as Harun, an oriental destitute prince in search of his father's murderer (the whodunnit is predictable and is not pivotal in the plot ); Piper Laurie has plenty of go as a feminist Sheherazade who mingles with the people,dressed up as a commoner or as a young man ("your skin is as smooth as that of a girl", says Harun);he even goes as far as to suggest they pick up girls for dinner!

The ending borrows from king Arthur 's story,complete with sword in the stone,and the old scholar as Merlin. And the tournament looks like those of European Middle-Ages. The baddie uses a watermelon as the world, aping Chaplin in "the dictator ".

But it was pleasant entertaining stuff for the kids of yore ; today's brats might be more demanding ....

Arabian Nights adventure with luxurious costumes , brisk action , fencing and dealing with a tale about a magic sword. More fabulous than the tales of the Arabian Nights , more exciting tan the travels of Marco Polo , more spectacular tan the splendors of Kublai Khan . Harum (Rock Hudson) is a valiant hero of the people who comes to Bagdad to revenge the killing of his daddy and meets Krairuzan (Piper Laurie), a princess masked as a commoner, working against a scheme by a gang of evil bandits attempting to do away with her father, the Caliph . The disguised girl gives Harum a golden sword which, in his hands, makes him a brave heroe . Harum and is doing quite well until a duplicate sword is placed in his scabbard during one of his off-guard moments, and he winds up in chains . His Blade Of Gold... A Legend In Battle! Her Kiss Of Surrender... The Prize Of Victory!

Oriental adventure with all the usual ingredients , including glowing colour and distinctive photography in Cinemascope . Adventure and stirring movie set in Bagdad , including bandits , schemers , a cunning Calipha , gorgeous dancers , intriguing sheiks , and many other things . Another look at ¨The Golden Blade¨ today reveals it to be a bit short on action but here outstanding the sympathetic and funny Rosetta Jacobs , alias Piper Laurie . Hudson gives a passable acting as an invincible merchant who swears to avenge his daddy and is soon involved the twisted intrigue and mysterious plots . Hudson using the powerful sword in the name of justice managed to spring from this ridiculous camp Oriental Adventure outing to stardom .Rock as the fearless merchant Harun Al-Rashid avenges his daddy's murder in this adventure set in ancient Bagdad and Hudson work is well up to his ordinary high standards , being inspired from the Arabic fairy tales of One Thousand and One Nights . This is Hudson's second adventure in the East , the others were :The Desert Hawk , Bengal Brigade , Spiral road , Battle Hymm , and Thunder of God . Rock was Douglas Sirk's fetish actor including essential titles as Taza , Magnificent obsession , Written in the wind , among others . He is well supported by Piper Laurie who really was a pretty package and she is was worth the price of admission to see her . Support cast is very good such as : Gene Evans , George Macready , Kathleen Hughes , Steven Geray , Edgar Barrier and Richard Carlson as Narrator .

Colorfully produced by Leonard Goldstein and Universal International , being accompanied by brilliant and glimmer cinematography carried out by director of photography by Maury Gertsman who photographed numerous Universal productions .The motion picture was professionally made by a magnificent director , Nathan Juran, who sometimes used pseudonym "Nathan Hertz" who collaborated with Charles H. Schener in several films . Nathan directs it all in stylish Technicolor . Before entering the film industry as an art director in 1937 Nathan ¨Jerry¨Juran won an Academy Award for art direction on How Green Was My Valley (1941). World War II interrupted his film career, and he spent his war years with the OSS. Returning to Hollywood, he turned to directing films in the 1950s. He handled mostly low-budget westerns and sci-fi opuses, as ¨First man in the moon¨, ¨The brain from planet Arous¨, ¨The deadly Mantis¨ , ¨20 million miles to Earth¨ , ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ , his most famous being The attack of the 50 foot woman (1958) . He was also responsible for the superb fantasy adventure The 7th voyage of Sinbad (1958). Juran directed some Westerns starred by Audie Murphy such as ¨Drums Across the River¨, ¨Tumbleweed¨ , ¨Gunsmoke¨ and ¨Law and Order¨ with Ronald Reagan . In the early 1960s, he journeyed to Europe, where he spent several years piloting adventure epics and spaghetti westerns such as ¨Land raiders¨. Juran made sensational Sci-fi and fantastic movies , such us : ¨First men oh the moon¨, ¨The 7th voyage of Simbad¨ , ¨20 million miles to earth¨, ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ and several others .

The Golden Blade is directed by Nathan Juran and written by John Rich. It stars Rock Hudson, Piper Laurie, Gene Evans & George Macready. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and Technicolor photography by Maury Gertsman.

By Allah! It would be magic, indeed, that this sword were mine at such a time as this.

Colourful, energetic and costumed with skill, The Golden Blade doesn't lack for effort in the low expectation realm of Arabian Nights adventures. Sadly it's actually TOO daft and goofy when it's not meant to be. True enough that it isn't a film to be taken seriously in the first place, and judging by the performances of Laurie and Hudson, the cast are playing it purely for the undemanding popcorn munching crowd. But once over you just get reminded that there are far better films of this type out there and that the interesting premise, a sort of Arabian/Arthurian blend, isn't fully realised. Not enough swishing and swashing of the titular title weapon also annoys greatly. 5/10