The Brass Bottle

Magically powerful, the ancient entity known as the D'Jinn can grant a person's wildest dreams, but in this day and age, can your lifestyle stand up to it?

The flip side of THE WISHMASTER, this film is a delightful romp that is comical and heartwarming.

Burl Ives is the D'Jinn, freed from 'The Brass Bottle" by architect Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) -- who was intent on making it into a lamp!

Based on the book by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, the story shows the chaos that engulfs Harold's life as "Mr. Fakrash" attempts time and again to reward him for freeing him from the bottle. Meaning to be kind, he systematically causes Harold to loose his job, his fiancé, and ultimately, his freedom -- as the world comes to see him as a lunatic. There is no room in this modern world for Hocus Pocus.

I will not spoil the ending -- see it; this is one of Burl Ives' finest performances!

At last --- it's on DVD!

Very enjoyable, good humor, good acting, a little campy, but so were most comedies of the early 60s era and there is nothing wrong with that.

This should be on DVD - not just VHS. Why studios haven't converted this to DVD especially with rated actors/actresses to DVD is beyond me.The DVD would easily fly of the shelves from age 45 - 65 year group who would love to add it to their vintage collections.

Burl Ives does another classic performance this time as the Genie in the Bottle now freed by someone, Tony Randall, who is tempted, yet morally bound not to be consumed by the offer of "your wish is my command."

Burl Ives as a genie named Fakrash. He is released from an ancient Kum Kum bottle by former Paris beatnik Tony Randall, who is now struggling along in the suburbs as an unsuccessful architect. Naturally the genie causes trouble ("This isn't Baghdad, this is Pasadena!"), but the gags in Oscar Brodney's musty screenplay are right off an assembly line of bad jokes. Family film from Universal is too talky, really, to engage children (to say nothing of their parents), though Ives, Randall and Edward Andrews (and Barbara Eden as Randall's fiancée) work hard to buoy the familiar scenario. Adapted from a book by F. Anstey, this was the inspiration for Eden's forthcoming TV series, "I Dream of Jeannie". ** from ****

For the most part, "The Brass Bottle" is one of those silly comedies that they cranked out in the early '60s. In this case, jittery architect Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) frees genie Fakrash (Burl Ives) who tries to hard to please his new master. It only complicates matters when Harold can't explain things to his fiancée Sylvia Kenton (Barbara Eden). Will these genies ever be able to do things right?! Yes, this movie is very much a product of those days, when we viewed the Middle East as the land of sultans with harems; I believe that OPEC gave us the negative view that now dominates. But no matter, this movie is impossible not to like. In that sense, it's sort of like the other 1964 movie in which Tony Randall and Barbara Eden co-starred: "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" (which also had kind of a magical plot).

So, it may be a movie impossible to take seriously, but it's definitely good for a few laughs. And if absolutely nothing else, we can sort of see Barbara Eden getting primed to play the most famous genie ever to grace TV screens. Also starring Edward Andrews, Ann Doran and Philip Ober (who appeared on the "I Dream of Jeannie" pilot).

One more thing: I noticed in the courtroom scene a picture of Pres. Kennedy. Since this movie obviously came out after his assassination, wouldn't they have been nervous about showing his picture?

"The Brass Bottle" is a silly film that is well worth seeing...even if it's leading character is a bit of a drip! It all begins when Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) buys a giant rosewater vessel to give to his father-in-law to be (Edward Andrews). Harold notices that the man already has one of these ancient containers and so he decides to keep it for himself. Later, when he gets home and opens it, out pops Mr. Fakrash (Burl Ives)...a real, live genie!! Now you'd think that Harold would ask him for power, money or a harem of sexy wives but instead he just wants the very affable Fakrash to leave him alone. But Fakrash insists on helping Harold...yet again and again this help only seems to make things worse. Now you sure would think Harold would ask for a few reasonable things...but again and again he just scolds Fakrash! Can Fakrash manage to help Harold while STILL avoiding creating nothing but chaos?!

The film is a cute bit of fantasy and Ives and Randall are quite enjoyable. Likewise, it's wonderful seeing co-stars such as Barbara Eden (just before she went on to TV fame in "I Dream of Jeanie") and the familiar Edward Andrews as her annoying father. Oh, and by the way, Andrews and Randall would be back together for an equally silly film, "Fluffy". Overall, quite fun and a nice bit of fantasy that will please all but the most serious-minded viewers.