Simbad, o Marujo

This is a cinematic realisation of the lavish Arabian Nights storybooks you read as a child. They don't put a foot wrong: it's all very predictable and undemanding, and everyone plays their appointed parts very satisfactorily. Enjoyable nonsense.

During his film career Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. could probably have done more films along the line of Sinbad the Sailor. But my guess is that he didn't want to be typecast in quite the same way as his father was. Still it's a treat to watch him in this and in other films like The Fighting O'Flynn, The Exile, and The Corsican Brothers where there's more than a hint of his inheritance.

Sinbad the Sailor is the Baron Munchausen of the Islamic world. The stories of his seven voyages are a large part of the Arabian Nights fables.

Fairbanks shows him spinning the tall tales to the listening crowd in Basra and when they tell him to give them something new, Fairbanks relates the latest tale of his eighth voyage. Doing it in flashback that way kind of spoils the ending because it does say that he will survive to tell the tale. Nevertheless it's quite a story involving a greedy emir in Anthony Quinn and an evil magician in Walter Slezak who along with Sinbad is seeking the fabled treasure that Alexander the Great, that noted infidel, amassed during his conquests.

Of course there is that redheaded Kurdish princess played by Maureen O'Hara who has her own agenda working. In her recent memoirs Maureen full realized the ridiculousness of casting her in roles like these. But she said her philosophy was keep working and eventually the good parts will come your way.

It's an enjoyable film however as Fairbanks makes that final journey and finds what true love and happiness are all about.

"Sindbad the Sailor" is a lovely film to look at and it's obvious that RKO really pulled out all the stops to get this made. While this was a lesser studio in Hollywood, here they use nice garish 1940s Technicolor (the type classic movie fans love--despite its being very unrealistic), lavish sets and tons of costumes. It was obviously a prestige picture--and one on which the studio lavished a lot of attention. Because of this, it's odd that the dialog totally stank. All too often, people talked like they were either making speeches or doing an antiquated play--and in the process, the whole thing came off as stilted and silly. It's a shame, really, as I wanted to like this film a lot, but with B-movie writing, it only was mediocre.

In the lead was Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and I assume he was chosen because of his father. Fairbanks, Sr. made a huge mark in the 1920s starring in fabulous action-adventure films like "The Thief of Bagdad" and "The Mark of Zorro" (among many others). His athleticism and wonderful screen presence must have played a huge part in their selecting his son for this 1947 film--especially since Fairbanks, Jr. was a very good actor but really was NOT known for this sort of film. However, despite being far less athletic than Dad, he was quite handsome and very good here...but his dialog....yecch! Overall, the film is an enjoyable escapist film with dialog that will make decent writers cry. The film has action, lovely sets, Maureen O'Hara (playing her rather clichéd petulant woman once again) and is pure escapism. But it plays like a B-movie with a great budget.

I saw this film perhaps three times on TV, as a kid in the 1950s. I always thought it was black & white, because I saw it only on a B&W TV. I rewatched it recently for the first time in over 40 years, & it sure has changed! Or more likely, I sure have changed. Of course, it's in color, not B&W. What seemed like a great mystery to me then is now fairly obvious. And Fairbanks Jr., who seemed to me the best of all Sinbads, now seems a bit over the top in his role. Not that those are bad comments, they're just different than I had remembered. The colors are amazingly bright & vivid for a 1947 film, which both adds interest & takes away from the mystery of what I had seen in B&W. Fairbanks grandiose character portrayal (arm flourishes & almost ballet-like movements) actually works well, because Sinbad is a braggart who is disbelieved by many, & has a self- confident air; he's also a fellow who's had eight amazing voyages & has escaped dozens of monsters & difficult situations. Sinbad refers to some of his previous exploits (the Roc & the Cyclops, for example); it would have been nice to see a couple of monsters or mythical beings in this film. With minimal special effects, the plot becomes rather talky, & there's a repetition of escapes & fight scenes that lack variety & seem too staged. I would call this a kid's film, although the dialog is a bit too poetic & difficult for many kids. As a film for adults, it's a bit too soft with too little action, although there's lots of romantic elements for those viewers who enjoy that. There are three nice surprises to the plot which still hold up well, so stick with it to the end. I would no longer call this my favorite Sinbad film, but it's still enjoyable as a light adventure-romance. I rate it 6/10.

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.