Le fils de Sindbad

Sally Forrest's lush legs are wonderfully on display in a dance scene where she appears "Almost Nude!" Yummy. Corny but colorful not-so-serious adventure is enhanced by a dance scene that tends to tip it's hand to strip club dancing (complete with pole!) This segment is not as polished as her dance scene in "Excuse My Dust!" but she shows a lot more skin. Once again: Yummy!

Son of Sinbad is a dull film, more or less only watchable at scan speed. But what redeems this film is the performances by some of the top names in burlesque during the 1950s. A big thanks to Howard Hughes and those responsible for making this film. Burlesque Queen Lili St. Cyr is breathtakingly beautiful, and wears some of the most glamorous and lavish costumes seen in any harem-themed movie. Wonderful exotic dancing sequences featuring Nejla Ates and Kalantan make this film a must-see for fans of burlesque. Unfortunately, there's no stiptease here, but Son of Sinbad features a bevy of beauties in colorful costumes that make for some delectable eye-candy. There's no doubt the girls are the main attraction here, with a little story, plot, and action built around them.

I just saw "Son Of Sinbad". According to Robert Osborne of TMC(Turner Classic Movies) there were a total of 127 women in this film. It is a girl watchers paradise but, arabian type women with zippers on their costumes and high heels in the dessert! It doesn't get any better than this. When Vincent Price the comic relief, as Omar Khayyam, sells the availability of men to the raiders he literally is on top of what you may call a soap box. This movie could well push the cause of Women's Lib back 50 years. No one but Howard Hughes could have produced a sexest, yet tongue in cheek, film like "Son Of Sinbad". I recommend it for anyone who wants to laugh out loud at the antics and Vincent Price's double takes. He is "Priceless". The film was originally made in 1953. Due to the risque costumes of the women Hughes held up the release in order to cash in on the publicity. Also, according to Mr. Osborne, the film was made in, that Edsel of film processes, 3D but release in regular format in 1955 after the hipe died along with those awful glasses! See it. I couldn't stop laughing.

In Baghdad, the poet Omar Khayyam (Vincent Price) is seeking out his friend Sinbad (Dale Robertson), who is wanted by the caliph (Leon Askin), wandering through the streets and markets of the city. When Omar finds his womanizer friend, Sinbad asks for poems to seduce Nerissa (Lili St. Cyr), who is one of the caliph's wives, in the palace. Sinbad encounters Nerissa in the harem and the slave Ameer (Sally Forrest) is jealous of him since she loves the sailor. Another slave sees Sinbad and beats the gong summoning the guards.

Sinbad and Omar are arrested. They are brought to the caliph, together with the wise Simon Aristides (Raymond Greenleaf) and his daughter Kristina (Mari Blanchard) that are Sinbad's old friends and are unfairly accused of theft, to hear their sentences. However, the ambassador of the Tartar leader Tamerlane, Murad (Ian MacDonald), arrives in the palace and the caliph's adviser Jiddah (Jay Novello), who is a traitor, advises the caliph to not resist to the violent army that intends to invade Bagdad. Nevertheless, Sinbad tells to the caliph that Simon and Kristina know the secret of the powerful explosive Greek Fire and the caliph offers their freedom for the formula. But Jiddah and Murad see the demonstration of the explosive and kill Simon and kidnap Kristina. Sinbad offers to help the caliph to bring Kristina back and he rides with Omar through the desert. Ameer that belongs to the brotherhood of the forty thieves helps Sinbad and together with the army of the forty female thieves, they fight against the Tartar warriors to save Kristina and Bagdad.

"Son of Sinbad" is a highly entertaining adventure with a funny story and a incredible cast of beautiful actresses, including Kim Novak in an uncredited participation. Vincent Price "steals" the film in the role of a poet that helps the seducer Sinbad with the women, recalling the romantic poet Cyrano de Bergerac helping his friend Christian de Neuvillette to seduce Roxane. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Filho de Simbad" ("The Son of Sinbad")

A couple years ago I taped Son of Sinbad but gave up on it when two of the early scenes involved a surprisingly long, mediocre dance sequence and a surprisingly long dialog between Lil' Sinbad and Omar Khayyam. But I'm an inveterate fan of the Eastern genre, and by 8 July 2008, when TCM ran a morning of Sinbad movies, I'd forgotten my earlier dismissal and gave the film a longer chance. The Houston Chronicle's TV Week gave it only one star, which is close enough, but a little patience is redeemed by offbeat treats and occasionally upscale production values.

As for the treats, Dale Robertson is a game Sinbad, Vincent Price is a trooper as Omar Khayyam, and eventually the onslaught of female pulchritude becomes embarrassingly charming in its exuberant abundance of blonde and redheaded Arab harem girls, sheer hosiery, intensive coiffures, and tear-away clothing that makes many of the dances more like G-rated strip routines. Wordsmith is right that the extended dance scenes throw off the film's pacing, but the action keeps recovering its pace, and the sets glow with the candy colors of 50s childhood.