Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie Review

A thrilling action-adventure that is well worth experiencing

Inspired by The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, Arabian Nights is an exciting action-adventure story with plenty of intrigue from scene to scene. The film is produced by Walter Wanger (The Lost Moment, Joan of Arc) and stands as a fun achievement from Universal Studios. The film is also historically significant as the first three-strip Technicolor production by Universal.

The tale begins with a bold leader urging his adorning (and beautiful) female staff to read the tale of Arabian Nights and the stories exploring the hero Haroun al-Rashid and would-be wife Sherazade. As the story unfolds, the plot thickens and the characters at the heart of the story come into focus on screen: the story playing out before the audience. We meet the gorgeous Sherazade (Maria Montez), who is a performer who dances at a circus being run by the bumbling Ahmad (Billy Gilbert). The jubilant events of the circus add to a comedic start. Sherazade is joined at the circus by others of noteworthy accolade: Aladdin (John Qualen) and Sinbad (Shemp Howard).

The story of Arabian Nights twists and turns as Sherazade meets our hero, the caliph leader Haroun-Al-Raschid (Jon Hall). Haroun must eventually flee danger alongside the circus performers when threat looms before them as the possibility of enslavement enters the equation. Soon the threat meets the heroes head-first and a journey of fun adventure, excitement, and suspense unfolds in Arabian Nights. Fighting for freedom, the tale is just beginning.

There is something undeniably fun about this adaptation. The performances by the lead actors are surprisingly terrific and manage to keep the filmmaking engaging throughout the entire experience. Both the leading actors manage to deliver on their respective roles in style: Jon Hall and Maria Montez make the most of their parts and the enthusiasm each actor had for their role shows.

A journey of imagination...

The production is impressively mounted and has a number of compelling elements which make up the DNA of the successful equation. The music score composed by Frank Skinner (The House of the Seven Gables, Harvey) is a delight and keeps the experience a breezy one. The music fits the tone well and is a good match for the action spectacle.

Arabian Nights is a visually sumptuous production. The cinematography by Milton R. Krasner (The Seven Year Itch, All About Eve) is one of my favorite aspects of the film. The style is so unique, so colorful, and so absorbing that it pulls one in with ease. The Technicolor photography is a joy to experience and the three-strip form used on this film makes a firm impression. The aesthetics of Arabian Nights demonstrate the amount of care that went into the production staging of the film. Beautiful imagery.

The costumes by Vera West (The Man Who Laughs, Shadow of a Doubt) are another nice addition to the experience. The attire (for both men and women) fit the characters. The tonality is certainly right. The effective nature of the costumes makes it easy to enjoy the fantasy element.

Edited by Philip Cahn (Black Friday, They Asked for It), Arabian Nights is all the better for its swift pace and solid foundation. The film never drags or overextends its welcome. The pacing is swift. It pulls one in to the adventure and never lets go. Cahn is a huge part of the reason the film works so well.

The film would have not been possible without the production design by Alexander Golitzen (Foreign Correspondent, Touch of Evil) and Jack Otterson (The Flame of New Orleans, Mad About Music). A adventure of this magnitude needed a good production aesthetic to work. The film looks better than expected for a genre film produced at this time. The visual effects work and the production aesthetics manage to convey something that seems bigger and larger-than-life.

John Rawlins (Air Devils, Shark River) directed the feature with an energy that keeps the experience engaging from beginning to end. Arabian Nights surpassed my modest expectations and was truly a worthwhile experience. The film manages to find ways to keep the action exciting and even mix in humor well. The screenplay by Michael Hogan (The Hour Before the Dawn, Rebecca) is a large part of the reason why the film works so well and director Rawlins certainly brought the story to life in a way that works. Arabian Nights is a fun genre film that is well worth seeking out. Even though some of the elements might seem dated, the adventure and spectacle is not.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Arabian Nights features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 1.37:1 full frame aspect ratio. This is an altogether outstanding presentation with little in the way of print damage, scratches, and other imperfections. The Technicolor imagery looks impressive and this is an engaging, beautiful film. The scan looks naturally filmic and is keeping with the intended aesthetic of the film. The fine layer of film grain is well preserved. Quite impressive, indeed.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release features a DTS HD Master Audio mono audio presentation. This is a surprisingly robust and pleasurable listen. The track has excellent clarity and detail given the age of the source elements. There were no distracting instances of egregious hiss, crackle, pops, warps, and other unwelcome audio elements which can result from a poor quality master. Instead, the track on the release is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Dialogue is well reproduced and the track never sounds overly tight or muffled.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio commentary by film historian Phillipa Berry

Arabian Nights Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:07)

The Blu-ray release also includes a selection of trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (SD, 2:16), Cobra Woman (SD, 2:08), and Son of Ali Baba (SD, 2:03).

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Arabian Nights is a thrilling adventure that has enough charm and spectacle to keep things engaging for audiences who have become accustomed to CGI-laden blockbusters. Though some might feel the film is too dated in some respects, the action and spectacle remains a worthwhile experience. The Blu-ray release is top-notch and features a superb presentation. Highly recommended.