Bagdad (film)

Last updated
Bagdad
Bagdad VideoCover.jpeg
Directed by Charles Lamont
Screenplay by Robert Hardy Andrews
Story byTamara Hovey
Produced by Robert Arthur
Starring Maureen O'Hara
Paul Christian
Vincent Price
Cinematography Russell Metty
Edited byRussell Schoengarth
Music by Frank Skinner
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • November 23, 1949 (1949-11-23)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$620,000-$850,000 (est). [1]
Box office$1.6 million [2]

Bagdad is a 1949 Technicolor American adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara, Paul Hubschmid (billed as "Paul Christian"), and Vincent Price. O'Hara called it "a 'tits and sand' picture...one of the films that I point to as part of my decorative years but audiences love them." [3]

Contents

Plot

It tells the story of a Bedouin princess (Maureen O'Hara) who returns to Baghdad after being educated in England. She finds that her father has been murdered by a group of renegades. She is hosted by the Pasha (Vincent Price), the corrupt representative of the national government. She is also courted by Prince Hassan (Paul Hubschmid), who is falsely accused of the murder. The plot revolves around her attempts to bring the killer to justice while being courted by the Pasha. [4] [5] [6]

The film was directed by Charles Lamont and included choreography by Lester Horton and Bella Lewitzky.

Cast

Production

In April 1949 Universal announced the film would star Yvonne de Carlo and Swiss actor Paul Christian. It would be Christian's Hollywood debut - he had meant to star in Sword in the Desert but been ruled out due to an eye infection. [7] De Carlo fell ill and so Universal borrowed Maureen O'Hara from 20th Century Fox; it was O'Hara's first film at Universal. [8]

Filming started in June. [9] It took place on location at the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. O'Hara wrote in her memoirs that she was stung by a scorpion a few days into the shoot "but other than that it was an uneventful experience." [3]

Vincent Price appeared in the movie as the last in a four-picture contract he had with Universal. [10] “All through one week’s filming in the blistering sun, take after take was being ruined by the inhuman howls of a lady camel,” wrote Vincent Price in his book The Book of Joe. “No one could make her stop, and the furious reprimand by the sound man to the animal owner brought out the news that the camel must have fallen in love with one of the cast. It couldn’t be anyone she was used to, because it had never happened before and the crew had been around the animals for a week before we arrived. Since there were only three men, including myself, in the company and lady camels fall only for human men, it must be one of us.” After the other two men were presented to the camel with no reaction. “...the moment I appeared the great lumpy beast gave forth with the most disturbing screams of passionate anguish. I was the object of her affection and also the friendly derision of the entire company, but the film was able to continue by eliminating this camel from any scene I was in.” [11]

Reception

According to O'Hara the film "made Universal and fortune and Universal purchased part of my contract from Fox as a result of that success." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maureen O'Hara</span> Irish-American actress and singer (1920–2015)

Maureen O'Hara was an Irish-born naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate but sensible heroines, often in Westerns and adventure films. She worked with director John Ford and long-time friend John Wayne on numerous projects.

<i>The Redhead from Wyoming</i> 1953 film by Lee Sholem

The Redhead from Wyoming is a 1953 American Western film produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by Lee Sholem. It stars Maureen O'Hara as a saloon proprietress who becomes embroiled in a range war and Alex Nicol as the sheriff who tries to prevent it. The supporting cast includes William Bishop as a politician who provokes the war and Alexander Scourby as a prominent cattle rancher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne De Carlo</span> Canadian-born American actress, dancer and singer (1922–2007)

Margaret Yvonne Middleton, known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and later acted on television and stage.

<i>The Thief of Bagdad</i> (1940 film) 1940 British film

The Thief of Bagdad is a 1940 British Technicolor historical fantasy film, produced by Alexander Korda and directed by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger and Tim Whelan, with additional contributions by William Cameron Menzies and Korda brothers Vincent and Zoltán. The film stars teen actor Sabu, Conrad Veidt, John Justin, and June Duprez. It was released in the US and the UK by United Artists.

Leonard Spigelgass was an American film producer and screenwriter.

<i>A Breath of Scandal</i> 1960 film

A Breath of Scandal is a 1960 American/Italian international co-production romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the stage play Olympia by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, and John Gavin, with Angela Lansbury, Milly Vitale, Roberto Risso, Isabel Jeans, and Tullio Carminati. The film is set at the turn of the 20th century and features lush technicolor photography of Vienna and the countryside of Austria. The costumes and lighting were designed by George Hoyningen-Huene and executed by Ella Bei of the Knize fashion house (Austria). In part because Loren was at odds with Curtiz's direction, Italian director Vittorio De Sica was hired to reshoot certain scenes with Loren after hours without Curtiz's knowledge.

<i>Against All Flags</i> 1952 film by George Sherman

Against All Flags is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman, with uncredited assist from Douglas Sirk. It features Errol Flynn as Lt. Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens, and Anthony Quinn as Roc Brasiliano. The film is set in 1700, on the coast of Madagascar.

<i>Lady Godiva of Coventry</i> 1955 film by Arthur Lubin

Lady Godiva of Coventry is a 1955 American Technicolor historical drama film, directed by Arthur Lubin. It starred Maureen O'Hara in the title role. Alec Harford, the English actor who portrayed Tom the Tailor, died eight months before the film's release.

<i>Comanche Territory</i> (1950 film) 1950 film by George Sherman

Comanche Territory is a 1950 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Maureen O'Hara and Macdonald Carey. Jim Bowie is sent into Comanche country on a mission to allow the government to mine silver on the Indian's land.

<i>The Thief of Venice</i> 1950 Italian film

The Thief of Venice or Il Ladro di Venezia is a 1950 Italian film directed by John Brahm. The US title was "The Thief of Venice".

<i>Siren of Bagdad</i> 1953 film by Richard Quine

Siren of Bagdad is a 1953 Technicolor fantasy adventure film produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Richard Quine set in the medieval Iraq. It stars Paul Henreid as a travelling Master magician who seeks to recover his troop of beautiful dancing girls who are to be sold into slavery. Patricia Medina portrays his love interest who seeks to overthrow the corrupt Grand Vizier with the magician's help. Hans Conried plays the sidekick to Quine's magician, who is transformed into a beautiful blonde woman who spies and distracts the Grand Vizier while retaining Conried's voice.

<i>At Swords Point</i> 1952 film by Lewis Allen

At Sword's Point, also known as The Sons of the Three Musketeers, is a 1952 American historical action adventure film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Cornel Wilde and Maureen O'Hara. It was shot in Technicolor by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was completed in 1949, but was not released until 1952.

<i>Song of Scheherazade</i> 1947 film by Walter Reisch

Song of Scheherazade is a 1947 American musical film directed by Walter Reisch. It tells the story of an imaginary episode in the life of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, in 1865, when he was a young naval officer on shore leave in Morocco. It also features Yvonne De Carlo as a Spanish dancer named Cara de Talavera, Eve Arden as her mother, and Brian Donlevy as the ship's captain. Charles Kullman, a tenor with the Metropolitan Opera, plays the ship's doctor, Klin, who sings two of Rimsky-Korsakov's melodies.

<i>The Gal Who Took the West</i> 1949 film by Frederick de Cordova

The Gal Who Took the West is a 1949 American Western film directed by Frederick de Cordova starring Yvonne De Carlo, Charles Coburn, Scott Brady and John Russell. It was nominated for an award by the Writers Guild of America 1950.

<i>Flame of Araby</i> 1951 film by Charles Lamont

Flame of Araby is a 1951 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler. British film star Maxwell Reed made his American film debut in the picture. Locations were shot at three famous film locations: Vasquez Rocks, Bronson Canyon, and the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California.

<i>The Veils of Bagdad</i> 1953 film by George Sherman

The Veils of Bagdad is a 1953 American adventure film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature and Mari Blanchard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne De Carlo performances</span>

This is the complete filmography of actress Yvonne De Carlo.

<i>Slave Girl</i> (film) 1947 film by Charles Lamont

Slave Girl is a 1947 American Technicolor adventure comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Yvonne De Carlo and George Brent.

<i>Tripoli</i> (film) 1950 American adventure film directed by Will Price

Tripoli is a 1950 American adventure film directed by Will Price and written by Winston Miller. The film is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Derna at Derna, a coastal town in modern eastern Libya in April 1805 against Tripoli, one of the four Barbary states in North Africa and stars John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Howard Da Silva, Phillip Reed, Grant Withers, Lowell Gilmore and Connie Gilchrist. The film was released on November 9, 1950, by Paramount Pictures. The film was re-released by Citation Films Inc. and retitled The First Marines.

Yvonne Wood was an American costume designer. She began her career at 20th Century Fox in 1943.

References

  1. "U's $1,470,000 Average Prod Cost Pared to 740G Per Pic in 49". Variety. 27 April 1949. p. 6.
  2. "Top Grossers of 1949". Variety. 4 January 1950. p. 59.
  3. 1 2 3 O'Hara, Maureen; Nicoletti, John (2004). 'Tis herself : a memoir. Thorndike Press. p. 242.
  4. "Bagdad(1949)". imdb.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  5. "Bagdad:Overview". msn.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. P, T. M. (24 December 1949). "Bagdad (1949)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. MOVIELAND BRIEFS Los Angeles Times 4 Apr 1949: B7.
  8. MAUREEN O'HARA IN U-I MOVIE LEAD: . New York Times 10 May 1949: 29.
  9. JOSE FERRER SIGNS FOR FOX FILM New York Times (14 Apr 1949: 29.
  10. Young, Barbara Hale 'Baby Is Here' Costars; Huston Eyed for 'Harbor' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1949: 19.
  11. Price, Vincent. The Book of Joe. Doubleday and Company, Inc.: New York, 1961. P. 99.