The general perception of the Technicolor costume adventure movies that Maria Montez and Jon Hall made for Universal in the early 1940's is that they were pure escapist entertainment, intended to make people forget for an hour or so about the Second World War and the general world situation. And generally that is true about them -- they were mostly no "about" much more than having fun for 90 minutes or so amid pretty sets with lots of action and some pretty women in exotic outfits. But watching Ali Baba and the Forty ...
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The general perception of the Technicolor costume adventure movies that Maria Montez and Jon Hall made for Universal in the early 1940's is that they were pure escapist entertainment, intended to make people forget for an hour or so about the Second World War and the general world situation. And generally that is true about them -- they were mostly no "about" much more than having fun for 90 minutes or so amid pretty sets with lots of action and some pretty women in exotic outfits. But watching Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, one has to wonder if even here the screenwriter, Edmund L. Hartmann, was able to totally get away from the day-to-day reality around him. The opening Mongol invasion of Bagdad and the murder of the old Caliph (Moroni Olsen) while trying to set up a government-in-exile without thinking of the German and Japanese conquests and occupations of various nations that would have been going on at the time; additionally, the fact that the old Caliph is murdered with the help of a traitor in his own noble ranks -- a "quisling" in the term coined during World War II -- wouldn't have been missed by audiences at the time. Further, the screenplay very specifically paints the forty thieves as heroes who have gone from being criminals to an active resistance force against the occupying Mongols -- indeed, at the denouement, their invasion of the palace is greeted as a day of liberation by the people of Bagdad. The movie walks a strange tightrope, casting about veiled topical references of that sort, even as is otherwise sufficiently tongue-in-cheek to cast Andy Devine as a desert bandit. Obviously, Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves was sold as -- and mostly intended as -- light entertainment, but just below that glitzy Technicolor surface were some fascinating allusions to the real world. None of this stops Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves from being immense fun -- it is, even if the "fun" isn't totally escapist in nature -- and it's great to look at as well, even 60 years on; Universal has apparently kept preservation-quality source materials on this and Hall and Montez's other Technicolor costume romps. And this particular entry in that group of movies also contains one very instructive clue to the morays and censorship of the time in one scene, in which the hero meets the heroine bathing at an oasis -- the makers seem to have been forced to insert a particular shot that is there for no other reason then to make it clear that she is not totally naked when he sees her. Bruce Eder, Rovi
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Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot to cart. $3.91, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal.
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Good. May have very light or no surface scratches. Case and cover artwork are included but may show minimal signs of wear. If applicable: Digital copy or ultraviolet codes may be expired or not included. Slipcover may not be included.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot to cart. $3.92, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal Studios.
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Turhan Bey, Jon Hall, Maria Montez. Very good. 1944 Run time: 87. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot to cart. $5.00, like new condition, Sold by The Junk Store rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Russellville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal Studios.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to cart. $5.95, like new condition, Sold by CBExchange rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fontana, CA, UNITED STATES.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot to cart. $5.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal Studios.
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Turhan Bey, Jon Hall, Maria Montez. Very good. 1944 Run time: 87. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Universal Backlot to cart. $7.98, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves [Blu-Ray] to cart. $11.05, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Indust. of San Diego rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Diego, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Universal.
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Good. Fingerprints/smudges and light surface scratching that do not affect play are normal. There will be minor to moderate wear to the case, including scuffing/scratches. There is no booklet or other material in the case with the disc. All playing surfaces are visually inspected and should function as intended, regardless of listed condition. Access codes included with used items should not be expected to work.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to cart. $14.19, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal.
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Jon Hall; Maria Montez; Turhan Bey; Andy Devine; Kurt Katch. New. Run time: 87 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves to cart. $18.50, new condition, Sold by groovaciousrecords rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cedar City, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Universal Studios.
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Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Turhan Bey, Andy Devine, Kurt Katch. New in new packaging. Language: English. Run time: 87 mins. Aspect ratio: 1.33: 1. Originally released: 1943.
Add this copy of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves [Blu-ray] to cart. $20.92, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Universal.
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Seller's Description:
Jon Hall; Maria Montez; Turhan Bey; Andy Devine; Kurt Katch. New. Run time: 87 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
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