Arabian Nights (1942)

The sultan's brother, in love with a dancer who will have nothing to do with him, is told she will marry him when he becomes sultan (an improbable happening); and as a result, he revolts against his brother, but is captured.

During an escape attempt the sultan is injured and his identity is disguised so that he is believed to be dead. Finding the ruse convenient the sultan, now with a different appearance and identity, goes into hiding with a troupe of performers.

In the meantime, his brother declares himself sultan; but unbeknownst to him, there is also a further plot against him by the treacherous grand vizier.

The dancer and the (still incognito) sultan fall in love, but are arrested and sold as slaves. When the dancer makes a deal to free her lover, he is instead secretly sentenced to death.

Will his fellow performers be able to rescue him on time?

Watch and find out.

There is nothing wrong with the main players (Maria Montez & Jon Hall,) but this is the sort of film which is made by its supporting players: Sabu, Billy Gilbert, Shemp Howard (as Sinbad), and John Qualen (as Aladdin) provide flavor and comedy enough to sustain what might have otherwise been a perfectly decent, but utterly forgettable adventure romance.

The story doesn't need magic, but young audiences expecting it might be dissapointed to find none.

There is a character named Aladdin, and he talks about once having had a genie inside a magical lamp, but the rest of the characters treat him as if he's crazy and not to be believed. Was there ever a real genie? Despite several attempts at finding the lost lamp, the film never shows any evidence of it even when there is a fake-out at one point

Not so much a fantasy, as much as simple fiction from The Arabian Nights.

Since there is no overt fantasy, the SPX are mostly (very nice) matte paintings, and acrobatic and battle stunts; some horses may have been hurt while filming them.

The film is structured between a wraparound segment featuring an old teacher telling the tale to a harem of young ladies.

When the adventure is over, the film ends very abruptly.