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| Guy Williams as Sindbad |
CAPTAIN SINDBAD (1963). Director: Byron Haskins. Captain Sindbad (Guy Williams) returns to Baristan from a long ocean voyage and discovers that the kingdom has been taken over by the vile dictator, El Kerim (Pedro Armendariz). El Kerim is invulnerable to death and injury because his heart is hidden away in a high tower inside a swamp filled with deadly creatures. As El Kerim prepares to put Sindbad's beloved Princess Jana (Heidi Bruhl) to death for refusing to marry him, Sindbad and his men attempt to get through the swamp and destroy his large beating heart. But with the unwilling aid of magician Gagol (Abraham Sofaer), El Kerim is not going to make it easy for him ...
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| Amendariz and Bruhl |
This highly entertaining, fast-paced fantasy film lacks only one thing, some wonderful Ray Harryhausen effects. But you almost don't miss them because this picture has the usual MGM gloss complete with gorgeous technicolor. The production makes the most of that with some stunning art direction and beautiful costuming that is borderline garish but effective. Besides that the film is well-directed by Byron Haskin, who also helmed The War of the Worlds. You do miss the Harryhausen effects when a many-headed hydra shows up late in the picture. Although it is well-designed, it simply can't compare to the stop-motion hydra crafted by Harryhausen in the same year's Jason and the Argonauts. Almost as fake are a bunch of gators who sort of glide over the ground instead of actually walking. |
| dueling swords |
One of the movie's best scenes takes place in an arena, when Sindbad must face a gigantic but invisible creature that leaves huge footprints in the ground -- this has real suspense and excitement. The dangerous trek through the swamp when Sindbad and his men face a dozen perils is also notable, as is the climax in the tower and a climactic sword fight between Sindbad and El Kerim. Williams is heroic enough as Sindbad, Amendariz makes an excellent villain, Bruhl is an attractive and competent heroine, and we also have Abraham Sofaer as the riotous Gagol, Henry Brandon as El Kerim's good right hand, Bernie Hamilton as a mute sailor, and others. The best one can say of Michel Michelet's musical score -- Bernard Herrmann is sorely missed -- is that it is highly derivative. For a kid's film, the movie is pretty intense at times.Verdict: MGM presents a colorful and even glamorous fantasy picture. ***.
Guy Williams was a handsome Sinbad—or should I say Sindbad—and overall this might be the best of them all, though I grew up with Patrick Wayne in the 1970s version. Yes, this one has the best production values thanks to MGM. Now I’m ready to see this again!
ReplyDelete- Chris
Williams started out as Zorro on TV, then of course did Lost in Space. I think Kerwin Mathews made a somewhat better Sinbad, but Williams was fine in this.
ReplyDeleteIt took me forever to get a copy of this on dvd--I was desperate to see it again as an adult. It didn't disappoint either, but for some reason this film is very neglected. I thought it was super-cool at 9 yrs old and pretty much loved it--but yeah, some Harryhausen monsters and a thundering Herrmann score would've added a lot. I recall not caring for the rubbery dragon and a few other effects, but the overall experience was a fun and exciting afternoon at the movies, and I think it holds up pretty darn well. Williams was a good, charismatic Sinbad, even if I still thought Kerwin Mathews was better, and Pedro Armendariz was truly despicable as the villain. Heidi Bruhl changing into a naked firebird got my rapt attention, as it was the first time I found anything remotely titillating in a movie like this. The giant hand in the tower giving Sinbad the "no, no" gesture with its finger got a huge laugh as I recall--as did El Kerim's heart in the box being shaped like a cartoon heart (it evoked a few groans as well). The scene where Abraham Sofaer stretches his arm to try and steal back his magic ring from Armendariz gave me the creeps. Brrr. There was a lot to like here--still is!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
--Mark
The stretching hand is a great scene and the movie, despite its lack of a great score or stop-motion FX work, is colorful and entertaining. I love the sequence in the arena! For some reason, I never saw this in the theater and didn't catch up- with it for many years.
ReplyDelete