Blu-Ray News #328: Tales Of Adventure Collection (1942-1957).

Imprint has scooped up five tales of Arabian fantasy, romance and adventure, hailing from Universal, Columbia and Paramount.

Arabian Nights (1942)
Directed by John Rawlins
Starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Sabu, Shemp Howard

Universal’s first film in Technicolor — and they made up for lost time by creating a sparkling, eye-popping 87-minute piece of eye candy. It’s not even remotely faithful to its source material, but it’s a hoot and it boasts a Stooge (Shemp).

The Desert Hawk (1950)
Directed by Frederick De Cordova
Starring Yvonne De Carlo, Richard Greene, Jackie Gleason, George Macready, Rock Hudson, Carl Esmond, Joe Besser

For this Yvonne De Darlo showcase, the Richard Greene part was intended for Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Jackie Gleason in Arabia? Yep, with a future Stooge (Joe Besser) thrown in for good measure!

Zarak (1956)
Directed by Terence Young
Starring Victor Mature, Michael Wilding, Anita Ekberg, Bonar Colleano

This has always been a bit of a curio for James Bond fans, since so many of its personnel (director Young, producer Albert R. Broccoli, writer Richard Maibaum, DP Ted Moore) would go on to do the early 007 pictures.

A Thousand And One Nights (1945)
Directed by Alfred E. Green
Starring Cornel Wilde, Evelyn Keyes, Phil Silvers, Nestor Paiva, Rex Ingram

More a spoof of these things than an actual Arabian adventure film itself, with Cornell Wilde as Aladdin, Vasquez Rocks as Arabia (above) — and Phil Silvers with glasses. Gorgeous color art direction.

Omar Khayyam (1957)
Directed by William Dieterle
Starring Raymond Massey, Anthony Caruso, Cornel Wilde, Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, John Derek, Yma Sumac

Cornel Wilde is back for more romance and adventure, this time at Paramount and in VistaVision.

You can always count on Impact for near-perfect transfers and a hefty pile of extras. This is going to be a nice set. Recommended.

Blu-Ray News #265: Tobruk (1967).

Directed by Arthur Hiller
Written by Leo V. Gordon
Starring Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Guy Stockwell, Nigel Green, Leo Gordon

I worked in video stores all through college. One of the most-requested movies was Tobruk (1967), a tough World War II picture written by the great character actor Leo V. Gordon. It was in Technicolor and Techniscope (though the latter is never plugged in posters).

It stars Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Nigel Green, Leo Gordon and plenty of flamethrowers. It’s terrific, and I’m sure its January Blu-Ray release from Kino Lorber will make lots of people very happy. Count me as one of them.

Thanks to Mr. Richard Vincent for the news.