Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

1943
Approved
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Turhan Bey, Jon Hall, and Maria Montez in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1943)

A boy prince, raised by forty thieves, takes revenge on the Mongol invaders who murdered his father and stole his kingdom.A boy prince, raised by forty thieves, takes revenge on the Mongol invaders who murdered his father and stole his kingdom.A boy prince, raised by forty thieves, takes revenge on the Mongol invaders who murdered his father and stole his kingdom.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

1.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Ali Baba

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The reason the plot of the Arabian Nights tale wasn't used for the movie may have had something to do with the fact that in the original story, there are some 42 murders; the first is Ali Baba's cousin, and the other 41 are those of the 40 thieves themselves and, later, their ringleader, who arrives at Ali Baba's disguised as a merchant and thirsting for revenge. He is the last of the forty thieves to die. The others die when, after smuggling themselves into Ali Baba's house in wine casks, boiling hot water is poured into each of the casks.

Goofs
When the thieves are singing as they return to the cave the camera is leading them. The tire tracks of the camera car are plainly visible in the sand in front of the horse's hooves.

Quotes
Abdullah: For a man's country or his stomach he might bid his life; even for his horse. Never, never for a woman.

Connections
Edited into The Sword of Ali Baba (1965)

Soundtracks
Song of the Forty Thieves
Lyrics by J. Keirn Brennen
Music by Edward Ward
Performed by Universal Studio Chorus

User reviews25

Review

Featured review

They don't make 'em like this any more.

I saw this a few days ago after a gap of many years and it's still fun to watch. There was a whole spate of these highly colored Arabian Nights adventures in the 1940's and audiences lapped them up. The fun now is in the apparent seriousness with which they were made and the earnestness of not very good actors and actresses spouting there quasi poetic dialog.

These films were bonanzas for the exotic looking performers of the period, Turhan Bey, Jon Hall and Maria Montez (one of the lust objects of my adolescence). She would often wear quite revealing see-through dresses and there was always at least one scene where she emerged from a bath or swimming pool, quickly being discretely covered by large towels borne by hand-maidens.

Extras were cheap in those days and so there is a cast of thousands but most of the time the director does no more than fill the screen with bodies. Look at the battle scenes and you will see most of the participants are just waving their scimitars in the air aimlessly.

Ali Baba has wicked caliphs and valiant freedom fighters battling it out in the Hollywood desert. The ridiculousness of the All American Andy Devine as an Arab. Fairy tale cardboard castles. All makes for colorful entertainment.

I give it 8 out 10.