Sinbad the Sailor Reviews

In this lengthy, purely escapist swashbuckling adventure, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., conjures up images of his father's heroics in such films as THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924) and THE BLACK PIRATE (1926). An Arabian Nights tale, SINBAD THE SAILOR casts Fairbanks as Sinbad, sailing the seas in search of a hidden treasure. He makes a stop in Daibul, where his ship is put up for auction. Shireen (Maureen O'Hara), a wealthy and beautiful adventuress, makes a bid for the ship, but Sinbad, stealing money from the auctioneer's pocket, bids higher. When Sinbad becomes enamored of Shireen, the sword-wielding Emir of Daibul (Anthony Quinn) prepares to kill him, but he is stopped by the love-stricken Shireen, who passes Sinbad off as royalty. Sinbad and Shireen soon team with the Emir and Melik (Walter Slezak), a Mongolian sailor who concocts a scheme to hunt for the treasure. Soon enough, Sinbad realizes that he is the victim of an elaborate double cross. Although boasting ornate sets and a collection of glittering Arabian fashions, SINBAD THE SAILOR badly needs a cohesive plot, but somehow that just doesn't matter. Kids and adults will be swept along by the excitement anyway.