Kismet
Kismet is a 1944 American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film in Technicolor starring Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, Joy Page, and Florence Bates. James Craig played the young Caliph of Baghdad, and Edward Arnold was the treacherous Grand Vizier. It was directed by William Dieterle, but was not a success at the box office. Dieterle had directed Dietrich two decades before in the German silent film Man by the Wayside, which was both the first role in which Dietrich was cast competitively and Dieterle's directorial debut.
Plot
The story takes place "when old Baghdad was new and shiny", in an Arabian Nights atmosphere. Colman plays Hafiz, a middle-aged beggar and magician who parades about as the King of Beggars during the day, and as the Prince of Hassir during the night. As the Prince of Hassir he meets Lady Jamilla (Dietrich), the Queen of the Grand Vizier's harem, who knows he is a poser but is fascinated by him.
More details
author | John Meehan |
---|---|
contentLocation | Baghdad |
director | William Dieterle |
editor | Ben Lewis |
genre | drama fantasy |
keywords | arabian nights arrest dancing girl desolate draw even exile fairy tale kill magic trick open air plan royal garden search steal surround suspect the king unmarried wedding day white horse young man |
musicBy | Herbert Stothart |
nomination | Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Color Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score Academy Award for Best Sound |
producer | Everett Riskin |
productionCompany | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
publisher | Loews Cineplex Entertainment |
theme | silent |