Kismet: Amazon.ca: Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray, Vic Damone, Monty Woolley, Sebastian Cabot, Jay C. Flippen, Mike Mazurki, Jack Elam, Ted de Corsia, Reiko Sato, Patricia Dunn, Joseph Ruttenberg, Stanley Donen, Vincente Minnelli, Adrienne Fazan, Arthur Freed, Charles Lederer, Edward Knoblock, Luther Davis: DVD

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Hollywood's excursions into Arabian Nights exotica don't come much daffier than Kismet, a 1955 MGM adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. The score includes two standards, "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" and "Stranger in Paradise," but the blend of Broadway razzmatazz and Middle Eastern culture is, to say the least, awkward. (One comic number revolves around a man about to have his hand chopped off for thievery.) There's plenty here for musical fans to enjoy, and a well-cast Howard Keel does his chesty best as an itinerant poet who fast-talks his way to riches; this was Keel's last starring role in an MGM musical. Unfortunately, Vic Damone is a wet rag as the young prince, the garish Eastman Color photography has not aged well, and director Vincente Minnelli seems not entranced by the material. Still, there is something fascinating about Dolores Gray belting out "Baghdad, this irresistible town!" as though singing the praises of Vegas or Monte Carlo. --Robert Horton

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great songs, great cast! You won't be disapointed, Aug 20 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kismet (VHS Tape)

Howard Keel, Ann Blyth and Sebastien Cabot are wonderful in this version of "Kismet." Delores Gray is simply magnificent as the sultry Lalume, and I just loved Vic Damone's lovestruck Caliph. The dialogue is witty and quite ahead of its time. Songs like "Stranger in Paradise," "Night of My Nights" and "Not Since Nineveh" are unforgettable. The costumes and sets, though not historically accurate, are lovely - the lavish wedding procession remains one of my favorite film scenes.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Worth it only for Gray, Nov 1 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Kismet (VHS Tape)

This Vincente Minnelli has acquired a somewhat bewildering reputation almost solely because it was one of the few M-G-M musicals the fantastic Dolores Gray ever appeared in. She does have a wonderful number here in her iconic "Not Since Nineveh," where she really lets loose, but the rest of this film is so inferior you'll see almost immediately why M-G-M made so few major musicals after this disappointment. Almost everyone is miscast, even to Howard Keel who seems to be really enjoying himself immensely as Hajj even though he (and almost everyone else in the film) doesn't look in the slightest Middle Eastern. Nor does anyone else in the film, from the largely wasted here but still breathtakingly beautiful Ann Blyth to Sebastian Cabot harrumphing around as the Wazir. The only one who does is Vic Damone, who is about the worst actor ever (despite his lovely rendition of "The Night of My Life").

Worst of all, this edition from Turner Classics doesn't even bother to letterbox the Cinemascope compositions, so even despite the terribly distracting panning-and-scanning you can't see very easily who's talking to whom. This is best forgotten (unless you want to see the one number with Gray in all her oomphy glory).

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great feel good movie. Wish it was on DVD, May 3 2003

By

"zannedjinmonet" (Manchester, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kismet (VHS Tape)

I love this movie!
I grew up watching it repeatedly, with my mother (Ann Blyth look-a-like, and same hair style) singing these songs, while dancing around the room, sometimes joined by my father, so I can't say that I ever really paid any attention to how silly the movie itself was. :)
I love their versions of those classic songs better than any I've heard done by the correct kind of people, but I could have some bias.
Anyway, watching it still makes me laugh, dance alittle, and sing, but the VHS is rather awful in quality. I truely hope this film is transfered with better care to DVD format soon.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars A Wretched Transfer
If you've ever seen the laser disc (which was a near perfect transfer) of this title, you'd be horrified at this VHS transfer. Pan and scan travesty. Awful color. Fair audio. Read more

Published on Feb 10 2003 by Randall B. Rock

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the Howard Keel fan...
I can't believe that this was Keel's last MGM role in a musical, and that so few people have heard of it. He saves the film. Read more

Published on Dec 27 2002 by asfnatic