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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
Review
By the mid-1950s, operetta had fallen out of fashion; Kismet, the cinematic version of the hit Broadway musical, tried to make its origins more palatable by injecting a large dose of comedy, but the result is too stiff, slow and stilted to really work. Making matters worse, aside from some of choreographer Jack Cole's slinky, sensual dances, there's little of the heat that the stage version offered. Director Vincente Minnelli must take the lion's share of the blame for this; never exactly comfortable with overt sexuality in his films, he particularly seems to shy away from it here. The entire film suffers from stodgy, uninspired direction, although there is plenty of eye-catching, opulent dcor -- always a Minnelli strong point. Howard Keel tries hard, but the role requires both a better actor and one with a greater presence. He sounds good, of course, as does Ann Blyth, who gets the big hits -- "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," "Stranger in Paradise," and "And This is My Beloved." Unfortunately, she shares the last two with a miscast and boring Vic Damone. Dolores Gray livens things up considerably, wrapping her luscious belt around "Not Since Ninevah" and several others. With a more engaged director,
Kismet could have been consistently enjoyable; as it is, it's an attractive but dull bauble that could have used more bright shiny beads. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
