Kismet
1944, Fantasy, 1h 40m
1 Reviews Fewer than 50 RatingsYou might also like
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Movie Info
In ancient Baghdad, penniless beggar Hafiz (Ronald Colman) dotes on his beautiful daughter, Marsinah (Joy Page), at home and adopts the dashing and wealthy persona of the Prince of Hassir on the streets. While wooing the glamorous Lady Jamilla (Marlene Dietrich), wife of the Grand Vizier (Edward Arnold), Hafiz accidentally sets in motion a battle between the treacherous Vizier and the rakish Caliph (James Craig) for his daughter's hand in marriage, in the process exposing each man's secrets.
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Genre: Fantasy
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Original Language: English
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Director: William Dieterle
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Producer: Everett Riskin
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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Critic Reviews for Kismet
Audience Reviews for Kismet
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Pure escapism, Arabian style, about a beggar (Ronald Colman) trying to get his daughter well married. There are complications, of course, one of them being the ever-sultry Marlene Dietrich (who saves this little more than costumed dreck/entertainment kibble very nearly singlehandedly!) (and does not get enough screen time!) but we are only here for the costumes, right? Or the settings? Or the music? Or maybe even Colman's distinctive vocal patterns? Cause there's not much of a story or characters to care for.
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'Kismet' starts strong, with a charming storybook introduction to the main characters, which has the added benefit that we immediately understand what's happening when a beggar (Ronald Colman) dresses up as a Prince, and a Caliph (James Craig) dresses up as a gardener's son in Baghdad. While disguised, Colman is carrying on with the vizier's wife (Marlene Dietrich), while Craig is secretly romancing the beggar's daughter (Joy Page). Complicating matters is the vizier himself (Edward Arnold), who wants to kill Craig, and also unwittingly becomes a rival for Page when Colman seeks to get her married to someone wealthy. While I adore Colman and Dietrich, the film degenerates and doesn't live up to its potential, or the millions MGM poured into it during wartime. Craig is wooden, and Page is too (though she is pretty). Dietrich's dance routine is clunky, with the exception of a languid, erotic move on her back towards the end, which was probably the best moment in the film. Hugh Herbert is annoying (as he invariably is) with the 'woo woo's' in his role attempting to provide comedic relief. One has to suspend disbelief for what is essentially a fairy tale (or better put, an Arabian Nights tale), but even with that said, the film lacks any semblance of authenticity. It's a strange hodgepodge, with a couple of bland musical numbers, silly magic tricks, and a lot of camp. It's unfortunate that more attention wasn't devoted to the script, as opposed to all of the flashy colors in the sets and costumes (which didn't work for me anyway). Perhaps during WWII audiences needed silly escapism, but it certainly hasn't aged well, and it's a mystery to me that it garnered four Oscar nominations. A couple of stars for Colman and Dietrich, who even in silly roles have moments that draw one's attention, but don't expect much beyond that.
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