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Bagdad (film)

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Bagdad
Directed byCharles Lamont
Screenplay byRobert Hardy Andrews
Story byTamara Hovey
Produced byRobert Arthur
StarringMaureen O'Hara
Paul Christian
Vincent Price
CinematographyRussell Metty
Edited byRussell Schoengarth
Music byFrank Skinner
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • November 23, 1949 (1949-11-23)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$620,000-$850,000 (est).[1]
Box office$1.6 million[2]

Bagdad is a 1949 Technicolor American adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara, Paul Hubschmid (billed as "Paul Christian"), and Vincent Price. O'Hara called it "a 'tits and sand' picture...one of the films that I point to as part of my decorative years but audiences love them."[3]

Plot

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It tells the story of a Bedouin princess (Maureen O'Hara) who returns to Baghdad after being educated in England. She finds that her father has been murdered by a group of renegades. She is hosted by the Pasha (Vincent Price), the corrupt representative of the national government. She is also courted by Prince Hassan (Paul Hubschmid), who is falsely accused of the murder. The plot revolves around her attempts to bring the killer to justice while being courted by the Pasha.[4][5][6]

The film was directed by Charles Lamont and included choreography by Lester Horton and Bella Lewitzky.

Cast

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Production

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In April 1949 Universal announced the film would star Yvonne de Carlo and Swiss actor Paul Christian. It would be Christian's Hollywood debut - he had meant to star in Sword in the Desert but been ruled out due to an eye infection.[7] De Carlo fell ill and so Universal borrowed Maureen O'Hara from 20th Century Fox; it was O'Hara's first film at Universal.[8]

Filming started in June.[9] It took place on location at the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. O'Hara wrote in her memoirs that she was stung by a scorpion a few days into the shoot "but other than that it was an uneventful experience."[3]

Vincent Price appeared in the movie as the last in a four-picture contract he had with Universal.[10] “All through one week’s filming in the blistering sun, take after take was being ruined by the inhuman howls of a lady camel,” wrote Vincent Price in his book The Book of Joe. “No one could make her stop, and the furious reprimand by the sound man to the animal owner brought out the news that the camel must have fallen in love with one of the cast. It couldn’t be anyone she was used to, because it had never happened before and the crew had been around the animals for a week before we arrived. Since there were only three men, including myself, in the company and lady camels fall only for human men, it must be one of us.” After the other two men were presented to the camel with no reaction. “...the moment I appeared the great lumpy beast gave forth with the most disturbing screams of passionate anguish. I was the object of her affection and also the friendly derision of the entire company, but the film was able to continue by eliminating this camel from any scene I was in.” [11]

Reception

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According to O'Hara the film "made Universal and fortune and Universal purchased part of my contract from Fox as a result of that success."[3]

References

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  1. ^ "U's $1,470,000 Average Prod Cost Pared to 740G Per Pic in 49". Variety. 27 April 1949. p. 6.
  2. ^ "Top Grossers of 1949". Variety. 4 January 1950. p. 59.
  3. ^ a b c O'Hara, Maureen; Nicoletti, John (2004). 'Tis herself : a memoir. Thorndike Press. p. 242.
  4. ^ "Bagdad(1949)". imdb.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Bagdad:Overview". msn.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ P, T. M. (24 December 1949). "Bagdad (1949)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. ^ MOVIELAND BRIEFS Los Angeles Times 4 Apr 1949: B7.
  8. ^ MAUREEN O'HARA IN U-I MOVIE LEAD: . New York Times 10 May 1949: 29.
  9. ^ JOSE FERRER SIGNS FOR FOX FILM New York Times (14 Apr 1949: 29.
  10. ^ Young, Barbara Hale 'Baby Is Here' Costars; Huston Eyed for 'Harbor' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1949: 19.
  11. ^ Price, Vincent. The Book of Joe. Doubleday and Company, Inc.: New York, 1961. P. 99.
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