Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

loza-1 Chu Chin Chow was a well-known stage musical that started during the First World War years and lasted through the twenties and the thirties. Then mention of it suddenly stopped and was heard of no more. Of the songs used in the musical, only the Shoemaker's Song was catchy enough to survive outside the musical, and was covered by all kinds of musicians from trad jazz bands to Paul Robeson.As others have said, the musical is set in Baghdad and is a variant of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The costumes are exaggerated, with grotesque turbans and fezzes.What is unusual for a British film is that the background music is almost non-stop. Often the background music has nothing to do with what is happening in the scene, and is thus more like Muzak in a supermarket or an elevator. This was sometimes done in early thirties films by First National/Warner Brothers. This is the first time I have encountered this in a British film. The orchestration is adventurous and the higher pitches feature unusual instruments. These include domras that tremolo in the string section, and - soloing in the woodwind - are a sopranino recorder, and even an ocarina, to accentuate clownishness. As big jars, each containing a thief, are rolled into a pit, we hear the timpani making a thunderous noise - inappropriate due to the size of the jars, but unbelievably effective.With one exception, the singers are not very good. The exception is the Australian basso profondo, Malcolm McEacharn, who is billed as "Jetsam," because he was a member of the Flotsam and Jetsam duo. An exceptionally rich and powerful voice that can reach down, down, down to depths that a basso cantate like myself can only dream about. I have never seen anything quite like this in a British film of the period.

MARIO GAUCI I knew of this Oriental musical adventure (produced by the pioneering Michael Balcon and already filmed as a Silent), but wasn't aware that it was directly inspired by the Arabian Nights fable of Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves (in spite of its being retitled ALI BABA NIGHTS; more on this later). The current title is rather misleading, as it gives one the impression of being set in China – and especially since the character of Chu-Chin-Chow himself, a Chinese merchant, is only a minor one. Besides, being a British film from the early Talkie era, I fully expected it to be a stodgy affair – merely "a curiosity", as Leslie Halliwell called it. However, I found it an enthralling and highly enjoyable piece of work – and still pretty much a unique entertainment after all these years.Incidentally, prior to viewing the film I re-read DVD Savant's review (if anything to ascertain myself that it was fitting Christmas fare) – I was quite intrigued by Glenn Erickson's comments (sharing his view of the ornate sets as being a particular standout), but also ended up disagreeing with his opinion about the static quality of the cinematography…as I actually felt that Max Greene's camera was reasonably mobile throughout. Being undeniably archaic by today's standards, the songs, Busby Berkeley-ish dance numbers, and the comedy and romance elements are all a matter of taste – in fact, they constitute the film's main source of longueurs, if still intrinsically charming ingredients of the whole package. On the other hand, it turned out to be surprisingly bloodthirsty for what was essentially popular entertainment! The plot has been opened up from the traditional story, while also making Ali Baba a coward – but this is the still the most satisfying version I've watched, certainly the most fascinating (for various reasons).The villain is played by Fritz Kortner (looking like a flabbier, less handsome version of Douglas Fairbanks at times and a Wallace Beery-lookalike at others, but with a voice sounding uncannily like that of Otto Preminger!), gives an entertainingly ripe performance – witness his orgasmic thirsting for Ali Baba's blood as he lays out his plans for the final assault (he's even made to don a number of clever disguises throughout). The formidable Anna May Wong has a relatively small role but is quite impressive nonetheless. George Robey's Ali Baba, then, is accompanied by a comically somnolent theme tune every time he appears; I'd only seen his brief performance in Laurence Olivier's Shakespearian adaptation of HENRY V (1944), but I can see how the actor's amiable brand of fooling would be lapped up by audiences of the time – incidentally, I need to pick up his DON QUIXOTE (1933) on DVD, a film directed by German émigré G.W. Pabst (with whom Kortner himself had made the seminal PANDORA'S BOX [1929]). Lovely Pearl Argyle isn't the typically bland damsel-in-distress, but rather a resourceful heroine; Dennis Hoey (Inspector Lestrade of the modernized Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes series) is Kortner's second-in-command; Francis L. Sullivan is very amusing as the perennially bored Caliph, who's then overjoyed when Abu Hasan's plans are foiled in his presence – thinking that it was all part of the evening's entertainment as prepared by Ali Baba!; Malcolm McEachern – billed simply as Jetsam! – is the burly majordomo with a baritone voice who acts as Chorus throughout.Curiously enough, a full 19 years later it was re-issued in the U.S. by Robert Lippert in a much shorter version (reduced from 102 minutes to 76!) retitled ALI BABA NIGHTS – this version is available on Disc 2 of VCI's surprising 3-Disc Set of CHU-CHIN-CHOW, and accompanied by the Popeye ALI BABA short I viewed recently. Ironically, this re-edit is presented in a better-looking print than the 'original' – but the image has been zoomed-in somewhat; many of the songs have been dropped (making the few that remain feel somewhat incongruous), though not the various dances; the romantic subplots are diminished, and so is the role of Robey's elderly wife and plump lover; ditto the allusion during the final banquet to The Caliph's vindictive treatment of disappointing hosts; some of the edits, however, are clumsily done – especially the death scene of Robey's brother, which is interrupted half-way through!One last word: Fritz Kortner followed this with another exotic melodrama, the even better-regarded ABDUL THE DAMNED (1935) – which has been thoughtfully included by VCI in this set (see below for my comments about that film).

Spondonman This one works in all departments – a 1930's British film of a British stage musical that ran from 1916 to 1920 – the sheer artistry involved in this production disguised the staidly primitive techniques. And the production is breathtaking at times – it shows just what can be achieved with a little money but plenty of intelligence. George Robey, three decades past his Prime Minister Of Mirth heyday was perfect in the main role of Ali Baba. Just in case you ever wonder: even when young he never had a singing voice, it was his down to Earth silliness playing with words that endeared him to British Music Hall audiences.It's the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and his sudden rise to wealth and power, from the finding of their cave and robbing the robbers of their treasures. The magnificent Chu Chin Chow of the title and his coterie travelling to Baghdad are reduced to dust in double quick time, leading to the imposture by Abu Hasan and his Thieves at the court of Kasim Baba. The sets are astounding, probably gossamer but believable. Fritz Kortner as Head Thief is suitably savage, and Anna May Wong (again playing the treacherous insider, as in Fairbanks' Thief Of Bagdad) as his … slave is in a difficult position for the entire film. Along the way are some lovely songs: The Cobblers Song, the incredibly romantic Corraline (sung in the sparkling "moonlight" to every camera angle imaginable), I Love Thee So (languid and atmospheric photography) but especially the gorgeous Any Time's Kissing Time. Robey and Thelma Tuson gave it their all and succeeded in creating the most delicious idiotic/romantic 2 minutes in film history – just look at the slaves laughing in the background!It's one of the best British films from the decade even so I don't expect UK TV to ever show it again, but it's one I trot out on video to watch every few years with no loss of enjoyment. It might have been better in Technicolor because a lot of people who might have liked it today could be put off by the black and white photography. But if you can sink into the first 10 minutes or so you'll find a little gem worth the taking.

ptb-8 Sumptuous British Gainsborough Pictures production with a huge budget for its day ($500K) plays a lot like a cross between THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD and KISMET all bumbling through meters of silk and pearls on their way to a Gilbert and Sullivan convention.Anna Mae Wong is just so beautiful and this very funny - delicious- farce is a pleasure to watch. Often referred to as an antique musical in that creaky British manner of 30s films - it is actually a lot better than that and viewers will find the whole concoction quite intoxicating. I am sure it did influence Hollywood and had Selznick known it was possible to make such a lavish fantasy musical I am sure he would have made in color too. Instead he made THE GARDEN OF ALLAH which this gives more than a veiled nod towards. Of course if Howard Hughes press-ganged RKO onto it we would have got ...huh? we did? oh yes...THE SON OF SINBAD. Chu Chin is good Chow. Enjoy!