Chu Chin Chow
Director: Walter Forde
Year: 1934
Rating:
7.0
The last
thing I was expecting was a musical but that is what I got in this version
of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves from Gaumont. It had in fact been a huge hit
on the London stage playing for five years during the Great War and then
on Broadway for a period. The dialogue is rough and clunky, the plot simplistic,
the racial make-up dreadful but the sets are wonderful, the costumes exotic
and the musical numbers quite impressive. And of course, there is Anna May
Wong as a devious slave girl. It is Occidental Orientalism at its finest.
Though Anna is ranked third in the credits, that is due more to her popularity
at the time than the amount of her screen time. Most of her best films were
made in Europe after being invited over - Piccadilly, City Butterfly, Tiger
Bay, Java Head and this film. Then it was back to America and a series of
B films for Paramount.
The story of Ali Baba was added to One Thousand
and One Nights long after the original was published but it has become one
of the more popular tales. The role of the slave girl Morgiana in the text
is split into two roles in the film. To make room for Anna, I am sure. There
is Marjanah played by Pearl Argyle, a leading ballerina at the time, who
is in love with the son (John Garrick) of Ali Baba and Zahrat is one of the
slave girls of Ali's brother Kasim. Kasim is the wealthy one of the two brothers
who treats Ali like a lowly servant and mascot. Zahrat (Anna) is a spy for
Abu Hasan (Fritz Kortner) and his 40 thieves. By pigeon she notifies
Abu Hasan that a caravan of rich Chinese is coming - run by Chu Chin-chow.
Abu kills all of the caravan and takes his place and goes into Bagdad to
stay with Kasim.
Meanwhile, Ali has perchance been outside
the cave of Abu Hasan when he and his men left and he heard the magic words
- Open Sesame (though in the film it is not magic but a group of chained
men rotating a wheel). Ali sneaks in and takes a fortune though much is still
left behind. He is now a man of stature. Back in Bagdad, Kasan is throwing
a lavish party of dancing girls and a troupe from Thailand. There is to be
a slave auction the next day - Abu plans on robbing all the slave traders
- it is a great scene of women from everywhere as the auctioneer with his
head gear that looks like stacked pancakes sings: Albinos and Ethiopians
- everything is for sale.
Maids to grace a King’s
Harem,
Bodies black, brown,
white and cream,
Lips that melt and eyes
that gleam.
Behold!
Behold. Behold.
Dancers ripened by the
sun,
Slender virgins every
one.
Others weighing half
a ton.
Behold! Behold
Anna's role begins to pick up at this point.
She is magnificent as the slave girl on auction and the price gets very high.
The signal to plunder and kill is "Sold" but it never comes. Abu thinks she
betrayed him and puts her on the wheel. Now he plans to kill Ali and smuggles
his men into the compound within barrels - but the ever-resilient Zahrat
escapes by strangling a man to death and then betraying her one-time love.
Another celebration is taking place with women dancing in droves and Zahrat
puts on a veil for the finale as she dances and looks for Abu- for revenge.
Never mess with Anna May Wong. Lots of songs break out during the film that
feel very creaky now. Oscar Asche - lyrics; Frederic Norton - music. 1917.
It is pretty great with a few fine set-pieces.
A big production for England at the time. I only wish my copy was worthy.
It was a pretty chalky dvd copy. This in pristine blue-ray would up the rating
I am sure. 103 minutes. Beware of shortened versions.
