Kismet

“Kismet” was made in 1955 and would be Howard Keel’s last musical picture. The production was lavish on costumes, but stinted on the grand panoramic sets and “cast-of-thousands” musical numbers you might expect. It was one of many remakes of the original stage show such as Marlene Dietrich’s 1940, non-musical version. Howard would later appear in the stock version, on stage, in 1958.

Though this film was not a box-office success, it is a light, handsome production, a typical 50’s Technicolor extravaganza. There is a lot of lush , stereotypical fantasy, but not much reality here. If you’re actually from the Middle East, you’ll undoubtedly have a problem with it. Try not to take it too seriously and just enjoy the amusements.

Director Vincent Minelli’s heart was not in “Kismet”. He had his eye on his next project, a movie with Kirk Douglas, but was forced to make this picture first. He abandoned the production in its last week of filming and the dependable Stanley Donen stepped in and finished it for him, uncredited. There are a few interesting camera angles early in the picture, as if Minnelli were applying his artistry, but they give way to the standard fixed camera. The envelope is pushed on matters sexual. The Wazir’s wife and the poet plan an adulterous liason , but there is no mention of love, just sexual desire.

The casting was good. Howard Keel handles some very fast verses deftly and does a stunning job with the comedy. His shifts agilely from desperation to casual conniving as the quick-witted poet cleverly turns every situation to his advantage. Because he plays Ann’s father, but was really only 9 years older, his hair was greyed to give the illusion of age. Perhaps the only drawback was the lack of action in this film. Howard cuts a romantic figure and could have well handled more than the occaisional trip over the balcony.

Dolores Grey made a few movies, but was more notably a stage star. She is thin and angular here, with a kind of predatory sensuality- think a singing Sharon Stone with a sense of humor. She is suitably worldly and, for that time, quite overtly sexual. Though women in the 50’s weren’t supposed to feel that way, there is no mistaking and no apologies made about her attraction to Howard. The film, itself, is riddled with dry sexual innuendoes. Try Dolores line to Howard – “I plan to use your talents to their fullest extent.” She is delightfully dry. One distracting thing, however, was that she makes little eye contact with Howard during their sexy lovesong number. She writhes suggestively all over an enraptured Howard, but sings to the wall. Her costuming is glamorous, being done almost entirely in lame’, with the strange added feature of her feet and legs being coated in metallic paint- a lavish, but bizarre touch.

Ann Blyth appears as the innocent, virtuous daughter. Just the year before, she played Howard Keel’s ladylove in “Rose Marie”. In this film, Ann is as wistfully beautiful and full-voiced as ever. The part is not as good a part for her as was “Rose Marie”, but she does just fine.

In the other roles are singer-actor Vic Damone as the Caliph. His singing can’t be faulted. His nice, warm tenor made him a popular singer and it goes nicely with Ann’s crystalline soprano. His acting, however, could only be described as wooden. Sebastian Cabot, most known as the butler on Brian Keith’s TV series “Family Afffair” and as the narrator of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh movies plays the evil Wazir. Character greats Monty Wooley and Jack Elam have bit parts.

The plot revolves around a rogueish, but good-hearted poet-beggar {Howard Keel} and his devoted daughter{Ann Blyth}. A series of misunderstandings and mistaken identities lands him in the employ of the dastardly Wazir{Sebastian Cabot} who, believing him to be a powerful wizard, wants him to help him overthrow the young Caliph{Vic Damone}. The Wazir’s bored and lonely wife {Dolores Grey} has her designs on the poet, herself, for more romantic reasons. Meanwhile, the innocent daughter has unwittingly fallen in love with the Caliph, among his people incognito. More mix-ups and near-misses ensue before the enterprising poet defends his daughter’s honor and attempts to kill the Wazir. Strangely, he does not actually accomplish this, fleeing before it is discovered the Wazir is still alive. It was evidently thought to be bad form for Howard Keel to murder anyone. No matter, it was not a problem for the good Caliph and the Wazir gets his due. Dolores is then free to go with Howard and the once beggar-girl Ann gets her Caliph. Fadeout.

The musical numbers are, for the most part, forgettable. The haunting “Strangers in Paradise” is here, though and beautifully rendered by Ann and Vic. Most of the dance numbers are provided by some extremely limber dancers, some of which are pretty racy. This is not a musical where people spontaneously break into a dance, ala’ Fred Astaire. The dances are usually part of an entertainment or ceremony- a “functional” dance number, if you will, slipped into the plot. As in his other films, Howard does not do any dances here, either.

This is a fun film, light and frothy and colorful. It, perhaps, lacks the musical verve it could have had, but is, overall a good time and an especially fine performance by Howard Keel.