The Adventures of Hajji Baba

The Adventures of Hajji Baba
Directed by Don Weis
Produced by Walter Wanger
Written by Richard Collins
Based on Hajji Baba
by James Justinian Morier
Starring John Derek
Elaine Stewart
Thomas Gomez
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Cinematography Harold Lipstein
Edited by William Austin
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • October 1, 1954 (1954-10-01)
Running time
 94 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $816,813[1]
Box office $2,019,100[1]

The Adventures of Hajji Baba is an American film, released on October 1, 1954. Made in Southern California, it stars John Derek and Elaine Stewart. In the credits it states that the film is suggested by The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan by James Justinian Morier (3 vols., London, 1824).[2]

Plot

In Ispahan, Persia, a barber named Hajji Baba (John Derek) is leaving his father's shop to find a great fortune. At the same time the Princess Fawzia (Elaine Stewart) is trying to talk her father into giving her in marriage to Nur-El-Din (Paul Picerni) a prince known far and wide. Her father intends for Fawzia to marry a friend and ally, and makes plans to send her to him. But a courier brings word from Nur-El-Din that an escort awaits Fawzia on the outskirts of the city and she escapes the palace disguised as a boy. Hajji encounters the escort-warrior at the rendezvous spot, is attacked and beats up the escort with his barber's tools. The princess arrives and mistakes Hajji as the escort until he mistakes the emerald ring sent by Nur-El-Din to Fawzia as the prize to be delivered. In her efforts to escape him, her turban becomes unbound and Hajji realizes that the girl herself is the treasure Nur-El-Din awaits. Hajji promises to escort her and they spend the night with the caravan of Osman Aga (Thomas Gomez), who invites them to stay for the dancing girls, among them, the incomparable Ayesha (Rosemarie Bowe). The pair are overtaken by the Caliph's (Donald Randolph) guards sent to bring Fawzia back, but the guards are driven off by an invading army of Turcoman women, a band of fierce and beautiful women who prey on passing merchants.

Cast

Reception

The film was a hit and made a profit of $673,593.[1]

DVD unavailability

This movie has maintained little popularity, and is not available on DVD, although it is occasionally shown on Turner Classic Movies. It had a small release on VHS.

Soundtrack

References

  1. 1 2 3 Matthew Bernstein, Walter Wanger: Hollywood Independent, Minnesota Press, 2000 p445
  2. ↑ http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hajji-baba-of-ispahan
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