Prisoners Of The Casbah (1953)
Director:
Richard L. BareWriters:
DeVallon Scott (screenplay) (as De Vallon Scott), William Raynor (based on a story by)Stars:
Gloria Grahame, Cesar Romero, Turhan Bey, Nestor Paiva, Paul E. Newlan, Lucille BarkleyWhen Gloria Grahame signed her contract at Columbia Pictures, she had no idea the studio would require her to appear in anything available. Rather than go on suspension, she consented to star in the "Arabian nights" fiasco Prisoners of the Casbah, but her discomfort with the assignment is obvious in every scene. Grahame plays a Moroccan Princess, while Turhan Bey is the lowborn thief who loves her. The plot decrees that Grahame must marry Turhan to escape death at the hands of her enemies, and the script has a lot of fun with the custom of a groom being able to wed or cast away his bride simply by saying "I Marry You" or "I Divorce You" three times. Cesar Romero, playing the villain, is the only actor who looks like he's enjoying himself. Prisoners of the Casbah was another tarnished gem from anything-for-a-buck producer Sam Katzman.
