CAPTAIN SINDBAD
US, 1963, 85 minutes, Colour.
Guy Williams, Heidi Bruehl, Abraham Sofaer, Pedro Amindariz Bernie Hamilton.
Directed by Byron Haskin.
There have been many Sinbad films over the decades, with Douglas Fairbanks Jr in the 1940s as Sindbad the Sailor, with Maureen O’Hara?. Dale Robertson appeared in the 1950s in Son of Sinbad. With the developments in special effects, especially by Ray Harryhausen, there were more Sinbad films like The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the 7. Brad Pitt was the voice of Sinbad in an animated version.
A lot of attention was given to sets and decor for this particular film, a lot of the action showing people in the city, scenes of the palace as well as scenes at sea and shipwreck. It was also lavish in its costumes, more for the men, less for the women.
The plot is quite slight, Sinbad is at sea, wanting to come back to marry the Princess, but in the bad books of El Kerim, who now rules the country but has never seen Sinbad. The other principal character is a magician, Galgo, played quite eccentrically by Abraham Sofaer. But his magical powers are kept in control by El Kerim, whose heart, literally, is kept outside himself which means that when he is attacked, especially in a fight with Sinbad who puts a sword through him, he cannot die. Another episode of magic is the transformation of the Princess into a bird who can fly out to sea with a note attached to her leg to warn Sinbad. This is thwarted when many of El Kerim’s soldiers are also transformed into birds, birds of prey.
When Sinbad comes back to the city, he pretends to be a thief so that he can be sentenced in the presence of El Kerim and fight him. It doesn’t quite work out like that but, having set up audience expectations, there is a fight to the death, with Galgo destroying the heart and so Sinbad is able to kill him.
The Princess is happy and she and Sinbad can live happily ever after.
The film was directed by Byron Haskin, special effects man who had a range of popular films as director including Treasure Island and its sequel Long John Silver, as well as the 1953 War of the Worlds and his film immediately after Captain Sindbad, Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Guy Williams was a popular star of Disney’s Zorro films and The Prince and the Pauper. He was also the star of TV’s Lost in Space.
It all looks a bit creaky now, especially with the development in special effects technology – but it is a harmless Saturday matinee kind of film.
