Kismet

KISMET was originally a play by Edward Knobloch written about 1910, and used as a vehicle for many years by the popular Broadway character actor Otis Skinner, playing the role of Hajj, the philosophical thief who saves the Caliph of... Full review

In the 1950's, my late father was a businessman who traveled to New York and took in Broadway shows whenever he could. One night, he went to the box office at the Ziegfield Theatre and managed to land himself a... Full review

This is musically the most glorious Broadway show of them all. in my judgment; and the most opulent of all filmed musicals in its sound, lyrics and colorful presentation. Of course, it might have been made differently, or better, or... Full review

I saw this movie version and have always loved it. I also saw the stage version, but who could be better than Howard Keel. I felt like a "Stranger In Paradise." I have always been a movie musical buff and... Full review

It's hard for me to believe that I saw many of these old M.G.M. musicals when they first came out when I was a teenager. I first saw Kismet with my cousin and sister in Jackson, Mississippi, and we loved... Full review

Thanks to the mega surprise success of SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, and the income of $7m in rentals (wow!) MGM lurched into a series of 'robust' macho musicals: ATHENA, ROSE MARIE, HIT THE DECK, and the best of all:... Full review

Kismet isn't a complete waste of time but director Minelli was itching to do Lust for Life and had little enthusiasm for this assignment, which engaged his abilities, but not his sympathies. Unfortunately, it shows. Like Brigadoon and a few... Full review

It's as if someone took a shredder and put the script and the songs through it, leaving just a patchwork of odd scraps and pieces that are good--a case where the sum is not as good as the parts. The... Full review

Some okay songs and the somewhat sexy presence of Dolores Gray add some interest to but cannot save this uninspired bore of a film. For the most part, there's a wall between it and the audience, especially where Howard Keel... Full review

Here we have a musical which unfortunately did not get the full MGM treatment other musicals have been given before. On stage this was a huge hit with complex orchestrations, high quality singing and dancing girls. However, I don't know... Full review

Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Volume 3 (DVD)....As musicals became more sophisticated over the next decade or so, the musical numbers evolved naturally from the plot and characters;....the selections in Volume 3 may not be the greatest films of all time.....Moreover, Damone would mature into a fine actor in time;....As the poet's daughter and as the sneaky Wazir, Ann Blyth and Sebastian Cabot are merely adequate;.... ... Full Review

This fourth film version of the warhorse Edward Knoblock theatrical piece Kismet was based on the Broadway musical version of the same property. Howard Keel stars as Hadji, the poet of old Baghdad, who goes from beggar to millionaire in... ... Full Article