Once upon a time, MGM decided to take a Broadway hit, drown it in Technicolor, and sprinkle some desert magic on top. The result was Kismet (1955), a lavish, overstuffed Arabian Nights musical where Howard Keel hams it up as a scheming poet, Ann Blyth plays his ridiculously glamorous daughter, and Dolores Gray slinks around in harem pants trying to steal the show. The film is big, bold, and often baffling—like a magic lamp that grants your wish but also sets your house on fire.
The Journey from Stage to Spectacle
Kismet started its journey as a 1911 Edward Knoblock play, bouncing through multiple film adaptations before Broadway got its hands on it in 1953. That version—penned by Robert Wright and George Forrest—took Russian composer Alexander Borodin’s classical pieces, turned them into show tunes, and called it a day. It was a smash hit, winning the Tony for Best Musical and inspiring MGM to backflip onto the bandwagon.
MGM, at this point, was in its “throw money at musicals and hope they stick” phase, with producer Arthur Freed and director Vincente Minnelli leading the charge. Minnelli, however, didn’t exactly love the material—he only agreed to direct Kismet as a trade-off to get Lust for Life (1956) greenlit. The result? A film so draped in opulent excess it feels like watching an oil sheikh’s fever dream. Production ran behind schedule, forcing Stanley Donen to step in and finish the job, which probably explains why the film feels like a split personality between meticulous artistry and a rushed closing act.
A Concoction of Talent and Chaos
Howard Keel, MGM’s go-to baritone with a chest that could store emergency supplies, was cast as the lead—his last major film musical role before heading off to Broadway and, eventually, Dallas. Ann Blyth, playing his daughter Marsinah, had only a nine-year age gap with Keel, which makes their father-daughter dynamic feel just a little off. Then there’s Dolores Gray as Lalume, the Wazir’s sultry wife, who waltzes through the film like she just got lost on her way to a more interesting plot.
The story itself is a whimsical tangle of mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and political machinations, set in a Baghdad so dazzlingly fake it makes Aladdin (1992) look like a documentary. The songs—particularly “Stranger in Paradise” and “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads”—are undeniably gorgeous, but the film staggers under the weight of its own grandeur. The sets are as ornate as a Fabergé egg, and Minnelli spends so much time ensuring everything glows that he forgets to make us care about the characters.
A Fate Not So Kind
Audiences in 1955 were apparently not in the mood for a Broadway-style sandstorm, and Kismet flopped hard. MGM lost over $2 million, and the film barely made a ripple in musical history. Even critics found it hard to take seriously—The New York Times noted that Minnelli was more obsessed with the spectacle than the story, and modern reviewers tend to agree. It was like watching a million-dollar fireworks display where nobody remembered to light the fuse.
Still, Kismet has its moments. The film landed nominations for AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals and “Stranger in Paradise” was up for AFI’s 100 Greatest Songs. Over the years, it developed a campy cult following, mainly among musical theater die-hards who enjoy a good trainwreck wrapped in silk and sequins. And let’s be honest—if you’re going to get lost in a film’s extravagance, better it be a shimmering, overacted, and completely unapologetic mess like Kismet.
A Wish Half-Granted
So, does Kismet deserve its fate? Well, it’s visually stunning, musically rich, and gloriously absurd. But it’s also about as deep as a decorative fountain. If you like your musicals loud, colorful, and dripping in over-the-top theatrics, you’ll find some fun here. But if you’re looking for substance, Kismet might leave you feeling like you’ve been handed a beautifully wrapped gift box—only to find it empty inside.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
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