1954 - ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA, 1950's mainstream eroticism.

The producer of this film, Walter Wanger who was associated with filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford and Joseph L. Mankiewicz had a second career churning out potboilers like Arabian Nights, Night In Paradise and Salome, Where She Danced, popular popcorn films for the most part.

Wanger had an interesting life to put it mildly. He was part of a major scandal which involved him shooting his wife's lover in the testicles.  Wanger ended up spending time in jail and basically had to restart his career at cheapo studios Allied Artists.  Going back to what he knew best Wanger mounted The Adventures of Hajii Baba and basically drenched it in as much sexiness and eroticism as he could get away with in the mid 1950's.

 

The plot, not that it matters has John Derek as Hajji Baba leading a spoiled princess played by Elaine Stewart to safety as they escape Arabian Bandits.  They meet up with a tribe of what else, Amazon warriors. There are lots of dancing slave girls and scenes of Stewart in bondage to appeal to the boys in the movie theater.

 

I will say that Elaine Stewart is a real looker and the whole thing as silly as it sounds is very colorful and doesn't outlast it's welcome. Nat King Cole sings the ballad of Hajji Baba which is repeated throughout the film and is very effective.

The film was written by Ricard Collins and the running time is 94 minutes.