Flame of Araby

Flame of Araby is a 1951 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara, Jeff Chandler and British star Maxwell Reed in his American film debut. Location shooting took place at Vasquez Rocks, Bronson Canyon, and the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California.

Plot

Bedouin chief Tamerlaine is engaged in the hunt for the legendary black stallion Shahzada. Tunisian Princess Tanya desires to capture the horse to race in competition against hated brothers Borka and Hakim so that she will not be forced to marry one of them. After a prolonged and deadly rivalry, Tamerlaine joins forces with Tanya to trap the stallion, and they fall in love.

Cast

Maureen O'Hara as Princess Tanya
Jeff Chandler as Tamerlane
Maxwell Reed as Prince Medina
Lon Chaney Jr. as Borka Barbarossa
Buddy Baer as Hakim Barbarossa
Richard Egan as Captain Fezil
Dewey Martin as Yak
Royal Dano as Basra
Susan Cabot as Clio
Judith Braun as Calu
Henry Brandon as Mallik

Production

The film was originally known as Flame of the Desert. Maureen O'Hara reportedly requested Chandler as her leading man.

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Howard Thompson called the film "multi-colored corn hash" and wrote: "'Flame of'Araby'... is full of horses, sand, rocks, pulchritude, flowing veils and burnooses. It has about everything, in fact, except the kitchen sink, which is where it belongs."