Babes in Bagdad on AllMovie

Though she was pushing 50 at the time, Paulette Goddard still looked quite fetching in harem duds in the independently produced comedy Babes in Bagdad. On the other hand, Goddard's leading man, 57-year-old John Boles, not only looked his age but acted it. Even the youngest of the three leads, Gypsy Rose Lee, was far too mature for the childish proceedings at hand. The plot finds Arabian Nights princess Kyra (Goddard) demanding equal rights for women, much to the dismay of caliph Hassan (Boles). She is supported in her views by the caliph's godson, Ezar (Richard Ney), who nonetheless exhibits a chauvinistic streak by kidnapping Kyra at mid-film and spiriting her away to his tent. Meanwhile, the caliph sees the error of his polygamous ways and settles down with his favorite wife, Zohara (Gypsy Rose Lee). Even the staunchest auteurist defenders of director Edgar G. Ulmer are hard-pressed to justify his participation in this relentlessly silly effort.