The Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954) DVD-R

Starring John Derek, Elaine Stewart, Thomas Gomez, Amanda Blake, Paul Picerni
Directed by Don Weis

Print: color
Runtime: 94 min.
Genre: adventure
Print quality: A

In the 1950s, historical spectaculars set in the Far or Middle East became the repository for
exploitive tales of eroticism, pure lust, and concupiscent freedom. The 'decadence' of
previous times gave American filmmakers an excuse to satisfy viewers' libidinal and
voyeuristic desires. All this holds true for The Adventure of Haji Baba, a racy, sex-soaked
oasis of a film. John Derek stars as an Arabian prince given a mission to escort the
beautiful princess Fakzia across a desert to her wedding. Haji bets a friend that he will have
succeeded in seducing her by the trip's end and the games begin. The two, elegant in their
self-assurance, trade barbs and entendres until they're captured by robbers who are in turn
captured by a group of renegade Amazons. The Amazons are all former harem girls who
have taken to highway robbery and kidnapping to extract a measure of justice from the
society that imprisoned them. Haji convinces the leader of the Amazons to let him live and
she does as long as he can perform sexually. This buys him enough time to plan an escape
with Fakzia and finally cross the desert. Haji, of course, collects on his bet. Redolent with
offscreen hints of prodigious debauchery, The Adventures of Haji Baba is a unique, and
unexpected, product of '50s cinema.