This adventure yarn that goes from King Louis XIV era Paris to the jungles of India is a hoot from start to finish. If it isn't the spanish-speaking Fernando Lamas and Gilbert Roland as French nobleman, it's the red-headed Arlene Dahl as the queen of Nepal and Sheldon Leonard as an Indian Warlord with a definite New York accent. The story surrounds the apparent discovery of the legendary Hope diamond, and if that and the deliciously offbeat casting isn't hogwash enough, there's the very funny dialogue that makes me view this as a comedy rather than a historical adventure.
There's plenty of action going on, and the sets and the costumes are lavish enough to distract you from the absurdity surrounding you. Arlene Dahl is certainly striking, but she's about as Indian in this as Lucille Ball was Arabic in "The Magic Carpet". It's nice to see her with Lamas, one of her real-life husbands (They sired "Falcon Crest" heartthrob Lorenzo together), but she seems to not be taking anything seriously although I don't blame him for that. Veteran actor Roland, still dashing after 25 years on screen, is certainly a bit better, obviously accepting that you must believe in your part no matter how absurd it is. I'll give this credit for one thing. It is never boring, often eye rolling, and provides plenty of laughs, although all of them are unintentional.
There's plenty of action going on, and the sets and the costumes are lavish enough to distract you from the absurdity surrounding you. Arlene Dahl is certainly striking, but she's about as Indian in this as Lucille Ball was Arabic in "The Magic Carpet". It's nice to see her with Lamas, one of her real-life husbands (They sired "Falcon Crest" heartthrob Lorenzo together), but she seems to not be taking anything seriously although I don't blame him for that. Veteran actor Roland, still dashing after 25 years on screen, is certainly a bit better, obviously accepting that you must believe in your part no matter how absurd it is. I'll give this credit for one thing. It is never boring, often eye rolling, and provides plenty of laughs, although all of them are unintentional.