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Kismet (1944)

 Kismet (1944)
type
TVTItem
 Kismet (1944)
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Kismet (1944)
 Kismet (1944)
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Kismet1944
 Kismet (1944)
comment
Kismet is a 1944 film directed by William Dieterle, starring Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, and Edward Arnold. It is a theatrical adaptation of the stage play Kismet.Colman plays Hafiz, a beggar who styles himself "King of the Beggars". He does well enough at begging, liberally supplemented by thievery, that he has a house and a servant to take care of his daughter Marsinah (Joy Page). At night he goes about pretending to be the "Prince of Hassir". That's how he meets and falls in love with Jamilla (Dietrich), a Macedonian in the harem of the villainous Grand Vizier (Arnold).Also while out and about at night as the "Prince", he meets a handsome young man (James Craig) who says he's the son of the gardener at the Caliph's palace. What Hafiz doesn't know is that the gardener's son is actually the Caliph himself, that the Caliph, like Hafiz, enjoys going out at night and pretending to be someone he's not. And the other thing that Hafiz doesn't know is that the Caliph has fallen in love with his daughter Marsinah.
 Kismet (1944)
fetched
2023-08-17T10:14:36Z
 Kismet (1944)
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2023-08-17T10:14:36Z
 Kismet (1944)
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DBTropes
 Kismet (1944) / int_18d15922
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Title Drop
 Kismet (1944) / int_18d15922
comment
Title Drop: "It was the hand of fate—kismet!" So says Hafiz when talking about how he and Jamilla met. The caliph uses the same word in the next scene when talking about falling in love with Marsinah.
 Kismet (1944) / int_18d15922
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Kismet (1944) / int_18d15922
 Kismet (1944) / int_1d30f9
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Bedlah Babe
 Kismet (1944) / int_1d30f9
comment
Bedlah Babe: All the harem girls in the standard bra-and-gauzy pants outfit that dance for the Vizier and Hafiz.
 Kismet (1944) / int_1d30f9
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 Kismet (1944) / int_4421b052
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DidTheResearch
 Kismet (1944) / int_4421b052
comment
Did the Research: The court dancers are American twins Beatrice and Evelyne Kraft, but their dance is authentic. They have clearly received formal training in deva dasi style, perhaps from Xenia Zarina, an American ballerina who traveled through Southeast Asia and India to study the traditional dances with renowned teachers.
 Kismet (1944) / int_4421b052
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Kismet (1944) / int_4421b052
 Kismet (1944) / int_44a1dd10
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King Incognito
 Kismet (1944) / int_44a1dd10
comment
King Incognito: The Caliph likes to go out at night among his people dressed as a commoner.
 Kismet (1944) / int_44a1dd10
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Kismet (1944) / int_44a1dd10
 Kismet (1944) / int_4d28eee2
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Roofhopping
 Kismet (1944) / int_4d28eee2
comment
Roofhopping: How Hafiz escapes from the palace and makes his way to the vizier's house to rescue his daughter.
 Kismet (1944) / int_4d28eee2
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Kismet (1944) / int_4d28eee2
 Kismet (1944) / int_4e7c4536
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Wham Line
 Kismet (1944) / int_4e7c4536
comment
Wham Line: For Hafiz at least, when the Caliph drops the bomb on him after the assassination attempt fails.
 Kismet (1944) / int_4e7c4536
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Kismet (1944) / int_4e7c4536
 Kismet (1944) / int_68f21cd6
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Gorgeous Greek
 Kismet (1944) / int_68f21cd6
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Gorgeous Greek: Macedonian to be precise, as Jamilla is clearly a foreigner in Baghdad's court as an harem queen.
 Kismet (1944) / int_68f21cd6
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 Kismet (1944) / int_76c30df4
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Will Not Tell a Lie
 Kismet (1944) / int_76c30df4
comment
Will Not Tell a Lie: Hafiz tells the Caliph (in his gardener's son guise) the scruffy merchants and camel-drivers in the maqhaa are "all nobility." The Caliph looks them over, "I don't recognize any of them." Hafiz mockingly asks him how he would recognize nobility, and without hesitation the Caliph replies "I go to all the parades."
 Kismet (1944) / int_76c30df4
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 Kismet (1944) / int_76dc4f31
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"Arabian Nights" Days
 Kismet (1944) / int_76dc4f31
comment
"Arabian Nights" Days: Baghdad when it was the center of the world, a hub of trade, with a Caliph that ruled over all Islam. (And who likes to go out amongst the people in disguise, which the Caliph did often in The Arabian Nights.)
 Kismet (1944) / int_76dc4f31
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 Kismet (1944) / int_782fdff
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Storybook Opening
 Kismet (1944) / int_782fdff
comment
Storybook Opening: A storybook unfolds as a narrator (an uncredited Frank Morgan) introduces the characters by turn, even establishing that the Vizier is the bad guy. "When you know him better, you won't wonder that she wandered."
 Kismet (1944) / int_782fdff
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Kismet (1944) / int_782fdff
 Kismet (1944) / int_7ac5c1de
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Unishment
 Kismet (1944) / int_7ac5c1de
comment
Unishment: Well the caliph can't just do nothing after Hafiz tries to murder him. So the caliph exiles him from Baghdad—to the province of Hassir, where he shall be prince, thus becoming the "Prince of Hassir" for real. And Jamilla will go with him. Hafiz is in a pretty good mood as he leaves town.
 Kismet (1944) / int_7ac5c1de
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Kismet (1944) / int_7ac5c1de
 Kismet (1944) / int_863fa679
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What Happened to the Mouse?
 Kismet (1944) / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: The first part of the film prominently features Hafiz' little dog, whom he hugs affectionately in the first few scenes, and who clearly has his own adventures in the Baghdad streets. He sniffs Hafiz on his return from being arrested, but that's the last time we see him; when Hafiz and Jamilla prepare to ride off into exile, he isn't shown. However, a good-sized caravan of camels and wagons follow them, obviously holding their belongings and furnishings for their new home, so you can figure the dog is just safely stowed in a carrier. And you don't see what happened to Marsinah's faithful servant Karsha, though she follows Marsinah out of frame as the Caliph escorts her away. No doubt she (along with the kittens she's seen caring for at the beginning) was brought to the royal palace in style, to be Marsinah's attendant and friend forever.
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 Kismet (1944) / int_86b21114
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Badass Boast
 Kismet (1944) / int_86b21114
comment
Badass Boast: Hafiz makes several of these. "When my royal blood is up, no one can deny me, and no one does!"
 Kismet (1944) / int_86b21114
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 Kismet (1944) / int_86b21114
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Kismet (1944) / int_86b21114
 Kismet (1944) / int_a1b141f4
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My God, What Have I Done?
 Kismet (1944) / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: Hafiz's expression when he yields his daughter to the Grand Vizier and again at the moment he realizes that the Caliph had intended to marry Marcinah all along is heartrending.
 Kismet (1944) / int_a1b141f4
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 Kismet (1944) / int_aed29b5c
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Die Laughing
 Kismet (1944) / int_aed29b5c
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Die Laughing: The vizier is cackling when Hafiz grabs a scimitar and plunges it into his side.
 Kismet (1944) / int_aed29b5c
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 Kismet (1944) / int_aef5c283
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Off-into-the-Distance Ending
 Kismet (1944) / int_aef5c283
comment
Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Hafiz, Jamilla, and their train, on the way to Hassir after the Happy Ending.
 Kismet (1944) / int_aef5c283
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 Kismet (1944) / int_d45c0b86
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Refuge in Audacity
 Kismet (1944) / int_d45c0b86
comment
Refuge in Audacity: Hafiz and his sidekicks have stolen some fancy clothes, but the cops are chasing them. Hafiz dives into a public bath. When the police come in, he expresses outrage, claims to be the "Prince of Hassir", and winds up getting an audience with the Grand Vizier. And when he claims to have had three elephants parked outside that were stolen, he gets three elephants.
 Kismet (1944) / int_d45c0b86
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 Kismet (1944) / int_e1f90397
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Body Paint
 Kismet (1944) / int_e1f90397
comment
Body Paint: Nearly 20 years before Goldfinger, Jamilla goes out for her dance in front of the vizier and Hafiz painted gold—but only on her legs. (It was supposed to be a pair of tights made of very fine gold chainmail, but the whole thing fell apart and she decided to paint her legs instead.)
 Kismet (1944) / int_e1f90397
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 Kismet (1944) / int_fd184a86
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Street Performer
 Kismet (1944) / int_fd184a86
comment
Street Performer: Hafiz spices up his begging by performing magic tricks for rich passersby. This is often an excuse to get close so he can pick pockets, however. Ronald Colman learned several magic tricks for this film, and delighted in showing them off at parties.
 Kismet (1944) / int_fd184a86
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Kismet (1944)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Kismet (1944)
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Diamonds in the Buff / int_9815bd09
 Kismet (1944)
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Gorgeous Greek / int_9815bd09