Two Arabian Knights

1927, Movie, NR, 92 mins

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A frothy comedy about two dopey doughboys who escape a World War I German prisoner of war camp and bumble into a series of adventures in the Middle East. Private W. Dangerfield Phelps (William Boyd) and Sgt. Peter McGaffney (Louis Wolheim), a con man on the lam from the law, take an instant dislike to one another in the Army and are captured by German soldiers while bickering with one another. In the prison camp they become friends, and concoct a plan to escape by dressing up as Arabs. Astonishingly, their ruse works, and they find themselves on a steamer bound to Jaffa. Also aboard is a veiled, high-born young lady, Anis Bin Adham (Mary Astor). Phelps falls for her and, communicating through crude sign language, even gets her to remove her veil. Once they reach Jaffa, a servant reveals her flirtation with an American. Her father the emir (Michael Vavitch) orders them arrested. They're rescued by the American consul (DeWitt Jennings), are made knights by the emir so that Phelps can fight a duel with Anis Bin Adham's enraged fiance, and finally escape with the girl in tow. Considered a bit risqué at the time for its gags about eunuchs and city boys trying to milk male goats, this knockabout farce is a treat for Mary Astor fans (even if she's rather unconvincing as an Arab girl) and features Boris Karloff in a small role. Director Milestone went on to make the classic anti-war film ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. leave a comment
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Two Arabian Knights
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