Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Released August 01, 1950
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)
Universal
74.33 min. (Feature Film)
74.33 min. (Feature Film)
Omar the Desert Hawk, a fugitive "robin hood," poses as Baghdad's evil Prince Murad in order to marry the Caliph of Tehran's daughter Princess Scheherazade (Yvonne DeCarlo). Murad and Scheherazade seek revenge for the deception, even though she has fallen in love with Omar. Murad had hoped to combine his army with the Caliph's through the marriage, and then assassinate him. But his new plan is to seek help from Lord Kibar and his murderess captain of the guard Samad (Marc Lawrence), for them to abduct the Princess and sell her into slavery, and then tell the Caliph that she was killed by the Desert Hawk. This will earn his revenge on the Hawk, and ingratiate him with the Caliph so that he can proceed with the assassination. But Kibar has ambitious plans of his own.
Comedy relief is provided by Omar's henchmen, played by Joe Besser and Jackie Gleason.
A reworking of ARABIAN NIGHTS (1942), Besser and Gleason assuming roles earlier played by Shemp Howard and Billy Gilbert... in a way, making THE DESERT HAWK the first time Joe replaced Shemp. Besser-bashers will like the scene where Kibar's soldiers torture him on the rack.
An early role for Rock Hudson, as 'Captain Ras.'
Directed by future Johnny Carson TONIGHT SHOW producer Fred DeCordova.
Avg. Rating: 
[6.00/10]
[6.00/10]
Richard Greene
Omar
Yvonne DeCarlo
Scheherazade
Jeff Chandler
Opening narration
Joe Besser
Sinbad
Jackie Gleason
Aladdin
George Macready
Murad
Carl Esmond
Kibar
Marc Lawrence
Samad
Rock Hudson
Captain Ras
Frank Puglia
Ahmed Bey
Lois Andrews
Maznah
Anne P. Kramer
Yasmin
Lucille Barkley
Undine
Richard Hale
Iman the Holy One
Donald Randolph
Caliph
Milton Kibbee
Merchant
Jan Arvan
Merchant
Lester Sharpe
Merchant
Ben Welden
Mokar
Ian MacDonald
Yussef
Mahmud Shaikhaly
Akbar
Shirley Ballard
Naga, slave girl dancer
Buddy Roosevelt
Baku
Wendy Waldron
Slave girl
Nestor Paiva
Abdul
Jack Raymond
Suif
Lucile Barnes
Girl in bathtub
Michael Ross
Gorah
Bruce Riley
Sheik
Louis Nicoletti
Sheik
Wally Walker
Sheik
Mike Portanova
Sheik
Robert Anderson
Judah
Vonne Lester
Harem girl
Eileen Howe
Harem girl
Norma De Landa
Harem girl
Barbara Kelly
Harem girl
Marian Dennish
Harem girl
Hazel Shaw
Harem girl
Frank Lackteen
One-eyed Arab
Harold Cornsweet
Arab
Virginia Hunter
Slave girl dancer
Robert J. Wilke
Camel driver
Robert Filmer
Camel driver
Lane Bradford
Standard bearer
Dale Van Sickel
Kibar leader
Wilson Millar
Guard
Fred Libby
Guard
Michael Ansara
Guard
Frank Malet
Guard
Phillip Barnes
Guard
Dirk Summers
Soldier
Terry Frost
Soldier
George Bruggeman
Soldier, stunts
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 1
Tax collector
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 2
Merchants
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 3
Slave girls
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 4
Servants
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 5
Aladdin's marks
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 7
Slave market guards
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 8
Slave bidders
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 9
Harem girls
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 10
Desert Hawk sentry
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 11
Caliph soldiers
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 12
Murad soldiers
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 13
Kibar soldiers
Unidentified THE DESERT HAWK 14
Dungeon attendants
Fred De Cordova
Director
Leonard Goldstein
Producer
Gerald Drayson Adams
Screenplay
Jack Pollexfen
Story
Aubrey Wisberg
Story
Russell Metty
Director of Photography
Otto Ludwig
Film Editor
Dan Nathan
Film Editor
Emrich Nicholson
Art Director
Bernard Herzbrun
Art Director
John Austin
Set Decoration
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Leslie I. Carey
Sound
Corson Jowett
Sound
Frank Skinner
Original Music
Harold Belfer
Choreography
Bill Thomas
Costumes
Ray Romero
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Makeup
Joan St. Oegger
Hair Stylist
Olga Collings
Hair Stylist
Fred Frank
Assistant Director
Bernard McEveety
Production Manager
Philip Lathrop
Camera Operator
Max Nippell
Gaffer
Dean Paup
Grip
Dorothy Hughes
Script Supervisor
William Fritzsche
Technicolor Consultant
Mahmud Shaikhaly
Technical Advisor
Richard Walling
Still Photography
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