In Ispahan, Persia, a barber named Hajji Baba (John Derek) is leaving his father's shop to find a great fortune. At the same time, the Princess Fawzia (Elaine Stewart) is trying to talk her father into giving her in marriage to Nur-El-Din (Paul Picerni) a prince known far and wide. Her father intends for Fawzia to marry a friend and ally, and makes plans to send her to him. But a courier brings word from Nur-El-Din that an escort awaits Fawzia on the outskirts of the city and she escapes the palace disguised as a boy. Hajji encounters the escort-warrior at the rendez-vous spot, is attacked and beats up the escort with his barber's tools. The princess arrives and mistakes Hajji as the escort until he mistakes the emerald ring sent by Nur-El-Din to Fawzia as the prize to be delivered. In her efforts to escape him, her turban becomes unbound and Hajji realizes that the girl herself is the treasure Nur-El-Din awaits. Hajji promises to escort her and they spend the night with the caravan of Osman Aga (Thomas Gomez), who invites them to stay for the dancing girls, among them, the incomparable Ayesha (Rosemarie Bowe). The pair are overtaken by the Caliph's (Donald Randolph) guards sent to bring Fawzia back, but the guards are driven off by an invading army of Turcoman women, a band of fierce and beautiful women who prey on passing merchants.
The film is based on The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan by James Justinian Morier published in 1824. It was popular and remained in print for over a century.
In the early 1950s Walter Wanger produced four films with Allied Artists. They were happy with the results and signed a new contract with the producer, the first of which was to be Hajji Baba. It was a return to the type of film Wanger had previously made such as Arabian Nights (1942).[3]
Allied Artists had been shut down for three months but re-opened again with a slate of ten films starting with Hajji Baba. Elaine Stewart and Don Weis were borrowed from MGM. Filming started 12 April 1954.[4]Linda Christian was meant to play a role but dropped out and was replaced by Amanda Blake.[5][6][7]
Reception
The film was a hit and made a profit of $673,593.[1]
Filmink called it "hugely fun... perhaps the most successful of any film starring Derek... It has nice colour, a Nat King Cole theme song, plenty of action, torture and dancing girls."[8]
