The prolific independent producers the King Brothers moved to England in the 1960s, specializing in color spectacles like 1961's epic monster movie Gorgo. They then moved on to Bavaria, taking advantage of the skilled German film artisans to make Captain Sindbad (1963), a lavish Arabian Nights adventure for juvenile matinee audiences. The sword 'n' sandal craze that followed the Italian Hercules (Le fatiche di Ercole, 1958) and the popular costumes-plus-monsters hit The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) fueled the bankability of a new Sinbad (or Sindbad) adventure packed with fantastic content. Director Byron Haskin had a broad background in special effects and had proven himself an action specialist with Burt Lancaster. To play Sindbad the King Bros. chose Guy Williams, who was already recognized around the world as Walt Disney's Zorro. Writers Ian McLellan Hunter and Guy Endore were both blacklisted, so were credited as Samuel B. West and Harry Relis. Their story finds Capt. Sindbad separated from his Princess Jana (Heidi Brühl of The Eiger Sanction, 1975) by the evil dictator El Kerim (Pedro Armendariz), who holds the land in a reign of terror, the sort of villainous ruler who calls his subjects 'scum' and threatens to have an elephant step on Jana's head if she won't marry him. Actor Abraham Sofaer provides comedic relief as Galgo, a drunken, belching magician who explains to Sindbad the secret of El Kerim's invulnerability: He keeps his heart safe in a white tower, deep in a magic kingdom guarded by strange creatures, including an invisible monster, a giant gloved fist and a nine-headed dragon, Scylla. Among the many fantastic effects are men transformed into animals, and a magic wand that makes an arm grow to an incredible length, like a tentacle. The critics found Captain Sindbad a colorful fantasy with an exciting finale, excellent sets and spirited acting. The King Bros. promoted the film heavily, which helped it stay neck-and-neck with its main competition in the summer of '63, Ray Harryhausen's impressive Jason and the Argonauts.

By Glenn Erickson