Yankee Pasha ** (1954, Jeff Chandler, Rhonda Fleming, Mamie Van Doren, Lee J Cobb) – Classic Movie Review 10,554

Director Joseph Pevney’s bright, jolly, fast-moving 1954 pirate adventure Yankee Pasha stars Jeff Chandler as trapper Jason Starbuck, who swashbuckles his way across the high seas in pursuit of his Massachusetts love Roxana Reil (Rhonda Fleming), captured by pirates and sold to a Moroccan harem in 1800.

Of course, Fifties connoisseurs will know that the real stars of this thoroughly enjoyable slice of romantic adventure hokum are the larger-than-life Mamie Van Doren as Lilith the Harem Slave and Carl Guthrie’s Technicolor photography.

Joseph Hoffman’s screenplay is adapted from the 1947 smash hit novel of amorous adventure Yankee Pasha by Edison Marshall. Universal Pictures had bought the film rights to the bestseller as a vehicle for Chandler.

Universal was eager to promote Mamie Van Doren as their version of Marilyn Monroe and provided her with one of her first major movie roles. Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander, 6 February 1931) is best remembered for the exploitation movie Untamed Youth (1957).

Lee J Cobb is rather oddly cast as the sultan of Morocco, no doubt just happy to be working after betraying his friends by appearing before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1953, naming names and saving his career. To be fair, Cobb’s own persecution by the HUAC had already caused a nervous breakdown in his wife. The HUAC had put him in an impossible situation.

Also in the cast are Rex Reason [Bart Roberts], Hal March, Philip Van Zandt, Benny Rubin, Tudor Owen, Harry Lauter, Forbes Murray, Arthur Space, John Daheim [John Day], and the Miss Universe Beauties: Christiane Martel…..Miss Universe, France, Myrna Hansen…..Miss United States, Kinuko Ito…..Miss Japan, Emita Arosemena…..Miss Panama, Synove Gulbrandsen…..Miss Norway, Alicia Ibanez…..Miss Uruguay, Ingrid Mills…..Miss South Africa, and Maxine Morgan…..Miss Australia.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,554

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