Morton Selten Movies

In ancient Bagdad, the young prince Ahmad (John Justin) is betrayed, deposed, and imprisoned by his vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), an evil and calculating man who is also a master of the Black Arts. But Ahmad is saved from prison, and certain execution, by Abu (Sabu), a young thief who has made his way in life by stealing whatever he needs. Together they escape from Bagdad and make their way to the port city of Basra, where they hope to sign to sail with the renowned sailor Sinbad. But Ahmad chances to catch a glimpse of the daughter (June Duprez) of the Sultan (Miles Malleson, who also co-wrote the screenplay), and falls hopelessly in love with her. Sneaking into the garden where she spends most of her days, she meets him and the two are bound together forever in that moment, he the first man she has ever seen, and she the most beautiful woman he has ever beheld. But no sooner have they declared their love for each other then Jaffar arrives in Basra, seeking the princess' hand in marriage -- and to secure the blessing of her father, a fanatical collector of toys, he offers the aging Sultan a fantastic mechanical flying horse that bears him into the clouds at will. The sultan agrees to the marriage, but the princess flees the city. Abu and Ahmad are captured and before either can tell the sultan of their plight, Jaffar works his magic, leaving Ahmad blind and transforming Abu into a dog -- conditions that will remain until he holds the princess in his arms.
Everything in the movie up to this point has been told in flashback, by Ahmad, as he is lured to the palace of his enemy. Jaffar has captured the princess, but she has fallen into a deep sleep that will not end -- so his doctors assure him -- until she is reunited with Ahmad. He achieves this goal, and the princess awakens, only to be parted from Ahmad again by Jaffar, who sails for Basra with her as his prisoner. But she won't love him, and the kind of love he wants from her can only be given by her, not taken by him. When Ahmad and Abu -- now restored by Jaffar's regaining the princess -- try to follow him, he calls up a storm that sweeps them from the sea. Abu finds himself on a beach alone, and while searching for Ahmad he finds a strange bottle, which he opens, and out comes a real genie (Rex Ingram), hundreds of feet tall. The genie means to kill him, but Abu outwits the genie and secures from him three wishes. Abu must find Ahmad, but to do that he must go to the Palace of the Goddess of Night, half a world away, and steal the All-Seeing Eye. Abu does this, getting past guards, both human and monstrous, and from there it is on to Ahmad. But a misunderstanding between them leaves the two friends separated, Ahmad captured by Jaffar and sentenced -- along with the princess, who will not love Jaffar -- to death. Meanwhile, Abu is stranded countless miles away. And then one desperate act by the boy suddenly sends Abu into a magical, golden kingdom, the Land of Legend, where he is greeted as their new king. The old king (Morton Selten) shows him the symbols of his rule, which include magical arrows forged to destroy injustice. Abu still must save his friend, and to do it commits one last act of theft -- but can he arrive in time? ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

In this British comedy, a young woman begins managing her free-spirited father's waterfront pub and does a great job of it until the shipyard is closed down. To help the poor workers, she gathers them together to walk to London in protest. No one goes along with the scheme, so the plucky gal then does all she can to single handedly get the shipyard to open again. She does so by pretending to be someone else so she can get an audience with an important diplomat. One song from the show, "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye," was a favorite of soldiers heading off to fight WW II. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A Yank at Oxford was filmed in England at MGM's "sister studio", Elstree. Robert Taylor plays Lee Sheridan, an arrogant young American scholar/athlete who intends to show the "Brits" a thing or two while attending Oxford University. His abrasive attitude grates against the Oxonian students, who retaliate by subjecting Sheridan to a rather humiliating hazing. Romance enters the picture in the form of Molly Beaumont (Maureen O'Sullivan), the sister of Sheridan's chief academic rival Paul Beaumont (Griffith Jones). When Paul faces disgrace over a breach of student ethics, Sheridan nobly shoulders the blame, simultaneously endangering his own future at Oxford and proving that he's really a "right guy" underneath. All is forgiven during the annual rowing competition against Cambridge, with Sheridan coming through in jolly good fashion. Cast as campus vamp Elsa Craddock is the stunningly beautiful Vivien Leigh, still two years away from Gone With the Wind. A Yank at Oxford was remade in 1984 as Oxford Blues, and mercilessly lampooned by Laurel & Hardy in 1940's A Chump at Oxford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film takes a look at British decorum and civilities when a highly conscientious army officer is accused of cheating at cards and turns to the courts to clear his name. At stake, of course, is his good name and the respect of his peers. The film depicts the British class and court systems and features a fairly powerful cast. Of significance is an excellent performance by Francis Sullivan as the defendant's attorney. ~ All Movie Guide

In this British comedy, a barrister badly botches his first case and begins to think he has chosen the wrong career. To assist with their bills, he and his wife sublet their apartment to several people at the same time. To fool them all, the couple pretends to be household servants and throws a dinner party for their guests. The wife then sprinkles sleeping powder into their soup. When the renters awaken, they find themselves in assorted compromising positions. The "servants" then blackmail them for their money. They wind up with a tidy sum of money. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Two's Company was based on Sydney Horler's stage comedy Romeo and Julia. The film's storyline is developed in parallel fashion, with the antics of American businessman B. G. Madison (Henry Holman) and his family and associates mirrored and sometimes anticipated by the behavior of Madison's British counterpart, The Earle of Warke (Morton Seiten), and his entourage. The ongoing rivalry between Madison and the Earle wreaks havoc on the romance between Madison's daughter Julia (Mary Brian) and Warke's son Jerry (Patric Knowles). Both families behave in stereotypical fashion, skewering both American and British manners and mores with fine impartiality. Two's Company was very much designed for a dual market, right down to the comedy relief: Ned Sparks for the American fans, Gordon Harker for the British patrons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this politically oriented sci-fi film, a star's collision with the moon causes a British village to be shot into space. The village scientist is then elected the new head of state, though this upsets the conservatives who dislike his socialist tendencies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a young husband tires of living off of his mother-in-law's money and decides to allow a film crew to use his mansion in exchange for a small fortune. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Wealthy American Joe Martin (Eugene Pallette) purchases an ancient Scottish castle and then has it dismantled and transferred to his Florida estate where he plans to reconstruct the castle brick by brick. Martin is unaware that his new acquisition comes equipped with an 18th-century ghost, played by Robert Donat. As the spectre, who feels as though his honor has been besmirched, flits around haunting one and all, Martin's daughter Peggy (Jean Parker) carries on a romance with the ghost's descendant, also played by Donat. It is only natural that the "live" and "dead" Donat will become mixed up, and this comedy of errors dominates the final scenes of The Ghost Goes West. The film was the first English-language production of French director René Clair -- and almost the last, due to producer Alexander Korda's insistence upon tampering with the original concept as laid down by Clair and screenwriter Robert E. Sherwood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, two rival reporters vie for the scoop on the whereabouts of a missing heiress. They find her in Switzerland. One of the journalists falls in love with her and saves her from marrying an aristocrat. His rival gets to write the story as a consolation prize. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Quite popular when first released, Wedding Rehearsal is a bit obscure today, which is a shame when one considers the talented cast and production staff. Roland Young plays a diffident aristocrat who is pressured to marry by his veddy proper family. Imagine their shock when Young falls in love with (ugh!) a commoner. His working-class bride is played by Merle Oberon, who in real life became the wife of the film's producer/director Alexander Korda. The very first effort from Korda's London Film Productions, Wedding Reharsal costarred theatrical giant Maurice Evans and Hollywood stars-to-be John Loder and Wendy Barrie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this interesting British prison film, an innocent man goes to prison and his wife later commits a crime so she can join him there. Unfortunately, while she is out trying to get in, he gets released. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide