Fine Art of Boxing, The (No Stooge in the Ring)
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.

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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