Arabian Nights

Monday, March 6, 2017

In this 1942 wartime diversion, Dominican camp icon Maria Montez joins the ever-delicate Sabu in a backlot Hollywood adaption of the classic stories. As Scheherazade, Montez gives the first of many deliriously over-the-top performances that endeared her to a generation of 1960s queer New York art visionaries, including guest presenter Agosto Machado, a brilliant performer who worked with fellow Montez-worshippers Jack Smith, John Vaccaro, and Ronald Tavel. Machado explains, “Even on black and white TV, Montez, aka ‘the Queen of Technicolor,’ gave sanctuary from any reality, opening a gateway to exotic possibilities perfumed with magical dreams.”

• Year 1942
• Running Time 87 minutes
• Director John Rawlins

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