Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

byufan-05531 Lewis Milestone tightly directed this picture packing the film with plenty of gags and jokes without piling it with extra fluff. It breezed by fast and everything included in the film was either funny or helped moved the plot along. Mary Astor's character only looked Arab when she covered her face but we have Hollywood whitewashing to blame even though it was a fine performance. William Boyd and Louis Wolheim had amazing chemistry that ran throughout the whole film and was showcased in the opening sequence as Boyd's character starts a fight with his Sergeant. It was interesting, fun, and a bit different to see a good silent comedy whose humor wasn't derived mainly from slapstick but a variety of plot points and excellent direction. Definitely one not to miss!

pronker pronker The print stood out as a glorious restoration, the bits of decomposition notwithstanding. The team did a remarkable job on the film's physical state. Now for the plot - the first time we see Boyd and Wolheim, they've needed gas masks in battle, a horrific reminder that gas comprised true menace on the field. But it's raining torrents, and water plays a large part of the story. After their fistfight for the amusement of their future captors, Boyd and Wolheim begin lives as POWs.The settings really stood out for me, the icy snow of northern Germany's camp where you can see steamy breath, well done! After the unexpected nudity in the delousing station scene, I was prepared for unique little touches later on and wasn't surprised when the muezzin called the faithful to prayer and the two US Marines escaped, still with their caps after all their exploits and country- hopping, ha! Turkey looked like one could expect it to look in the period; the palace and carriages and swords adding to the ambiance.Astor showed some spunk even though she obeyed her land's customs and seemed prepared to go through with the marriage to a not bad looking guy. But he lacked Boyd's charm and so she fled to the US, I suppose, although globe-trotting as the film was, maybe the three wound up in Timbuktou! Quirt and Flagg types form a certain sort of war buddy movie that appeals to me greatly, so I liked this one, too. Not as much as McLaglen and Lowe, however, maybe because McLaglen is a bit more attractive than Wolheim. I liked Wolheim's character better in Danger Lights and Sin Ship.

wes-connors William Boyd and Louis Wolheim are the "Two Arabian Knights" referred to in the title, humorously. The pair start out as U.S. POWs trying to escape from the Germans during World War I. Eventually, they find themselves on board a ship bound for Arabia. While tripping out to the Middle East, they rescue an Arab woman, Mary Astor, who turns out to be a Princess; and, of course, becomes a romantic interest for the "Two Arabian Knights". No points for guessing who wins the veiled Ms. Astor!The film is very well photographed and directed; Lewis Milestone has wonderful sets, and stages scenes beautifully. Of the performances, Mr. Wolheim stands out - he creates a character so understandable you can almost hear him speak, trough the film is silent. The story isn't as strong as it could be - there are some events and sequences which had me wondering how and why the characters' locale changed. The last looks, exchanged between one of the stars and an extra, is an example of something I didn't understand. Perhaps these were comic bits which had a particular appeal for the time.The film is damaged in several places; but there is enough preserved, in even these scenes, to allow your mind to fill in the visual blanks. Boris Karloff appears as the "Purser"; watch for his big scene on ship, when Wolheim goes into a room with him for some money (what actually happens is a mystery). Early in the film, there is a long scene with a lot of naked men shown from the waist up (or, thereabouts); they are POWs being herded to the showers. Director Milestone uses parades of soldiers moving to great effect; this "shower" scene is different in that several of the men don't look as Caucasian as you might expect.******* Two Arabian Knights (9/23/27) Lewis Milestone ~ William Boyd, Louis Wolheim, Mary Astor

zok9 Turner Classic Movies showed this silent, B&W flick today (Aug 29, 2007) on TV.Solid classic adventure story, complete with all of the key ingredients: exotic plot locations, a beautiful woman in peril, a pair of dauntless and resourceful heroes (one of them handsome, the other colorful) grossly outnumbered by badguys, sprinkled with comic relief. Great costumes and sets; as good or better than those of current movies. Surprising variety of camera craft and directorship; pans and zooms including overhead angles, and closeups of key characters and objects. In this regard again it seems like a modern movie! Actions convey the story very well; without the benefit of a soundtrack. Of course, this entails a considerable degree of live type acting (similar to that seen in plays), but I did not get a feeling of melodrama like is all too common in most silent films and early sound movies.The most enjoyable performance is played by Louis Wolheim as the rough edged but colorful Sgt. Peter O'Gaffney, who was *perfectly* casted for the role; considering both appearance and skill.There were at least a few peculiar facts about Muslim society that I had previously learned over the past several years, which added to my appreciation of the story in the area of historical accuracy.My favorite scene was when the heroes are fleeing a swarm of dangerous, sword wielding Arabs through the narrow streets of a busy Muslim city. Suddenly though the chase is interrupted by an oblivious imam who pops out onto an exterior balcony to announce that it's time for afternoon prayer. Everyone out on the streets (except for the heroes) religiously obeys Islamic law and momentarily kneels down, which allows the heroes to escape. That scene was just one example of the film's many expressions of originality.After seeing this movie I better realize how extensively modern movies contain rehashed ideas that were pioneered decades earlier.