Main Cast: William "Hopalong" Boyd, Mary Astor, Louis Wolheim
Release Year: 1927
Country: US
Plot
Produced by young aviation mogul Howard Hughes, Two Arabian Nights details the exploits of eternally squabbling sergeant Louis Wolheim and private William Boyd. Captured by the Germans during WWI, our heroes escape by disguising themselves as Arabs. This clever masquerade wins Wolheim and Boyd free passage to Arabia, where they spend the rest of the picture rescuing fetching harem girl Mary Astor from the clutches of lascivious potentate Michael Vavich. Some good, low laughs are provided in the scene wherein Boyd poses as a harem eunuch (quite a surprise for Hopalong Cassidy fans!) A huge box-office hit, Two Arabian Knights won Lewis Milestone the only Academy Award ever given for "Best Comedy Direction." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The film was long thought lost before being located in Howard Hughes' film collection after his death. [1] A print was shepherded by Dr. Hart Wegner of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas film for restoration by Jeffrey Masino, along with two other "lost" Hughes-produced films, The Racket (1928) and The Mating Call (1928), both originally released by Paramount Pictures. In 2004 and 2006, Turner Classic Movies broadcast all three films, their first showings in decades.