A strange and entertaining vintage film, Kismet (1944) stars Marlene Dietrich as the head wife of the Grand Vizier "when old Baghdad was new." Yep, were talking about Marlene as the top lady in a polygamous harem. Set in the Baghdad, a beggar magician masquerades as a king and talks his way into visiting the Grand Vizier's palace, all in the hopes of making his daughter a princess or Queen. There he meets Jameela, (Marlene Dietrich) and captures her heart. Chaos ensues, and you can probably guess that it all works out for our heroes in the end.
For the mid-forties, the costumes were a huge production and Dietritch's big dance scene included her legs covered in gold paint. The chain-mail outfit originally planned was too restricting. I guess they didn't have American Apparel gold leggings then?
If you're feeling inspired by this vintage MGM fairly tale, then here's how to add a little Arabian-nights themed theme flair to your wardrobe.
Finally, just want to let you know that Marlene was 42 years old when she made this film.



