Chu Chin Chow (DVD)(1934)

VCI is pleased to present this very rare 1934 British classic, based on the original Oscar Asche stage production which set records during it's initial run of 2,238 performances at His Majesty's Theatre. Chu Chin Chow is entertainment on a generous scale, with an amazing story in the style of the Arabian Nights, an exceptional cast, a splendid musical score and a bright and richly mounted production. The movie is a musical retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, complete with fantastic tortures and half clad slave girls. The production boasted lavish sets by Erne Metzner and cinematography by Max Greenbaum, both top artists from the German Expressionism era. The original film was 102 minutes long. It was then cut by both British and American Distributors to 93 minutes and finally to 78. VCI's release is a three-disc box set containing the restoration of the original 102 minute version, along with the American version titled Ali Baba Nights, and as a bonus, the very rare 1935 film Abdul the Damned starring Fritz Kortner, who played Abu Hassan in Chu Chin Chow.