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!

The third movie produced by Howard Hughes, this gem was thought to be lost. It was recently restored and shown on TCM (12/15/04). The plot is a familiar one - two WW I soldiers escape from a German prison camp (guarded by an extremely lethargic German shepherd, who practically guides them out of the camp), stow away on a ship, and end up in "Arabia", where they rescue the lovely Mary Astor. The restoration is very good overall, although there are two or three very rough sequences. The production is very good, and there are some very funny scenes. And did I mention that Mary Astor is in it? The film won an Academy Award for the now-defunct category of "Best Direction of a Comedy".

TCM came through by acquiring this wonderful, silent, comedy/drama for television. Until recently it had been locked away in an achieve somewhere. It premiered on TV for the 1st time since its theatrical release in 1927. Two Americans fighting in World War I (William Boyd and Louis Wolheim) are hiding in a defensive position with German soldiers advancing. They however are fighting with each other and working the nerve of one-an-other. They of course are caught, but after an inventive escape they are taken on a whirlwind adventure in Arabia, with all the humor you might find in an Abbott and Costello movie. Very funny and sometimes even touching. A great silent picture and winner of an Academy Award for "Best Comedy Direction". Directed by Lewis Milestone.

Turner Classic Movies is showing 'Two Arabian Nights' on December 15, 2004, as part of their salute to Howard Hughes, subject of the new movie "The Aviator." TCM's web site states that their 'salute coincides with this month's theatrical release of The Aviator, Martin Scorsese's film biography of Hughes. Part One includes three silent films from Hughes' early career as a producer that have not been seen since their initial release, along with two key Hughes movies from the early sound era. The silent films are part of an extensive collection of memorabilia donated by the Hughes estate and the Howard Hughes Corporation to the Film Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and digitally restored through TCM funding by special arrangement with Flicker Alley. Each has a new score by composer Robert Israel.'