THE GOLDEN BLADE (1953) *1/2 Really good casting in a way...I mean, I assume that they cast Piper Laurie because they figured that she'd make Rock Hudson look like a good actor in comparison. She comes respectably close, which is about the best you can say about any of it, or them. I mean, Kathleen Hughes is in no way convincing, but she's neo-Shakespearean compared to the leads. But come on! No one expected Rock to be Olivier, he was a matinee idol, an earlier variation of a boy toy (no pun intended). And he's good enough at that. When he leans back and laughs, you can't help laughing at the same time. When he throws the entire harem in a tizzy, well that's the effect that broad shouldered square jawed guys with jet black hair like him still have on groupings of giggling giglets. And what a doofus! He gets stoned and loses his magic sword. "I didn't drink anything, and I only smoked a little...", how many times have you heard that? It's more what you smoke, dude, than how much. The simplistic backdrops are ridiculous, somehow without being interesting or even artistic. It's not terrible, but it's bad enough that you aren't sure whether you want another interminable sword fight or not. Aladdin and the King of Thieves is certainly more realistic.