The Thief of Baghdad (1978)

The flying carpet scenes are pretty good, but apart from them this garrulous TV version of the classic Arabian Nights adventure is fairly short on special effects until Daniel Emilfork finally puts in a vivid appearance as a creepy-looking Genie painted green in the scene that comes closest to reviving memories of the classic 1940 version.

Roddy McDowall as Hasan the Thief is top-billed over hero Kabir Bedi, and Peter Ustinov as the Caliph is effectively playing the role Miles Malleson played in Korda's version of 1940; but the most welcome addition to the regular characters is foxy Marina Vlady as Perizadah, "mistress of the Caliph's harem". The Achilles heel of Terence Stamp as saturnine baddie Wazir Jaudur has plainly been lifted from 'Captain Sinbad'.