The Golden Arrow features Tab Hunter playing a Middle Eastern man.
The film also plays as an early MGM 1960s costume adventure piece. The kicker was that it was an MGM pick from an Italian distributor who released the film 2 years prior to its American bow. Tab Hunter famously has poked fun at the film. But, what chuckles are left in a decrepit movie that was dated by the time it arrived in America?
Coming off the heels of the Hercules series and overwrought spectacles such as Taras Bulba, The Golden Arrow is almost an ironic commentary on these films of that era. Bloated to excess and lacking any self-awareness, the film wants to be taken so seriously. Yet, it’s still that terrible.
The Blu-ray comes with no special features. However, you’re getting the cleanest 2.35:1 transfer possible for a film of its age. If that wasn’t enough, you can thrill to the sounds of Tab Hunter phoning it in via DTS-HD 2.0 Mono. When Criterion releases Polyester in a few weeks, this will make for an excellent Tab Hunter double feature. For now, just enjoy the cheesy goodness bestowed upon you by Warner Archive.