Night in Paradise [1946] [DVD]

Night In Paradise takes place in the kingdom of Lydia, governed by mad King Croesus, in 560 B.C. and involves a visit to the King by Aesop, the famed spinner of fables, who serves as ambassador from Samos. Aesop falls for the King's intended bride, the Persian princess, Delerai, who also falls for him, and complications ensue. Things get dicey for Aesop when the King is urged by his high priests to attack and conquer Samos and he must use his wits to avert disaster.

Turhan Bey, star of several exotic Universal B-movies, plays Aesop, while the beautiful Anglo-Indian star, Merle Oberon, plays Delerai. Thomas Gomez perks things up with a lively performance as the lusty and temperamental King Croesus. Gale Sondergaard plays a scorned sorceress who influences the outcome of things by making mystical appearances in mirrors and steam baths to taunt both Croesus and Aesop. In most of Aesop's scenes, Bey plays the character in old-age makeup, coming out of it first at the 43-minute mark for his "night in paradise" scene with Oberon.