Bandit chief Hassan (Tab Hunter) infiltrates Damascus with a daring plan. Impersonating a prince from the “Island of Flames,” Hassan joins the nobles contending for the hand of beautiful Princess Jamila (Rossana Podesta) intending to kidnap her for ransom. The suitors’ contest revolves around the legendary Black Bow, the weapon of the true savior and Sultan of Damascus. Whoever can bend the bow will wield the invincible power of the Golden Arrow, claim the hand of Jamila and become ruler. No one is more astonished than Hassan when he succeeds in bending the Black Bow, but the brash young thief ignores the call to heroism, kidnaps the princess and loses the Golden Arrow. With the aid of three magical spirits, Hassan must embark on a quest to recover it, contending with a series of supernatural challenges that refine his spirit and prepare him for battle against Baktiar, the evil vizier who controls Damascus. This “scimitar and sandals” epic soars across fantastic locations with sweeping spectacle thanks to the buoyant direction of journeyman genre-master Antonio Margheriti (Wild, Wild Planet).

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Golden Arrow with a fetching 1080p master transfer released in 2019 in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. Detail and clarity are in top form with so much texture to explore. The film renders with a naturally filmic appearance that reveals no signs of DNR or other forms of digital manipulation. All previous wear and tear and debris has been cleaned up with the utmost care. The weakest moments are the fleeting optical transitions that film fans know are inherent to the source. There are not any unwanted digital fumbles such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. Black levels are deep with worthy stability throughout. The colors of the environments and costumes are a treat to observe. Each hue is faithfully saturated. Warner Archive has done so great with this one.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that is authentic to its origins. The film is an Italian production that was created to be dubbed over for worldwide distribution, and this English version preserves the uneven nature of the performances and subsequent syncing. That being said, the words being spoken are clear even if they do not always match the lip movements. The score establishes the buoyant tone of the narrative with fine fidelity. Even when it is really cooking, it does not overshadow any pivotal dialogue or background noises. There is no serious age-related wear and tear to the track such as drop-outs, hissing, or popping. Warner Archive has done well by this production. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer (2:07)

Final Thoughts

Golden Arrow is a fun adventure that blends the fanciful with the daring as our character gets into a host of dramatic situations. Tab Hunter is a charismatic lead, and Rossana Podesta is likewise enchanting as the driver of this narrative. It is very light in its ambitions, but it executes everything it is attempting with an easy confidence. Warner Archive has released Blu-Ray featuring a delightful A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Fans of whimsical journeys should check this one out. Recommended

Golden Arrow can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.