1. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940). Directed by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger and Tim Whelan. Sir Alexander Korda's ageless production is a beautiful Arabian Nights fantasy adventure with Sabu pitted against the wicked vizar played by Conrad Veidt with oozing evil. It is a masterful blending of the metaphor of language with poetic visuals and a lush, exotic score by Mikos Rosza. Although the special effects might seem dated compared to those of today, they still retain a magical sense of the Arabian Nights fantasy they stand for, especially the scenes of Sabu flying across the world on the back of a genie (wonderfully played by Rex Ingram). John Justin as a deposed king and June Duprez as his lover comprise the ideal screen romance. On video and laser from Nelson/Embassy.

2. THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1958). Directed by Nathan Juran. Ray Harryhausen was at his best with a plethora of stop-motion monsters and creatures encounted by adventurer Kerwin Mathews in his battle against evil magician Torin Thatcher. This has a great Bernard Herrmann score. On video from Columbia and on laser from Columbia and Pioneer.

3. THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1974). Directed by Gordon Hessler. Another great outing for stop-motion specialist Ray Harryhausen in yet another Sinbad adventure, this time depicting John Philip Law pitted against Tom Baker's Black Prince, a six-armed Kali, a centaur and a devious homunculus. And there's another great musical score by Miklos Rosza reminscient of his music for THIEF OF BAGDAD. On video from Columbia and on laser from Columbia and Pioneer.

4. HARVEY (1950). Directed by Henry Koster. The image of Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd talking to his invisible six-foot-tall rabbit friend remains one of the most charming and effective fantasy images in the history of movies. This adaptation of Mary Chase's award-wining stage hit is a commentary on the thin line that divides santiy from insanity, and on our frequent lack of communication between each other, all couched in hilarious mistaken identities and social satire. On video and laser from MCA/Universal.

5. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946). Directed by Jean Cocteau. This French production is a synthesis of the cinema arts--a poetic, dreamlike fairy tale with a surreal atmosphere and exquisite black-and-white photography in depicting the traditional tale of a man trapped in a werewolf's body until he finds a woman to love him. The images of candelabra held by human hands in a decaying mansion is just one of the memorable scenes to be savored. On video from Nelson and Embassy, and on laser from Nelson, Voyeur and Criterion.

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