To begin with Elvis plays the part of a motion-picture and recording star, very similar to the real Elvis. Whilst making a personal appearance tour of the Middle East he is kidnapped by a band of assassins. From then on Elvis is thrown into the mad, mad world of the Eastern palace where he is taken prisoner.

After conniving with the leader of the court troupe, which includes dancing girls, a versatile midget the lot, they work out an ingenious plan for escape, which entails posing as a water-lily in the courtyard pond!

Elvis, or from now on I ought to call him Johnny Tyrone, escapes over the palace walls and accidentally "drops in" on lovely Princess Shalimar, played by Mary Ann Mobley. She says she will help him escape and goes to fetch three horses for them to travel on. Johnny and the Princess ride to the place where he is supposed to meet the troupe leader. While they are waiting for him they sit down by a lake and after a beautiful serenade called "Kismet" Johnny asks her to come away with him, away from the place where she has told him she is a slave girl, when in fact she is a princess. She asks Johnny why he has been taken captive and he tells her that his kidnappers were planning on assassinating a very important person and they wanted his help. Without another word she rushes off with the three horses realising that it is her father they are intending to kill.

Meanwhile the troupe leader has arrived and they go into the village where Johnny is shown the troupe in action. While Johnny is entertaining, the midget goes round the crowd stealing the purses of the wealthy. Unfortunately, he is seen and they are chased around the village. With the help of two orphan children they win the skirmish and Johnny is subsequently faced with maidens in distress who seek his protection. Shortly afterwards they are discovered by the assassins who issue Johnny with an ultimatum; either he kills the King or else.

Johnny has no other alternative but to do as they say. They all go to the King's palace and the girls and the midget perform for the King. Deciding that "It's Now Or Never", Johnny goes ahead with his intention of "doing away" with the King. Just as he is about to do so Princess Shalimar appears and tells her father that they are here to assassinate him. It is then that Johnny realises she is his daughter and not his slave. They all end up in the palace gaol, that is, all except the midget who manages to hide. The Princess is in love with Johnny by this time even though he was going to kill her father. Her only rival for Elvis's attention is the desert beauty, singer-actress, played by Fran Jeffries.

When night falls the midget sets them free. After Johnny has helped the girls to make their getaway he goes in search of the Princess to explain the situation to her. Lowering himself into her room via a rope he finds the Princess with her father and explains to them why he had been sent to assassinate the King. She realises that Johnny is in love with her and they all go back to the troupe leader's house where the girls are once again held captive by the rebels-one of them being the King's brother and another being a highly attractive, but cruel, girl.

Sneaking in they listen to what is going on and when Johnny crawls up behind the ringleader, a vicious fight ensues. After being firmly bound and gagged the leader is taken by mule to the rebels' palace and yet another "slinging match" follows, this time complete with earthenware pots! And after a grand victory the King goes to find his brother with a view to settling the score with him. Meanwhile the ringleader has been accidentally shot by a wounded man and has died.

The fight won, the Princess and Johnny go in search of the King, and find him engrossed in a game of chess! Instead of killing his brother, the King suggested that he and his female "chess friend" should go into exile. And this sees the end of the plot.

(Movie overview by Elvis Monthly - Issue 91, August 1967)