The Brass Bottle

The Brass Bottle 1963 Universal film released on DVD as part of the Vault Series

Tony Randall plays his normal everyday man. He is an architect who becomes engaged to Barbara Eden. Her parents do not like him and they come back from a European lecture series. To welcome them back he purchases an Arabic antique, a 3 foot brass bottle with hieroglyphics around the top . His boss thinks it is a made in China piece, a cheap imitation. When Tony goes to Barbara’s house she has the same bottle except it is a lamp bought on sale. So Tony decides to turn his bottle into a lamp. He is sharing his house with an artist couple recently returned to America from Paris.

He takes the bottle up to his area of the house. The top is difficult to pull off. Once he does get the top off he falls backward and is unconscious or slightly dazed. When he gets up the room is filled with green smoke and a man, Burl Ives dressed in silks and turban tells him that he is a Genie. Tony thinks the man is crazy and calls the police. When the police arrive, Burl disappears. The police search the room but cannot find anyone.

Police officer: “When you left for Paris 6 year ago we threw a big wing ding down at the precinct. We figured au revoir he is a problem for the Gondar now. Why did you have to come back?”

Tony: “I swear to you there was a lunatic in the room.”

Police officer (dryly): “There still is.”

The next day a business man who is building a residential community comes to Tony’s office and hires him to design the houses and gives him a check for retainer. The man seems like his is not really sure why he is there and keeps looking at the business card to say Tony’s name. Burl comes into the office. They talk and Burl states he has been traveling and things are not the same. Tony doesn’t believe it still. So Burl walks through the wall and comes back into the room. Tony thinks he is an illusionist. Burl admits that he placed the thought in the man’s head to hire Tony. The boss comes in, Burl disappears. The boss doesn’t believe the story about the man just coming in and hiring Tony even though the check has been verified and fires Tony. Burl comes back and states the boss will be hurling towards the center of the earth. Tony runs after his former boss and stops him from falling down the elevator shaft.

Tony leaves to have lunch with Barbara in his red convertible. Burl flies into the car. The police follow and Burl has elephants crossing the road and sit/lay down in the street. When Tony goes to parallel park, someone takes his spot first. Tony talks the other man, but no use. Tony asks Burl to move the fire hydrant to the other car. Burl moves the hydrant but not the water line, water shoots up into the air. People come out and Tony meets Barbara and they take her car, he will get his when the water is off. That night he is going to have a dinner party for Barbara and her family. While trying to convince his housemates to go out instead of staying for dinner a group of camels and men in Arab garb come up the street to his house. He has the camels and the men go into the garage, “A four camel garage.“ Several men carried containers into the house.

Burl comes back in modern cloths and through the front door. The containers the men brought in contained gold bars and jewels. When the gold won’t work Burl turns it into paper money with Tony’s picture. Then changes it at Tony’s request to Alexander Hamilton. Tony refuses all the gifts and Burl gets rid of the camels, the men and the containers. Burl has the housemates go to the race track. At Tony’s new office his friends come in stating they are going back to Paris. They kept winning even though the ticket they got were not the horses they actually chose. At home that night the maid is leaving due to the caterers. When he gets in the room it is completely transformed to a dream. It is full of silks, gold, servants and even a small pool in the center of the floor. The family can’t believe what they are seeing. There are female dancers and eye of lamb appetizers.

The family leaves. Tony tries to tell his soon to be father-in-law that it is a Genie. The man does not believe Tony and thinks he is crazy. Burl comes back and states that “your guests were unappreciative”. Burl convinces Tony that another woman would be better, his old love Hezra. She appears and Tony states he only wants Barbara. When Burl tells her they have strange customs only 1 wife to a man, she states “it took us 3000 years but we have prevailed. I shall find this changed world pleasing.” Burl tries to send Hezra back but she refuses to leave. Tony decides to spend the night at a hotel. The next day he comes back with modern clothing for her. Barbara and the family come back, but see Hezra and leave. Barbara states she never wants to see him again. He runs outside after them. The business man takes the family’s space in the street and states that he is fired and to return the deposit. Tony decides he is better off without Burl. Burl and Hezra leave. Tony summons Burl back to turn his apartment back to the way it was originally. Tony then asks Burl’s help with his fiancée and her family. At their house Burl tries to explain but is escorted out of the house. Burl turns him into a mule. When Tony comes to the house. They think that the man is drunk. Tony goes in and finds the mule. He quickly realizes that it is his future father-in-law. Tony walks the mule out to his car. The car with Tony and the mule drives itself. The car takes them to the country. Burl decides to make houses on the land which Tony states no. But Burl states he will only turn the man back as he was if Tony agrees. Which he does.

Six months later a newspaper ad has $4000 a house in their new development. The houses cost $14,000. There is a riot and thousands of people are showing up to purchase the house. The news report that local, state and federal officials are going to investigate. Burl disappears. Tony alone has to appear before a committee. At the committee Tony admits that Burl is a Genie. No one believes him and he is committed. At the sanity hearing Burl is dressed as a Genie. He tries to convince the men of that by flying around the room, disappearing and bringing a gavel that belonged to the council from his office. Still not convinced and angering Burl, he turns the psychologists into tiny people and putting them in the water pitcher. Tony convinces Burl to return them to normal. Back in their chairs they are soaking wet. The men decide to recess to discuss matters and have Tony and Burl step into another room.

In that room, Burl states he can go back in time and take his memory from everyone except Tony. Tony decides his memory should be erased also. Burl disappears the screen fades and changes. The business man is once again back and hires Tony for his development at the request of his business partner. His partner is Burl and Hezra is his wife. As they leave for lunch the bottle is now a lamp in the office.

The one thing that stood out very early in the film is the color. It is bright and clear. It is Eastman color by Pathe. Primary colors shine like a comic book art. Tony’s character is a former artistic painter. There are many abstract paintings in the background.
Tony Randall
Burl Ives
Barbara Eden
Edward Andrews
Kamala Devi
Ann Doran
Richard Erdman
Lulu Porter