The Thief of Bagdad

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

7.2K

YOUR RATING

A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.

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A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

7.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins total

Videos2

Trailer 2:10

Official US Trailer

Clip 5:25

Unsung Asian American Pacific Islander Heroes of Film History

Clip 5:25

Unsung Asian American Pacific Islander Heroes of Film History

Photos75

+ 68

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
For the flying carpet effect, Douglas Fairbanks stood on a 3/4-inch thick sheet of steel attached to 16 piano wires and rigged to the top of a crane, which lifted him above the crowd.

Goofs
At the 2 hour 27 minute mark when the thief and the princess are flying over Bagdad you can see piano wires holding up the flying carpet when the light reflects off them. You need to look carefully though.

Quotes
The Thief of Bagdad: I am not a prince. I am less than the slave who serves you-a wretched outcast-a thief. What I wanted, I took. I wanted you-I tried to take you-But when I held you in my arms-the very world did change. The evil within me died. I can bear a thousand tortures, endure a thousand deaths-but not thy tears.
Guard: This Arab Prince is but a thief. Seek him out!
The Princess: Quick! Hide thyself. If thou art found with me, they will be merciless. I love you.

Alternate versions
In some prints, Mathilde Comont is credited as M. Comont to keep her sex a secret. However, in several scenes in the film it is very obvious that the Persian Prince is being played by a woman.

Connections
Edited into Michael Blanco (2004)

User reviews78

Review

Featured review

10/10

Douglas Fairbanks' Arabian Nights Extravaganza

A beautiful princess, courted by royal suitors, is desired by a powerful Mongol magician. There is none in the kingdom wily & cunning enough to thwart the evil one's wicked plots - no one, that is, except THE THIEF OF BAGDAD.

This is another wonderful Douglas Fairbanks silent adventure epic. The world of the Arabian Nights springs alive before our eyes, with Fairbanks as all its fantastic heroes rolled into one. His athleticism is here perfectly at home in a realm of flying carpets, magic armies & undersea battles.

Director Raoul Walsh & Art Director William Cameron Menzies have created a realm of domes & towers, turrets & great halls, bazaars & souks - all the perfect backdrop for Fairbanks & the plot's sinuous action.

In the supporting cast, Sojin makes an excellent villain, the mysterious epitome of evil. Look for Anna May Wong as a palace maid & versatile African American actor Noble Johnson as the Indian Prince.

Both versions of this film now available on video feature scores based on themes from Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, which exquisitely conveys all the allurement of the Thousand and One Nights.