The Thief of Bagdad

1940
Approved
1h 46m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

15K

YOUR RATING

Play trailer2:40

1 Video

99+ Photos

Adventure Family Fantasy Romance

After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves.After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves.After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

15K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 3 Oscars
- 4 wins & 4 nominations total

Trivia
Filming began in Britain, but because of the Blitz - the German air raids on London - the production relocated to Hollywood. There was such a long break in production that Sabu's early scenes had to be reshot because he had grown several inches.

Goofs
In the Land of Legend, the Old King says that he will give two signs of kingship to Abu the thief. Abu is then given three items: a magic crossbow, a quiver, and a small, ornate box, like a jewelry box. No mention is made in the dialogue of this box, but it can be seen in Abu's right hand as he talks to the Old King and also on the flying carpet as Abu flies away to rescue his friends. Apparently the crossbow and quiver were only one, not two, of the Old King's signs of kingship, and the other sign was the mysterious box, whose magical powers and purpose were lost on the cutting room floor.

Quotes
[At the pool]
Princess: Who are you?
Ahmad: Your slave.
Princess: Where have you come from?
Ahmad: From the other side of time, to find you.
Princess: How long have you been searching?
Ahmad: Since time began.
Princess: Now that you've found me, how long will you stay?
Ahmad: To the end of time.
Princess: For me, there can be no more beauty in the world, than yours.
Ahmad: For me, there can be no more pleasure in the world, than to please you.

Connections
Edited into Your Afternoon Movie: Thief of Bagdad (2023)

Soundtracks
I Want To Be A Sailor
(uncredited)
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics by Robert Vansittart
Additional Lyrics by William Kernell
Performed by Sabu

User reviews136

Review

Featured review

Wow

The first time I saw this movie, I was blown away by it's sheer fantasy content. I am a fan of fantasy anyway, and for a film of this time (1940) I was impressed by Alexander Korda's ability to completely immerse one so completely in the story. I believe that during the war-time period these films were especially important for a lot of people in order to distract them, in a positive way, and allow them a brief respite from the harsh realities and depressing aspects of the war. I think that this film had probably fit the bill at that time and even nowadays, it does take you away from the everyday and allows you to indulge in a wonderful tale of fantasy, romance, magic, throughout. June Duprez was stunning and otherworldly in her looks and performance. John Justin played a wonderfully enchanting Ahmed, although I found Sabu's character a bit tedious at times, the rest of the movie, for it's time, was top-notch. A great escapist, put your feet up and enjoy the afternoon, movie. I give it a 7.8 out of 10.