The Thief of Baghdad

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Douglas Fairbanks is at his most graceful and charismatic in one of the classic silent films of the 1920s. As the thief of Baghdad, his movements are dance-like -- nothing like the athletics he performed in most of his other films. In this Arabian take, the thief ignores the holy teachings and sneaks into the palace of the Caliph (Brandon Hurst). All thoughts of robbery slip away, however, when he sees the beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston). Princes have come from many faraway lands to win the princess' hand (and it's amusing to watch her face growing ever more alarmed at their arrival, because each one is uglier than the last). The thief disguises himself as a prince and the princess falls in love with him. After having a pang of conscience, the thief confesses all to the Holy Man (Charles Belcher), who sends him to find a magic chest. He braves many obstacles to get it, and when he returns he discovers that the Mongol Prince (Sojin) has taken over the city. Using the chest, the reformed thief creates armies of men out of nothingness and recaptures the city. He then uses the cloak of invisibility to spirit the princess away on a magic carpet. Fairbanks stole some of the special effects for his film from Fritz Lang's Der Mude Tod, which he had purchased for American distribution. The Thief of Baghdad, with its look of unrealistic beauty (courtesy of art director William Cameron Menzies), was not fully appreciated in its day. Because of its huge cost (two million dollars -- a real fortune in those days), it made little money. After that, Fairbanks stuck closer to the swashbuckling persona he felt his audience wanted. Available now on DVD, the remastered film features a new score by Carl Davis. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • Filmed introduction by Orson Welles
  • 19 minutes of rare outtakes (courtesy of Bruce Lawton)
  • Rare special-effects footage
  • Excerpt of Paul Leni's Waxworks (Fairbanks' inspiration for Thief)
  • Excerpt of Georges Melies' Arabian Nights ("Le Palais des Mille et Une Nuits," 1905)
  • Excerpts from the Souvenir Program
  • Newly mastered from an archival 35 mm negative
  • Digital stereo orchestral score performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, adapted from the original 1924 cue sheets

AWARDS

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1996

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Douglas Fairbanks - The Thief of Bagdad
       Snitz Edwards - His Evil Associate
       Julanne Johnston - The Princess
       Anna May Wong - The Mongol Slave
       Charles Belcher - The Holy Man
       Winter Blossom - The Slave of the Lute
       Sojin - The Mongol Prince
       Etta Lee - The Slave of the Sand Board
       Brandon Hurst - The Caliph
       Tote Du Crow - The Soothsayer
       K. Nambu - His Counselor
       Noble Johnson - The Indian Prince
       Charles Stevens - His Awaker
       Sam Baker - The Sworder
       Jesse Weldon - Eunuch
       Scott Mattraw - Eunuch
       Charles Sylvester - Eunuch
       Mathilde Comont - The Persian Prince
       Sadakichi - Hartmann - His Couil Magician
       Jesse Fuller

• Director:

  Raoul Walsh

• Producer:

  Douglas Fairbanks, Theodore Reed

• Screenwriter:

  Douglas Fairbanks, Lotta Woods

• Cinematographer:

  Arthur Edeson

• Composer (Music Score):

  Carl Davis, Mortimer Wilson

• Editor:

  William Nolan

• Production Designer:

  William Cameron Menzies

• Set Designer:

  Anton Grot, Paul Youngblood

• Costume Designer:

  Mitchell Leisen

REVIEW:

• The Thief of Baghdad owes its greatness largely to the production design of art director William Cameron Menzies and the meticulous attention to detail demanded by writer, producer, and star Douglas Fairbanks. With a budget of around two million dollars, it was among the most expensive films of the 1920s. Using state-of-the-art special effects, it is a visual feast with flying horses, magic carpets, and exquisite sets, supporting the entertaining story of a charming rogue who undertakes great quests to win the favors of a beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston). The film is also notable for the supporting performance of the exotic Anna May Wong. Director Raoul Walsh capably handles the action-oriented story, though it is Fairbanks and Menzies who most shape the film. 155 minutes long, the film was a box-office failure in 1924, but in later years it has become one of the most popular silent films. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi