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Title: The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Conrad Veidt | ... |
Jaffar
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| Sabu | ... |
Abu
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| June Duprez | ... |
Princess
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John Justin | ... |
Ahmad
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| Rex Ingram | ... |
Djinn
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Miles Malleson | ... |
Sultan
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Morton Selten | ... |
The Old King
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Mary Morris | ... |
Halima
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Bruce Winston | ... |
The Merchant
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Hay Petrie | ... |
Astrologer
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Adelaide Hall | ... |
Singer
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Roy Emerton | ... |
Jailer
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Allan Jeayes | ... |
The Story Teller
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Prince Ahmad is the rightful King of Bagdad but he has been blinded and cast out as a beggar. Now a captive of the wicked Grand Vizier Jaffar he is cast into a dungeon where he meets Abu, the best thief in all Bagdad. Together they escape and set about a series of adventures that involve a Djinni in a bottle, a mechanical flying horse, an all-seeing magic jewel, a flying carpet and a beautiful princess. Written by Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>
Taglines:
Dwarfing anything ever seen...a mountainous Genie piercing the clouds...flying horses winging over Jewelled cities...a magic carpet that spans the world like the swiftest bird. (original poster) See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 December 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Le voleur de Bagdad See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Jafar: Men are evil. Hatred behind their eyes, lies on their lips, betrayal in their hearts. You will learn one day, Great King, that there are three things that men respect: the lash that descends, the yoke that breaks, and the sword that slays. By the power and terror of these you may conquer the earth.
See more »
uncredited
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics by Unknown
Performed by Unknown
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The first film of John Justin. See more »Goofs
As the Sultan of Basra flies over the city on his mechanical horse, power or telegraph lines are visible in the background. See more »Quotes
Ahmad: Are men only to be ruled by fear?Jafar: Men are evil. Hatred behind their eyes, lies on their lips, betrayal in their hearts. You will learn one day, Great King, that there are three things that men respect: the lash that descends, the yoke that breaks, and the sword that slays. By the power and terror of these you may conquer the earth.
See more »
Connections
Referenced in The Twilight Zone: The Beacon/One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty (1985) See more »Soundtracks
"The Sea"uncredited
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics by Unknown
Performed by Unknown
See more »
The Thief of Bagdad is a treasure. First and foremost, it is a good story. Though my four children's primary exposure to this tale, the most famous of the stories of the Arabian Nights, comes from the Disney Corporation, the Thief of Bagdad held their interest to the end. The story moves along at a good pace and includes a twist or two that reduced predictability. Sabu, who plays the young thief, Abu, also measures up to any of today's teen actors in appeal, judging from the number of times I heard my oldest daughter say, "He's c-u-t-e!"
In 1940, the film won Oscars for cinematography and special effects. Today, of course, those effects seem very dated ("Look, it's Barbie flying through the air," declared my daughter at the sight of the genie flying). Yet they fit into the story well. The film is, after all, over 60 years old. The effects fit with the script. Furthermore, what ones sees in The Thief of Bagdad remained pretty much state-of-the-art for the next twenty-five years. One need only compare the opening montage from a 1967 Star Trek episode to see this. In that, it was quite an achievement.
This qualifies as a family film, though there are a few stabbings near the end. The acting is so obvious and the wounds so bloodless as to those scenes nearly as artificial as animation.
All in all, a fun film worth watching for either an evening of pure entertainment, or for the historical value of the effects. I recommend it.