IMDb > The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
The Thief of Bagdad
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The Thief of Bagdad (1940) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   5,670 votes »
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MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Miles Malleson (screenplay)
Lajos Biró (scenario)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Thief of Bagdad on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 December 1940 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Adventure | Family | Fantasy See more »
Tagline:
One Thousand and One Sights from One Thousand and One Nights See more »
Plot:
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. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(28 articles)
Five Essential... Hollywood Remakes (The Remake)
 (From Flickeringmyth. 6 January 2012, 3:01 AM, PST)
Here's looking at you, kid: how classic films are winning new fans
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 14 December 2011, 7:55 AM, PST)
Daily Viewing. From "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp"
 (From MUBI. 16 November 2011, 12:29 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
There is magic in the number three... See more (85 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Conrad Veidt ... Jaffar

Sabu ... Abu
June Duprez ... Princess
John Justin ... Ahmad
Rex Ingram ... Djinn
Miles Malleson ... Sultan
Morton Selten ... The Old King
Mary Morris ... Halima
Bruce Winston ... The Merchant
Hay Petrie ... Astrologer
Adelaide Hall ... Singer
Roy Emerton ... Jailer
Allan Jeayes ... The Story Teller
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frederick Burtwell ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Joseph Cozier ... Man Selling Fish (uncredited)
Henry Hallett ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Glynis Johns ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Alexander Laine ... Urchin in Bagdad Market (uncredited)
Cleo Laine ... Urchin in Bagdad Market (uncredited)
Sylvia Laine ... Urchin in Bagdad Market (uncredited)
Spoli Mills ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Leslie Phillips ... Urchin in Bagdad Market (uncredited)
Norman Pierce ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
John Salew ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Otto Wallen ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
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Directed by
Ludwig Berger 
Michael Powell 
Tim Whelan 
Alexander Korda (uncredited)
Zoltan Korda (uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies (uncredited)
 
Writing credits
Miles Malleson (screenplay)

Lajos Biró (scenario) (as Lajos Biro)

Produced by
Alexander Korda .... producer
Zoltan Korda .... associate producer
William Cameron Menzies .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa  (as Miklos Rozsa)
 
Film Editing by
Charles Crichton 
 
Production Design by
Vincent Korda (production designed in color by)
 
Art Direction by
Vincent Korda (uncredited)
 
Costume Design by
John Armstrong 
Oliver Messel 
Marcel Vertès  (as Marcel Vertes)
 
Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn .... makeup artist (uncredited)
Tom Shenton .... assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
David B. Cunynghame .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Geoffrey Boothby .... associate director
Charles David .... associate director
Jack Clayton .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
W. Percy Day .... scenic backgrounds (as Percy Day)
Ferdinand Bellan .... associate art director (uncredited)
W. Percy Day .... associate art director (uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies .... associate art director (uncredited)
Frederick Pusey .... associate art director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
A.W. Watkins .... sound director
John W. Mitchell .... sound assistant (uncredited)
Jack Whitney .... special sound effects (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler .... special effects director (as Lawrence Butler)
Tom Howard .... special effects (uncredited)
Johnny Mills .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw .... assistant matte artist (uncredited)
Wally Veevers .... matte artist (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Osmond Borradaile .... associate photographer
Georges Périnal .... chief photographer (as George Perinal)
Henty Henty-Creer .... camera operator: exteriors (uncredited)
Robert Krasker .... camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser .... assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
Bill Wall .... chief electrician (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff .... costume jeweller (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
William Hornbeck .... supervising editor
Peter R. Hunt .... associate editor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Muir Mathieson .... musical director
Miklós Rózsa .... songs by (as Miklos Rozsa)
 
Other crew
Natalie Kalmus .... Technicolor director
Alexander Korda .... presenter
André De Toth .... production assistant (uncredited)
Ralph Faulkner .... fight choreographer (uncredited)
Wendy Toye .... dance instructor: mechanical doll dance (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #02749) | West Germany:6 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Norway:A | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1946) | USA:TV-G | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | Canada:PG (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UKSee more »
Company:
London Film ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Producer Alexander Korda was so demanding that he went through six directors during the production of this film, including his brother Zoltan Korda and leading art director William Cameron Menzies.See more »
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Abu, who we know to be a Muslim, is shown requesting and eating sausages, even though the consumption of pork is very strictly forbidden in Islam. However, the sausage may not be made from pork.See more »
Quotes:
Abu:I am Abu the thief. Son of Abu the thief. Grandson of Abu the thief.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hollywood Uncensored (1987)See more »
Soundtrack:
Hungarian LullabyeSee more »

FAQ

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
22 out of 27 people found the following review useful.
There is magic in the number three..., 17 June 2003
Author: Artemis-9 from Portugal

Three flash-backs introduce the main characters (Abu, Jaffar, and the Princess) who will interact with Ahmad; three are the songs, each linked to those same characters. Three times does Ahmad pronounce the absolute word 'Time', in his declaration of love to the Princess, answering her three questions at their first of three meetings. So strong is the impression he causes, that the Princess will resist the three attempts by Jaffar to conquer her - by three successive ploys: deceit, hypnosis, and memory erasing. Yet, Jaffar owns what he describes as the three inescapable instruments of domination over a woman: the whip, the power, and the sword. Three is the number of flying entities: the mechanical-horse, the Genie, and the The Genie and the magic carpet. The Genie offers three wishes to Abu at their first of three encounters; three times does the Genie laugh loud in the mountain gorges, and three are his considerations about human frailty, before he departs. Abu overcomes three obstacles in the Temple of Dawn (armed guards, giant-spider, and giant-octopus). Three are the instruments of justice: the magical eye that shows Abu the future, the magical carpet that transports him just in time to save Ahmad and the Princess, and the bow-and-arrow to execute Jaffar. There's magic in the number three, and there is magic in this movie.

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