The Thief of Bagdad (1940) User Reviews

Impressive fairy tale of a good prince and a thief versus evil vizier full of fantastic elements.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 16 May 2009]

This is an Oriental fantasy about ¨thousand and one Arabian nights¨ with plenty of incredible adventures , fantasy , witchery and wizardly. The malignant vizier Jaffar (magnificently played by Conrad Veidt) with powerful magic faculties imprisons the prince Ahamad of Bagdad (attractive John Justin) who loses his throne, he then escapes thanks to a little thief named Abu (sympathetic Sabu). They arrive in Basora where Ahamad and the charming princess (gorgeous June Duprez) fall in love . But prince and thief are haunted by Jaffar , Ahamd is turned blind and Abu is become a dog . The story accumulates several fantastic ingredients such as transformation of the starring , a flying mechanic horse , a magic bow , a flying carpet and of course the colossal genie (overacting by Rex Ingram) who gives three wishes to Sabu , the magic eye , the figure of goddess Kali with several hands , among others.

This remarkable picture ranks as one of the finest fantastic films of all time . Produced by London Fim's Alexander Korda and directed by the definitively credited Ludwing Berger , Michael Powell and Tim Whelan with a stunning screenplay by Lajos Biro and Miles Malleson also dialogue writer and actor as a Sultan fond to mechanic games . The WWII outbreak caused the paralyzing shooting , then the three Korda brothers and collaborators traveled USA continuing there the filming , in especial on location in Grand Canyon Colorado . The splendid visual and glimmer Technicolor cinematography , setting and FX provoked the achieving three Oscars : Production design by William Cameron Menzies and Vincent Korda , Cinematography by George Perinal and Special effects by Osmond Borradaile , though today are dated and being urgent a necessary remastering because of the colors are worn-out. Furthermore, one nomination for the evocative and oriental musical score by Miklos Rozsa . This vivid tale with immense doses of imagination will appeal to fantasy fans and cinema classic buffs.

Enchanting fairy tale!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 26 December 1999]

"The Thief of Bagdad" is impressive in the shape of the evil magician Jaffar (Conrad Veidt). He plots with lies and magic spells to obtain the kingdom from its rightful ruler the young King Ahmad, and a gorgeous princess from her father...

He falls victim in the end, as all tyrants do (in books and legends) to love and of the common man whom he ignored, here embodied by the little thief (Sabu).

The armies of good and evil, black and white, are superbly realized in both visual and literary terms...

The script is poetic, simply and very beautiful... The costumes of the magician and his men rising and falling like the wings of black birds, attacking suddenly in the night to inflict destruction and create terror...

The radiant hero wears white turbans and robes, and his princess is dressed in pinks and pale blues...

For spectacular scenes it matched all that had gone before, while through its use of color, it brought to life a world such as had not seemed possible before...

With flying carpet and flying white horse, with a giant genie (excellently played by Rex Ingram), with evil wizards, and with the good acting of Sabu and Veidt, "The Thief of Bagdad" captures the quality and true atmosphere of the Arabian Nights...

The 1940 version remains the screen's finest fairy tale!

A Historical Treasure, And Good Family Entertainment

[RBGatHome · 8/10 · 6 June 2003]

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.

Probably the best "Arabian Nights" film ever made.

[otter · 6 March 1999]

Most of the genre of "Arabian Nights" films were silly, cheesy, low-budget things, like "The Prince Who Was A Thief" starring Tony Curtis as an Arabian prince with a Brooklyn accent. This is an exception: A genuinely magical film, one of the best fantasy films ever made.

A beautiful film made in the most glowing of technicolors, it tells the simple story of a boy thief (Sabu) meeting a dethroned prince (the gorgeous John Justin), and helping him defeat the wonderfully evil usurper Conrad Veidt. Like "The Wizard of Oz" made the year before, the performances are so good that you believe in what you see on the screen. Flying carpets and horses, towering genies, dancing idols, it all seems perfectly believable and exiting. A classic.

Still a Solidly Wonderful Fantasy After Sixty-Plus Years

[lawprof · 9/10 · 15 February 2004]

The story of the boy thief of Bagdad (as it was once spelled) has attracted filmmakers from Raoul Walsh in 1924, who starred Douglas Fairbanks in the first, silent, rendering of "Thief of Bagdad," to less imposing, more recent attempts. The best, however, remains 1940's version which for its time was a startling, magical panoply of top quality special effects. Those effects still work their charm.

No less than six directors are listed for the technicolor movie which starred Sabu as the boy thief, Abu, John Justin as the dreamily in love deposed monarch, Ahmad and June Duprez as the lovely princess sought by Ahmad and pursued by the evil vizier, Jaffar, played by a sinister Conrad Veidt. The giant genie is ably acted by Rex Ingram.

Ahmad is treacherously deposed by Jaffar and when later arrested by that traitorous serpent, he and the boy, Abu, suffer what are clearly incapacitating fates. Ahmad is rendered blind and Abu becomes a lovable mutt. Their adventures through the gaily decorated Hollywood backlots are fun but the special effects make this film work.

Two men were responsible for everything from a magic flying carpet to the gargantuan genie who pops out of a bottle with a tornado-like black swirl: Lawrence W. Butler and Tom Howard. (Howard, incidentally, did the special effects for the 1961 version of this film. Both men had long and distinguished careers in technical wizardry.)

Duprez is outstandingly lovely while little called on for serious acting. Justin's Ahmad projects a driven but dreamy romanticism untouched by erotic impulses. Sabu is really the central actor in many scenes and he's very good. For a movie meant for kids as well as adults there's a fair amount of violence but of the bloodless kind. Still, I don't think anyone under eight ought to see "Thief of Bagdad."

This film makes periodic appearances on TV but today my teenage son and I saw it in a theater with quite a few youngsters present. It was great to see computer-besotted kids in an affluent community respond with cheers and applause to special effects that must seem primitive to them.

"Thief of Bagdad" is a pre-war Hollywood classic from a time when strong production values often resulted in enduringly attractive and important releases. This is one of the best of its kind.

9/10.

This film is an original and authentic masterpiece

[tommc · 10/10 · 2 March 2002]

I first saw Thief as a child which makes me almost as old as the Jinn I guess. As any kid would be, I was delighted with the imagination, inventiveness and energy of the film. Several years later, I realized how much of the satire and wit of the script I had missed on that first viewing. I have never passed up an opportunity to watch it throughout the intervening years. In addition to the script, the production transcends the fantasy genre. This is Korda, the storyteller at his very best. When you see Thief as a child you know that you`ve had a great time. When you see Thief as an adult you know that you`ve seen a masterpiece. It`s as timeless as the story it treats. An amazing work.

Thomas McCarthy

Test of time

[keith-moyes · 7/10 · 11 August 2009]

I have recently viewed this classic fantasy on DVD in a near-immaculate print. It stands the test of time quite well.

The screenplay (by Miles Malleson) is pleasingly literate. It captures the heightened romantic tone of myth surprisingly well, but does have its drawbacks.

The structure is very awkward. The whole first half of the narrative is a flashback, but the remaining 55 minutes is told in real time. I am not sure why it was written this way. Usually, flashbacks are used to avoid long expository dialogue scenes, or else to tell the whole story retrospectively within a framing device. This is neither one thing nor the other and feels a bit clunky.

I also feel it is short on physical action at times. For example, the movie cuts from the revelation that Abu has stolen the key to the prison cell to a scene of him and Ahmed in a boat, so that the actual escape is not shown. Similarly, Ahmed's fight with Jafar's guards and the final overthrow of his tyranny are both a bit perfunctory. The picture as a whole is inclined to be too talky: there is a tendency for people to gather in groups in wide angle shots and make speeches at each other.

The production design is generally good, with a fairy tale ambiance that seems about right for the story. My only reservation is that many of the interiors look like large stage sets and don't cut that well into the back lot exteriors and the location shots. While this is very noticeable, it is only a quibble and I doubt if it would interfere with anybody's overall enjoyment of the picture.

The special effects were not particularly special, even for 1940. They won an Oscar, but I suspect this was for their sheer number rather than their quality. The genie emerging from the bottle is effective, but the model of the flying genie needed some articulation to give it even a veneer of credibility. The full scale prop of his foot is never convincing, but is good fun anyway. There are highly visible matt lines throughout. The wires supporting the flying carpet are also very conspicuous.

The performances are variable. They range from excellent (Conrad Veidt) to merely serviceable (John Justin and June Duprez). Sabu was clearly no actor, but his performance is energetic and winning. His limitations only really show when he is required to laugh: which he does a lot. Like many non-actors, he has trouble fabricating a convincing laugh and this aspect of his performance does tend to grate on the ear somewhat. Miles Malleson is just Miles Malleson. He gave pretty much the same performance in every film he ever made, but it is usually enjoyable and that is the case here.

Despite all these reservations, in the final analysis, it doesn't matter how you choose to analyse the parts. All that really matters is whether the movie as a whole manages to engage and delight. It does.

Viewed nearly 70 years after it was made, Thief of Bagdad is not just an interesting museum piece. It is a fun way to spend 100 minutes of your time and is well worth the trouble of checking out.

I am a waterfall of praise, this was just fantastic!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 10 August 2009]

The Thief of Baghdad has all the ingredients that make a fantasy adventure magical, and considering when it was made, this was an absolute delight from start to finish. It is sumptuously designed, and the stunning photography made it more beautiful to the eyes than it already was. The music was gorgeous, and during the film there were plenty of jaw dropping moments from the giant genie, the really scary spider to the flying carpet. The Thief of Baghdad is also benefited by a well written screenplay and a fabulously told story. The performances were most impressive, Conrad Veidt deliciously evil as the evil sorcerer Jaffar and June Duprez the picture of ravishing beauty as the princess. John Austin is the very likable hero known as Ahmad, and Sabu gives a spirited performance as Abu. I will also say the length didn't bother me at all, this is a truly fantastic film in every way, no matter how old it is, and is easily the definitive version of the 1001 Arabian Nights tale it is based on. With a wicked magician, a totally unpredictable fight with a spider, a beautiful princess, a flying carpet and a genie, what more could you ask for? 10/10 Bethany Cox.

There is magic in the number three...

[Artemis-9 · 7/10 · 17 June 2003]

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.

A masterpiece for all the ages

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 10 July 2010]

This is simply one of my favorite fantasy films of all time. Not many movies are so magical, so charming and so imaginative as this. I can clearly see the influence of this movie in many movies that came later, but not many of them were as good as this one. "The Thief of Bagdad" had everything that you could want from a fantasy films: An exciting, unpredictable story, charming and likable characters, and an incredible, beautiful atmosphere and incredible visuals (That still look pretty good)

I wish there were more movies like this. I would give this movie eleven stars if I could. I highly recommend it to anyone!

Here is where Disney got Aladdin from

[lagudafuad · 7/10 · 28 February 2013]

The Thief of Bagdad is a 1940 British fantasy film classic remake of a 1924 classic of the same name. The movie is magical, each scene is inviting and you will love the whole effects used (that is if you are viewing it from the eye of someone from the 40s). Here is where the whole blue screen effect started, and if you are like me who watched Disney's Aladdin and liked it, you will love to see where Disney got their idea from.

It won't be fair if anyone goes on listing fantasy films and skip this classic, this was one movie that I remembered watching when I was young when my lovable aunt introduced me to the love of movies, this movie made me wish I too had a flying carpet. Sabu, who played Abu in this movie, did not put up much of a classic acting that many say made him famous, but he was not that bad either to me the actor that stole the show was Conrad Veidt who played Jaffar.

The movie plot is about a Prince named Ahmed (John Justin) who got fooled by his most trusted advisory Jaffar to leaving the palace and seeing life how life is on the street first hand. While there Jaffar had Ahmed arrested as a mad man and planned to kill him, while he Jaffar mounted the throne.

But in prison Ahmed met a resourceful thief named Abu and together they broke out of jail.

On their getaway, Ahmed got to meet and fall in love with a beautiful princess that Jaffar had eyes for and so Jaffar did all that he could to get Ahmed out of the way, and Ahmed with the help of Abu did all that they could to save the princess, which include meeting a Genie, getting a magic carpet and a crystal that can show you anything you want.

This British classic made use of the best of the best in effects in the 40s it won the Academy Awards for Cinematography, Art Direction and Special Effects. The Thief of Bagdad marks the first major use of bluescreening in the film industry, all due to Larry Butler who introduced and pioneered it.

This movie has greatly influenced many other movies after it's time especially those released about The Book of One Thousand and One Nights tales, let's not forget Disney's Aladdin and its franchise and The Prince of Persia video game franchise. The movie stands strong on a 100% approval rating on the critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, and it was a critical and commercial success. So if you have not seen this wonderful tale that happened down in Bagdad, about how a Prince and a thief took on the evil sorcerer Jaffar so as to save the beautiful Princess; then where have you been? Take the time out to go see this movie you will be glad you did.

www.lagsreviews.com

Great fantasy

[SteveCrook · 9/10 · 23 June 2002]

Despite having 6 different directors, this fantasy hangs together remarkably well.

It was filmed in England (nowhere near Morocco) in studios and on a few beaches. At the outbreak of war, everything was moved to America and some scenes were filmed in the Grand Canyon.

Notable for having one of the corniest lyrics in a song - "I want to be a bandit, can't you understand it". It remains a favourite of many people.

A film for the child in all of us

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 10 October 2011]

"They don't make 'em like this anymore". It's a clichéd and overused phrase, but one which stands true – especially when spoken of a film like THE THIEF OF BAGDAD. This glorious fantasy piece, filmed in a Technicolor which has never looked so good, is a movie which is effectively the ultimate Arabian adventure. Evil viziers, deposed kings, genies in bottles, flying horses and carpets, huge palaces, swordfighting and much more besides – THE THIEF OF BAGDAD sets the template for many a fantasy film to come with special effects which even hold up today.

Even though the film's now over seventy years old, it remains hard to fault. The screenplay and dialogue (by Miles Malleson, who also appears as a delightfully childish sultan) are old-fashioned in the best sense and designed to appeal to the child in all of us. The heroes are decent (John Justin), the villains are wicked (Conrad Veidt is particularly dastardly) and the princesses are beautiful (June Duprez). Best of all is Sabu (THE JUNGLE BOOK), the Indian boy star who just happened to be one of the most charismatic actors of his era. No wonder he made it so big. As a film, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD is hard to beat.

I really wanted to like this movie

[neroville · 5/10 · 31 May 2005]

I really wanted to like this movie; I really did. I figured that since I have always loved "The Wizard of Oz," "Forbidden Planet," and "Samson and Delilah," that "Thief" would appeal to me. After all, I figured, it would combine the best of the art direction and fantasy of "Wizard" with the otherworldliness of "Planet," along with the lush Hollywood exoticism of "Samson and Delilah." Unfortunately, this was not the case. I am sorry to say that all of those previously mentioned movies are much better than "Thief of Bagdad."

For starters, I was particularly disappointed in the story- it seemed to jump all over the place, and there was a lack of any really convincing character arcs for the leads. Sabu, who is adorable and energetic as always, made for an appealing hero, but we didn't really see enough of him- instead, we saw more of the insipid romantic leads, John Justin and June Duprez, who are only stunning in their absolute inability to emote. Conrad Veidt made a good villain, but I wanted to know a little more about why he was doing what he was doing. Granted, in "The Wizard of Oz," the Wicked Witch of the West is not given a detailed backstory, but Dorothy's house landed on top of her sister, which is a very good reason for the Witch to be after Dorothy! Unlike the Wicked Witch, I did not ever feel that Conrad Veidt's character was ever a real threat or menace. Perhaps it is because in "Thief" the characters are given precious little personality and motivation; also, there seems to be little continuity in the colorful incidents that occur. For example, one moment Abu, Sabu's character, has smashed the magical all-seeing eye- the next moment he is being bowed to by a bunch of elderly sultans in white. Huh? Did I miss something? Now, I understand that this is supposed to be a fairy tale, but even in fantasy worlds, things are supposed to make sense within the context of that world. Again, "The Wizard of Oz" is a good example of an early fantasy movie with excellent continuity and world-building.

The movie, on the whole, was very pretty to look at, and the sets, crowd scenes and matte paintings were spectacular. However, I must say that I found the color scheme of the film to be very irritating- everything seemed to be in shades of pastels, mostly pale pink and baby blue, as if it were one of those old "My Little Pony" commercials. I understand this is a matter of personal taste, since in movies I tend to prefer vivid colors. However, whenever I read the "Arabian Nights," I always pictured a very rich color palette, with scarlets, blues, golds, and desert browns. Maybe it's just me, but a pastel palette doesn't seem to go with the very nature of the stories "Thief" is claiming to represent.

In any case, I am glad that I have finally seen "Thief of Bagdad," but I would not see it again. Perhaps it's something that I needed to see when I was little to make any impression on me. All in all, I personally found it to be too mannered, precious and dull to sufficiently convey the earthiness, vigor and gusto of the original "Arabian Nights."

Wondrous

[rube2424 · 11 November 2002]

After 60 some odd years THE THIEF OF BAGDAD is still one of the most

wondrous movies ever made. Filmed in wartime England and without the

use of digital imagry, the film soars and makes believers of us all.

From Rex Ingram's memorable Genie, (has any laugh been better than his

rumbling "BoohooHAHAHAH"?) to the Flying Horse, the six armed murderous

doll, the immense spider and on and on, the film excites in a visceral

way that no FX person could duplicate today. Though we can see through

the primitive special effects, the genius of this film is that the story

is told so well that we suspend our disbelief and fly along on a magic

carpet ride that never flags for all of its almost two hour running

time. Miles Malleson's script (he also plays the heroine's father in a

delightful turn), is filled with what we now see as cliches, but they

still bring a silly grin to our faces as we acknowledge them, and love

them all the same. The acting is WAY over the top and absolutely delightful. Sabu is

perfect as the little thief Abhou, John Justin stalwart as the hero

Ahmed, Conrad Veidt all snarly and despicable as the evil Jafar and June

Duprez all gauzy and creamy as the princess. The real star of the film, the glue that holds all the pieces

together,however, has to be Miklos Rozsa whose musical score evokes

every Arabian Nights fantasy that we have ever dreamed. What glorious

music, what a wondrous fim! (I was lucky enough to get an advance copy

of the new DVD of THIEF OF BAGDAD. What a great print. Wait till you

see it! It will knock your socks off.) I love Spielberg and I love

Lucas, but oh THE THIEF OF BAGDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gosh, it's colourful

[Spleen · 9/10 · 1 July 1999]

Like the Arabian Nights this film plays with storytelling conventions in order to make us feel that there's plot, plot and more plot: it opens with what appears to be the frame device of a blind man telling the story of his life, then plunges into a flashback which takes us right up to the blind man's present, where we discover that about half of the story is yet to come. (It must be admitted that the second half doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first.) Like the Arabian Nights it tries to cram as many Middle-Eastern folk motiffs as possible into the one work. A freed genie, a beautiful princess, a flying carpet, fantastic mechanical toys, sea voyages, a crowded marketplace, a wicked vizier, jewels ... I don't know why it all works, but it does. Everything is just so beautiful. The sets are beautiful. June Duprez is beautiful. Rozsa's score is especially beautiful. As usual, it sounds Hungarian; but somehow he manages to convince us that he's being Hungarian in a Persian way.

STUNNING DVD!

[blue-7 · 10/10 · 3 December 2002]

I first discovered Alexander Korda's (1940) Fantasy, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD in the early 1950's on a re-issue billed as "The Wonder Show of the Century!" Both Korda Technicolor films, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD and JUNGLE BOOK were shown on one never to be forgotten program. The music of Miklos Rozsa enhanced both films. The Technicolor in each was incredibly beautiful! THE THIEF OF BAGDAD has remained on my list as the best fantasy film ever made. As the years passed, it became more difficult to enjoy the film's color in the way it had originally been presented in. True Technicolor gave way to a Eastman Color process in the middle 1950's. Both Kino and Samuel Goldwyn reissued the film both theatrically and on video. But the Eastman Color prints were more pastel in nature and muted the vibrancy of the original Technicolor. The Laser Disc release of this title also has the pastel look to it -- nice, but not as it should be. NOW comes the M-G-M DVD (3 Dec 2002) issue. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD again has the wonderful Technicolor look to it on a DVD that is nothing short of STUNNING!!! It was so exciting to see it like this once again that after viewing the DVD once, I watched it a second time. The only "Extras" are a Spanish Dubbed version, Sub-Titles in both English & Spanish, and a beautifully done original theatrical trailer. Thank you M-G-M for this EXCEPTIONAL DVD release. Now, one can only hope that Korda's FOUR FEATHERS and a restored version of Korda's JUNGLE BOOK (to replace to poor public domain prints in circulation) will soon follow on DVD.

Psychedelic Trip Through the Arabian Nights

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 4 December 2008]

A colorful and downright trippy version of the Arabian nights tale about a street urchin who stumbles upon a magic lamp and is granted three wishes by an all-powerful genie.

Actually, that's only part of the story as presented here, but it's the part of the film that provides the craziest and most spectacular special effects. The rest of the film concerns a king who seeks revenge on the evil sorcerer who steals his throne, in the process taking back his true love.

This is a fun and engaging film, awfully cheesy but in a good way. Disney ransacked bits and pieces of it for their animated hit "Aladdin."

Grade: B+

Truly "A Remant From The Golden Age"

[Spondonman · 9/10 · 28 October 2007]

An utterly beautiful film, one of a handful of I saw when young that entranced me then and still do, in Thief's case the impression actually seems to get better with the passing of time. By the '90's my daughter and I had seen it many times on TV but still went to the pictures when it came to the local art-house cinema – when it had finished we came out starry eyed with heads full of poetry and Miklos Rozsa's stirring music wishing it could have lasted a couple of hours longer and thinking what a beautiful world it suddenly was again.

Idealistic Prince Ahmad wants to slum it amongst his people for a while to check things out, but evil Vizier Jaffar takes his chance to imprison him and seize the throne. After escaping with a little thief played by Sabu, Ahmad spots a Princess and they fall blindingly in love – along the way they have many adventures (although apparently not enough for Sabu!) and Love not only conquers but annihilates everything. The special effects must have been mesmerising in 1940, but Time has taken its toll and lessened their impact especially since digital cartoonery has taken over even live action – but they still hold up well compared against films like Superman from 40 years later. Anyway, if I'm requested to suspend disbelief in gargantuan guffawing genies, flying horses and carpets I also suspend disbelief in perfect special effects! Favourite bits: the dreamy scene in the sunlit garden when Ahmad reveals himself and Adelaide Hall's suitably romantic song; the stunning colours in the tent in the Land Of Legend – in fact, the stunning colours throughout; Sabu and Rozsa's triumphant but still wistful finale. Conrad Veidt played the baddie in two of the most incredible movie romances ever, this and Casablanca, and then died. John Justin and June Duprez were great in the leading roles of lovers, both of them slightly and refreshingly stilted, but the parts didn't call for a huge range of emotions: only pure love mattered.

There's a couple of mildly violent images in it, but rest assured this is a glorious feelgood experience with a 100% positive message, it's only a pity that nowadays little kids don't watch this instead of the porn they prefer. One of my Top 10 film favourites, I can't recommend this too much – may it be shown to the end of Time.

Entertaining Arabian Fantasy

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 27 March 2009]

The kids ought to love this good-natured, fast-paced fantasy adventure from the Arabian Nights. The color photography is splendid, but then everything else is as well -- wardrobe, makeup, production design, special effects, and the magical mystery score by Miklos Rozsa.

It's got just about everything in it that we associate with Arabian legends -- the genie in the bottle, the flying carpet, the jewel in the idol's eye, the luscious and exotic princess (June Duprez), the handsome blind hero whose sight is returned (John Justice), the black-clad bearded villain (Conrad Veidt), the giant spider, the laughing little thief (Sabu). The plot is just coherent enough to bring these elements together.

I was thrilled as a kid when I saw it in a theater, and my kid was equally enthralled when he was of that age.

Not that adults won't enjoy it too, just that it presents them with a more demanding epoché than most movies they're likely to get a kick out of. For grown men, at any rate, the foxy princess of June Duprez is a feast for the eyes. Speaking of eyes, her irises are a deep brown and they look slightly outward of her saggital plane, and her canthi tilt upward and outward at an alarming angle. She looks part predatory cat, maybe a margay, except that the rest of her features are so chubbily sensual. Her voice sounds like that of Jane Randolph, the girl friend in "The Cat People," only with an English accent. Any normal man would want to pinch and bite her.

It has no pretense at meaning anything. It's only goal is to entertain and that it does. You'll probably get a kick out of it.

A fantasy for the century

[sitdownsmith · 10/10 · 8 August 2002]

I grew up with this as my all-time favorite film. The special effects are incredible for the era, and won awards. I can remember the dialogue as if I'd heard it yesterday. It is simply a great, timeless adventure. The music is by Miklos Rosza, who is cinema history's best. Sabu is the Thief. Conrad Veidt is the grand villain. I have a copy within reach, for the next trip down memory lane. Whoa there! Rex Ingram wants out of his genii bottle!

Fun, non-PC cinematic adventure

[American_Delight · 6/10 · 5 July 2011]

First, though fictional, scenes from "The Thief of Baghdad" such as a public beheading are actually truer to the old (and current) Middle East and less slavish to political correctness than supposedly well-researched contemporary movies like "Kingdom of Heaven." Second, images of a genie materializing from smoke, flying horses, flying carpets, and a man residing underwater are dated visual effects by today's standards, but are clever, imaginative, and groundbreaking for 1940. "The Thief of Baghdad" no doubt set the stage for swashbuckling special effect successors like "Sinbad the Sailor," "Clash of the Titans," and "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad." Third, this movie has good guys versus bad guys (Ahmad & Abu vs. Jaffar), romance (Ahmad & the princess), humor (the battle of wits between Abu and the genie), and a series of mini-adventures within the larger adventure. It's a good formula for popcorn & fun. Recommmended.

A Wondrous Tale

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 3 February 2010]

The making of The Thief Of Bagdad is quite a story unto itself, almost as wondrous as the tale told in this film. Alexander Korda nearly went broke making this film.

According to the Citadel Film series Book about The Great British Films, adopted son of the United Kingdom Alexander Korda had conceived this film as early as 1933 and spent years of planning and preparation. But World War II unfortunately caught up with Korda and the mounting expenses of filming a grand spectacle.

Budget costs happen in US films too, only Cecil B. DeMille always had a free hand at Paramount after 1932 when he returned there. But DeMille nor any of his American contemporaries had to worry about enemy bombs while shooting the film. Part of the way through the shoot, Korda transported the whole company to America and shot those sequences with Rex Ingram as the genie in our Grand Canyon. He certainly wasn't going to get scenery like that in the UK. Korda also finished the interiors in Hollywood, all in time for a release on Christmas Day 1940.

The spectacle of the thing earned The Thief Of Bagdad four Academy Award nominations and three Oscars for best color cinematography, best art&set direction for a color film, and best special effects. Only Miklos Rosza's original musical score did not take home a prize in a nominated category. Korda must have been real happy about deciding to shoot in the Grand Canyon because it's impossible to get bad color pictures from that place.

The special effects however do not overwhelm the simple story of good triumphing over evil. The good is the two young lovers John Justin and June Duprez and the evil is Conrad Veidt as the sorcerer who tries to steal both a kingdom and a heart, both belonging to Duprez. This was Veidt's career role until Casablanca where he played the Luftwaffe major Stroesser.

Of course good gets a little help from an unlikely source. Beggar boy and thief Sabu who may very well have been one of the few who could call himself at the time an international movie star. Literally rising from poverty working as an elephant stable boy for the Maharajah of Mysore he was spotted by Alexander Korda who needed a native lead for one of his jungle features. Sabu captures all the innocence and mischievousness of youth as he fulfills the Arabian Nights fantasy of the boy who topples a tyrant. Not a bad message to be sending out in 1940 at that.

The Thief Of Bagdad holds up remarkably well today. It's an eternal tale of love, romance, and adventure in any order you want to put it.

Still a Wonderful Pleasure

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 21 September 2021]

A fine imaginary, adventurous and colorful tale - one of those classic movies of times where Hollywood was still a dream factory and not some education industry. Fine acting, settings and some special effects that aged well due an effect called nostalgia.

Pure "Abracadabra" Crap!

[strong-122-478885 · 3/10 · 25 November 2017]

These are 3 descriptive words that I'd say would best describe the production side of this 1940, Technicolour, Romeo & Juliet story - Erratic - Uneven - Disjointed.

And the reason for this film's overall visual inconsistency and instability has to do with the fact that it took 6 directors (Yes - 6!!) to finally bring "Bagdad" to its corny-but-cute "happy ending".

As the story goes - It was skinflint, Alexander Korda who produced this picture. And he was totally obsessed with keeping this fantasy-extravaganza film under a tight budget and remaining in full control of its simpering story-line.

This, of course, placed Korda in repeated conflict with each subsequent film-maker who took over the direction and, in turn, who Korda promptly fired for non-compliance.

Anyway - With "The Thief Of Bagdad" now being 77 years old - I really did try to cut it some slack (even though its visuals didn't even come close to those of 1939's "The Wizard of Oz") - But - The truth is - This picture really did stink, big-time.

*Note* - I'd say that the absolute, most hilarious highlight of this picture was the totally cheesy "monster spider" scene.