Thief of Damascus (1952)

A young man gathers a group of friends and adventurers to help battle an evil sultan.

Director:

Will Jason

Writer:

Robert E. Kent (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Henreid, John Sutton, Jeff Donnell

Cast

Cast overview:
Paul Henreid	...	General Abu Amdar
John Sutton	...	Khalid
Jeff Donnell	...	Sheherazade
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Sinbad (as Lon Chaney)
Elena Verdugo	...	Neela
Helen Gilbert	...	Princess Zafir
Robert Clary	...	Aladdin
Edward Colmans	...	Sultan Raudah
Nelson Leigh	...	Ben Jammal
Philip Van Zandt	...	Ali Baba

Storyline

In the world of Arabian Nights, Abu Amdar (Paul Henreid), head general of the Khalid, who is attacking Damascus, arranges a truce between the city and the Khalid's forces, and the Khalid (John Sutton') is furious. Amdar escapes to help the Persians, a decision prompted by his love for the Damascan Princes Zafir (Helen Gilbert). With the aid of Sheherazade (Jeff Donnell), Alladin (Robert Clary), Sinbad (Lon Chaney Jr., Ali Baba (Philip Van Zandt) and less-than-forty of his thieves, Abu Amdar soon sets things right in old Damascus...and Columbia's back lot.

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Plot Keywords:

year 634 | 7th century | ali baba character | scheherazade character | sinbad the sailor character | 

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Taglines:

Aladdin! Sinbad! Ali Baba! Scheherezade!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

User Reviews

Arabian Soufflé Goes Flat

Both Universal and Columbia had Arabian Nights sets on their lots built for a couple of big budget epics they had done in the Forties, Universal for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Columbia for A Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Because of those sets and the cost to construct them, the movie-going public was treated every year to at least one exotic Middle East tale of adventure.

The cycle at Columbia was starting to run down though with Thief of Damascus. Someone over at Columbia got the bright idea to take as many of the fabled characters from the Arabian Nights and put them into one film.

The plot such as it is involves Paul Henreid as the number one general of John Sutton as Khalid the Conqueror making a way too generous treaty with the sultan of Damascus. Since they don't call him the Conqueror for nothing, Sutton decides to take charge in the usual fashion.

Before the end of the film, Aladdin, Sinbad, Scherezade, and Ali Baba and those forty thieves make their appearance and bring about a general righting of wrongs.

This was supposed to be tongue in cheek, but sad to say the satire fell kind of flat. Besides Henreid and Sutton others who could barely keep a straight face are Elena Verdugo, Lon Chaney, Jr., Robert Clary, Philip Van Zandt, Helen Gilbert, and Jeff Donnell as a puffy cheeked Scherezade who looks like she has the mumps.

The idea was interesting, but it fell short of the mark.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abu Andar, Held von Damaskus

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sam Katzman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1