Review for The Thief of Bagdad

Raoul Walsh directed Douglas Fairbanks vehicle ‘The Thief of Bagdad’ is a most welcome release from Eureka’s impressive ‘Masters of Cinema’ programme.

What would now be described as a ‘blockbuster’ it’s a film that remains massively entertaining to this day. It was one of the highest grossing films of the silent era and was, quite rightly, named as the 9th best fantasy film all time by the American Film Institute. It’s full of drama, romance, humour and magic (check out that invisibility cloak – after all, we have to assume a certain Ms. Rowling must have done!). Fairbanks himself, despite being in his forties, was at the very height of his career, cutting a fine and romantic figure as he acrobatically leapt from one scene to the next.


Loosely based on the tale of the same name from ‘The Thousand and One Nights’, ‘Thief’ was positively dripping with production value with lavish sets and whole buildings constructed to create the magical eastern feel in a studio lot deep in the heart of Hollywood.


Using a huge cast and some of the finest talent in the business, the no-expense-spared approach really paid dividends (literally as it transpired). Based on the huge successes of previous Fairbanks costume dramas (The Three Musketeers, The Mark of Zorro and Robin Hood), he was undoubtedly the leading action-adventure star of the day. It’s easy to see why. Although some of the performances may seem a little theatrical today, it’s a film which relies on very few intertitles to carry its narrative. Fairbanks communicates his thoughts, intentions and emotions brilliantly and manages to remain incredibly charismatic throughout. He makes complex stunts look easy and has a relaxed, easy going charm.



Playing a cheeky thief named Ahmed who has a reputation as Baghdad's number one crook When he falls in love with a beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston) he pretends to be an esteemed suitor from a far off land, joining a parade of potential husbands. The princess falls in love with him and when his pretence is discovered he is thrown in jail. Helping him escape, the princess plays for time by asking her suitors to fulfil an almost impossible task which should take a year.



Undeterred by the fact that he’s a lowly thief, Ahmed sets off to prove his worthiness – and begins a magical journey with his zany nameless side-kick (simply credited as ‘his evil side-kick’ played by comedic actor Snitz Edwards). This involves some spectacular effects from a pre-CGI age (by some 70 years) including a crystal ball, a flying Pegasus, a very impressive invisibility cloak and a flying carpet – many on film for the first time so all genre-defining stuff.



William Cameron Menzies sets are spectatcular – nothing close would be imaginable today and the whole film, running in at a lengthy two and half hours rattles along at a great pace making it much more than just a historic curio. It’s an easy watch in the great tradition of family adventures.

The score. from Carl Davies conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, is first class and always seems to find the right tone for every scene.

The image quality here is breathtakingly good on occasion – it’s hard to imagine that the film is 90 years old. Having had a 2K restoration and all the best bits taken from all the best copies, this probably the best the film has looked since its original theatrical run.

In common with all Masters of Cinema releases you get a DVD version too (I haven’t seen that so can’t comment but I guess it’s there for those who haven’t yet upgraded to Blu-ray) and a very informative 40 page booklet. Also included is a really informative audio commentary from Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance which I started but haven’t yet finished – but will do. It’s the type of commentary I like best – incredibly informative and considered.



If you’re a serious cinephile with an interest in the silent era of film-making then you’ll want to add this to your collection. Or if you know someone else who fits that category it could make the perfect Christmas gift. Great stuff!