The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Let's be realistic.

Awesome Movie

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD is the lengthy silent version of the famous exotic adventure, with Douglas Fairbanks taking the title role. Seen today it's a rather slow and creaky affair, although not without interest; there's plenty to savour here, from the sets and the staging to the exotic characters and endless action. Truth be told, I enjoy the remake as it's less dated, but this film still packs a punch which is impressive given that I'm writing this review almost a hundred years after it was first released.

Easily and by far this is the best version that I have seen of "The Thief of Bagdad". It does not have the Technicolor opulent look of the 1940 version, and Douglas Fairbanks is not as handsome as the 1961 thief, played by Steve Reeves, but this 1924 production intelligently blends comedy and drama; the framing, angles and camera movements used by director Raoul Walsh and cinematographer Arthur Edeson are visually elegant; and sets, costumes and effects were beautifully conceived and executed. The film moves with a fascinating rhythm during the first two acts in Bagdad, before the Princess' suitors travel in search of the strangest treasures: there are countless sets to stage all the dramatic and action scenes: the marketplace, the sewers, the palace garden, the throne room, the Princess' bedroom, immense stairs, doors, walls, halls and vines, lavishly designed by William Cameron Menzies. Where it not for the overlong adaptation (I saw the 149 minutes restoration, with the Carl Davis score based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade"), this would have been an undeniable masterpiece. The narration drags a bit after the suitors leave Bagdad, the Mongol Prince's machinations, and the extended return of the thief (who inexplicably does not ride on the winged horse to the city), although there are also wonderful scenes in this third act, as the trip to find and test the magic apple and the creation of the new Bagdad army. Everybody is fine in this film: Fairbank as the thief is all smiles, but when he has to show the dramatic nuances of his character he excels; Sôjin Kamiyama is excellent as the Mongol Prince (especially when compared to the 1940 and 1961 villains, more than aptly played by Conrad Veidt and Arturo Dominici), and Julanne Johnston's Princess is both attractive and funny, but I especially enjoyed beautiful Anna May Wong as the wicked Oriental maid and hilarious Snitz Edwards as the thief's sidekick. A true cinematic gem.

I like this one, but I do not feel it represents Doug Fairbanks at his best or even at his most entertaining.Of course, the production is gorgeous, an art deco dream of the Arabian Nights fairy tales. But lush costumes and sets are not enough.My score would be higher were this film one hour shorter, because the paper-thin plot and characters at play in The Thief of Bagdad do not warrant a two and a half hour run-time. The stunts and gags are great fun until 90 minutes roll by. By 100 minutes, you'll already be checking your watch and sick of it.If you want prime Fairbanks, go for The Mark of Zorro or The Black Pirate.

Citizens of Bagdad! Be wary of one who steals indiscriminately from rich and poor with complete impiety! He has no known name, but can be recognized by his shameless hoop earrings, spit curl worn under silken head scarf, and maniacal although soundless laughter while successfully carrying out his deeds of shame! He also cherishes untoward designs on the Princess of our very city!The most revered cinematic version "Thief Of Bagdad" may have come almost 20 years later, but this silent Douglas Fairbanks actioner bows to no film in creating fantastic adventure. If you like silent films, this is a must-see. If you want a case study for how Hollywood got it right early blending special effects, stunt work, and ample good humor, this is a "Thief" worth catching.Bagdad here is not exactly the Baghdad we know today. It is a "dream city of the ancient East," where Caucasians, Asians, Indians and blacks co-exist in a melting pot of simmering social and political intrigue. Swanky Doug is the title character, living his amoral life on his own terms, his only companion a snickering "bird of evil" played indelibly by Snitz Edwards."What I want - I take!" he tells a shocked gathering inside a mosque.This in-your-face turpitude would be hard to countenance if it were not for Fairbanks' ample charm and his unparalleled dash. Has any actor since given off the same sense of being able to do anything on screen?Okay, not everything. He's not one for subtlety, a casualty of silent cinema. When he's hungry, he rubs his stomach. When he laughs, he throws his head back and teeters on his heels. When he falls in love with the Princess (Julanne Johnston), he clasps his hands to his heart and bats his eyes like Clara Bow.But Fairbanks is so much fun I really don't care. He transforms a humongous spectacle flick into an intimate personal-growth saga, while making you believe in the possibility of flying horses and magic ropes. "Allah hath made thy soul to yearn for happiness, but thou must earn it," he is told, and once we allow for the conventions and limits of silent film, we come a good deal closer to earning it ourselves.The direction by Raoul Walsh is sturdy enough, supported by stunning sets by William Cameron Menzies. You know you are looking at sets, but they are so engagingly rendered (the palace gates open like a four-jawed mouth, a mountain pass is straddled by flames) you don't mind.In fact, the artificiality of the sets, along with the imaginative if primitive special effects, lend "Thief" a kind of allure all its own. It's like a fantasia version of "The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari."The film also showcases some thrilling performances. Many here point out Anna Mae Wong's turn as a sinister lady-in-waiting, but Winter Blossom and Etta Lee are just as terrific and fetching as two more loyal servants. Sôjin creates a star villain as the Mongol Prince with designs on Bagdad, playing his part with the right blend of menace and wit. "How tragic, O Prince, if you had been killed and an end put to your illustrious family," he tells a posing Thief in a moment that still delivers the right amount of chills. And Snitz is a jewel, as always.But it all comes down to Fairbanks, as it should, a master performer even when he plays to the cheapest seats and the highest dirigibles. As his own writer and producer, he can't get enough of himself, but neither can I, nor will you after watching him a-swiping and a-leaping his way into Hollywood immortality.