“The Thief of Bagdad” is a swashbuckler action silent movie that tells the story of a small-time street thief who falls in love with the daughter of the Caliph of Baghdad. Director Raoul Walsh and producer-star Douglas Fairbanks skillfully made this film into what is universally acclaimed as one of the best of the silent era. It has extravagant sets, amazing special effects for the time, outstanding performances, spectacle scenes with thousands of extras, and more.
Besides Walsh and Fairbanks, art director William Cameron Menzies was responsible for much of the design of the sets and other visual elements. One of the amazing special effects was to feature some of the scenes in blue and white, in a film that is mostly black and white. The screenplay was written by Achmed Abdullah and Lotta Woods. They did not overwhelm the audience with too many title cards (or intertitles), as many of the silent films had a tendency to do.
Douglas Fairbanks felt that this was his favorite role of his career. At the age of 41, he performed his own stunts as well as the acting duties. His co-stars include Julanne Johnston, Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher, Sojin Kamiyama, Anna May Wong, Brandon Hurst, Tote Du Crow, Noble Johnson, Sam Baker. “The Thief of Bagdad” was a big hit at the box office for Douglas Fairbanks Pictures and United Artists. It remains an exciting view on DVD in the twenty-first century, one hundred years after its release.
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
cinema
My Review
“The Thief of Bagdad” is a swashbuckler action silent movie that tells the story of a small-time street thief who falls in love with the daughter of the Caliph of Baghdad. Director Raoul Walsh and producer-star Douglas Fairbanks skillfully made this film into what is universally acclaimed as one of the best of the silent era. It has extravagant sets, amazing special effects for the time, outstanding performances, spectacle scenes with thousands of extras, and more.
Besides Walsh and Fairbanks, art director William Cameron Menzies was responsible for much of the design of the sets and other visual elements. One of the amazing special effects was to feature some of the scenes in blue and white, in a film that is mostly black and white. The screenplay was written by Achmed Abdullah and Lotta Woods. They did not overwhelm the audience with too many title cards (or intertitles), as many of the silent films had a tendency to do.
Douglas Fairbanks felt that this was his favorite role of his career. At the age of 41, he performed his own stunts as well as the acting duties. His co-stars include Julanne Johnston, Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher, Sojin Kamiyama, Anna May Wong, Brandon Hurst, Tote Du Crow, Noble Johnson, Sam Baker. “The Thief of Bagdad” was a big hit at the box office for Douglas Fairbanks Pictures and United Artists. It remains an exciting view on DVD in the twenty-first century, one hundred years after its release.