The Thief of Bagdad 1924

The Thief of Bagdad

Critics Consensus

It requires some viewing commitment, but this beautifully assembled showcase for Douglas Fairbanks' acting offers some splendid treats for classic film fans.

96%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 27

82%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,297

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The Thief of Bagdad Photos

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Movie Info

When the Thief of Baghdad (Douglas Fairbanks) sneaks into a royal palace, he discovers and instantly falls in love with a beautiful princess (Snitz Edwards). The thief pretends to be a prince, and the princess becomes enamored with him. The thief then reveals his wrongdoing to a Holy Man (Anna May Wong), who sends him to find a magic chest as penance. Overcoming many obstacles to win the chest, the thief then uses its powers to save Baghdad from a foreign invader and rescue his beloved.
  • Genre:
    adventure, fantasy
  • Director:
    Raoul Walsh
  • Producer:
    Douglas Fairbanks
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     original
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Douglas Fairbanks Pictures
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Academy (1.33:1)

Cast

Douglas Fairbanks
as The Thief of Bagdad
Philharmonia Orchestra
Julanne Johnston
as The Princess
Snitz Edwards
as His Evil Associate
Anna May Wong
as The Mongol Slave
Julianne Johnston
Charles Belcher
as The Holy Man
Sojin
as The Mongol Prince
K. Nambu
as His Counselor
Winter Blossom
as The Slave of the Lute
Etta Lee
as The Slave of the Sand Board
Brandon Hurst
as The Caliph
Tote Du Crow
as The Soothsayer
Noble Johnson
as The Indian Prince
Mathilde Comont
as The Persian Prince
Charles Stevens
as His Awaker
Sam Baker
as The Sworder
Jesse Weldon
as Eunuch
Scott Mattraw
as Eunuch
Charles Sylvester
as Eunuch
Sadakichi-Hartmann
as His Couil Magician
Jesse Fuller
View All

Critic Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (1)

  • It is an entrancing picture, wholesome and beautiful, deliberate but compelling, a feat of motion picture art which has never been equaled and one which itself will enthrall persons time and again.

    December 6, 2014 | Full Review…

    Mordaunt Hall

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • It is like reading the Arabian Nights at one sitting, with only six minutes allowed to stretch the limbs and get the contrast of a workaday world.

    February 2, 2011 | Full Review…
    TIME Magazine
    Top Critic

  • Walsh's dynamism is evident in every frame of this deftly Americanized fantasy, beautifully designed by William Cameron Menzies.

    October 16, 2007 | Full Review…

    Dave Kehr

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • Korda's version of 1940 has the quirks and the luscious colour, but this one has the electric energy.

    June 24, 2006 | Full Review…

    Geoff Brown

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • If you can separate the lazy stereotypes and cliches peddled by this "Arabian Nights fantasy" from your appreciation of the inspired movie-making in front of you, you'll enjoy The Thief of Bagdad for what it is: Hollywood spectacle at its most lavish.

    March 27, 2020 | Full Review…

    Pamela Hutchinson

    Silent London

  • The Thief of Bagdad (1924) is Raoul Walsh's timeless and expensive silent costume fantasy. It was a lavish and bold Arabian Nights swashbuckler-adventure film - and an epic, spectacular accomplishment in production design and revolutionary...

    December 17, 2019 | Rating: A+ | Full Review…

    Tim Dirks

    AMC Filmsite
View All Critic Reviews (27)

Audience Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

  • May 15, 2016
    Wonderful fantasy adventure that was way ahead of its time.
    Marcus W Super Reviewer
  • Aug 05, 2014
    Borrowing extensively from ballet this masterpiece tells its story as if you were at the back of a theater and unable to hear the actors on the stage (and yet they are aware of your presence, play specifically to your pleasure) and so nearly every movement and gesture is played BIG, even the sets are BIG ...so that little ol' you at the back understand it all. In the midst of all the grandeur Douglas Fairbanks, a dance wunderkind, every move screaming youth and vigor and finesse (you quickly understand that here is the guy who invented parkour, as there is no set piece, no furniture, no expanse, that this guy doesn't see as a personal challenge to leap over). There's a story here too, something about rising above your station, seizing the day, etc., etc., and there's the American racist penchant in evidence but mostly a old school tale told the old school way. Enjoyable.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Aug 17, 2013
    This 2.5-hour epic is still dazzling entertainment, despite a dated touch of anti-Asian racism. Douglas Fairbanks is a bit over the top with all his macho posing and grand arm gestures, but his charisma and wiry athleticism is spectacular. The mix of lavish sets and sharp matte paintings is a visual thrill, and the special effects are quite impressive for their time. The depictions of the magic rope and carpet are especially sharp, even if the wires holding up the carpet are often visible. The underwater sequence is also a lot of fun.
    Eric B Super Reviewer
  • Mar 26, 2013
    There is a reason why Douglas Fairbanks was such a great silent film performer..he just oozes charisma and wouldn't let something like words get in his way. It stands the test of time in the era of talkies and is such fun to watch.
    John B Super Reviewer
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