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.

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The Thief of Bagdad Photos

Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in "The Thief of Bagdad."

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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):

Mar 23, 1924 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Feb 18, 2016
Runtime:

2h 35m
Production Co:

Douglas Fairbanks Pictures
Aspect Ratio:

Academy (1.33:1)

Cast & Crew

Douglas Fairbanks
The Thief of Bagdad

Snitz Edwards
His Evil Associate

Charles Belcher
The Holy Man

Julanne Johnston
The Princess

Sojin
The Mongol Prince

Anna May Wong
The Mongol Slave

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

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
The film's 149-minute running time might test the patience of even the most devout silent film fan, but the decadent costumes, elaborate sets, and Fairbanks's copious talents provide more than enough baroque pleasure to pass the time.

June 14, 2013 | Full Review…

Meredith Slifkin
Film Comment Magazine
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
Douglas Fairbanks is magnetic in this fun early adventure.

February 2, 2011 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
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
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
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
Filmsite
One marvel after another

June 24, 2015 | Full Review…

Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
Technology may have changed drastically in the nearly 90 years since this movie was produced, but some things never go out of style.

December 6, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs
Whether committing petty crimes or proving his worth against a series of terrifying beasts... Fairbanks oozes preposterous, child-like charisma.

December 5, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Lewis Porteous
The Skinny
A grinning, bare-chested Douglas Fairbanks shimmies up a rope and enters a room in the palace, intending to steal a casket of baubles. Instead, his eyes fall on Princess Julanne Johnston... Of such things movie myths are made.

November 19, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Adrian Turner
Radio Times

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