The Thief of Bagdad

1940

The Thief of Bagdad

Critics Consensus

Dashing, dazzling, and altogether magical, The Thief of Bagdad is an enchanting fantasy for children of all ages.

100%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 26

81%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 3,953
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Movie Info

In ancient Bagdad, Abu, a good-natured young thief (Sabu), befriends the deposed king Ahmad (John Justin) as both are imprisoned in the palace dungeon, awaiting execution under orders from the evil vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), who has seized the throne. But they escape and make their way to Basra, where Ahmad, now living as a beggar, meets and falls in love with the Princess (June Duprez), who has been betrothed by her father the Sultan (Miles Malleson, who also wrote the screenplay) to Jaffar. Their fight for the love of the Princess triggers a series of adventures for the young Abu that brings him halfway around the world and into mystical realms with help from a towering genie (Rex Ingram), brushing up against the gods and transforming the little thief into a hero in the process. Along the way, we encounter a wide array of characters, some of them charming, such as the gentle Old King (Morton Selten), and some sinister, such as the devious Halima (Mary Morris), plus a range of color and lushly designed sets and set pieces (and special effects) that still dazzle the eye seven decades later, even in the wake of various remakes (which include Disney Studios' Aladdin). And it all leads to an amazing and suspenseful ride on a magic carpet, and a race against time to save the king and his beloved. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Cast

Conrad Veidt
as Jaffar
June Duprez
as Princess
Sabú
as Abu
John Justin
as Ahmad
Rex Ingram
as Djinni
Miles Malleson
as Sultan
Morton Selten
as King
Mary Morris
as Halima
Bruce Winston
as Merchant
Hay Petrie
as Astrologer
Roy Emerton
as Jailer
Allan Jeayes
as Storyteller
Adelaide Hall
as Singer
Miki Hood
Michael Powell
David Sharpe
Tim Whelan Sr.
Frederick Burtwell
as Unnamed Character
Glynis Johns
as Unnamed Character
Norman Pierce
as Unnamed Character
John Salew
as Unnamed Character
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Critic Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

All Critics (26) | Top Critics (6)

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Audience Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

  • Mar 12, 2010
    Colorful hooey has committed performances from the cast who remain straight faced amid preposterous situations. However you know that going in so just sit back and enjoy, with kids preferably, the beautiful technicolor, costumes and actors.
    jay n Super Reviewer
  • Dec 29, 2009
    Very cute classic with great special effects for movie made in 40`s
    Wahida K Super Reviewer
  • Dec 11, 2009
    Watching this film I realized that those kind of movies like the Thief of Bagdad" reminds us that sometimes--not often, but sometimes--our perceptions of the world are challenged by those few film artists who know how to make movies properly. A great director is one who instinctively imposes his vision on us, and as a result, our way of observing the commonplace is transformed into something singularly akin to the artist's. We can never observe certain people and places or things in quite the same way again? Now about the film. This is a pure fantasy movie from start to finish it has everything from flying horses and genies until flying carpets and wizards. The production designs are just stunning in this movie. Even though this movie is about 70 years old, the production design is far better than most of the crap that gets tacked on in today's cinema. The music and songs are also well done. Anyone who sees it will no doubt hail, "I want to be a sailor sailing on the seas" as one of the great musical moments in movies. And of course it's literally impossible to watch this movie and not notice where the makers of "Aladdin" got their inspiration?.
    Arianeta L Super Reviewer
  • Oct 08, 2009
    This is a Technicolor adventure movie in the vein of Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks. It has all of the problems of the time and genre, namely that it is unapologetically childish and simplistic. On the other hand, this has a certain fun spirit that?s hard to argue with. But the thing this is really famous for are the special effects. Among the things to be found here are a giant genie, a flying horse, a giant tarantula, and magic carpet; all in full color. These effects are not particularly convincing, especially through today?s eyes, but when one keeps in mind that this was made twenty years before Ray Harryhousen came on the scene, their importance becomes clear. Also interesting is that Disney?s Aladdin liberally stole a lot of stuff from this movie like an irreverent genie, a turban wearing bad guy named Jaffar, and a comical sultan.
    MJS M Super Reviewer
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