The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

The Thief of Bagdad window card image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

The sound remake of The Thief of Bagdad came flying into movie theaters in 1940. One of the silver screen’s most beloved fantasy films, The Thief of Bagdad features outstanding special effects and a fabulous cast headed by the incomparable Sabu in the title role.

The Thief of Bagdad Silent Film

The Thief of Bagdad was first produced in 1924 as a 12-reel silent film for United Artists. The brainchild of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (who wrote the story under the pseudonym Elton Thomas), this $2 million spectacular was directed by Raoul Walsh, with Fairbanks, Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher, Julanne Johnston, Sojin and Anna May Wong heading the cast.

Featuring elaborate sets by art director/production designer William Cameron Menzies, 1924’s The Thief of Bagdad wowed moviegoers of the era. In 1996, the movie was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

Alexander Korda Produces The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

The driving force behind the second coming of The Thief of Bagdad was producer/director Alexander Korda (1893-1956). Lajos Bira and Miles Malleson wrote the screenplay, with Miklos Rozsa serving up the enchanting music score. Six different directors worked on the picture: Alexander Korda, Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Zoltan Korda, Tim Whelan and William Cameron Menzies.

Sabu Heads Cast

Sabu Dastagir (1924-1963) heads the cast as Abu, the little thief of Bagdad. A native of India, Sabu later became an American citizen, serving with distinction in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a tail gunner during World War II. Sabu died of a heart attack at his home in Chatsworth, California, at age 39 on December 2, 1963.

Other players include Conrad Veidt (Jaffar), June Duprez (Princess), John Justin (Ahmad), Rex Ingram (Djinn), Miles Malleson (Sultan), Morton Selten (Old King), Mary Morris (Halima) and Bruce Winston (Merchant).

Alexander Korda had originally wanted Vivien Leigh to play the Princess and Jon Hall in the role of Ahmad, but both were unavailable at the time.

The Thief of Bagdad Filmed in England and the United States

The Thief of Bagdad began filming in 1939 at London’s Denham Studios. When World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, Alexander Korda and company continued to work at Denham in a studio now populated by sandbags and makeshift air-raid shelters. The war also put the brakes on a planned location trek to Africa to shoot many of the more exotic scenes.

As the war continued to threaten the production, Korda moved his operation to United Artists in Hollywood. Location filming in the United States was completed at the Grand Canyon, where 40 mules were used to haul $40,000 worth of Technicolor equipment in the rugged terrain.

The Thief of Bagdad and the All-Seeing Eye

The Thief of Bagdad opens with Abu bounding from rooftop to rooftop, pilfering items from local merchants. Arrested and thrown into prison, Abu meets Prince Ahmad, who has just been overthrown by his evil grand vizier, Jaffar.

Escaping from their cells, Abu and Ahmad flee to Basra, where they catch a glimpse of the beautiful Princess. The sinister Jaffar desires the girl for himself, plying her father the king with expensive toys and using his powers to turn Ahmad into a blind beggar and Sabu into a dog.

Eventually returned to their former selves, Ahmad and Abu pursue the powerful Jaffar. Separated by a raging tempest conjured up by the grand vizier, Abu hooks up with a giant genie, who transports him to the All-Seeing Eye high up in the Tibetan Mountains. Here Abu learns of Ahmad’s pending execution, and rushes to save his friend.

The Thief of Bagdad Opens in New York City

The Thief of Bagdad made its world premiere at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on December 5, 1940.

“The Thief of Bagdad…ranks next to Fantasia as the most beguiling and wondrous film of this troubled season,” reported Bosley Crowther of The New York Times (12/6/40).

In a preview story titled “Korda Opens Stops On Trick Camera Effects For His ‘Thief of Bagdad,’” Life magazine (10/14/40) called the picture “one-third Arabian nights, one-third Disney fable and one-third Shubert musical.”

The Thief of Bagdad Wins Three Academy Awards

The Thief of Bagdad garnered four Oscar nominations: Best Color Cinematography (Georges Perinal, won), Best Color Art Direction (Vincent Korda, won), Best Special Effects (Lawrence W. Butler, Jack Whitney, won) and Best Original Music Score (Miklos Rozsa).

All three Oscar wins were well-deserved, especially the one for special effects. Employing rear-projection process shots, double exposures, miniature models and matte shots, a battery of talented technicians and artists delivered a dazzling array of movie wizardry. Among the fantastic sights: a flying mechanical horse, a 200-foot genie popping in and out of a six-inch flask, soaring magic carpet rides, a marauding 40-foot spider and a terrifying storm at sea.

The Thief of Bagdad on DVD

• The Thief of Bagdad is available on DVD (Criterion Collection, 2008).

“Allah be with you, but I doubt it,” a cynical old man tells the bedraggled Ahmad and Abu.

Yes, The Thief of Bagdad has humor too…