Thief of Bagdad (1924): Douglas Fairbanks, Julanne Johnston, Sojin, Anna May Wong, Brandon Hurst, Snitz Edwrds, Toe Du Crow, Noble Johnson, Charles Belcher, Winter Blossom, Sam Baker, Mathilde Comont, Jesse Lasky Jr, Jesse Fuller, Etta Lee, Sadakichi Hartmann, David Sharp, K. Nambu, Charles Sylvester, Charles Stevens, Scotty Mattraw, Jess Weldon....Director Raoul Walsh...Screenplay Douglas Fairbanks, Achmed Abdullah, James T. O'Donohoe, Lotta Woods.
Fantasy films have been around since silent films first took the world by storm. Melies "Voyage To The Moon", "Frankenstein" "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Call of Cthulhu" "Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari", "Phantom Of The Opera" "Metropolis" "Ring Des Nibelungen"- all fantastical movies dealing with the supernatural, science-fiction, horror and fantasy. In the 1920's, handsome and very physical actor Douglas Fairbanks ranked among the top actors with Lon Cheney and Charlie Chaplin. Fairbanks had played the "heroic" adventurer in "Robin Hood" and "Three Musketeers", all roles which called for physical stamina, stuntwork and charisma. In "Thief of Bagdad" he portrays a nameless devil-may-care thief from Bagdad during the mythical "Arabian Nights" days. Think Aladdin from Disney. He survives life by taking what he wants and living in the streets. Before long, he becomes involved in a quest to win the hand of the beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston). She favors the Thief -when he has disguised himself as Prince Ahmed- but there are other suitors competing for her hand in marriage, among them a Mongol Prince (Sojin), a Persian Prince (Mathilde Comont) and an Indian prince (Noble Johnson). The Princess sends them on a quest to find a treasure so rare and valuable that she would deign to marry he who brings it to her. It's of course, our hero The Thief/Prince who marries the Princess but not after fighting intrigue, baddies and experiencing a fantastical adventures in remote, mythical locations, among them under the sea, where he is tempted by mermaids, and The Citadel of the Moon. This silent film was the first of its kind, not in its theme of adventure but in its stunning visuals and effects. The production and art design is by the esteemed William Cameron Menzies, whose impressive career in Hollywood was long (he would design production for Gone With The Wind in 1939). It's a masterpiece. Every detail brings to life this magical "Arabian Nights" world. This is the most "colorful" of any "black and white" silent film ever made. For night scenes, the color is tinted "evening" blue, casting shadows on palace walls and city alleys. The "underwater" scene is also tinted to stand for the greenish-blue sea. The castle is itself amazing, with huge, flowery doors and walls. Audiences must have been amazed at how realistic everything appeared, even how the Princes are able to fly on a magic carpet or The Thief make himself invisible, or how The Princess could see through a magic globe. As for the acting, it's typical of the silent era school of acting which means exaggerated facial expressions and dramatic body language and while it appears laughable and corny today, it was standard acting in its day. Even so, the plot is strong even if the characters are one-dimensional, good/evil. There is a little more to the acting though, for example Asian actress Anna May Wong in the role of the Princess' traitorous slave girl. Unbeknownst to the Princess, the Mongol slave girl is in league with the Mongol Prince. Obviously harboring hatred for her "conquerors" the people of Bagdad, including the Princess herself, she plots to help the Mongol Prince succeed in becoming King of Bagdad. When Plan A fails, Plan B suddenly takes shape - invasion of Bagdad by the Mongol armies. Because the film is quite long and slow-moving, it has the feel of an epic, another popular genre in silent films (The Birth Of A Nation, The Ten Commandments, Ring Des Nibelungen). This is a treasure of a silent film, often overshadowed by more famous silent films of the 20's but it is a document in cinema of the early 20's and should be studied in film school. Douglas Fairbanks was already well into his middle-age but he was still doing his own physical stuntwork and female-pleasing in his looks and charms. This is a sensational, unforgettable film and a must see for devotees of silent film and fantasy films.
Fantasy films have been around since silent films first took the world by storm. Melies "Voyage To The Moon", "Frankenstein" "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Call of Cthulhu" "Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari", "Phantom Of The Opera" "Metropolis" "Ring Des Nibelungen"- all fantastical movies dealing with the supernatural, science-fiction, horror and fantasy. In the 1920's, handsome and very physical actor Douglas Fairbanks ranked among the top actors with Lon Cheney and Charlie Chaplin. Fairbanks had played the "heroic" adventurer in "Robin Hood" and "Three Musketeers", all roles which called for physical stamina, stuntwork and charisma. In "Thief of Bagdad" he portrays a nameless devil-may-care thief from Bagdad during the mythical "Arabian Nights" days. Think Aladdin from Disney. He survives life by taking what he wants and living in the streets. Before long, he becomes involved in a quest to win the hand of the beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston). She favors the Thief -when he has disguised himself as Prince Ahmed- but there are other suitors competing for her hand in marriage, among them a Mongol Prince (Sojin), a Persian Prince (Mathilde Comont) and an Indian prince (Noble Johnson). The Princess sends them on a quest to find a treasure so rare and valuable that she would deign to marry he who brings it to her. It's of course, our hero The Thief/Prince who marries the Princess but not after fighting intrigue, baddies and experiencing a fantastical adventures in remote, mythical locations, among them under the sea, where he is tempted by mermaids, and The Citadel of the Moon. This silent film was the first of its kind, not in its theme of adventure but in its stunning visuals and effects. The production and art design is by the esteemed William Cameron Menzies, whose impressive career in Hollywood was long (he would design production for Gone With The Wind in 1939). It's a masterpiece. Every detail brings to life this magical "Arabian Nights" world. This is the most "colorful" of any "black and white" silent film ever made. For night scenes, the color is tinted "evening" blue, casting shadows on palace walls and city alleys. The "underwater" scene is also tinted to stand for the greenish-blue sea. The castle is itself amazing, with huge, flowery doors and walls. Audiences must have been amazed at how realistic everything appeared, even how the Princes are able to fly on a magic carpet or The Thief make himself invisible, or how The Princess could see through a magic globe. As for the acting, it's typical of the silent era school of acting which means exaggerated facial expressions and dramatic body language and while it appears laughable and corny today, it was standard acting in its day. Even so, the plot is strong even if the characters are one-dimensional, good/evil. There is a little more to the acting though, for example Asian actress Anna May Wong in the role of the Princess' traitorous slave girl. Unbeknownst to the Princess, the Mongol slave girl is in league with the Mongol Prince. Obviously harboring hatred for her "conquerors" the people of Bagdad, including the Princess herself, she plots to help the Mongol Prince succeed in becoming King of Bagdad. When Plan A fails, Plan B suddenly takes shape - invasion of Bagdad by the Mongol armies. Because the film is quite long and slow-moving, it has the feel of an epic, another popular genre in silent films (The Birth Of A Nation, The Ten Commandments, Ring Des Nibelungen). This is a treasure of a silent film, often overshadowed by more famous silent films of the 20's but it is a document in cinema of the early 20's and should be studied in film school. Douglas Fairbanks was already well into his middle-age but he was still doing his own physical stuntwork and female-pleasing in his looks and charms. This is a sensational, unforgettable film and a must see for devotees of silent film and fantasy films.