"The Thief of Bagdad" is an Arabian Nights adventure which if you suspend all reality, is a fine escapist adventure. However if you don't believe in magic, it's a long two and a half hours. The sets are quite impressive and there is a cast of thousands to boot.
Douglas Fairbanks stars as the title character, who oddly enough doesn't have a name. He is a happy go lucky thief who takes what he wants from whomever he wants, whenever he wants. He and his cohort (Snitz Edwards) who also doesn't have a name, live beneath the city counting their spoils. The Princess of Bagdad's (Julanne Belcher) birthday approaches . The Caliph (Brendan Hurst) decrees that suitors for the hand of the Princess should present themselvers at that time.
The Thief (let's call him Doug) Decides to take the Princess for himself and gains entrance to the castle where he encounters her. Of course, he immediately falls for her but realizes that he is unworthy. One of her servants has foreseen that she will marry whomever touches her rose bush that is in her garden.
The suitors, A Mongol Prince (Sojin), a Persian Prince (Mathide Comont) and an Indian Prince (Noble Johnson) arrive. Doug meanwhile, has stolen some finery from the market place and poses as a Prince from a mythical country. As luck would have it, a wasp spooks his horse, throws him and he lands in you guessed it, the rose bush. Of course the Princess is thrilled.
The Princess' servant is a Mongol spy (Anna May Wong) who tells the Prince of Doug's deception. At the same time, Doug himself confesses the ruse to the Princess felling not worthy of her. The Caliph is outraged has Doug flogged and sentenced to death at the hands of a gorilla (a chimpanzee actually made to look large). The Princess bribes the guards to release Doug through a secret entrance.
To buy time, the Princess convinces the Caliph to send forth the suitors to seek the rarest of all treasures and return within seven moons. Doug hears of this but at first is not interested. However a Holy Man (Charles Belcher) convinces him to take up the challenge. Now this is where the fantasy kicks in,
Doug is directed to a hermit in the desert who sends him in search of a silver chest that contains magical powers. To get there he has to pass through hellfire, a pit of unconvincing monsters, an enchanted forest and a deep sea dive. He winds up riding a winged horse back to the hermit. There, he learns of the power of the silver chest.
The other suitors each come upon their rarest of treasures. The Persian Prince finds a magic carpet that flies, the Indian a magic crystal that allows one to see events far away and the Mongol Prince a Golden Apple that restores life. The Mongol Prince has other ideas. He has had his troops sneak into Bagdad to await orders to take the city and has had the Princess' servant poison her. The Indian Prince see in his magic crystal that the Princess is dying.
The three Princes arrive in Bagdad on the magic carpet. The Princess is on the brink of death when the Mongol Prince saves her life through his Golden Apple. Doug, meanwhile is galloping across the desert after learning that Bagdad has been taken over by the Mongols.
Finally Doug arrives and, wait for it, creates an army with a puff of smoke with which to storm the city and saves the day. Oh yes, he can make himself invisible too which helps him in swooping the Princess off of her feet (literally) and flying off on a Magic Carpet Ride.
Fairbanks doesn't get to swash his buckle in this one. He does nonetheless get to slay assorted monsters along the way. The special effects, particularly the magic rope and the magic carpet are immpressive. The monsters...not so much.
Douglas Fairbanks stars as the title character, who oddly enough doesn't have a name. He is a happy go lucky thief who takes what he wants from whomever he wants, whenever he wants. He and his cohort (Snitz Edwards) who also doesn't have a name, live beneath the city counting their spoils. The Princess of Bagdad's (Julanne Belcher) birthday approaches . The Caliph (Brendan Hurst) decrees that suitors for the hand of the Princess should present themselvers at that time.
The Thief (let's call him Doug) Decides to take the Princess for himself and gains entrance to the castle where he encounters her. Of course, he immediately falls for her but realizes that he is unworthy. One of her servants has foreseen that she will marry whomever touches her rose bush that is in her garden.
The suitors, A Mongol Prince (Sojin), a Persian Prince (Mathide Comont) and an Indian Prince (Noble Johnson) arrive. Doug meanwhile, has stolen some finery from the market place and poses as a Prince from a mythical country. As luck would have it, a wasp spooks his horse, throws him and he lands in you guessed it, the rose bush. Of course the Princess is thrilled.
The Princess' servant is a Mongol spy (Anna May Wong) who tells the Prince of Doug's deception. At the same time, Doug himself confesses the ruse to the Princess felling not worthy of her. The Caliph is outraged has Doug flogged and sentenced to death at the hands of a gorilla (a chimpanzee actually made to look large). The Princess bribes the guards to release Doug through a secret entrance.
To buy time, the Princess convinces the Caliph to send forth the suitors to seek the rarest of all treasures and return within seven moons. Doug hears of this but at first is not interested. However a Holy Man (Charles Belcher) convinces him to take up the challenge. Now this is where the fantasy kicks in,
Doug is directed to a hermit in the desert who sends him in search of a silver chest that contains magical powers. To get there he has to pass through hellfire, a pit of unconvincing monsters, an enchanted forest and a deep sea dive. He winds up riding a winged horse back to the hermit. There, he learns of the power of the silver chest.
The other suitors each come upon their rarest of treasures. The Persian Prince finds a magic carpet that flies, the Indian a magic crystal that allows one to see events far away and the Mongol Prince a Golden Apple that restores life. The Mongol Prince has other ideas. He has had his troops sneak into Bagdad to await orders to take the city and has had the Princess' servant poison her. The Indian Prince see in his magic crystal that the Princess is dying.
The three Princes arrive in Bagdad on the magic carpet. The Princess is on the brink of death when the Mongol Prince saves her life through his Golden Apple. Doug, meanwhile is galloping across the desert after learning that Bagdad has been taken over by the Mongols.
Finally Doug arrives and, wait for it, creates an army with a puff of smoke with which to storm the city and saves the day. Oh yes, he can make himself invisible too which helps him in swooping the Princess off of her feet (literally) and flying off on a Magic Carpet Ride.
Fairbanks doesn't get to swash his buckle in this one. He does nonetheless get to slay assorted monsters along the way. The special effects, particularly the magic rope and the magic carpet are immpressive. The monsters...not so much.