The Thief of Bagdad

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The Thief of Bagdad

Released Mar 23, 1924

2h 35m

Fantasy

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

68 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A thief sneaks into a royal palace, where he sees and falls instantly in love with a beautiful princess. Pretending to be a prince, the thief woos the princess, who becomes enamored with him, but when guilt eats at him, the thief confesses to a holy man, who commands him to find a magic chest as penance. As he battles many obstacles to win the chest, the thief uses its powers to save Baghdad from a foreign invader and rescue his beloved.

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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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Edwin Schallert

Los Angeles Times

Never its like has been seen before; never its like will be viewed again for many a day. It is the first and the last, the magical height and the iridescent depth of fantasy.

Oct 22, 2022

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Jack Pulaski

Variety

Fairbanks as the thief gives a corking performance... Anna May Wong... proved herself to be a fine actress.

Oct 22, 2022

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Desmond MacCarthy

New Statesman

This is the kind of thing that the cinema, and only the cinema, can do.

Oct 21, 2022

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

It’s difficult to dismiss the influence this picture had on subsequent fantasy and adventure yarns, not just due to Fairbanks’ popularity, but also with the epic nature of the project’s construction.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 16, 2024

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George Blaisdell

Exhibitor's Trade Review

As a spectacle The Thief of Bagdad is magnificently and thrillingly impressive. Almost it may be said it is pure magic.

Mar 16, 2023

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Star Staff

Washington Star

Two hours of superb diversion.

Oct 26, 2022

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acsdoug D

Spectacular. Well, the underwater monster spider was kind of silly, but this impressive film making in any era.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/26/25

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Teddy B

A special extravaganza that really deserves more attention in the mainstream. Douglas Fairbanks makes even the longer scenes captivating with his irresistibly charming performance. The visuals are a masterclass in production design and most certainly deserve to be studied.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

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Leaburn O

It starts excellently but starts to drag towards the end. Still, it is pretty good stuff given it was filmed 99 years ago. Watched this classic silent film on Prime but also to be found on YouTube.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

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Alexander B

The middle of the film is a little boring but the beginning and ending are really a joy to watch. Some of the special effects are really impressive for the time it was made as well.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

This is an absolute spectacle of a film and is a relic of a bygone era of Hollywood filmmaking. Freely adapted from One Thousand and One Nights, it tells the story of a thief who falls in love with the daughter of the Caliph of Baghdad. The film features extraordinary special effects for the time (including a flying carpet, magic rope and fearsome monsters), and huge, lavish sets, the likes of which can never (and would never) be duplicated today. If you can, try and get a version scored with an adaptation of Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral piece Scheherazade. It makes the experience all the more magical.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Ethan S

A long movie, but great, fantastical sets that meld the exotic crowd scenes of a D.W. Griffith picture with with fantastic whimsy, capped off with Douglas Fairbanks' ever-physical performance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/22

Full Review

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Raoul Walsh

Director

Douglas Fairbanks

The Thief of Bagdad

Snitz Edwards

His Evil Associate

Charles Belcher

The Holy Man

Julanne Johnston

The Princess

Sojin

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Synopsis

A thief sneaks into a royal palace, where he sees and falls instantly in love with a beautiful princess. Pretending to be a prince, the thief woos the princess, who becomes enamored with him, but when guilt eats at him, the thief confesses to a holy man, who commands him to find a magic chest as penance. As he battles many obstacles to win the chest, the thief uses its powers to save Baghdad from a foreign invader and rescue his beloved.

Director: Raoul Walsh
Producer: Douglas Fairbanks
Screenwriter: Douglas Fairbanks, Lotta Woods
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Douglas Fairbanks Pictures
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 23, 1924, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 4, 2012
Runtime: 2h 35m
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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