Review of The Thief of Bagdad (1924) by Byron B — 08 Jul 2013

A few steps removed from the 1940s version, and so not the same story as Aladdin, but similar. An exotic spectacular. During the silent era filmmakers seemed to be especially attracted to these Arabian Nights tales.

I've seen still shots from the 1940 version with a giant genie, but that is one thing this version lacks. There are lots of other impressive special effects and Douglas Fairbanks is a charming hero.

Fairbanks, like so many of the young men who became celebrities in silent pictures, was incredibly athletic. He knows his way around Bagdad and is agile enough to make it through several fantasy realms during the course of the adventure.

So, the thief is going about his life taking what he wants. This includes a magic rope, which allows him to attempt to steal some of the palace's treasures. His burgling is interrupted when he spies the Princess.

Julanne Johnston, like so many leading ladies of the time, doesn't look like she belongs in Arabian. Her slave girls are all Asian, including Anna May Wong, whose allegiance still lies with the Mongol Prince we soon meet.

It is the Princess's birthday and it is time for her to consider Princely suitors. Kamiyama Sôjin, who was usually credited just as Sojin, is the Mongol Prince who schemes to conquer Bagdad if the Princess will not chose him for a husband.

He takes what he wants in life. You see, our hero and villain have the same life philosophy at the beginning. The Mongol Prince is not a Caucasian in heavy makeup and the racial stereotypes are minimal.

It is a fairly cosmopolitan setting. Noble Johnson, an African-American actor, is a bad tempered Indian Prince. Mathilde Comont, a woman, is a gluttonous Persian Prince. Our Thief pretends to be a Prince, but the Princess superstitiously believes she will marry the man who first touches the rose bush in her garden.

Things look good as the Princess and the Thief do fall for each other. However, the Thief is exposed and punished by the Caliph, the Princess's father. The second part of the story has the Princess sending the suitors on a seven month quest to bring her the rarest treasure they can find.

The three Princes have people to do the real work for them. The Persian finds a magic carpet, the Indian retrieves a crystal ball, and the Mongol secures a golden apple, which brings the dead back to life, while his spies keep an eye on the other two.

Fairbanks as the Thief decides to turn his life around and make himself a real Prince. He goes on the longest and most difficult quest, so that he might still win the Princess's heart. He faces peril, battles beasts, and eventually returns with a couple magic treasures in time to thwart the Mongol Prince's conspiracy.

Great fun!