THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD
UK, 1940 101 minutes, Colour.
Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez, John Justin, Rex Ingram, Miles Malleson.
Directed by Tim Whelan, Michael Powell, Edward Berger.
One of the masterpieces produced by Alexander Korda for London Films. This Hungarian entrepreneur, producer and director, had a skill for presenting lavish entertainments of high quality in the thirties from Charles Laughton in The Private Life Of Henry VIII and Rembrandt through adventures like The 'Four Feathers and The Drum to vehicles for Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Merle Oberon.
The Thief of Baghdad had already been a silent action adventure with Douglas Fairbanks, and a great success. Korda put a great deal of lavish production into this film, filmed it over a two-year period in England and had to move it for completion in the United States because of the outbreak of World War II. His brothers were associated in production and design as well as the celebrated designer William Cameron Menzies. Screenplay was written by comedian and character actor Miles Malleson, who portrays the Sultan in the film. Three directors participated in the film. The special effects, colour photography and costumes are excellent and there is a vivid score by Miklos Rozsa who worked in with many of Korda's films and moved to Hollywood where he had a successful career at M.G.M., especially for its epics. He was still composing in the eighties.
The film is also a vehicle for Sabu who appeared in Elephant Boy and The Drum. German actor Conrad Veidt is excellent as the evil Jaffar. American black actor Rex Ingram enjoys himself as the Djinni. All in all The Thief of Baghdad remains excellent entertainment and is breathtaking at times with its special effects. (There was a modest re-make by Clive Donner in the late seventies starring Peter Ustinov and Roddy McDowall).
1. An entertaining and. enjoyable action adventure9 The appeal of the exotic story and the Thousand And One Nights and Arabian Adventures? The basic plot? The characters? The importance of the special effects?
2. The quality of the British production? Colour photography, sets, decor? (Oscars for these).
3. The old Arabian ad-venture story - the popular ingredients of evil ruler, handsome young prince, princess to be won9 The thief? The fairy-tale aspects? Audiences identifying with these old legends and basic stories of right and wrong good versus evil, heroism and quests?
4. The quality of the screen play? air of mystery, adventure, humour? The opening mystery, the flashbacks, the build-up to the drama with its ironies especially with the blindness of the hero and the cruelty of the villain?
5. The introduction to the young king - blind, unhappy in love? The flashbacks to his story - his ruling his kingdom, the clash with Jaffar, his going out amongst his people, the Oracle and his discovery of his being thought of as a tyrant, his imprisonment, escape, the cruelty of Jaffar in making him blind? His encounter with the beautiful princess? Their love and their separation,? Jaffar and the storm and the 'King's regaining his sight? His imprisonment with the princess? His being rescued by the thief? A noble hero, the romantic scenes, friendship with Abu, clashes with Jaffar? Final romantic ending? The princess and her beauty, the procession and men forbidden to look at her, her father's love for her yet his infatuation with toys? Her 'he encounter with the young king in the garden? Her trance, unwillingness to marry Jaffar? Her about to be executed? rescue? A romantic heroine?
7. Abu the thief - Sabu and his Indian charm? His feeling in Baghdad imprisonment, helping the king, being turned into a dog, escaping? On the sea? On the seashore? The encounter with the Djinni, tricking him back into the bottle? the quest for the all-seeing eye and the fights with the spider? The fulfilment of his wishes? The encounter with the old man and his becoming a prince? The magic carpet, the bow and arrow? The happy ending? An exuberant young hero? his use of magic,
8. Conrad Veidt's evil as Jaffar? His evil rule, his use of magic, his imprisonment of the king, his ambitions to marry the sultan's daughter and take over Basra? His tempting the sultan with the horse? His exercise of evil power, the storm, the blindness of the king, the hold over the princess? The final confrontation, his riding into the air for the final battle? Abu responsible for his death? Innocence conquering evil?
9. The supporting characters, the sultan and his foolishness, love for his daughter, playing with the horse, the doll and her slaying him? The members of the Court?
10. The Djinni and his being imprisoned, released, tricked by Abu, tricking Abu fulfilling his wishes, being set free?
11. The special effects - the Court, the transformation of people into animals, storms at sea, the horse, the Dervish, the all-seeing eye kingdom, the flying horse, the flying carpet, audience delight in this world of magic and make-believe?
12. Fairy-tales, dreams and fantasies? The importance of having this kind of fantasy and dream?
