The Thief of Bagdad

1924 silent adventure movie

Rating: 15/20 (Abbey: 15/20)

Plot: Things are bad for the title thief. Poor guy can't even afford a shirt. This is the story of his quest to find a way to cover his nipples, a quest during which he must face monsters, evil princes, and a running time of almost two-and-a-half hours. Luckily, his nipples turn out to be magical, and when rubbed (only in a counterclockwise motion), magical things happen.

I'm sure I've seen other Douglas Fairbanks movies, but I don't remember him gesticulating this wildly. He really stands out in this movie, not just because he's much better looking than anybody else but because of his uncontrollable flailing and other completely unnatural movements. The most impressive thing about this version of The Thief of Bagdad is the grand set design complete with enormous doors, cavernous caverns, and ambitious palaces. The sheer size of all that is amazing. There are also some ingenious effects, especially for 1924. The monsters are fairly well done, and magic carpet/invisible cloak trickery looks good. I was most disappointed in the action sequences as I figured Fairbanks would be involved in a lot more stunts. I thought that was what he was known for. But the action sequences are few and far between, and there's such a lengthy set-up to a lot of them that it becomes frustrating. I really wish I could have just watched the highlights from The Thief of Bagdad. The camera also does very little in this movie with almost all of the action taking place from side to side which, at times, gives this about as much fluidity as a film strip. At times, I felt my eyes droop, and Abbey, although she was initially fascinated by Douglas Fairbanks' nipples, eventually lost interest. Still, future films had a lot to borrow from this early adventure movie.