The Thief of Bagdad (1940 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Thief of Bagdad |
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1947 theatrical re-release poster
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| Directed by | Michael Powell Ludwig Berger Tim Whelan Uncredited: Alexander Korda Zoltan Korda William Cameron Menzies |
| Produced by | Alexander Korda |
| Written by | Lajos Bíró Miles Malleson |
| Starring | Conrad Veidt Sabu John Justin June Duprez Rex Ingram |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
| Cinematography | George Perinal |
| Editing by | Charles Crichton |
| Studio | London Films |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | 5 December 1940 (US) 25 December 1940 (UK) |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Money made | over $1 million (US/Canada) 5,134,653 admissions (France, 1946) |
The Thief of Bagdad is a classic British fantasy film from 1940. It was made using Technicolor, which means it has beautiful, vibrant colors. The movie was produced by Alexander Korda and directed by several talented people, including Michael Powell.
The film stars Sabu, a young actor, along with Conrad Veidt, John Justin, and June Duprez. It was shown in cinemas in the US and the UK by United Artists.
Even though Alexander Korda's company, London Films, started making the movie in London, they had to finish it in California. This was because World War II began, making it difficult to continue filming in the UK.
The Thief of Bagdad won several important awards. Georges Périnal won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, which is for how the movie was filmed. Vincent Korda won for Best Art Direction, which means the sets and designs were amazing. Lawrence W. Butler and Jack Whitney won for Best Special Effects. They used a new technique called "bluescreen" for the first time! The movie's music, created by Miklós Rózsa, was also nominated for an Academy Award.
This movie is a new version of a silent film from 1924, also called The Thief of Bagdad. However, the 1940 film has some differences. For example, the thief and the prince are two separate characters in this version. The story was written by Lajos Bíró and Miles Malleson. Miles Malleson also acts in the movie as the Princess's father.
Story of the Film
A Prince in Disguise
The story begins in the ancient city of Basra. A young, blind beggar starts telling his tale, which is actually a flashback to his past. He reveals that he is really Ahmad, the kind young Sultan of Bagdad. Ahmad wants to learn more about his people. But his evil advisor, Jaffar, tricks him into going into the city in disguise. Jaffar then has Ahmad arrested and takes over the throne.
Escape and New Friends
In prison, Ahmad meets a clever young thief named Abu. Abu helps them both escape. They run away to Basra, where Ahmad meets a beautiful Princess and falls in love with her. However, Jaffar also travels to Basra, planning to marry the Princess himself.
Jaffar's Evil Plans
The Princess's father, the Sultan of Basra, loves toys. He promises his daughter to Jaffar in exchange for a magical flying horse. But the Princess loves Ahmad and runs away. Jaffar then uses his magic to blind Ahmad and turn Abu into a dog. The Princess is captured and sold in a slave market, bought by Jaffar's helper.
A Deep Sleep and a New Journey
At Jaffar's palace, the Princess falls into a deep sleep that no one can break. Jaffar's minion, Halima, tricks Ahmad into waking the Princess. Ahmad and the dog (Abu) are then sent away to the city's docks. This is where Ahmad finishes telling his story as the blind beggar.
Magic and Betrayal
The Princess is tricked into getting on a ship, where she finds Jaffar. He tells her that she can only cure Ahmad's blindness if she lets him embrace her. She agrees, and the spells on Ahmad and Abu are lifted. Jaffar then creates a huge storm, causing Ahmad and Abu's ship to crash. Back in Basra, Jaffar uses a mechanical dancer to kill the Princess's father. He then returns to Bagdad with the Princess.
Abu's Wishes and a Magical Jewel
Abu wakes up alone on a deserted beach. He finds a bottle and opens it, releasing a huge genie! The genie wants to harm Abu, but Abu is smart. He tricks the genie into serving him and grants him three wishes. Abu wastes his first wish. But the genie helps him steal a magical jewel that can find Ahmad.
Reunion and a Final Battle
With his second wish, Abu is reunited with Ahmad. Using the magical jewel, Ahmad sees Jaffar using his magic to make the Princess forget him. Sad and angry, Ahmad argues with Abu. Abu accidentally uses his third wish to send Ahmad back to Bagdad alone.
In Bagdad, Ahmad is reunited with the Princess, who now remembers him. But Jaffar has them both imprisoned and sentenced to death. Abu watches helplessly with the jewel. In anger, he breaks the jewel. This frees an "Old King" from the "Land of Legend." As a reward, Abu gets a magic crossbow. He also steals the king's magic carpet and flies to Bagdad. Abu's arrival starts a revolt against Jaffar. Abu kills the fleeing Jaffar with the crossbow. Ahmad becomes Sultan again and is reunited with the Princess. Abu, however, flies off on his magic carpet, looking for more fun and adventure!
Main Actors
- Conrad Veidt as Jaffar (the evil advisor)
- Sabu as Abu (the clever thief)
- June Duprez as the Princess (she is not given a name in the film)
- John Justin as Ahmad (the young Sultan)
- Rex Ingram as the Djinn (the powerful genie)
- Miles Malleson as the Sultan of Basra (the Princess's toy-loving father)
- Morton Selten as the Old King
- Mary Morris as Halima (Jaffar's helper)
- Bruce Winston as the Merchant
- Hay Petrie as the Astrologer
- Adelaide Hall as the Singer
- Roy Emerton as the Jailor
- Allan Jeayes as the Story Teller
The actress Vivien Leigh was originally planned to play the Princess. However, she went to Hollywood to be with Laurence Olivier instead.
How the Film Influenced Others
Inspiring Other Stories
Even though The Thief of Bagdad was a remake of an older silent film, it had a huge impact on many movies that came after it. Especially films based on the famous collection of stories, The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
For example, the Disney movie Aladdin borrowed many ideas from The Thief of Bagdad. The evil Vizier (Jafar) and the Sultan in Aladdin look very similar to the characters in this film. The villain Jafar is even named after Jaffar from The Thief of Bagdad. Also, like the Sultan in this movie, Disney's Sultan loves toys! The thieving monkey Abu in Aladdin is based on the young boy played by Sabu.
New Movie Technology
A person named Larry Butler invented the first real chroma key process for the special effects in this film. This technique is also known as "traveling matte" or "bluescreen." It allows filmmakers to separate actors or objects from their background and place them onto a new background. This amazing technique has been used in thousands of movies since then!
Other Films and Shows
This film also inspired a Malay film called Abu Hassan Penchuri (meaning "Abu Hassan the Thief") in 1955. Many Indian films in the Hindi language were also made with similar titles, like Baghdad Ka Chor (The Thief of Baghdad). A TV series called Thief of Baghdad was also made in India, airing from 2000 to 2001.
See also
In Spanish: El ladrón de Bagdad (película de 1940) para niños
