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The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

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Average Rating: 8.9/10
Reviews Counted: 23
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 3,545

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Movie Info

In ancient Bagdad, Abu, a good-natured young thief (Sabu), befriends the deposed king Ahmad (John Justin) as both are imprisoned in the palace dungeon, awaiting execution under orders from the evil vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), who has seized the throne. But they escape and make their way to Basra, where Ahmad, now living as a beggar, meets and falls in love with the Princess (June Duprez), who has been betrothed by her father the Sultan (Miles Malleson, who also wrote the screenplay) to Jaffar.

G, 1 hr. 46 min.

Action & Adventure, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Ludwig Berger , Michael Powell

In Theaters: Dec 25, 1940 Wide

On DVD: Dec 3, 2002

United Artists

The Thief of Bagdad Trailer & Photos

Cast

Conrad Veidt
Jaffar
Sab�
Abu
June Duprez
Princess
John Justin
Prince Achmad
Rex Ingram
Djinni
Miles Malleson
Old Sultan
Morton Selten
Old King
Mary Morris
Halima
Bruce Winston
Merchant
Hay Petrie
Astrologer
Adelaide Hall
Singer
Roy Emerton
Jailer
Allan Jeayes
Storyteller
Frederick Burtwell
Unnamed Character
Miki Hood
Norman Pierce
Unnamed Character
John Salew
Unnamed Character
David Sharpe
Glynis Johns
Unnamed Character
Michael Powell
Tim Whelan Sr.

Critic Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

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All Critics (23) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (0) | DVD (11)

This 1940 movie is one of the great entertainments. It lifts up the heart.

November 26, 2012 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Alexander Korda's opulent Arabian Nights fantasy suffers from pallid performances and frequently succumbs to kitsch, but it still casts its fragile spell.

November 26, 2012 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

The Thief of Bagdad is a colorful, lavish and eye-appealing spectacle.

July 7, 2010 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

Ranks next to Fantasia as the most beguiling and wondrous film of this troubled season.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

An enchanting, supremely mounted fable that deservedly won the techical Oscars in 1940, and still is most enjoyable today.

July 26, 2012 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Treating cinema as a giant toy box, Korda resembles a child with an overactive imagination, giddily piling on every exotic and magical conceit the story can handle.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: AV Club

| Comment

Scott Tobias

AV Club

One of the best ever fantasy films.

October 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

it's impossible not to notice how much of the imagery we associate with "Arabian nights" -- genies, bottles, magic carpets, evil sultans -- comes directly from this film

September 9, 2008 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

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Don Willmott

Filmcritic.com

This lavish enterprise from producer Alexander Korda reveled in the brave new visual world that The Wizard of Oz explored only the year before.

July 17, 2008 Full Review Source: LarsenOnFilm

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...like a Bollywood take on 1001 Arabian Nights.

June 28, 2008 Full Review Source: PopMatters

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Chris Barsanti

PopMatters

... an amazing world for the fantastical wonders of flying carpets, mechanical horses and a 50-foot genie with a bellowing laugh.

June 16, 2008 Full Review Source: MSN.com

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Sean Axmaker

MSN.com

Despite some sluggish spots, the result is still dazzling, enough to enchant entirely new generations of dreamy children.

June 6, 2008 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid

| Comment

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

The nine-year-old within you should be uncritically enraptured by Thief of Bagdad, a genre landmark that's retained its thousand and one delights.

May 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

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Bill Weber

Slant Magazine

A fable light on condescension but committed enough to the pleasure principle that the audience is served one giddy act of visual sorcery after another.

May 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

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Bill Weber

Slant Magazine

A delightful hocus-pocus of colour, dashing adventure, and special effects.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

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Time Out

Not quite as charming or magical as the original…best are Abu's adventures with Ingram's baleful genie, whose meeting on the beach with Abu is an unforgettable highlight.

October 16, 2004 Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films Guide

Audience Reviews for The Thief of Bagdad

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Colorful hooey has committed performances from the cast who remain straight faced amid preposterous situations. However you know that going in so just sit back and enjoy, with kids preferably, the beautiful technicolor, costumes and actors.

March 12, 2010

jay nixon

Super Reviewer

Very cute classic with great special effects for movie made in 40`s

December 29, 2009

Wahida K

Super Reviewer

The Thief of Bagdad Quotes

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1. Abu: How can you be so ungrateful?
2. Djinni: Grateful? Slaves are not grateful. Not for their freedom!
– Submitted by Francis L (5 months ago)
1. Djinni: You're a clever little man little master of the universe, but mortals are weak and frail. If their stomach speaks, they forget their brain. If their brain speaks, they forget their heart. And if their heart speaks [laughter] ... they forget everything.
– Submitted by Francis L (5 months ago)
1. Abu: I am Abu the thief. Son of Abu the thief. Grandson of Abu the thief.
– Submitted by Francis L (11 months ago)