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Movie Detail
Name Occurs Before Title Offscreen Credit Print Viewed By AFI Stub Record
The Thief of Bagdad
Director: Raoul Walsh (Dir)
Release Date:   1 Jan 1924
Premiere Information:   New York premiere: 18 Mar 1924
Duration (in feet):   11,230
Duration (in reels):   12
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Cast:   Douglas Fairbanks (The Thief of Bagdad)  
    Snitz Edwards (His Evil Associate)  
    Charles Belcher (The Holy Man)  
    Julanne Johnston (The Princess)  
    Anna May Wong (The Mongol Slave)  
    Winter-Blossom (The Slave of the Lute)  
    Etta Lee (The Slave of the Sand Board)  
    Brandon Hurst (The Caliph)  
    Tote Du Crow (The Soothsayer)  
    Sojin (The Mongol Prince)  
    K. Nambu (His Counselor)  
    Sadakichi Hartmann (His Court Magician)  
    Noble Johnson (The Indian Prince)  
    Mathilde Comont (The Persian Prince)  
    Charles Stevens (His Awaker)  
    Sam Baker (The Sworder)  
    Jess Weldon    
    Scotty Mattraw    
    Charles Sylvester (Eunuchs)  
Summary: Until he encounters the Princess, the Thief of Bagdad flouts religious teachings. Pretending to be a prince, he wins her love. After suffering humility and confessing the truth to the Holy Man, he is sent on a quest for a magic chest to earn his happiness. Overcoming tremendous obstacles, he wins the reward and rescues Bagdad and the Princess from the Mongols. 
Production Company: Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corp.  
Distribution Company: United Artists  
Director: Raoul Walsh (Dir)
  James T. O'Donohoe (Asst dir)
Writer: Elton Thomas (Story)
  Lotta Woods (Scenario ed)
Photography: Arthur Edeson (Dir of photog)
  P. H. Whitman (Asst cam)
  Kenneth MacLean (Asst cam)
  Clinton Newman (Stills)
  Walter Pallman (Stills)
  J. C. Watson (Stills)
  Charles Warrington (Stills)
Art Direction: William Cameron Menzies (Art dir)
  Robert Fairbanks (Tech dir)
  Irvin J. Martin (Consulting art dir)
  Anton Grot (Assoc artist)
  Paul Youngblood (Assoc artist)
  H. R. Hopps (Assoc artist)
  Harold Grieve (Assoc artist)
  Park French (Assoc artist)
  William Utwich (Assoc artist)
  Edward M. Langley (Assoc artist)
Film Editor: William Nolan (Film ed)
Costumes: Mitchell Leisen (Cost dir)
  Paul Burns (Master of ward)
Music: Mortimer Wilson (Mus comp)
Make Up: Paul Burns (Hairdresser)
Production Misc: Theodore Reed (Prod mgr)
  Albert Wayne (Elec)
  Hampton Del Ruth (Dir mechanical eff)
  Edward Knoblock (Consultant)
  Arthur Woods (Research dir)
  Howard MacChesney (Technician)
  Clinton Newman (Technician)
  Walter Pallman (Technician)
  J. C. Watson (Technician)
Country: United States
Language: English
Music:
Songs:
Source Text: Inspired by a tale from A Thousand and One Nights author unknown (circa 1450).
Copyright Claimant Copyright Date Copyright Number
Douglas Fairbanks Pictures 23/3/1924 dd/mm/yyyy LP20112
Physical Properties: b&w:
  Si:
 
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre: Arabian
 
Subjects (Major): Bagdad (Persia)
  Magic
  Mongols
  Religion
  Thieves
Note: The pre-release length was 14 reels, 12,933 ft. Another film based on the tale was the 1940 United Artists release of the same title, produced by Alexander Korda, directed by Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell and Tim Whelan and starring Conrad Veidt and Sabu (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40 ). 
Bibliographic Sources:   Date   Page
Film Daily   23 Mar 1924   p. 3.
New York Times   19 Mar 1924   p. 19.
Photoplay   May 1924   p. 54.
Variety   26 Mar 1924   p. 26.
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