1940·Adventure·1h 47m
7.1
★
When Prince Ahmad is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar, he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess.
Directed by Michael Powell and Tim Whelan and Ludwig Berger
princess
love at first sight
giant spider
flying horse
sultan
flying carpet
bagdad
djinn
orient
thief
baghdad
blindness
genie
arabian nights
crystal ball
magician
turned into animal
wishes
vibrant
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Conrad Veidt
Jaffar
Sabu
Abu
June Duprez
Princess
John Justin
Ahmad
Rex Ingram
Djinn
Miles Malleson
Sultan
Morton Selten
The Old King
Mary Morris
Halima
Bruce Winston
The Merchant
Hay Petrie
Astrologer
Roy Emerton
Jailer
Allan Jeayes
The Story Teller
Crew
Michael Powell
Director
Tim Whelan
Director
Ludwig Berger
Director
Miles Malleson
Screenplay
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music Composer
Charles Crichton
Editor
Georges Périnal
Director of Photography
Alexander Korda
Producer
Lajos Biró
Scenario Writer
Miklós Rózsa
Story
William Cameron Menzies
Associate Producer
Zoltan Korda
Associate Producer
Popular Reviews
54 reviews
Golgo
8.0★ · 04/26/26
Abu is such a guy
Abu is such a guy
Paul Willeke
8.0★ · 03/20/26
This is hard to rate, because on one hand this is full of brownfacing and is build on exotism and is therefore racist, but on the other hand it is an beautiful Techni-colour spectacle and an amazing adventure movie. Every set is amazing, every scene is big and full of live. The special effects are so cool. There are also striking performances although those actors should play those roles.
It’s a product of its time, and racism isn’t excusable, but you just can’t but enjoy the film.
It’s a product of its time, and racism isn’t excusable, but you just can’t but enjoy the film.
This is hard to rate, because on one hand this is full of brownfacing and is build on exotism and is therefore racist, but on the other hand it is an beautiful Techni-colour spectacle and an amazing adventure movie. Every set is amazing, every scene is big and full of live. The special effects are so cool. There are also striking performances although those actors should play those roles.
It’s a product of its time, and racism isn’t excusable, but you just can’t but enjoy the film.
It’s a product of its time, and racism isn’t excusable, but you just can’t but enjoy the film.
Tyler Little
8.0★ · 10/11/25
Had to watch it for my Arabian nights class this movie is so influential and camp in a good way. I thought it would be boring but it was hilarious
Had to watch it for my Arabian nights class this movie is so influential and camp in a good way. I thought it would be boring but it was hilarious
christy
8.0★ · 10/07/25
Beautiful Technicolor. Flying carpets. Flying horses. Conrad Veidt. Genies. Magic. Boats. A cheetah. Violence. All that you need in a movie.
Beautiful Technicolor. Flying carpets. Flying horses. Conrad Veidt. Genies. Magic. Boats. A cheetah. Violence. All that you need in a movie.
Joshua Timpko
9.0★ · 09/12/25
I just watched this as part of the Criterion Challenge—specifically under Isabella Rossellini’s Adventures in Moviegoing, since this is one of her favorites.
I was honestly blown away. It’s the kind of film I’m surprised I never saw as a kid. It has that magical, transportive quality I associate with seeing The Wizard of Oz for the first time. As a child, you’d be dazzled by the spectacle; as an adult, you can also recognize the sheer technical achievement.
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it’s easy to see why. Miniatures, superimpositions, early blue-screen work—it’s all surprisingly effective. The sequences with the giant genie are especially fun, and while some effects show their age, you’re so wrapped up in the story that it doesn’t matter. That, to me, is real movie magic.
On top of that, the Technicolor is breathtaking. The colors burst off the screen in a way that feels almost otherworldly. Films like this are proof of why early Technicolor deserves to be preserved and shared—it’s film history at its most vibrant and inventive.
What I didn’t realize going in is that this story is essentially an early version of Aladdin. Abu, the thief in Baghdad, is basically the prototype for the Disney character. There’s a flying carpet, a genie in a bottle, a guy named Jafar! While a lot of the details differ, it gave me the same timeless, fable-like feeling. I’ve always loved stories that feel like they could be passed down endlessly, and this one fits right into that tradition.
The pacing also surprised me. For a film that bounces across locations, introduces new characters, and stages massive set pieces (like Abu fighting a giant spider to retrieve the all-seeing eye), it never drags. It’s under two hours but feels epic in scope. Anyone who thinks pre-1950s films are slow should watch this.
The cast deserves mention: John Justin as Ahmad, Conrad Veidt as Jafar, Sabu as Abu, and Rex Ingram as the genie—who really steals the film once he appears.
All in all, The Thief of Baghdad is beautiful, inventive, and a joy to watch. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it, but I’m glad I finally did.
8.5/10
I was honestly blown away. It’s the kind of film I’m surprised I never saw as a kid. It has that magical, transportive quality I associate with seeing The Wizard of Oz for the first time. As a child, you’d be dazzled by the spectacle; as an adult, you can also recognize the sheer technical achievement.
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it’s easy to see why. Miniatures, superimpositions, early blue-screen work—it’s all surprisingly effective. The sequences with the giant genie are especially fun, and while some effects show their age, you’re so wrapped up in the story that it doesn’t matter. That, to me, is real movie magic.
On top of that, the Technicolor is breathtaking. The colors burst off the screen in a way that feels almost otherworldly. Films like this are proof of why early Technicolor deserves to be preserved and shared—it’s film history at its most vibrant and inventive.
What I didn’t realize going in is that this story is essentially an early version of Aladdin. Abu, the thief in Baghdad, is basically the prototype for the Disney character. There’s a flying carpet, a genie in a bottle, a guy named Jafar! While a lot of the details differ, it gave me the same timeless, fable-like feeling. I’ve always loved stories that feel like they could be passed down endlessly, and this one fits right into that tradition.
The pacing also surprised me. For a film that bounces across locations, introduces new characters, and stages massive set pieces (like Abu fighting a giant spider to retrieve the all-seeing eye), it never drags. It’s under two hours but feels epic in scope. Anyone who thinks pre-1950s films are slow should watch this.
The cast deserves mention: John Justin as Ahmad, Conrad Veidt as Jafar, Sabu as Abu, and Rex Ingram as the genie—who really steals the film once he appears.
All in all, The Thief of Baghdad is beautiful, inventive, and a joy to watch. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it, but I’m glad I finally did.
8.5/10
I just watched this as part of the Criterion Challenge—specifically under Isabella Rossellini’s Adventures in Moviegoing, since this is one of her favorites.
I was honestly blown away. It’s the kind of film I’m surprised I never saw as a kid. It has that magical, transportive quality I associate with seeing The Wizard of Oz for the first time. As a child, you’d be dazzled by the spectacle; as an adult, you can also recognize the sheer technical achievement.
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it’s easy to see why. Miniatures, superimpositions, early blue-screen work—it’s all surprisingly effective. The sequences with the giant genie are especially fun, and while some effects show their age, you’re so wrapped up in the story that it doesn’t matter. That, to me, is real movie magic.
On top of that, the Technicolor is breathtaking. The colors burst off the screen in a way that feels almost otherworldly. Films like this are proof of why early Technicolor deserves to be preserved and shared—it’s film history at its most vibrant and inventive.
What I didn’t realize going in is that this story is essentially an early version of Aladdin. Abu, the thief in Baghdad, is basically the prototype for the Disney character. There’s a flying carpet, a genie in a bottle, a guy named Jafar! While a lot of the details differ, it gave me the same timeless, fable-like feeling. I’ve always loved stories that feel like they could be passed down endlessly, and this one fits right into that tradition.
The pacing also surprised me. For a film that bounces across locations, introduces new characters, and stages massive set pieces (like Abu fighting a giant spider to retrieve the all-seeing eye), it never drags. It’s under two hours but feels epic in scope. Anyone who thinks pre-1950s films are slow should watch this.
The cast deserves mention: John Justin as Ahmad, Conrad Veidt as Jafar, Sabu as Abu, and Rex Ingram as the genie—who really steals the film once he appears.
All in all, The Thief of Baghdad is beautiful, inventive, and a joy to watch. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it, but I’m glad I finally did.
8.5/10
I was honestly blown away. It’s the kind of film I’m surprised I never saw as a kid. It has that magical, transportive quality I associate with seeing The Wizard of Oz for the first time. As a child, you’d be dazzled by the spectacle; as an adult, you can also recognize the sheer technical achievement.
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it’s easy to see why. Miniatures, superimpositions, early blue-screen work—it’s all surprisingly effective. The sequences with the giant genie are especially fun, and while some effects show their age, you’re so wrapped up in the story that it doesn’t matter. That, to me, is real movie magic.
On top of that, the Technicolor is breathtaking. The colors burst off the screen in a way that feels almost otherworldly. Films like this are proof of why early Technicolor deserves to be preserved and shared—it’s film history at its most vibrant and inventive.
What I didn’t realize going in is that this story is essentially an early version of Aladdin. Abu, the thief in Baghdad, is basically the prototype for the Disney character. There’s a flying carpet, a genie in a bottle, a guy named Jafar! While a lot of the details differ, it gave me the same timeless, fable-like feeling. I’ve always loved stories that feel like they could be passed down endlessly, and this one fits right into that tradition.
The pacing also surprised me. For a film that bounces across locations, introduces new characters, and stages massive set pieces (like Abu fighting a giant spider to retrieve the all-seeing eye), it never drags. It’s under two hours but feels epic in scope. Anyone who thinks pre-1950s films are slow should watch this.
The cast deserves mention: John Justin as Ahmad, Conrad Veidt as Jafar, Sabu as Abu, and Rex Ingram as the genie—who really steals the film once he appears.
All in all, The Thief of Baghdad is beautiful, inventive, and a joy to watch. I can’t believe it took me this long to see it, but I’m glad I finally did.
8.5/10