The Thief of Bagdad (United Artists) (1924)

First Advance Stories—Cast and Synopsis Marvelous Incidents in “Bagdad” Film Douglas Fairbanks will be seen in the amazing picture, taken from the Arabian Nights, “The Thief of Bag¬ dad,”—a picture that is said to be away and beyond anything yet seen on the silver screen, at the ____ This lovely story of romance and adventure abounds, according to all accounts, in happenings of astounding and unbe¬ lievable magic. Nothing like it has ever been attempted, nothing like it has ever been seen, nothing like it has ever been accomplished. This beauti¬ fully fanciful story, born of a poet’s dream in Araby, was made into an en¬ trancing reality by Douglas Fairbanks. It breathes the spirit of imaginary worlds, where the unusual is usual, where the impossible is possible. In brief, the following are the chief inci¬ dents of the tale: In Bagdad, Magic City of the East, dwells Ahmed the Thief. He is an audacious rascal, liv¬ ing by his wits. He steals a Magic Rope with which he can climb into the air; he escapes with it, and finds him¬ self in a Temple. Here the Holy Man is expounding the theory that “Happi¬ ness must be earned.” The Thief flouts this philosophy, but carries away an impression that is vaguely disturbing. With the Magic Rope, he gains en¬ trance to the Palace of the Caliph. While looting a chest of jewels, he is intrigued by the sound of sweet music. He follows it to the bed chamber of the Princess who lies sleeping. He kneels beside her couch. Her slumber be¬ comes restless; her hand touches his. With a cry of alarm, she awakes and throws aside the silk coverlid which falls over the crouching Thief. He is thus hidden from the guards who rush in. The Mongol Slave Girl espies him, but he threatens her into silence with his dagger,—and escapes. A Mongol Prince, a Persian Prince and an Indian Prince, are suitors of the Princess. In state, they arrive to ask her hand. There comes also a strange “Prince Ahmed”—the Thief in disguise. The Princess remembers the prediction of a soothsaying slave that “Whosoever first toucheth the rose tree in the courtyard, him shall you wed.” She watches with anxiety, which turns to joy, when she sees “Prince Ahmed” touch the rose tree. After the Ring of Choice is placed on Ahmed’s finger, his duplicity is dis¬ covered, but love has chastened him and he refuses to flee. By the Caliph’s order, he is brutally flogged and thrown into the street. His only consolation is the Princess’s avowal of love and the ring which she bade him keep. The Caliph now demands that his daughter choose from among the three remaining Princes. To gain time, the Princess declares she will wed the one who, at the end of the seventh moon, shall return with the rarest treasure. In great humility of spirit, the Thief seeks out the Holy Man who convinces him that on the bedrock of his new¬ born intentions, he can build honor and worthiness. The Mongol Prince de¬ parts with the other Princes, but leaves behind his Counselor with orders to raise a secret army and hold it in readi¬ ness to overthrow the Caliph. The Thief sets out on his journey, which takes him through the Valley of Mon¬ sters, to the Crystal Realm beneath the sea, and up the Flight of a Thous¬ and stairs; he rides the Flying Horse up to and through the clouds, and braves the Cavern of Fire. He is beset by temptation and attacked by enor¬ mous beasts, but he wears the armor of Righteous Intent and comes through victorious, bringing with him the Mag- Why Fairbanks Produced “Bagdad” There is a touch of the fantastic even in the reason I made “The Thief of Bagdad”—for it is a reason impelled by the unseen. It is a tribute to the fineness that I believe underlies the workaday philosophy of men; a recog¬ nition of the inner forces that belie the sordidness of Life. There can be no doubt that the human soul’s reaching for finer, higher, more ethereal things is intuitive and first man¬ ifests itself in a child’s love of fairy tales and fantasy. The dreams, longings and roseate am¬ bitions of childhood are relegated to the background of Life by the struggle of existence, but stifling them doesn’t kill them. They persist throughout the years. There are moments when we all “dream dreams.” Imagery is inherent in the human breast. The brave deeds, the longing for better things, the striving for finer thoughts, the mental pictures of ob¬ stacles overcome and successes won are nearer to our real selves than our daily grind of earthly struggle. “The Thief of Bagdad” is the story of things we dream about; a tale of what happens when we go out from ourselves to conquer Worlds of Fan¬ cy. We set out to win our Heart’s De¬ sire ; we confuse our enemies; we de¬ mean ourselves bravely; our success is complete; our reward is Happiness. I believe that this is the story of every man’s inner self and that every man will thus see it. That’s the reason I made “The Thief of Bagdad.” DOUGLASS FAIRBANKS. ic Chest of Nazir. This chest contains his birthright,—True Manhood and Power over Man! Meanwhile the suitors for the hand of the Princess obtain their treasures. The Indian Prince has a Magic Crys¬ tal; the Mongol Prince, a Golden Ap¬ ple that will cure all ills; and the Per¬ sian Prince, the Magic Carpet on which he can fly through the air. At the end of the sixth moon, the three Princes foregather and compare treasures. In Bagdad, the Princess has been poisoned by order of the Mongol Prince. The Indian Prince, through his Magic Crys¬ tal sees that the Princess lies dying. On the Persian Prince’s Magic Carpet, they fly to her aid,—and with the Golden Apple of the Mongol Prince, they cure her. The Chinese Army rises and in a sur¬ prise attack, capture the city. This news reaches the Thief, who rushes to Bagdad. He now makes use of his Magic Chest of Nazir, creating from nowhere an imposing army that retakes the city and restores the Caliph. Wearing his Cloak of Invisibility, he is able to reach the Princess. On the Mag¬ ic Carpet, they sail together over the house-tops headed for the Land of Love —and we see them gliding gracefully toward the star-studded sky, in which the twinkling beacons of night spell out the words: “Happiness Must Be Earned.” The more important members of the cast are Julanne Johnston, formerly a member of the famous Morgan Dan¬ cers,. who impersonates the Princess; So-Jin Kamayama, imported from Japan where he has been the leading Shakes- perean actor, who impersonates the Mongol Prince. Anna May Wong, a charming little Chinese flapper, is seen in the part of the slave. Snitz Ed¬ wards is the Thief’s evil associate; Brandon Hurst, is the Caliph. Personnel of the Douglas Fairbanks Company During the Production of “THE THIEF OF BAGDAD” Elton Thomas. Raoul Walsh . Arthur Edeson. Lotta Woods . Dr. Arthur Woods _ Edward Knoblock. Richard Holahan ! P. H. Whitman [ Kenneth MacLean ] William Cameron Menzies Irvin J. Martin. Anton E. Grot Paul Youngblood H. R. Hopps Harold W. Grieve Park French William Utwich Edward M. Langley Leisen... Mortimer Wilson.. Theodore Reed.. Robert Fairbanks. Hampton Del Ruth.. James O’Donohue. William Nolan. Paul Burns.......... Albert Wayne. Charles Warrington. Howard MacChesney ] Clinton Newman j- .... Walter Pallman J. C. Watson . . Author .Director .Photographer .Scenario Editor .Research Editor .Consultant .Associate Photographers .Art Director ...Consulting Art Director Associate Artists .:.Designer of Costumes .Composer of Musical Score ...Manager of Production ..Technical Director .Director of Mechanical Effects .-.Assistant Director .:...-.Cutter .Master of Wardrobe and Properties .—Master Electrician ..Still Photographer .-. Technicians The Players The Thief of Bagdad His Evil Associate.-. The Holy Man. The Princess. The Mongol Slave. The Slave of the Lute. The Slave of the Sand Board . The Caliph.. His Soothsayer. The Mongrol Prince. His Counselor. His Court Magician. The Indian Prince. The Persian Prince. His Awaker. The Sworder.. The Eunuchs Douglas Fairbanks .Snitz Edwards .Charles Belcher .Julanne Johnston .Anna May Wong .Winter-Blossom .Etta Lee .Brandon Hurst .Tote Du Crow .So-Jin ..K. Nambu Sadakichi Hartmann .Noble Johnson .M. Comant .Charles Stevens ...Sam Baker Charles Sylvester Scott Mattraw Jess Weldon Synopsis for “The Thief of Bagdad” In Bagdad, Magic City of the East, dwells Ahmed the Thief. He is an audacious rascal, living by his wits. He wanders into a Temple where the Holy Man is expounding the theory that “Happiness must be earned.” The Thief flouts this philosophy but carries away an impression that is vaguely disturbing. Aided by the Magic Rope, which he has stolen, he gains entrance to the Palace of the Caliph. While looting a chest of jewels, he is intrigued by the sound of sweet music. He follows it to the bed chamber of the Princess who lies sleeping. He kneels beside her couch. Her slumber becomes restless; her hand touches his. With a cry of alarm she wakes and* throws aside the silk coverlid which falls' over the crouching Thief. He is thus hidden from the guards who rush in. The Mongol Slave Girl espies him, but he threatens her to silence with his dagger—and escapes. Meanwhile, three Princes from afar have come to woo the Princess. She sends them away for a journey of seven moons, agreeing to wed the one who returns with the rarest treasure. One of the suitors, a Mongol Prince, plots to raise a secret army and capture Bagdad and is aided by a treacherous Mongol Slave of the Princess’ bed chamber. The Thief, in magnificent stolen raiment and aided by his Evil Associate, has the audacity to call himself Prince of the Isles of the Seven Palaces, in which guise he presents himself as a suitor for the hand of the Princess. He wins favor in her eyes. While in her presence, his better self asserts itself and he resolves to be no longer a thief. He confesses his deception to the Princess. Meanwhile, the young Mongol slave, who has recognized him, gives the alarm. He is seized, beaten, and thrown out of the palace. Filled with remorse, he makes his way to the mosque where the Holy Man consoles him and tells him he can yet win the Princess if he will go to the end of the way and bring back the Magic Chest of Nazir. The Thief sets out on his journey, which takes him through the Valley of Monsters, to the Crystal Realm beneath the sea, and up the Flight of a Thousand Stairs; he rides the Flying Horse up to and through the clouds, and braves the Cavern of Fire. He is * temptation and attacked by beasts, but he wears the armor of Righteous Intent and comes through victorious, bringing with him the Magic Chest of Nazir. This chest contains his birthright—True Man¬ hood and Power Oyer Men. Meanwhile, the suitors for the hand of the Princess obtain their treasures. The Indian Prince has a Magic Crystal; The Mongol Prince a Golden Apple that will cure all ills and the Persian Prince the Magic Carpet. At the end of the sixth moon, the three Princes foregather and compare treasures. In Bagdad, the Princess has been poisoned by order of the Mongol Prince. The Indian Prince, through his Magic Crystal sees that the Princess lies dying. On the Persian Prince s Magic Carpet, they fly to her aid, and with the Golden Apple of the Mongol Prince, they cure her. The Mongol Army now rises and in a surprise attack, captures the city. This news reaches the Thief who rushes to Bagdad. He now makes use of his Magic Chest of Nazir, creating from nowhere an imposing army that retakes the city and restores the Caliph. Wearing his Cloak of Invisibility, he is able to reach the Princess, and on the Magic Carpet, they sail together over the housetops headed for the Land of Love, and we see them gliding gracefully toward the Star-Studded sky, in which the twinkling beacons of night spell out the words: “Happiness Must Be Earned!”