Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, and Tim Whelan

The Thief of Bagdad

The Thief of Bagdad

Legendary producer Alexander Korda's marvel The Thief of Bagdad, inspired by The Arabian Nights, is one of the most spectacular fantasy films ever made, an eye-popping effects pioneer brimming with imagination and technical wizardry. When Prince Ahmad (John Justin) is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu (the incomparable Sabu, in his definitive role) to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess (June Duprez). With its luscious Technicolor, vivid sets, and unprecedented visual wonders, The Thief of Bagdad has charmed viewers of all ages for decades.

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Film Info

Special Features

  • New digital transfer, from restored film elements
  • Two audio commentaries: one featuring renowned directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, and one with film and music historian Bruce Eder
  • Visual Effects, a documentary about the technical achievements of The Thief of Bagdad, featuring interviews with special-effects masters Ray Harryhausen, Dennis Muren, and Craig Barron
  • The Lion Has Wings (1940), Alexander Korda's propaganda film for the English war effort, created when The Thief of Bagdad went into production hiatus
  • Excerpts from codirector Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography
  • Excerpts from a 1976 radio interview with composer Miklos Rózsa
  • Stills gallery featuring rare images of the film's production and photos shot in Dufaycolor * Optional music and effects track
  • Theatrical trailer
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring new essays by film scholars Andrew Moor and Ian Christie
    New cover by Caitlin Kuhwald

Purchase Options

Special Features

  • New digital transfer, from restored film elements
  • Two audio commentaries: one featuring renowned directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, and one with film and music historian Bruce Eder
  • Visual Effects, a documentary about the technical achievements of The Thief of Bagdad, featuring interviews with special-effects masters Ray Harryhausen, Dennis Muren, and Craig Barron
  • The Lion Has Wings (1940), Alexander Korda's propaganda film for the English war effort, created when The Thief of Bagdad went into production hiatus
  • Excerpts from codirector Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography
  • Excerpts from a 1976 radio interview with composer Miklos Rózsa
  • Stills gallery featuring rare images of the film's production and photos shot in Dufaycolor * Optional music and effects track
  • Theatrical trailer
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring new essays by film scholars Andrew Moor and Ian Christie
    New cover by Caitlin Kuhwald
The Thief of Bagdad
Cast
Conrad Veidt
Jaffar
Sabu
Abu
June Duprez
Princess
John Justin
Ahmad
Rex Ingram
Djinni
Miles Malleson
Sultan
Morton Selten
The Old King
Credits
Director
Ludwig Berger
Producer
Alexander Korda
Screenplay and dialogue
Miles Malleson
Production design
Vincent Korda
Editing
Charles Crichton
Cinematography
George Perinal
Music
Miklós Rózsa
Technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus
Costumes designed by
Oliver Messel
Costumes designed by
John Armstrong
Costumes designed by
Marcel Vertès
Scenic background by
Percy Day
Production manager
David B. Cunynghame
Special effects directed by
Lawrence Butler
Sound director
A. W. Watkins
Associate producer
Zoltán Korda
Associate producer
William Cameron Menzies
Director
Michael Powell
Director
Tim Whelan

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The Kordas

Producer, Production Designer

The Kordas
The Kordas

During sound cinema’s first full decade, the Hungarian-born Korda brothers—Alexander, Zoltán, and Vincent—built a British empire. The mastermind behind their legendary company, London Films Productions, was producer, director, writer, and eventual mega-mogul Alex; born Sándor Kellner, he became interested in the art of silent cinema as a teenager in his home country, writing criticism and even founding a movie magazine before finding success making his own films all over Europe. In the late twenties, following a short stint in Hollywood, Alex was sent to England to head up Paramount’s British Production Unit; in 1932, he established London Films and brought aboard his younger siblings, Zoltán as a writer/director and Vincent as a production designer. Their first big hit was The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), which earned Charles Laughton an Oscar and the Kordas international attention. The rest of the thirties held highs (The Rise of Catherine the Great, Elephant Boy) and lows (The Private Life of Don Juan) for the company. But its films—often about historical personalities (Rembrandt) or the exploits of the British Empire abroad (Sanders of the River, The Four Feathers)—remain exemplars of a grand period of British cinema. In the forties, the Kordas only grew in stature—due not only to such immensely popular titles as The Thief of Bagdad and That Hamilton Woman but also to the selection of Alexander, the first film director to be so honored, for knighthood.

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