"Happiness Must Be Earned"
A recalcitrant thief vies with a duplicitous Mongol ruler for the hand of a beautiful princess.
Log it
Sign in to log this.
Character
Earnest, resolved, classical in form and epic.
- earnestironic
- resolvedopen-ended
- classical in formformally daring
- intimateepic
- character-ledplot-driven
Who loves it, who doesn't
No profiled raters yet.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Raoul Walsh's best work?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is the polish hiding a lack of heart?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is it too big for its own story?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
No reviews yet.
Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20227/10
This just goes to show - almost a century after it was made, that quality has longevity. The recently restored version of Raoul Walsh's fabulously lavish adaptation of the Arabian Nights fantasy was scored by the hugely imaginative Carl Davis (at times based around some really suitable Rimsky-Korsakov themes) featuring a charmingly athletic Douglas Fairbanks as the eponymous character who thrives as a petty thief. Soon, though, he espies the beautiful daughter of the Caliph (Julanne Johnston) who is to be married. He decides to impersonate a prince and become one of her suitors - without bargaining on the evil Mongol Prince who has designs on both the Princess and the throne of Baghdad itself. It is amazing how effortlessly the film still holds the attention - with only a minimal use of text boards - and the more you watch, the more delicate and clever the performances become. There is no script to moan about; just a hugely creative perception of the original fables - it is just a wonderful piece of imagination set to pictures and music that is a real must watch.
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Douglas FairbanksThe Thief of Bagdad
- Snitz EdwardsHis Evil Associate
- Charles BelcherThe Holy Man
- Julanne JohnstonThe Princess
- Sôjin KamiyamaThe Mongol Prince
- Anna May WongThe Mongol Slave
- Brandon HurstThe Caliph
- Tote Du CrowThe Soothsayer
- Noble JohnsonThe Indian Prince
- Sam BakerSworder (uncredited)
Crew
- Raoul WalshDirector
- Achmed AbdullahScreenplay
- Arthur EdesonDirector of Photography
- William NolanEditor
- Douglas FairbanksProducer
Where to watch
Checking availability…
Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The Thief of Bagdad 194083% alikeBoth resolved, earnest, classical in form.
Ivanhoe 195280% alikeBoth earnest, resolved, classical in form.
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger 197780% alikeBoth resolved, earnest, classical in form.
Sleeping Beauty 195979% alikeBoth earnest, resolved, classical in form.
Castle in the Sky 198679% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, resolved.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad 195878% alikeBoth resolved, earnest, classical in form.
Both resolved, classical in form, earnest.
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 195177% alikeBoth earnest, resolved, classical in form.
Super Mario World 199078% alikeGame · Both resolved, earnest, plot-driven.
Super Mario Bros. 3 198876% alikeGame · Both resolved, earnest, plot-driven.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
