The Thief of Bagdad (1924, Photoplay Productions Edition)

Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, Raul Walsh’s The Thief of Bagdad (1924) is a spectacular accomplishment of production design and special effects, a fantasy epic that, a century after it was made, continues to amaze audiences and inspire filmmakers. Douglas Fairbanks stars as a carefree pickpocket who falls in love with a princess (Julanne Johnston), and can only win her hand by retrieving the rarest treasures on earth, a quest that grows more fantastic with each passing thrill. An indefatiguable Fairbanks battles a fire-breathing dragon in caverns of flame, fights a giant underwater spider, and soars into the clouds on a magic carpet. This meticulous 4K restoration was produced by Patrick Stanbury of Photoplay Productions, and features the original Mortimer Wilson score, performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony.