Douglas Fairbanks was the original big screen cinematic
swashbuckler. By the time he starred in and co-wrote The Thief of Bagdad – which is perhaps his greatest achievement –
he had already played Robin Hood, D’Artagnan, and Zorro. To play a title
character in a story from the 1,001
Arabian Nights was just icing on the cake. Two years ago I enjoyed
Fairbanks in Robin Hood along with
live musical accompaniment. At the time, I thought that movie was an impressive
feat of sets, action, and stunts, but then The
Thief of Bagdad, quite frankly, dwarfs it in scope.
