BRATTLEBORO-It ranks among the first Hollywood epics to show the full potential for movies to depict entire worlds of fantasy. It was also one of the top-grossing films of 1924.
It is The Thief of Bagdad, a celebrated triumph for actor Douglas Fairbanks and director Raoul Walsh that “stands as one of greatest achievements of cinema’s silent era.” It’s a film filled with images of flying carpets, exotic cities, underwater palaces, winged horses, fire-breathing dragons, and more. It will be screened with live music Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. at Epsilon Spires, 190 Main St.
The accompaniment will be performed on the venue’s Estey pipe organ by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based silent film musician who emphasized the unique value of seeing early cinema as it was originally presented. “These films were designed for the big screen, live music, and large audiences,” he said. “If you put it all together again, you get a sense of why people first fell in love with the movies.”
Fairbanks, star of The Thief of Bagdad, “was the Harrison Ford of his time,” wrote organizers in a news release, “a pioneering action hero who was among the first to entertain movie audiences with thrilling adventures.” The Thief of Bagdad stands among his best work, they said. “A timeless fable on a grand scale, it boasts a great story, spectacular sets, and magical special effects.”
Fairbanks was among the most popular stars of the 1920s and reportedly was the inspiration for the character of George Valentin in the Oscar-winning Best Picture The Artist (2011). In making the film, Fairbanks spared no expense for what some critics still regard as the most lavish fantasy movie ever made. He was known for films that used the then-new medium of motion pictures to transport audiences to historical time periods for grand adventures and athletic stunts.
Bare-chested, he plays a crafty street-smart rogue who can easily steal anything his heart desires—except the love of a beautiful princess, daughter of the powerful Caliph of Bagdad. To win her hand, he must not only change his ways, but also show his worthiness over many other highly placed suitors.
Fairbanks, swaggering through massive marketplace sets and cavernous throne rooms as an incorrigible pickpocket, scales towering walls (with the help of a magic rope) and leads merry chases through crowded bazaars in his pursuit of loot.
William Cameron Menzies’s sets were among the largest ever created for a motion picture. “Especially noteworthy is his design for a mythical Bagdad, a unique combination of Art Deco and Islamic elements — a dream city inspired by illustrations from story books,” wrote organizers.
More than a century after its premiere, The Thief of Bagdad remains highly regarded. In 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Admission is $20 per person. Tickets may be purchased in advance at epsilonspires.org or at the door.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.