The Thief Of Bagdad (1940)

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 (Sabu) to win back the royal palace, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess (June Duprez). Directed by Ludwig Berger, Tim Whelan and Michael Powell. One of the best movie fantasies ever made. Ludwig Berger was the original director but producer Alexander Korda was unhappy with his work so he brought in Michael Powell, who eventually had to leave due to another commitment and Tim Whelan brought in to finish the film. The film won Oscars for best cinematography (Georges Perinal), art direction (Vincent Korda) and special effects. Handsomely shot in Technicolor, the film was a pioneer in its technical aspects and though those aspects are perhaps too obvious by 21st century standards, the film holds up as a grand entertainment. Sabu is delightful as the spirited thief of the title, June Duprez is perfectly cast as the beautiful princess with only John Justin lacking as the prince. He's handsome enough but he lacks personality and charisma. With the imposing Rex Ingram as the genie, Miles Malleson, Mary Morris and Adelaide Hall.