Der Gauner von Bagdad

I first saw this film when I was a lad back in 1963. It was probably the most wondrous film I had seen - I must have seen it at least half a dozen times during its run in the cinema. At last it is available on a German Blu-ray but it is still not perfect. When a beautiful princess mysteriously falls ill, the only cure is a magical blue rose, but to find it, the princess's suitors must pass through seven doors, each door a test but woe betide to those who fail; but this is where the present Blu-ray falls down.

The film depicts only six doors, so one is missing and it seems to be of a giant killer crab. It has been suggested that this scene was never filmed but I think it was because I seem to remember a scene of a giant crab and also some video sleeves and other promotional material mention a giant killer crab. It may be that the film was shortened to suit TV slots or to fit in extra showings in cinemas. It would be great if this scene was found and restored to its proper place.

For me though, the best remembered scene is of gorgeous Edy Vessel as the evil temptress Kadeejah with her bevy of scantily-clad dancing girls. I have wondered, over the years if something was going on here. After all, gyrating scantily-clad dancing girls are not suitable for kids to see if they are in a night club, but put them into an Arabian Nights fantasy film and they suddenly become suitable for kids to see. I wonder if Arthur Lubin and maybe others were cocking a snook at the film censors. Even the censorious German FSK system gives it a rating of six years old. Whatever the case, I love this film.

Although not as impressive as the Powell/Berger/Whelan/Korda version (1940),this might be the only movie in which Steve Reeves is not relegated to muscle man routine,rather recalling some parts of Errol Flynn .His thief is actually almost a romantic hero ,half Arabian Nights half fairy tale in which the man of common birth has to suffer great hardships before marrying a princess.And the princess ,the gorgeous Georgia Moll,makes Karim's task worthwhile.The genie of the lamp (of the bottle) is present.My favorite sequence is that of the treacherous lady who tries to make Karim turn to stone,which proves that Steve Reeves' characters can be smart too.

I would second almost everything written in previous comments. I too saw it as a young boy and it stuck with me, along with other fantasies of the period like those from Ray Harryhausen. I recently started looking for it on ebay where I found it's out of print and never released on DVD; of course there are some used VHS copies available, some going for what seem like inflated prices. A previous comment stated that MGM has the distribution rights so I sent a message to them through their website (www.mgm.com) asking for the film's release on DVD. Anyone feeling the same should try it as well, it may help get results.

Even though this film would understandably be considered juvenile by many (and I very much enjoyed it as a child), I still, as a middle-aged adult, like it very much. (I can't say this for many other things I liked as a child.)

If one watches it with "fairy tale" in mind, that goes a long way in preventing adult over-criticism.

One of the movie books (Maltin) says it is "occasionally atmospheric." I definitely agree.

Also, it has a pretty musical theme that repeats.

A favorite film of mine.

--Mark M Racine, WI, US(A)

I remember how great I found this movie when I first saw it as a child. Entertaining, inviting, beautifully scored and visually exciting, it was a good surprise for me, a muscle-movies fan then.

I found Steve Reeves could show something else than his stunning muscles. He gives this time a very lighthearted performance - surprisingly, I guess, for his legions of fans - a step ahead of his habitual towering figure and dark persona. He shows, maybe for the one and only time, that he could create a character that goes beyond himself, in this case, Karim, the Thief of Bagdad. Convincingly, this is the point. In excellent, slimmer shape, smiling, it was Steve Reeves in his apex, in a delightful, colorful movie.

This is a very lovable movie, and I rate it as the best in his career, if you put the seminal 'Hercules' aside as 'hors-concours'.