El ladrón de Bagdad

I don't really remember much about this movie except that as a child I really liked the quest for the blue rose.

When I went to rent from Netflix I discovered the versions they had were from 1924 and 1940 which are different story lines.

It was a movie that made the matinée circuit where kids could plunk down part of their own allowance and go see it on Saturday afternoon, so I expect a lot of us boomers went to see it when we were children.

The thing is this movie probably still has a pretty big demographic given the fact that many boomers have delayed having children, but MGM (which has the distribution rights) hasn't made a DVD out of it. They probably should.

I don't often beg but please release it on DVD. Make an old man happy. This is another of the marvellous range of Steve Reeves movies that came out in the 60s. I think this is my favourite because it is almost a comedy. It simply has an air of cheerfulness, joy and happiness about it, which you can't really say about any other of his films. The supporting cast is also excellent with a soundtrack that I remember fondly. Reading these comments, if anyone does, you may realise that I am padding to get in the 10 lines of text that are the minimum. The point of the comment is to try to get someone to release it so to reiterate - some company release it - it's better than some of the dross that comes out.

This film has something in it that everyone would enjoy if they just allow themselves to be taken by it. If you have the chance to see it, simply sit there with a snack & beverage and let the film bring you into the land of 1001 Arabian Nights. The music is almost hypnotic, as the theme plays all through the background. The colors and scenery are breathtakingly beautiful. I enjoyed this film when I was a boy. It took me 20 years to find it on a video cassette and expected to be a little disappointed. I wasn't. It was all that I had remembered and more. See this one with your kids!

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.

This is Reeves' best film. It's got it all - a love story, humor, adventure and last but not least a pretty good musical score. Reeves plays Karim a thief who falls in love with a princess. When the princess Amina has a sleeping curse placed on her, Karim must find the only cure - a blue rose. A party sets out from the palace to find the blue rose with the winner getting the hand of the princess in marriage.

The special effects are nothing by today's standards but Reeves and Moll exude a considerable rapport, due in no small part to Arthur Lubin's direction.