Douglas Fairbanks is an icon of silent film actors and filmmakers. His physicality and over-the-top expression create an energetic atmosphere in his films that transcends the lavish special effects.
Fairbanks spared no expense with his films. Perhaps his most famous is THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, which boasts a huge budget and a cast of thousands and is now celebrating its 100th year!
Released in 1924, this movie took Hollywood by storm as a true original blockbuster! Based on The Arabian Nights, it follows a notoriously troublesome thief who falls in love with a princess in Bagdad, but he must transform himself into a prince to take her hand in marriage. This puts him against ruthless rival suitors in a race to be the next king. Perilous adventures on land and sea put the thief to the test of courage and integrity.
The musical score was originally composed in 1924 by the highly respected Mortimer Wilson. However, multiple edits and changes made it difficult, if not impossible, to perform the music successfully in sync. Because of this, the movie has been primarily performed with different scores throughout the years, the most notable being that of Carl Davis based on Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade.
The GFFO has endeavored to restore and perform THE THIEF OF BAGDAD with its beautiful original synchronized live score by Mortimer Wilson for the movie's 100th year!
This is a challenging endeavor, but well worth the effort. On August 4th, you will see and hear what few people have experienced in a century.