THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) video-sleeve painting (circa 1980s

The Thief of Bagdad is a 1940 British Technicolor Arabian fantasy film, produced by Alexander Korda, directed by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan, with additional contributions by Korda brothers Vincent and Zoltán and William Cameron Menzies. The film stars child actor Sabu, Conrad Veidt, John Justin, and June Duprez. It was distributed in the US and the UK by United Artists.

Although produced by Alexander Korda's company London Films in London, due to the outbreak of World War II, the film was completed in California.

The Thief of Bagdad won the Academy Awards for Cinematography, Art Direction (Vincent Korda) and Special Effects (Lawrence W. Butler, Jack Whitney)[3] and marks the first major use of bluescreening in film. It was also nominated for Original Music Score (Miklós Rózsa), the first time a British film score had been recognized at the Academy Awards.

Although this production is a remake of the 1924 version, the two films have differences, most significantly the thief and the prince are separate characters in the 1940 version.

The first portion of this version of The Thief of Bagdad is told in flashback, mimicking the style of the Arabian Nights.

"After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves. "