The Thief of Bagdad

Douglas Fairbanks wrote, produced and starred in this, with Raoul Walsh directing. The name that deserves equal billing, though, is William Cameron Menzies: the vast palace sets, the design that plays games with architectural scale, and the visual language of the fable are largely his work. Menzies's place in film history starts here. The budget was one million one hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars, which made it one of the most expensive productions of the twenties; by Walsh's account it was the first Hollywood picture to pass a million. Most of it went on effects: a flying carpet, a magic rope, a winged horse, sea monsters and full-scale palaces. Fairbanks's carpet flight was shot with him hoisted on a steel platform hung from six wires. It took three million dollars in United States and Canadian rentals. Today it stands among the great silent productions and as Fairbanks's finest work. Who it is for: viewers who love silent fantasy, production design and Fairbanks's athletic performance style. Who it is not for: anyone unused to silent films running past two hours, or troubled by the period's depiction of the East.