(For Day 12 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was a doozy: a multi-section poem drawing from myths and legends featuring rhyme and mixed formal and informal language. So, with this film in mind, I mused on what to do if offered three wishes by a genie.)

Wish 1

To access wishes, surely I
Must be in dire straits myself.
Trapped within a tomb of stone
Or stranded on an icy shelf,
Marooned upon an isle alone
Or chained in jail, condemned to die.

For my first wish, therefore, I must
Escape the fate that brought me here,
Wish myself above the ground
Or make what threatens disappear,
Unstuck, unbound, uncooked, undrowned,
Ideally somewhere I can trust.

Wish 2

My second wish
Depends on much.

Has the djinn at least been kind,
Or left half of me behind?

Am I truly free from harm,
Or acquired a new alarm?

Am I not falling from the sky
With no faculty to fly?

Is my friend in peril somewhere?
Do I like them enough to care?

Does the djinn insist on rules,
Like no death or love or ghouls?

And, unlike the foolish herds,
Am I careful with my words?

If yes to all above,
Then I guess I’ll side with love
For my friend who’s so in need
And ensure they’re also freed.
Aren’t I nice? I am indeed.

Wish 3

Assuming both my prior wishes
Haven’t spiraled far awry,
Now that I’m not about to die,
I have an epic choice ahead.

The world is mine to seize and form.
With but a wish, I’d gain renown,
A merry harem, a sultan’s crown,
A sorcerer or god instead.

In place of a dark lord or queen,
The world will love me and despair!
I’m kidding, no, I wouldn’t dare,
But I have to end this with a bang.

Hypnosis, health, wisdom, wealth?
Would they be subject to some twist?
I wish I knew the perfect wish
To satisfy me… dang.
_________________________

MPA rating: Approved (a likely G)

Having grown up with The Wizard of Oz, I’ve loved it from the start, viewing its dated or hokey elements as charming rather than a detraction, and I suspect the same would be true for The Thief of Bagdad, had it been an old childhood favorite as well. Boasting 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this fantasy adventure draws elements from the One Thousand and One Nights to tell a partially non-linear tale of the betrayed Prince Ahmad of Bagdad (John Justin) and his wily friend/thief Abu (young Indian actor Sabu) as they fight against the evil vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) and save a princess (June Duprez).

It was especially amusing to see how many aspects of Disney’s Aladdin were borrowed directly from this film. Sharing a name with Aladdin’s monkey, Abu flees a crowd with stolen food in an early scene, instantly bringing to mind the opening number from the animated film. In addition, you have a vizier named Jaffar/Jafar, a weak-minded sultan (Miles Malleson) who loves toys and is looking to give his daughter in marriage, a sheltered royal sneaking out of the palace to mingle with the common folk, and a genie and magic carpet aiding the heroes. The Djinn/genie (Rex Ingram) is quite different, though, more malevolent and helping Abu grudgingly, and there are plenty of other differences to set it apart.

Sabu and Justin make an appealing heroic team, while Veidt has an excellent Vincent Price-like coldness that made him a popular villain actor at the time. Of course, it’s a bit odd that most of the main roles (save for Sabu) are clearly white actors surrounded by Middle Eastern extras and settings, but I suppose that’s just due to the time period. The sets and props really add to the world-building, and the film is known for pioneering the first use of bluescreen/greenscreen to place Sabu within the extravagant special effects sequences of the latter half. While The Thief of Bagdad starts off a bit awkwardly before the plot gets rolling, it’s a genre classic that deserves wider appreciation as an entertaining fantasy of Old Hollywood.

Best line: (the Djinn, to Abu) “You’re a clever little man, little master of the universe, but mortals are weak and frail. If their stomach speaks, they forget their brain. If their brain speaks, they forget their heart. And if their heart speaks [laughing], they forget everything.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

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