A rainy afternoon spent watching old movies is a rite of passage for most American children. Of course there’s not much opportunity to learn the ritual in Denver, at least until the past week’s monsoon storms came calling.
Prepare for September showers by picking up a copy of the 1940 classic “The Thief of Bagdad.” (Yep, they did spell it that way.) It’s an ancient story of princes, evil advisers and princesses in distress, set in a Middle East glowing with saffron robes and red turbans. The movie that decades later became the basis for Disney’s animated “Aladdin” is a rousing tale with what were at the time groundbreaking special effects.
Ahmad is a restive and naive king of Bagdad who wants to go out among the people and discover what they need. His evil Grand Vizier supports the plan, then has the king arrested as an offending peasant and thrown into a dungeon.
The deposed king links up with a carefree street thief, Abu, and they adventure together in a series of escapes, shipwrecks, rescues and genie encounters. Some of what your kids will see is the exotic beauty of life in the Middle East; other moments are shallow stereotypes of what Hollywood imagined life in the Middle East to be.
There’s a lot of shoe polish involved — it may be useful to remind the kids that “Thief” comes from a filmmaking era when ethnic characters rarely matched the nationality of the primarily white acting corps.
“Thief” may be your best chance to see if your fantasy- oriented children will appreciate any old movies. There’s little of the nonstop, jokey zaniness of Robin Williams in the cartoon version. Here’s hoping the kids will enjoy a quieter fairy tale, and here’s hoping there will be more rainy afternoons for them to get lost in.
“The Thief of Bagdad.”
Rated: Unrated, likely G or PG; there are some menacing scenes and a stylized murder.
Best suited for: Children 7 to 10, parents who want to enjoy an Oscar- winning classic.
