Douglas Fairbanks' longest and most elaborate production up to 1921, The Three Musketeers was Fairbanks' first full-blown costume adventure (his modestly produced 1920 The Mark of Zorro was regarded as an extension of his breezy contemporary comedies). Fairbanks assumes the leading role of D'Artagnan, who after challenging musketeers Athos (Leon Barry), Porthos (George Siegmann) and Aramis (Eugene Pallette--yes, Eugene Pallette) to a duel, joins forces with them in opposition of the scheming Cardinal Richelieu(Nigel De Brulier). Plotting to discredit Queen Anne (Mary McLaren) in the eyes of her husband King Louis XIII (Adolphe Menjou) Richelieu dispatches Milady de Winter (Barbara La Marr) to pilfer the diamond brooch given by Anne to her British lover, the Duke of Buckingham (Thomas Holding). With the help of the lovely Constance (Marguerite de la Motte) D'Artagnan and the Musketeers race against time to retrieve the brooch and save their Queen. The film ends with D'Artagnan emerging victorious, a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips; the actual, darker denouement of Dumas' original Three Musketeers would be dramatized in the opening reels of Douglas Fairbanks' valedictory silent film, The Iron Mask (1929). Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Douglas Fairbanks is at his most graceful and charismatic in one of the classic silent films of the 1920s. As the thief of Baghdad, his movements are dance-like -- nothing like the athletics he performed in most of his other films. In this Arabian take, the thief ignores the holy teachings and sneaks into the palace of the Caliph (Brandon Hurst). All thoughts of robbery slip away, however, when he sees the beautiful princess (Julanne Johnston). Princes have come from many faraway lands to win the princess' hand (and it's amusing to watch her face growing ever more alarmed at their arrival, because each one is uglier than the last). The thief disguises himself as a prince and the princess falls in love with him. After having a pang of conscience, the thief confesses all to the Holy Man (Charles Belcher), who sends him to find a magic chest. He braves many obstacles to get it, and when he returns he discovers that the Mongol Prince (Sojin) has taken over the city. Using the chest, the reformed thief creates armies of men out of nothingness and recaptures the city. He then uses the cloak of invisibility to spirit the princess away on a magic carpet. Fairbanks stole some of the special effects for his film from Fritz Lang's Der Müde Tod, which he had purchased for American distribution. The Thief of Baghdad, with its look of unrealistic beauty (courtesy of art director William Cameron Menzies), was not fully appreciated in its day. Because of its huge cost (two million dollars -- a real fortune in those days), it made little money. After that, Fairbanks stuck closer to the swashbuckling persona he felt his audience wanted. Available now on DVD, the remastered film features a new score by Carl Davis. Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Category Swashbuckler, Costume Adventure, Fantasy Adventure, Adventure Drama, Romantic Adventure
- Theme: Fighting the System, Double Life, Out For Revenge, Pirates, Righting the Wronged, Miscarriage of Justice, Heroic Mission, Daring Rescues
- Studio: Kino
- Run Time: 11 hr 53 min
- Language: English
- Release Date: February 3, 2004
- Lead Actor: Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Leon Bary, Snitz Edwards, Mary Astor
- Supporting Actor: Lon Poer, Noah Beery Sr., George Periolat, Claire McDowell, Charles Hill Mailes, Charles Sylvester, Scott Mattraw, Jesse Weldon, Sam Baker, Charles Stevens, Enrique Acosta, Barbara La Marr, Noble Johnson, Roy Coulson, Lloyd Talman, Maine Geary, Mary MacLaren, K. Nambu, Martha Franklin, Lon Poff, Alan Hale, E.J. Ratcliffe, Willard Louis, Willis Robards, Fred Becker, Tote Du Crow, Wilson Benge, Nigel de Brulier, Brandon Hurst, Lottie Pickford, John Wallace, Billie Bennett, Sidney Franklin, Etta Lee, Albert MacQuarrie, Jean Hersholt, Winter Blossom, Sojin, Thomas Holding, Adolphe Menjou, William Lowery, Boyd Irwin, Warner Oland, Paul Dickey, Anna May Wong, Stella de Lanti, Enid Bennett, Anders Randolf, Eugene Pallette, Sam de Grasse, Jack McDonald, Julanne Johnston, Tempe Piggott, George Siegmann, Donald Crisp, Wallace Beery, Merrill McCormick, Charles Belcher, Robert McKim, Walt Whitman, Juliette Berlanger, Sidney de Grey, Marguerite de la Motte, Mrs. Piggolt, Sadakichi-Hartmann, Mathilde Comont
- Director: Raoul Walsh, Donald Crisp, Fred Niblo, Albert Parker, Allan Dwan