2022-03-02 – 19:35 h
On March 16, the Orchestre national de Lyon conducted by Mark Fitz-Gerald will perform live the original soundtrack composed by Mortimer Wilson for the silent B&W movie ‘The Thief of Bagdad (1924, dir Raoul Walsh)’.
Shot on a budget of one million dollars (it was the first film to reach this budget), The Thief of Baghdad is a true four-handed work. For if Raoul Walsh is the talented director, Douglas Fairbanks, then the biggest star of the cinema alongside Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, is the instigator.
Screenwriter, producer with the United Artist and title role, “Doug” is never far from the megaphone. Between adventure and fantasy, The Thief of Baghdad is tailor-made for this athletic actor. The rhythm never runs out of steam, despite the exceptional length of the film. Fairbanks leaps from low wall to palace, from souk to flying carpet in a breathtaking choreography. A technical feat for the 1920s, the film is a total spectacle that has lost none of its magic.
It is also to Douglas Fairbanks that we owe the original score written by Mortimer Wilson, fed by the presence of the composer – exceptional fact – on the shooting. This music was recognized as one of the best in American silent cinema. However, it was rarely played, and it will be an event to hear it performed by the Orchestre national de Lyon.
When: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 20:00h
Where: Auditorium-Orchestre national de Lyon (Lyon, France)
Tickets: 8-39 € – https://www.auditorium-lyon.com/fr/saison-2021-22/cine-concert/voleur-bagdad
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/958109574952374/
