WickedLadyKiller

Does anybody know when Sabu started filming Thief of Bagdad? I have read that filming started in February 1939 and was wondering if anybody has a more precise date for when it was that he shot his scenes. I have found evidence that he was in London in January 1939 and was wondering if this immediately preceded his work for Korda and co.

Was Sabu based full-time in Britain at this time?

Steve Crook

AFAIK he was mainly based in Britain at the time.

He an American citizen in 1944, Sabu joined the U.S Army Air Force as a tail gunner. He flew several dozen missions over the Pacific and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor and bravery.

I'm not sure of the exact dates but they were working on The Thief of Bagdad for a while and I expect Sabu was there from the beginning. Remember that they had quite a few directors and the work of some of them was all set up, filmed and then scrapped and another director brought in.

Your dates of Jan/Feb 1939 seems quite reasonable. They had to abandon filming in the UK when war broke out (September 1939) and they moved production to the States. That also let them film the Djinn scenes in the Grand Canyon

Steve