The Thief of Bagdad is a 1952 West German musical comedy film directed by Karel Lamac and starring Theo Lingen, Paul Kemp, Sonja Ziemann and Rudolf Prack. It is not a remake of the 1940 film of the same name, but a comedy about the magic tricks of a female thief in Old Baghdad. It was filmed at the Bendestorf Studios in Lower Saxony. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Heinrich Beisenherz and Alfred Bütow.

Plot

Caliph Omar does not have it easy. He is a weak ruler who is led around by servants. In marriage, wife Suleika takes the dominant role and gives her husband so little money that he cannot even bribe the eunuchs who guard his harem. Without bribery, he is not allowed into his harem and becomes frustrated. One day, Suleika tells him that she is expecting Prince Ali to visit. He has just crossed the state border and is in an area where the king of the highwaymen, Achmed, is causing trouble. Suleika sends guards to bring Ali safely to the palace in Baghdad. Ali, meanwhile, has a prestige problem because his camel, which he brought as a gift, has died on the journey. He has a search for a beautiful woman that he could give to the Caliph for his harem. His guards choose Fatme, who can sing and dance beautifully, but robs her audience in the process. Fatme travels around with the juggler and magician Ibrahim, who is looking for a rejuvenating spell. The magic word he utters, however, causes him and Fatme to change shape. He is now in her body, while Fatme finds herself in Ibrahim's old body. Ibrahim, in the form of Fatme, is kidnapped by Ali's men. A little later, Achmed attacks Ali and finds the supposed young woman he spontaneously wants to seduce. Ibrahim steals an earring from him and then manages to escape. He and Fatme reach Baghdad, where they can lift the spell.