Raoul Walsh and Douglas Fairbanks created the definitive fantasy blockbuster with this sprawling epic. Its massive, imaginative sets and groundbreaking special effects—flying carpets and giant monsters—set a scale for spectacle that few films have matched. Fairbanks’ athletic grace transformed the action hero into a figure of balletic beauty. The film is a pure celebration of cinema as escapism, influencing Aladdin and Star Wars. It proved that movies could transport audiences to entirely new worlds, blending artistic design with popular entertainment.