一场意外让中国女孩莲花（黄柳霜饰）结识了美国人艾伦（肯尼斯·哈兰KennethHarlan饰），艾伦刚刚从一场可怕的海难中死里逃生，善良的莲花收留并且不离不弃的照顾着艾伦，随着时间的推移，两人渐渐走到了一起。莲花一心希望艾伦在痊愈之后能够对带她回美国，但是家庭的变故让艾伦无法顾及莲花，匆匆的回国了ddd　　艾伦走后，莲花才发现自己的腹中怀上了他的孩子，莲花决定不顾众人的反对和奚落，生下孩子独自抚养，在此过程中，莲花给艾伦写过无数封信，但都石沉大海。终于，艾伦再度出现在了莲花的眼前，可是和他一起出现的，还有艾伦的妻子。

　　WalterWilliams(BrianDonlevy)isatake-chargecaptainofindustrywhohasworkedhiswayupinaSanFranciscosteelcompanyfromapositionasasheetmetalworker.HeloveshiswifeIrene(HelenWalker)verymuchandtheyhaveplannedavacationdrivetogether.Irenecancelsatthelastminuteclaimingatoothache,butasksthatWalterdrivehercousinJimTorrance(TonyBarrett)asfarasIllinois.WalteragreesandheandJimtakeofftogetherbutlaterJimknocksWalterunconsciousandtakesthecaronlytobehithimselfbyatruckandkilled,hisbodyburnedbeyondrecognition.WaltercomestoandsufferingaconcussionanddeepconfusionfromfeelingbetrayedbyIrenehidesoutinasmallMidwesttownuntilguiltandpeerpressureforcehimtogobacktoSanFranciscoandtellhisstorytothePolice.ButbythetimeWalterreturnstoSanFranciscoacleverdetectiveLieutenantQuincy(CharlesCoburn)hasuncoveredsomefactsaboutIreneandhercousin'Jim.ThepolicehavebeenholdingIreneforthemurderofherhusbandWalterbutreleaseherconsideringthatWalterwashidingoutbecausehehadkilledJim.AlongthewaytouncoveringthetruthinCourtWalterrealizessomehardfactaboutwhatheholdsvaluableandthetrusthehasputinthosearoundhimccc

　　TowinthehandofthecaliphofBagdad’sdaughter(playedbyJulanneJohnston),athief(Fairbanks)embarksonadangerousandmysticaljourneytosecurethemostdesirabletreasureimaginableddd　　Thefilmwasapopularsuccess,andFairbanksmadewomenswoonasoneofthescreen’sfirstsuperstars.Knownforhisdashingdemeanourandincrediblestunts,Fairbanks,whowouldalsoroutinelycontributetothescriptsofhisfilmsunderthepseudonymEltonThomas,actuallycreatedthestoryforthisversionofTheThiefofBagdadandincludedtypesofspecialeffectsandproductiondesignneverpreviouslyseenbyaudiences.Thefilmwasremadeseveraltimes,ofwhichthemostnotableisthe1940BritishfilmdirectedbyLudwigBerger,MichaelPowell,andTimWhelan.