JOHN JUSTIN

John Justin was born in England in 1917 as John Justinian de Ledesma, the son of an Argentinean rancher, and he spent his youth in England and Argentina. He started acting on the stage while still a teenager. His first movie role was a starring role in one of the finest movies ever made, 1940's The Thief of Bagdad, as Ahmad (the king turned blind man), opposite June Duprez, Sabu, Conrad Veidt, and Rex Ingram. The movie was a huge hit, and Justin gave a great performance, but while the movie was being made England entered World War II, and Justin, a pilot, became a flight instructor in the RAF. He appeared in two minor movies during the war, but after the war he primarily returned to stage acting, only occasionally making some film appearances. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 85. If not for the unfortunate timing , and if he had desired it more, Justin might well have been a major movie star. But I will never forget his performance in The Thief of Bagdad, especially the scene where he and June Duprez declare their love for each other: Princess: Who are you? Ahmad: Your slave. Princess: Where have you come from? Ahmad: From the other side of time, to find you. Princess: How long have you been searching? Ahmad: Since time began. Princess: Now that you've found me, how long will you stay? Ahmad: To the end of time. Ahmad: For me, there can be no more beauty in the world, than yours. Princess: For me, there can be no more pleasure in the world, than to please you.