1001 Arabian Nights (1959 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1001 Arabian Nights |
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Original theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Jack Kinney |
| Produced by | Stephen Bosustow |
| Written by | Dick Shaw Dick Kinney Leo Salkin Pete Burness Lew Keller Ed Nofziger Ted Allen Margaret Schneider Paul Schneider |
| Starring | Jim Backus Kathryn Grant Dwayne Hickman Hans Conried Herschel Bernardi Alan Reed Daws Butler The Clark Sisters |
| Music by | George Duning |
| Studio | UPA |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 1, 1959 |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
1001 Arabian Nights is an animated comedy film from 1959. It was made by a studio called United Productions of America (UPA). Columbia Pictures helped release it in movie theaters.
The film came out on December 1, 1959. It's a fun version of the classic "Aladdin" story. This tale comes from the famous collection One Thousand and One Nights. A special part of this movie is that it adds Mr. Magoo. He is a popular cartoon character from UPA. In the film, he plays Aladdin's uncle, "Abdul Azziz Magoo." This movie was the very first animated feature film released by Columbia Pictures.
Contents
The Story of 1001 Arabian Nights
In a faraway Middle Eastern kingdom, a young man named Aladdin lives. He lives with his uncle, Abdul Azziz Magoo. Magoo owns a lamp shop and can't see very well. He thinks Aladdin is lazy and needs to get married.
Meanwhile, a bad wizard named Wazir is stealing money from the king's treasury. The king, called the Sultan, is now broke. Wazir convinces the Sultan to let his daughter, Princess Yasminda, marry the richest man. That man is now Wazir!
Aladdin and Yasminda meet during a royal parade and fall in love. Wazir wants to be super powerful. He is looking for the genie of a magic lamp. This lamp is hidden in a special cave. Wazir needs Aladdin to get it for him. But Wazir can't get the lamp after it falls back into the cave with Aladdin still inside.
Aladdin meets the genie and escapes the cave. He brings out a chest full of treasures. Magoo takes the treasure to the palace as a wedding gift. He accidentally messes up Wazir and Yasminda's wedding. This happens because Magoo can't see well and doesn't realize what's going on.
The genie makes a palace and lots of wealth appear for Aladdin. This convinces the Sultan to let Yasminda marry Aladdin. But the angry Wazir steals the lamp and takes control of the genie. This shows everyone that Aladdin wasn't really rich. Aladdin is then sentenced to be executed.
Wazir kidnaps Yasminda and tries to make her marry him. But the clueless Magoo accidentally gets the lamp from Wazir. This gives Magoo control of the genie. Magoo also manages to avoid all of Wazir's attempts to hurt him. Wazir falls and dies. Magoo only wants the best for his nephew. He wishes for Aladdin and Yasminda to live happily ever after. So, the genie saves Aladdin from being executed. Aladdin and Yasminda then get married.
Who Lent Their Voices?
- Jim Backus as Uncle Abdul Azziz Magoo
- Kathryn Grant as Princess Yasminda
- Dwayne Hickman as Aladdin
- Hans Conried as the Wicked Wazir
- Herschel Bernardi as the Jinni of the Lamp
- Alan Reed as the Sultan
- Daws Butler as Omar the Rugmaker
- The Clark Sisters as the Three Little Maids from Damascus
Other Voices You Might Not Know
- Daws Butler - The Royal Accountant, Heralds
- Hans Conried - Magic Flame
How the Film Was Made
The film was first directed by Pete Burness. He had directed many Mr. Magoo cartoons for UPA. But he disagreed with the producer, Stephen Bosustow, who owned UPA. So, Burness left the project. Bosustow then hired Jack Kinney. Kinney had directed many of Disney's Goofy cartoons.
Jim Backus, who was the voice of Magoo in the short cartoons, played him again in this movie. Katheryn Grant, a singer and actress, was the voice of Princess Yasminda. Dwayne Hickman, known from TV shows, voiced Aladdin.
1001 Arabian Nights was the first full-length movie made by UPA. This studio changed animation in the 1950s. They used a new style with simpler designs and "limited animation." This meant they used fewer drawings to make characters move. This saved money and gave their cartoons a unique look.
The movie was not a big hit at the box office. It was also UPA's last movie released through Columbia Pictures. Columbia stopped distributing UPA's short cartoons. They chose to work with Hanna-Barbera Productions instead, which made cheaper cartoons. After this film, Bosustow sold UPA to Henry G. Saperstein. The studio then focused on making TV shows. They made one more movie, Gay Purr-ee, before the animation part of the studio closed.
Watching It at Home
1001 Arabian Nights was released on VHS tapes in 1985. Later, in 2011, it came out on DVD. You could get it from the Sony Pictures Choice Collection.
In 2014, the movie was part of a big DVD set. This set was called Mr. Magoo: The Theatrical Collection 1949-1959. It included four discs, and 1001 Arabian Nights was on disc four.
