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A Thousand and One Nights (1945)

 -  Adventure  -  20 July 1945 (USA)
6.0
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Ratings: 6.0/10 from 281 users  
Reviews: 15 user | 3 critic

On the run after being found sweet-talking the Sultan's daughter, Aladdin comes upon a lamp which, when rubbed, summons up Babs the genie. He uses it to return as a visiting prince asking ... See full summary »

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(screenplay), (screenplay), 2 more credits »
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Title: A Thousand and One Nights (1945)

A Thousand and One Nights (1945) on IMDb 6/10

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview:
...
Babs / The Genie
...
Abdullah
Adele Jergens ...
Princess Armina
...
Dusty Anderson ...
Novira
Dennis Hoey ...
Sultan Kamar Al-Kir / Prince Hadji
Philip Van Zandt ...
Grand Wazir AbuHassan
Gus Schilling ...
Jafar
Nestor Paiva ...
Kahim
...
Giant
...
Kofir
...
Ali
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Storyline

On the run after being found sweet-talking the Sultan's daughter, Aladdin comes upon a lamp which, when rubbed, summons up Babs the genie. He uses it to return as a visiting prince asking for the princess's hand. Unfortunately for him, the sultan's wicked twin brother has secretly usurped the throne, someone else is after the lamp for his own ends, and Babs has taken a shine to Aladdin herself and is bent on wrecking his endeavours. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

genie | arabian nights | arabian

Taglines:

THE TECHNICOLOR STORY OF ALADDIN and his wonderful VAMP! (original ad - many caps)

Genres:

Adventure

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

20 July 1945 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

1001 Nights  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Shelley Winters is most easily spotted as one of Adele Jergens' blonde handmaidens, standing in the background at the aborted wedding scene. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Once Upon a Time in Beirut (1995) See more »

Soundtracks

"No More Women"
Music by Saul Chaplin
Lyrics by Edgar De Lange
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Enjoyable, though comically dated "epic" musical
30 October 2006 | by (Pakistan) – See all my reviews

A Thousand and One Nights is a rollicking, bawdy and unapologetically 40s vision of the ancient Arabian legend of Aladdin.

Just as Disney's animated feature "Aladdin" updated the genie-in-a-bottle storyline for the 90s mindset, this exploration fuses the epic musical film style of big-budget Hollywood films in post-War America with the cultural stereotypes surrounding the Middle East. The results are a fantastic, if laughable, adventure movie, geared towards young adults and the elderly, but with plenty to chew on even for children.

Imaginative sets and superb costumes present a lavish spectacle of colour and brilliant old school special effects combine with well-performed choreography to keep the action and laughs rolling, and the viewer suitably engaged. However, the cinematography and lighting are disappointingly one-dimensional, suggesting more of a stage adaptation than an original film.

Performances, especially vocal, are largely impressive. For a script that contains a bewildering assortment of varied characters, often singing choruses, a great cast of character actors is needed, and it's definitely the largely uncredited bit parts and cameos (Shelley Winters!) that make this ensemble memorable. With a wooden lead in Cornel Wilde (Aladdin), best friend Abdullah (Phil Silvers) really picks up the slack, with an endless stream of predictable--yet nonetheless witty--wisecracks. Even Babs (Evelyn Keyes), the emotionally-berserk female genie, manages to convincingly portray a noticeably pathetic, but likable, co- starring lead.

All told, this one's a must for film fans of days of yore and students of Hollywood Orientalism alike. If the rousing music and generous matte sets don't sweep you off your feet, the astonishingly ludicrous premise of a comedic epic musical based on an ancient tale of dread and magic will have you rolling on the floor laughing.


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