The Princess and the Cobbler (1993)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Richard Williams

Writers:

Richard Williams (screenplay) &
Margaret French (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

The film tells a story which takes place in an oriental city from the tales of thousand and one night...

Plot Keywords:

Obsessed Love | Unfinished Film | Kleptomaniac | Dream Like | Independent Film

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Zig-Zag the Grand Vizier (voice)
Anthony Quayle	...	King Nod (voice)
Hilary Pritchard	...	Princess Yum-Yum (voice)
Windsor Davies	...	Chief Roofless (voice)
Paul Matthews	...	Mighty One-Eye (voice)
Joan Sims	...	Nurse / Mad Holy Old Witch (voice)
Clinton Sundberg	...	Dying Soldier (voice)
Donald Pleasence	...	Phido the Vulture (voice)
Sean Connery	...	Tack the Cobbler (voice) (unconfirmed)
Felix Aylmer	...	Narrator (voice)
Kenneth Williams	...	Goblet / Tickle (voice)
Stanley Baxter	...	Gofer / Slap (voice)
George Melly	...	Dwarf (voice)
Eddie Byrne	...	Hoof (voice)
Thick Wilson	...	Hook (voice)
Frederick Shaw	...	Goolie (voice)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Maiden from Mombassa (voice)
Joss Ackland	...	Brigand (voice)
Peter Clayton	...	Brigand (voice)
Derek Hinson	...	Brigand (voice)
Declan Mulholland	...	Brigand (voice)
Mike Nash	...	Brigand (voice)
Dermot Walsh	...	Brigand (voice)
Ramsay Williams	...	Brigand (voice)
Ed E. Carroll	...	The Thief - Majestic Films version (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer Beals	...	Princess Yum Yum (Miramax version) (voice)
Eric Bogosian	...	Phido the Vulture (Miramax version) (voice)
Matthew Broderick	...	Tack the Cobbler (Miramax version) (voice)
Toni Collette	...	Nurse / Witch (Miramax version) (voice)
Randy Crenshaw	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Kevin Dorsey	...	Mighty One-Eye / Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Roger Freeland	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Geoffrey Golden	...	Brigand (re-edited versions) (voice) (as Geoff Golden)
Nick Jameson	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Jon Joyce	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Robert Joyce	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Kerry Katz	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Ted King	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Michael Lanning	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Steve Lively	...	Tack the Cobbler (Majestic Films version) (voice)
Mona Marshall	...	Nurse / Witch (Majestic Films version) (voice)
Arnold McCuller	...	Pop vocalist ("Am I Feeling Love") (re-edited versions) (voice)
Raymond McLeod	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Rick Nelson	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Ken Nordine	...	The Thief (voice)
Bobbi Page	...	Princess Yum Yum (Majestic Films version) (voice)
Clive Revill	...	King Nod (re-edited versions) (voice)
Scott Rimmel	...	Brigand (singing) (re-edited versions) (voice)
Andrea Robinson	...	Pop vocalist ("Am I Feeling Love") (re-edited versions) (voice)
Tony Scannell	...	Brigand (re-edited versions) (voice)
Jonathan Winters	...	The Thief (Miramax version) (voice)
Richard Williams	...	Laughing Brigand (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Williams

Writing credits
Richard Williams		(screenplay) &
Margaret French		(screenplay)
Parker Bennett		(additional story and dialogue) &
Terry Runte		(additional story and dialogue) &
Bette L. Smith		(additional story and dialogue) &
Tom Towler		(additional story and dialogue) &
Stephen Zito		(additional story and dialogue)

Produced by
Fred Calvert	....	completion producer: Los Angeles
Sheree Devereaux	....	associate producer: Los Angeles
Jake Eberts	....	executive producer
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	associate producer
Jacobus Rose	....	co-producer: Los Angeles
Bette L. Smith	....	completion producer: Los Angeles
Imogen Sutton	....	producer
Richard Williams	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Folk

Cinematography by
John Leatherbarrow

Film Editing by
Peter Bond

Art Direction by
Roy Naisbitt

Production Management
James Chen	....	production manager: Wang Film Productions
Fang Ding	....	production supervisor: Wang Film Productions
Alan Levine	....	production manager: Los Angeles
Thad Weinlein	....	production executive

Art Department
Howard Blake	....	visual development
Corny Cole	....	visual development
John Culhane	....	visual development
Raymond Guillaumet	....	special technical artist
Beny Kandler	....	visual development
Darrell Rooney	....	storyboard supervisor: Calvert Productions
Rowland B. Wilson	....	visual development

Sound Department
G.W. Davis	....	sound editor: Los Angeles
Dan Edelstein	....	supervising sound editor: Miramax
Joe Gallagher	....	foley editor
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor: Los Angeles (as Joseph H. Holsen)
Edmund J. Lachmann	....	sound editor: Los Angeles
Mike Le Mare	....	sound designer
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor (as Mike Le-Mare)
Horace Manzanares	....	assistant sound editor: Los Angeles
Tony Martinez	....	adr editor
Branka Mrkic	....	sound editor
John Post	....	foley artist: Los Angeles (as John H. Post)
Elijah Schkeiban	....	assistant sound editor: Los Angeles (as Elijah Chkeiban)
Tom Scurry	....	foley editor: Los Angeles
Robert L. Sephton	....	sound designer
Robert L. Sephton	....	sound effects editor
Karola Storr	....	foley editor: Los Angeles
Steve Cook	....	dubbing mixer: UK (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Henry Barnes	....	matte artist
Graham Bebbington	....	special effects animator
Jonathan Burns	....	matte artist
Mick Burns	....	special effects artist
Lynette Charters	....	special effects animator
Brett G. Cook	....	assistant special effects animator: Calvert Productions (as Brett Cook)
John Cousen	....	special effects supervisor (as John M. Cousen)
Phil Cummings	....	additional special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Marie Doran	....	assistant effects animator
Sari Gennis	....	special effects supervisor: Calvert Productions
Emma Gray	....	matte artist
Kate Greaves	....	effects inbetweener
Matthew Harris	....	matte artist
Brett Hisey	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Ray Hofstedt	....	assistant special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Al Holter	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
John Huey	....	assistant special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Chris Knott	....	special effects artist
Craig Littell-Herrick	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Simon Maddocks	....	special effects animator
Jane McGowan	....	matte artist
David 'Joey' Mildenberger	....	additional special effects animator: Calvert Productions (as Joey Mildenberger)
Julie Penman	....	effects inbetweener
Kathleen Quaife-Hodge	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Bob Simmons	....	additional special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Jane Smethurst	....	special effects animator
Mike Sosnowski	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Allen Stovall	....	special effects animator: Calvert Productions
Jill Sutton	....	assistant effects animator
Heather Tailby	....	assistant effects animator
Nick Van Gelder	....	matte artist
Peter Will	....	effects inbetweener

Camera and Electrical Department
Allen George Duck	....	camera operator
James Farrell	....	camera operator: Animagraphics
Allen Foster	....	camera operator
Ron Jackson	....	camera operator: Animagraphics
Sophie Leatherbarrow	....	assistant camera
Gary Miller	....	camera operator: Animagraphics
Eithne Quinn	....	assistant camera
Brian Riley	....	camera operator
Craig Simpson	....	camera operator
Pete Wood	....	camera operator (as Pete Woods)
Robert Edward Crawford	....	camera operator: rostrum camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
Eric J. Abjornson	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Renee Ilsa Alcazar	....	painter: Calvert Productions (as Rene Alcazar)
Margot Allen	....	assistant animator
Ian B. Anderson	....	assistant animator (as Ian Anderson)
Carol Ashen	....	checker
Simon Ashford	....	inbetween artist
Jeremy Attrill	....	checker
Steve Austin	....	inbetween artist
Art Babbitt	....	lead animator
Jane Barnett	....	assistant animator
Bronwen Barry	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Jonathan Barry	....	painter
James Beihold	....	layout supervisor: Calvert Productions
Mannix Bennett	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Max Berry	....	assistant animator
Joanna Billingham	....	background artist
Irina Bluvband	....	assistant to layout supervisor: Calvert Productions
Paul Bolger	....	lead animator
Neil Boyle	....	lead animator
Claire Bramwell-Pearson	....	assistant animator
Bella Bremner	....	assistant animator
Becky Bristow	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Carmen Brooks	....	ink and paint supervisor: Los Angeles
Carmen Brooks	....	ink artist: Calvert Productions
Stuart Brooks	....	ink artist: Calvert Productions
David Byers Brown	....	lead animator (as David Byers-Brown)
Maggie Brown	....	paint and trace supervisor
Sheila Brown	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Sally Burden	....	assistant paint and trace supervisor
Nick Burgess-Jones	....	painter
Sean Burke	....	assistant animator
Sean Burns	....	painter
Russell Calabrese	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Kimie Calvert	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Kimie Calvert	....	assistant animation supervisor: Calvert Productions
Deborah Campbell	....	checker
Lloyd Chidgzey	....	assistant animator
Paul Chorley	....	assistant animator
Wesley Chun	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Joyce Lore Jones Cline	....	painter: Calvert Productions
David Cockburn	....	assistant animator
Tina Cole	....	tracer
Anna Collins	....	tracer (as Anna Collin)
Jesse Cosio	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Rona Couper	....	painter
Ruth Cox	....	tracer
Emanuela Cozzi	....	assistant animator
Jill Culton	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Hye Young Curley	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions (as Hye Curley)
Eleanor Dahlen	....	animation checker: Calvert Productions
Nicholas Dale	....	line tester
Mimi Danly	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Inge Daveloose	....	background artist
Ross Dearsley	....	inbetween artist
Denis Deegan	....	lead animator
Wayne Ashmead de Man	....	painter
Hilary Denny	....	inbetween artist
Angeline de Silva	....	tracer
Antonia Dewhurst	....	rendering artist
Paul Dilworth	....	background supervisor
Tara Donovan	....	inbetween artist
Simon Downes	....	assistant layout artist
Eileen Dunn	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Gary Dunn	....	lead animator
David Eberts	....	inbetween artist
Ricardo Echevarria	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
John Eddings	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Ruth Elliott	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Andras Erkel	....	animation production services: Varga Studios (as Andras Erkle)
Sahin Ersöz	....	lead animator
Steve Evangelatos	....	lead animator
Kathleen I. Evans	....	painter: Calvert Productions (as Kathleen Irvine Evans)
Roger Fell	....	painter
Tanya Fenton	....	assistant animator
Shirley Fiddock	....	painter
Cormac Figgis	....	painter
Jason Figgis	....	painter
Lillian Fitts	....	head ink and paint: Los Angeles (as Lillian 'Joni' Fitts)
Sylvia Fitzpatrick	....	assistant animator
Sam Fleming	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Frank Gabriel	....	animator: Calvert Productions
David C. Gardner	....	layout artist: Calvert Productions
Iain Gardner	....	inbetween artist
Natasha Garmash	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Linda Gerlach	....	ink and paint services: The Magic Brush
Vincent Gibbs	....	painter
Dominic Gillett	....	painter
Nik Gittins	....	inbetween artist (as Nik Love-Gittins)
Edison Goncalves	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Atlanta K. Green	....	animation checking supervisor (as Atlanta Green)
Cyrus Green	....	tracer
Mary Ann Green	....	painter (as Mary Green)
Margaret Grieve	....	lead animator
Jurgen Gross	....	lead animator
Kate Guy	....	tracer
Barry Hales	....	assistant animator
Steve Hales	....	inbetween artist (as Steven Hales)
Alyson Hamilton	....	lead animator
Steven Handley	....	inbetween artist
Karen Hansen	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Karen Hansen	....	scene planner: Calvert Productions
Kit Harper	....	painter: Calvert Productions
Ken Harris	....	master animator
Matthew Harris	....	painter
Malcolm Harrison	....	background artist
Juli Hashiguchi	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions (as Juli Murphy)
Nigel Haslam	....	ink and paint supervisor: Hungary
Emery Hawkins	....	lead animator
Joe Hawkins	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Anne Heeney	....	assistant animator
Salli Hilborn	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Beth Hill	....	painter
Lynette Hodson	....	tracer
Silvia Hoefnagels	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Sophie Hogarth	....	tracer
Lynn Hollowell	....	tracer
Nicola Hopley	....	tracer (as Nicky Hopley)
Judy Howieson	....	assistant animator
Peter Hynes	....	painter
Nicola Ibbotson	....	inbetween artist
Maryam Imani	....	tracer
Julia Iwasz	....	background artist
Melissa Jessop	....	tracer
Kevin Johnson	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Karenia Kaminski	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Ethan Kanfer	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Myung Kang	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Velislav Kazakov	....	assistant animator
Douglas Kirk	....	background artist
Tsvetomira Kostadinova	....	assistant animator
Elena Kravets	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions (as Elena Kravitz)
Dietmar Kremer	....	lead animator
Monika Kremer	....	painter
Mi Kyung Kwon	....	ink artist: Calvert Productions (as Mikyung Kwon)
Holger Leihe	....	lead animator
Serena Leonardi	....	inbetween artist
Derek L'Estrange	....	inbetween artist
Levi Louis	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Pippa Lowes	....	painter
Robert Malherbe	....	lead animator
Karen Marjoribanks	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
David Martin	....	assistant layout artist: Calvert Productions
Wantana Martinelli	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Wantana Martinelli	....	inbetween supervisor: Calvert Productions
Lorraine Marue	....	background artist: Calvert Productions (as Lorraine Marue-Mimura)
Thomas Matzeit	....	assistant animator
David McCamley	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Barbara McCormack	....	color model supervisor
Katherine McDonald	....	head tracer
Katherine McDonald	....	ink and paint supervisor: Thailand
Brian Merry	....	tracer
Roy Meurin	....	animator: Calvert Productions
SoonJin Mooney	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions (as Soon Jin Mooney)
Jean Morel	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Dee Morgan	....	rendering artist
Dominic Morrisey	....	tracer
Alan Moss	....	tracer
Stuart Moxham	....	tracer
Terry Lee Mullen	....	layout artist: Calvert Productions (as Terry Keil Mullen)
Lorna Mulligan	....	tracer
Gabriella Muriel	....	tracer
Mark Naisbitt	....	lead animator
Yoon Sook Nam	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Delmy Navas	....	painter: Calvert Productions (as Delmy E. Navas)
Jan Naylor	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Robert Newman	....	assistant animator (as Rob Newman)
Tzvetomira Nikolova	....	assistant animator
Bill Nunes	....	animator: Calvert Productions (as William Nunes)
Brent Odell	....	lead animator
Brid O'Donnell	....	painter (as Breid O'Donnell)
Kevin O'Hara	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Kevin M. O'Neil	....	animator: Calvert Productions (as Kevin O'Neil)
John O'Neill	....	painter
Mike O'Neill	....	painter
Daniel Orchard	....	tracer
Julia Orr	....	checker
Roman Ostir	....	tracer
Cynthia Overman	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Tahsin Özgür	....	lead animator (as Tahsin Ozgur)
Antonio Palermo	....	assistant animator
Ralf Palmer	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Jessie A. Palubeski	....	cel service: Calvert Productions (as Jessie Palubeski)
Rosejane Peck	....	tracer
Philip Pepper	....	lead animator
Gary J. Perkovac	....	animator: Calvert Productions (as Gary Perkovac)
Mark Povey	....	assistant animator
Eithne Quinn	....	xerox operator
Miriam Reid	....	assistant animator
John Remmel	....	xerographer: Calvert Productions
Damian Rimmer	....	tracer
Dean Roberts	....	lead animator
Art Roman	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Karin Röster	....	inbetween artist
Florence Roverch	....	painter
Wendy Russell	....	assistant animator
Ian Sachs	....	assistant animator
Remedios Madrid Santos	....	painter
Michael Schlingmann	....	lead animator
Vladimir Shomov	....	assistant animator
Jeff Short	....	assistant animator
Alan Simpson	....	lead animator
Debbie Skinner	....	painter
Sharon Smith	....	assistant animator
Penny Snell	....	painter
Robert Somerville	....	assistant animator
Samantha Spacey	....	tracer
Alan Sperling	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Sandy Spruzen	....	painter
Hillary Steinau	....	painter
David Stephan	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Lea Stewart	....	color modelist: Calvert Productions
Luke Stidworthy	....	painter
Jennifer Stillwell	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Sean Sullivan	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Mike Swindall	....	lead animator
Maryann Thomas	....	background artist: Calvert Productions
Guy Thomson	....	checker
Sue Tong	....	background artist
Chris Trorey	....	inbetween artist
Alison Trumper	....	xerox operator
Ivan Tsonov	....	assistant animator
Simon Valdimir Varela	....	layout artist: Calvert Productions (as Simon Varela)
Venelin Veltchev	....	assistant animator (as Venelin Petkov)
Venelin Veltchev	....	lead animator
Jerry Verschoor	....	assistant animator
Roger Vizard	....	lead animator
Oliver Wade	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Bill Waldman	....	animator: Calvert Productions (as William C. Waldman III)
Dan Wanket	....	assistant layout artist: Calvert Productions (as Daniel Wanket)
Tim Watts	....	lead animator
Roger Way	....	assistant animator
Samuel Webster	....	tracer
Cynthia Wells	....	animation supervisor: Calvert Productions
Andreas Wessel-Therhorn	....	lead animator
David Whelan	....	tracer
Boguslaw Wilk	....	assistant animator (as Bob Wilk)
Alexander Williams	....	lead animator (as Alex Williams)
Claire Williams	....	painter
Linda Williams	....	painter
Mark Williams	....	inbetween artist
Richard Williams	....	lead animator
Martin Wiseman	....	painter
David Womersley	....	layout artist: Calvert Productions
Leonor Gonzales Wood	....	ink artist: Calvert Productions (as Leonor M. Wood)
Maryse Worrallo	....	painter
Claire Wright	....	background artist
Hyo Suk Yun	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions
Shane Zalvin	....	animator: Calvert Productions
Janet M. Zoll	....	ink artist: Calvert Productions
Janet M. Zoll	....	xerox checker: Calvert Productions
Darlie Brewster	....	animator: Kroyer Films (uncredited)
Tissa David	....	animator (uncredited)
Chris Derochie	....	animator: Calvert Productions (uncredited)
Greg Duffell	....	inbetween artist (uncredited)
Eric Goldberg	....	animator (uncredited)
Errol Le Cain	....	background painter (uncredited)
Nancy Massie	....	ink artist: London (uncredited)
Brian Mitchell	....	animator: Calvert Productions (uncredited)
Grim Natwick	....	animator (uncredited)
Cliff Nordberg	....	animator (uncredited)
Tom Roth	....	animator (uncredited)
Tom Sito	....	animator (uncredited)
Frank Suarez	....	assistant animator: Calvert Productions (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting: Los Angeles
Hal Winn	....	voice casting: Los Angeles
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Paul Bingley	....	assistant editor
Harry Keramidas	....	additional editor: Los Angeles
Douglas M. Lackey	....	additional editor: Los Angeles (as Douglas Lackey)
Anthony F. Rocco	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles (as Anthony Rocco)
John Rogers	....	executive in charge of post-production
Lewis Schoenbrun	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles

Music Department
Robert Folk	....	conductor
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Jon Kull	....	orchestrator
Douglas M. Lackey	....	music editor: Los Angeles (as Douglas Lackey)
Randy Miller	....	orchestrator
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Tyler Tomachek	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Winnie Chaffee	....	production consultant: Los Angeles
Ian Cook	....	production coordinator
Julian Pugh Cook	....	runner (as Julian Pugh-Cook)
Simon Downes	....	assistant to director
Gilbert James	....	runner
Alex Jennings	....	runner
Sean Rogg	....	runner
Frank Tzong	....	vice president: Wang Film Productions
James Wang	....	president: Wang Film Productions (as James C.Y. Wang)
Tristan Whalley	....	international publicity
Kevin Phelan	....	cutting room manager: Prominent Studios, UK (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	unit projectionist: Prominent Studios, London (uncredited)
Len Simon	....	sequence director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Richard Williams Productions
• Allied Filmmakers

Distributors

• Majestic Films International (1993) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1995) (USA) (all media)
• Weinstein Company, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmayer (Spain)
• Magna Pacific (2003) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Animagraphics  camera services
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Completion Bond Company  special thanks
• Kroyer Films  additional animation
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra
• Milan Records  soundtrack
• Premier Films Ltd.  additional animation
• Sullivan Bluth Studios  additional animation
• Tape Effects Inc.  sound editorial services
• Varga Studio  animation production services
• Wang Film Productions Company  animation services

Also Known As:

Arabian Knight (USA) (recut version)
Once... (UK) (working title)
The Amazing Nasruddin (UK) (working title)
The Majestic Fool (UK) (working title)
The Thief Who Never Gave Up (UK) (working title)
The Thief and the Cobbler (USA) (recut version)

Runtime:

72 min | 91 min (working print) | Australia:77 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:G | Australia:G | South Korea:All | Spain:T | USA:G

Company:

Richard Williams Productions

Trivia:

Holds the record for the longest production schedule of a completed feature movie - 28 years.

Quotes:

King Nod: [wakes up] AAAH! WHAT IF THE BALLS ARE TAKEN AWAY?
Zigzag: A *way* has never been found to take them away! What freak of nature could ever ever get up to the top of that minaret?
[Thief is shown actually going *over* minaret]

Movie Connections:

References Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (1956)

What happened to this movie stinks, but it's still worth a look.

This was a butchered movie.

You can't deal with "the Thief and the Cobbler" without recounting the sickening story behind it, so here's the really short version (I may have some facts wrong, so don't quote me on any of this). Richard William's wanted to be the first person to animate an entire feature-length movie all by himself. It took him nearly three decades to finish about twenty minutes. By the late 80's he was driven nearly insane drawing every single frame of film *by hand* by himself, so Disney offered to help him finish it.

They did a completely half-assed job on the remaining animation and songs, added narration where there was no need, slapped the title "Arabian Knight" on it, and whipped it in and out of theaters before the unwitting public could say "'Aladdin' rip-off".

We'll never get to find out what kind of movie Williams would have made. As sad as that is, it's probably better to admit it's a non-issue and deal with the movie we do have (and don't get me wrong; that does NOT mean that what happened to "Thief" isn't disgraceful).

It is worth a rental just to see what remains of the original, Williams produced animation. You will be able to tell the difference; the Williams scenes are the ones where the characters seem to be roaming around a series of Escher prints. His finale, where the Thief destroys a gigantic mechanical army with one slapstick accident after another, is still breathtaking. Fast-forward to these bits and, definitely, watch them with the sound off.