The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)

When Tack upsets Zigzag the Vizier, the wizard drags him off to the royal castle, where Princess Yum Yum falls for the bashful boy and saves him from execution. Unfortunately, Zigzag plans ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Williams

Writers:

Richard Williams (created by), Richard Williams (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Beals

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	ZigZag (voice)
Bobbi Page	...	Princess YumYum (Majestic Films version) / Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice)
Steve Lively	...	Tack the Cobbler (Majestic Films version) / Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice)
Ed E. Carroll	...	The Thief (Majestic Films version) / Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice) (as Ed. E. Carroll)
Clive Revill	...	King Nod (re-edited versions) (voice)
Mona Marshall	...	Nurse (Majestic Films version) / Witch (Majestic Films version) / Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice)
Joan Sims	...	Mad and Holy Old Witch (voice)
Kevin Dorsey	...	Mighty One-Eye (re-edited versions) (voice)
Donald Pleasence	...	Phido the Vulture (original and Majestic Films version) / Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice)
Stanley Baxter	...	Gofer / Slap (voice)
Kenneth Williams	...	Goblet / Tickle (voice)
Clinton Sundberg	...	Dying Soldier (voice)
Windsor Davies	...	Chief Roofless (voice)
Frederick Shaw	...	Goolie (voice)
Thick Wilson	...	Hook (voice)

Storyline

When Tack upsets Zigzag the Vizier, the wizard drags him off to the royal castle, where Princess Yum Yum falls for the bashful boy and saves him from execution. Unfortunately, Zigzag plans to marry the princess in order to succeed her father, King Nod. The Thief, meanwhile, is more interested in gold than love and takes off with the protective orbs topping the palace. Together Tack and Yum Yum attempt to retrieve them in order to prevent Zigzag and the One-Eye army from conquering the city.

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Plot Keywords:

unfinished film | surrealism | surreal | king | baghdad | 

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arabian Knight

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$319,723, 27 August 1995, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$669,276

Company Credits

Production Co:

Richard Williams Productions, Allied Filmmakers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min (workprint) 80 min (The Princess and the Cobbler) 74 min (Arabian Knight)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR (theatrical print) Dolby Digital (theatrical print)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Richard Williams encouraged the best out of people, discipline was harsh and animators were frequently fired. "He fired hundreds of people. There's a list as long as your arm of people fired by Dick. It was a regular event." cameraman John Leatherbarrow recalls, "There was one guy who got fired on the doorstep." Williams was just as hard on himself: "He was the first person in the morning and the last one out at night," recalls animator Roger Vizard.

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Goofs

Towards the end of the song "She Is More," when the Nanny puts the veil on Princess Yum-Yum, we can clearly see that there isn't a feather on the crown she is wearing. But in the very next shot, a feather suddenly appears atop the crown.

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Quotes

Phido the Vulture: Is this when we eat? I need to eat, I don't see any food; I'm still hungry here.
[seeing One-Eye]
Phido the Vulture: I think I just lost my appetite.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits of the South African/Australian prints of "The Princess and the Cobbler" show scenes from the movie that were scrapped from the edited versions, including the Thief narrowly avoiding getting his arms chopped off, behind the credits. However, the prints of "Arabian Knight" only use a black background behind the credits.

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Alternate Versions

The American video version reinstates the original title of "The Thief and the Cobbler", but is in all other respects the edit released by Miramax under the title "Arabian Knight".

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Classic Reviews: A Scanner Darkly (2015)

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Soundtracks

She Is More
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Music by Robert Folk
Performed by Bobbi Page

User Reviews

Miramax version vs. workprint

I've had the opportunity to view a copy of the workprint Richard Williams cobbled together (consisting of finished footage, storyboards, and pencil tests), and it gives a good idea as to what the movie would have been like if Williams had managed to finish it.

Is it better than the Miramax version? Most definitely. Miramax vandalized the movie by adding those voice-overs for the Thief and the Cobbler characters - a ludicrous idea, since these characters were designed to be SILENT. Seeing these quiet characters not moving their mouths - but hearing wise-cracking dialogue, and dialogue that doesn't fit the character's personalities - is infuriating and very distracting. Though Miramax didn't do all the butchery, since the movie was significantly cut by other hands, and with poor linking animation added. (Not to mention some HORRIBLE song numbers.)

The workprint beats the Miramax version by far - but it's not perfect. True, seeing all that uncut animation - AMAZING animation - makes it a must see. It's breathtaking at times. But if the movie had been finished, I'm sure critics and audiences - when not gushing about the animation - would have criticized the story and characters. There's barely a story here, and it takes forever to get going. And once it gets going, there are plenty of times when the story stops for a pseudo intermission. Apparently, Williams was so charmed by all the vignettes that he thought up (mostly to do with the Thief bumbling around and making an ass of himself), he didn't want to leave any of them out. Seen by themselves, the vignettes are funny and a wonder to the eye. But seeing one after the other...well, it gets tiring after a while.

As well, with all the effort put in making visual splendor and animated gags, it seems not much was put into fleshing out the characters more than they are now. (Though they all have a charm that carries them further than you'd expect.)

Though I do have some sympathy for Williams for the heartbreak he suffered after being fired from the project (after working on it for more than 20 years!), he must accept his share of the blame for his firing and the eventual butchery of his project, seeing that he constantly went over time and budget, and refused to stop "improvising" as well as avoiding scripts and storyboards.

Anyway, seek the workprint and avoid the Miramax version!