Film/TV & the 1001 Nights

Film/TV & the 1001 Nights

I expect this list to contain even loosely based films and television shows with a slight reference to the Nights (vs. entirely based on the Nights) because onscreen the notion of the Nights as a flexible object seems to be the standard.

Films which are either called “Arabian Nights” or some story of them contain little if any resemblance to any of the stories in the collection while other films seem based entirely on stories from the Nights.

I’d like to include non-English versions here as well as there are so many of them and many of them do have English subtitles or dubs.

I’ve listed the films alphabetically by title. I’ll list “mentions” of the Nights in film and TV as a separate category after these primary listings.

Please email me your additional suggestions using a similar format as I have them below (email address via profile above) instead of commenting and I’ll add to the list. I expect it to grow immensely and also will add additional lists on other genres to the site shortly.

I’ve included links to the respective Wikipedia pages and some related youtube pages but I’m not responsible for what’s on those, though they are interesting and worth a look overall. I haven’t embedded the youtube videos on the page because it would take too long to load the page with all of them.


7th Voyage of Sinbad, The. Juran, Nathan H., dir. 1958. Note: First in the trilogy of Ray Harryhausen effects driven Sinbad films (other two are The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger).

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7th_Voyage_of_Sinbad
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=20ACFA632472A4BC&search_query=7th voyage of Sinbad

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Adventures of Prince Achmed, The. Reiniger, Lotte. 1926. Note: Oldest surviving animated film.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Prince_Achmed
Youtube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3uU3Cf0QKs

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Adventures of Sinbad, The. 1996-1998, various directors. Note: Canadian TV series with 45 episodes.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sinbad
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115086/episodes
Youtube season 1: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C09722EDA2693D16&search_query=adventures of Sinbad

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Aladdin. Clements, Ron & John Musker, dirs. 1992. Note: Disney animated version, heavily based on the 1940 film The Thief of Bagdad.

Stories from the Nights included:
- Aladdin
- mentions of Ali Baba & Scheherazade in song by Genie

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_(film)
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CnL5UJgsrM&feature=PlayList&p=E31B1E69A89F36A2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=43

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Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Stones, Tad, dir. 1996. Note: Disney’s second sequel to their Aladdin, after The Return of Jafar, like Return this one was also direct to video.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_and_the_King_of_Thieves
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWkXIyuRuk

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Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum, (aka Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp). Sasi, IV, dir. 1979. Note: Bollywood film.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324977/

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Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Lubin, Arthur, dir. 1944.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Baba_and_the_Forty_Thieves_(1944_film)
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036591/

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Ali Baba aur 40 Chor. Faiziyev, Latif & Umesh Mehra, dirs. 1980. Note: Hindi film.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Baba_aur_40_Chor
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079749/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=86F4FACFB051DA18&search_query=Ali+Baba+aur+40+Chor

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Alif Laila. Sagar, Ramanand, dir. 2002-2005. Note: Urdu, Hindi & Bengali language television serial based on the Nights, ran 143 episodes at 23 minutes each. Concentrated around the stories of Aladdin (13 episodes), Ali Baba (15 episodes) and Sindbad (58 episodes).

Production website: http://www.sagartv.com/Serials.asp?serialid=5
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alif_Laila
On youtube (not in English nor with English subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JtYj3IsNqo&videos=Y4OdYXmX1fg&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1

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Arabian Knights. Barbera, Joseph & William Hanna, dirs. 1968. Note: Animated mini-series which ran as a recurring part of the children’s show The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Knights
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363312/
Characters: http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/a/arabnite.htm
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ti-9p8OOhk
(this user has many episodes posted: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kingtv1000&view=videos&start=120)

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Arabian Nights. Rawlins, John, dir. 1942. Note: Technicolor extravaganza (the first motion picture to feature Technicolor actually) featuring characters whose names come from the Nights but whose similarities end there.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Nights_(1942_film)
Clip from film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6AcaDYXVZ4
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHia9DaFfyE&feature=related
Maria Montez bellydance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7zkmJeVIEI&feature=related

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Arabian Nights. Barron, Steve, dir. 2000. Note: US TV version with Jason Lee. Notable for its inclusion of stories not typically found in film or TV versions like the Hunchback, the Sultan and the Beggar, a retelling of the frame story and the Three Princes, though they also do have Aladdin and Ali Baba.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Nights_(TV_miniseries)
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fRtB-bBGdI

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Golden Blade, The. Juran, Nathan, dir. 1953. Note: Another cursorily related Nights film with Caliphs, Harun Al-Raschid, sabers, and a sinister Wazir named Jafar! Starring Rock Hudson!

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Blade

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Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The. Hessler, Gordon, dir. 1974. Note: Film #2 in the Ray Harryhausen Sinbad trilogy.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Voyage_of_Sinbad
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3CCF26033B012EF3&search_query=Golden Voyage of Sinbad

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Il fiore delle Mille e una notte (English: “The Flower of the Thousand and One Nights,” also known in English as simply Arabian Nights). Pasolini, Pier Paolo, Dir. 1974. Note: Pasolini’s focus on sexuality in the Nights is one of the few film versions which actually does justice to the Nights’ own inherent sexuality/sensuality. His version also avoids the overused stories of Ali Baba, Sinbad and Aladdin. Netflix has this hard to find film available on its streaming service.

Stories from the Nights in the Film (refs to Burton edition vol:pg#):
- Ali Shar and Zumurrud (4:187-228)
- Aziz and Aziza (2:298-333, 3:1-8)
- The Porter and the Three Ladies of Bagdad (1:82-186)
- Abu Nuwas with the Three Boys (5:64-68)


More info:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_fiore_delle_mille_e_una_notte
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071502/

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La Rosa di Bagdad. Domenighini, Anton Gino. 1949. Note: Animated Italian film with Julie Andrews.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Rosa_di_Bagdad
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041823/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=223CE578514B23C1&search_query=La Rosa di Bagdad

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Last Voyage of Sinbad. Japanese film starring Toshiro Mifune.

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Le palais des mille et une nuits (The Palace of the Thousand and One Nights). Melies, Georges, dir. 1905. Note (by Paul Nurse): "Silent, 20-min. fantasy film by France ’s pioneering filmmaker. Colour tinted."

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132402/

Youtube (part 1/2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWyNQLwzEJI

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Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves. Fleischer, Dave, dir. 1937. Animated short in Technicolor.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye_the_Sailor_Meets_Ali_Baba%27s_Forty_Thieves
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUU5JddKhT4

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Return of Jafar, The. Stones, Tad, dir. 1994. Note: Animated Disney sequel to their Aladdin film and direct to video.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_Jafar
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0B7A6F37F1AF68CA&search_query=return+of+jafar

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Scooby-Doo in Arabian Nights. Falkenstein, Jun and Joanna Romersa, dirs. 1994. Note: animated special featuring a whole host of characters from Hanna-Barbera with Scooby Doo and Shaggy in the frame story only.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Nights_(1994_TV_special)
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192578/

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Shazzan. Barbera, Joseph & William Hanna, dirs. Note: Animated series with only slight resemblances to the Nights but set in a mystical “Arabian” setting and several mentions of the Nights occur in the series as well.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazzan
Youtube Episode “A 1001 Tricks”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MYDI4_HZ44

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Sinbad. Higuchi, Masakazu & Chinami Namba, dirs. 1993. Note: Animated Japanese short film based on Sinbad.
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinbad_(1993_film)
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249960/

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Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. Wanamaker, Sam, dir. 1977. Note: Final film in the Ray Harryhausen effects driven trilogy.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinbad_and_the_Eye_of_the_Tiger target="blank"
Youtube clips: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6B6936E6DF1B1BFC&search_query=Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger

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Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Gilmore, Patrick & Tim Johnson, dirs. 2003. Note: Animated feature film from DreamWorks with voices from Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and other notable Hollywood celebrities.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinbad:_Legend_of_the_Seven_Seas
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F587B90764FFFB92&search_query=sinbad+legend+of+the+seven+seas+part+1

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Sinbad the Sailor. Wallace, Richard, dir. 1947. Note (by Paul Nurse): Technicolour postwar adventure film with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as the legendary mariner on his 8th voyage.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039826/

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Son of Sinbad.  Tetzlaff, Ted, dir.  1955.

Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Sinbad
IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048642/
YouTube (Part 1):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFdd3iIQlU

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Sumurun, (aka One Arabian Night). Lubitsch, Ernst, dir. 1920. Note: Silent Film.

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011742/
Review of film: http://www.polanegri.com/sumurun_one_arabian_night.htm
Sunrise Silents’ DVD re-release: http://www.sunrisesilents.com/OANP_des.html

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Superfantagenio, (aka Aladin). 1986. Comedy starring Bud Spencer as the Genie in this modern day Aladdin story.

trailer in English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL9j0mfx8Mw

youtube trailer in German: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASag7ZDfttE

youtube theme with clips from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGyEl3WtrgY

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Thief of Bagdad, The. Walsh, Raoul, dir. 1924. Note: Silent Film.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thief_of_Bagdad_(1924_film)
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TrWH0ZTgiI

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Thief of Bagdad, The. Several directors, produced by Alexander Korda. 1940.

Stories from the Nights in the Film (refs to Burton edition vol:pg#):
- The Fisherman and the Jinni (1:38-82)
- The Ebony Horse (5:1-32)


Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thief_of_Bagdad_(1940_film)
Youtube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE6t7iXx4-w
Youtube playlist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjjoDiMdI_E&feature=PlayList&p=12B8819C6C6E7738&index=0

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Volshebnaia Lampa Aladdina, aka Aladdin's Magic Lamp. Rytsarev, Boris, dir. 1966. Note: Russian adaptation of Aladdin story.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167482/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E28917045F53DAE0&search_query=Lampa+Aladdina

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