Aladdin (1958 film)

Lore & Background

The musical was adapted for the stage premiering December 17, 1959, at the London Coliseum, starring Bob Monkhouse, Doretta Morrow, Ian Wallace, and Ronald Shiner, under the musical direction of Bobby Howell. The London stage production expanded the score with several songs Cole Porter had originally penned for other productions, including 'There Must Be Someone For Me' from Mexican Hayride, 'Cherry Pies Ought to Be You' and 'I Am Loved' from Out of This World, and 'Ridin' High' from Red, Hot and Blue!.

The original telecast was never repeated, despite videotape being in use at the time, nor was it released on VHS or DVD. A kinescope of the 1958 broadcast survives at both the New York City and Beverly Hills branches of the Paley Center for Media. In 2012, as part of his Lost Musicals project, Ian Marshall-Fisher directed a stage revival at Sadler's Wells, London, with a cast including John Savident, Richard Dempsey, Vivienne Martin, Candy Ma, and Rhiannon Drake.

Reader's Guide

Aladdin (1958) holds significance as Cole Porter's final musical score, marking the end of a legendary career in musical theater and film. The television film, broadcast in color on CBS's DuPont Show of the Month, featured a notable cast including Sal Mineo as Aladdin and Basil Rathbone. Despite being recorded on videotape, the original telecast was never rebroadcast or released on home video, making it a rare artifact preserved only as a kinescope at the Paley Center for Media. The musical's legacy extends through its songs: Barbra Streisand recorded 'Come to the Supermarket (in Old Peking)' for her 1963 debut album, John Inman recorded it in 1975, and Patti LuPone included it on her 1993 live album. The London stage production in 1959 expanded the score with Porter songs from earlier shows, and the 2012 Lost Musicals revival at Sadler's Wells brought renewed attention to the work.

Did You Know?

• Barbra Streisand recorded the song 'Come to the Supermarket (in Old Peking)' for The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963.
• The London stage production expanded the score with songs Cole Porter had originally written for Mexican Hayride, Out of This World, and Red, Hot and Blue!

The 1958 Television Premiere

When CBS aired Aladdin in 1958 as part of its DuPont Show of the Month series, it delivered something genuinely rare: a full-length musical fantasy presented in color on network television. The production featured a book by S.J. Perelman and a score of music and lyrics by Cole Porter, marking what would become Porter's final musical composition. The cast assembled for the broadcast was a remarkable gathering of talent, with Sal Mineo taking on the title role of Aladdin, Una Merkel playing his mother, and Geoffrey Holder stepping into the Genie. Supporting performers included Cyril Ritchard, Dennis King, Basil Rathbone, and Anna Maria Alberghetti. Columbia Records captured the performance in both monophonic and stereophonic formats, allowing audiences to hear the original television cast's interpretations of Porter's melodies. The broadcast represented a high-water mark for televised musicals, uniting a legendary composer's final score with a star-studded ensemble in a single, unrepeatable evening.

The London Stage Adaptation

Just over a year after its television debut, Aladdin crossed the Atlantic to find a theatrical home. The stage production premiered on December 17, 1959, at the London Coliseum, bringing Porter's score to a live audience in a new setting. The cast featured Bob Monkhouse, Doretta Morrow, Ian Wallace, and Ronald Shiner, with Bobby Howell serving as musical director. One of the most notable aspects of this adaptation was its expanded musical repertoire. Rather than simply transferring the television score, the production wove in additional Cole Porter numbers that he had originally written for entirely different shows. 'There Must Be Someone For Me' came from Mexican Hayride, while 'Cherry Pies Ought to Be You' and 'I Am Loved' were lifted from Out of This World. 'Ridin' High' joined the program from Red, Hot and Blue! This approach gave London audiences a broader cross-section of Porter's melodic gifts, effectively creating a hybrid musical that honored the original Aladdin material while showcasing the composer's wider catalog.

Legacy and Cultural Echoes

Though Aladdin never achieved the sustained theatrical run of a major Broadway show, its musical fingerprints have persisted across decades and media. The list song 'Come to the Supermarket (in Old Peking)' became a particular favorite among recording artists. Barbra Streisand included it on her 1963 debut album, The Barbra Streisand Album. More than a decade later, John Inman brought the number to a new generation of British television viewers through the sitcom Are You Being Served Sir? in 1975. Patti LuPone added her own interpretation to the song's legacy on her 1993 Live album. The production also found new theatrical life in 2012, when director Ian Marshall-Fisher mounted a stage revival at Sadler's Wells in London as part of his Lost Musicals project. The cast brought recognizable names to the material, with John Savident as The Magician, Richard Dempsey as Aladdin, Vivienne Martin as Aladdin's mother, Candy Ma as the Princess, and Rhiannon Drake as Jade Bud. The well-known ensemble drew considerable media attention, reminding audiences that Porter's final score still possessed a vivid theatrical energy.

The Lost Broadcast and Preservation

One of the most frustrating aspects of Aladdin's history is how little of the original 1958 telecast survives in accessible form. Despite the fact that videotape technology was already in use at the time of the broadcast, CBS never repeated the program, and it was never issued on VHS or DVD for home viewing. The only surviving visual record is a kinescope, a film recording of the television screen, which is held at both the New York City and Beverly Hills branches of the Paley Center for Media. For audio, listeners have fared somewhat better: Columbia Records released both monophonic and stereophonic recordings of the original cast, and Sony Records later digitally remastered the stereo version for CD. The recorded score includes nine numbers, from the opening 'Come to the Supermarket (in Old Peking)' through 'Make Way (for the Emperor),' 'Trust Your Destiny To Your Star,' 'Opportunity Knocks but Once (at Thuh Door),' the title track 'Aladdin,' 'Wouldn't It Be Fun,' 'I Adore You' and its reprise, and 'No Wonder Taxes Are High.' These recordings remain the primary window into what the 1958 production sounded like.