Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934 film)
A 1934 animated short from the ComiColor series.
Holger.Ellgaard · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, a 1934 animated short, was directed by Ub Iwerks for the ComiColor cartoon series. In the story, a lamp trader keeps a boy locked in a cellar, forcing him to clean lamps. The boy sees a royal procession through a window, spots the princess on a white dromedary, and falls in love. When the trader dumps new lamps in the cellar, the boy polishes one and summons a red genie, who grants wishes. The trader sees this and exclaims, "A magic lamp? It's colossal!" The boy wishes himself to the sultan's house and asks to marry the princess. Unimpressed by the boy's rags, the sultan demands to know what he can offer. The boy wishes for fancier clothes, then wishes for money, which rains from the ceiling. The trader tries to steal the lamp, and in the chaos, the sultan swallows it. The sultan flees, chased by the trader and the boy; they all run over a man using a blowtorch on a pipe assembly. The sultan hits the trader with a string instrument. The boy attaches the blowtorch to a loose string from the instrument, and the trader runs away with his bottom burning. The boy rubs the sultan's stomach, the genie emerges from the sultan's mouth, and the boy wishes his lamp back. The boy, princess, and genie celebrate, but hear the trader offering his services from the street. The boy wishes a pile of lamps to fall on the trader.
- Director
- Ub Iwerks
- Series
- ComiColor cartoon series
- Year
- 1934
- Type
- Animated short film
- Subject
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Lore & Background
The film opens with a lamp trader holding a boy captive in a cellar, forcing him to clean lamps. The boy sees a procession with the sultan and his daughter, the princess, riding a white dromedary, and becomes enamored with her. When the trader deposits new lamps, the boy polishes one and summons a red genie, who grants wishes. The trader exclaims, 'A magic lamp? It's colossal!' The boy wishes himself to the sultan's house and asks to marry the princess. The sultan is unimpressed by the boy's rags, so the boy wishes for fancier clothes. When the sultan asks what the boy can offer, the boy wishes for money to fall from the ceiling. The lamp trader tries to steal the lamp, and in the commotion, the sultan swallows it. The sultan runs away, chased by the trader and the boy, and they all run over a man with a blowtorch working on pipes. The sultan hits the trader with a string instrument; the boy attaches the blowtorch to a loose string, burning the trader's bottom. The boy rubs the sultan's stomach, the genie appears through the sultan's mouth, and the boy wishes his lamp back. The boy, princess, and genie celebrate until the trader offers his services from the street; the boy wishes a pile of lamps to fall on the trader.
Reader's Guide
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934) is a short animated film directed by Ub Iwerks, a key figure in early animation who worked on the ComiColor cartoon series. The film is notable for its adaptation of the Aladdin story, incorporating a red genie and a comedic chase involving a blowtorch. It reflects the style of 1930s animation, with a focus on physical humor and visual gags. The film is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive, and its entry on IMDb provides further details. As part of the ComiColor series, it represents a period when Iwerks produced a range of color cartoons. The film's plot includes elements such as a lamp trader, a sultan, and a princess, with the genie appearing through the sultan's mouth. The short's legacy lies in its contribution to the animated adaptations of the Aladdin tale, predating later, more famous versions. Its preservation online allows continued access for animation historians and enthusiasts.
Did You Know?
- The film is part of the ComiColor cartoon series.
- The genie appears through the sultan's mouth after the boy rubs the sultan's stomach.
- The lamp trader exclaims 'A magic lamp? It's colossal!' upon seeing the genie.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934)?
It is a 1934 animated short film directed by Ub Iwerks as part of the ComiColor cartoon series. The story centers on a boy trapped in a lamp trader's cellar who stumbles upon a magic lamp and a red genie.
What can the genie in Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934) do?
The red genie, summoned when the boy polishes the lamp, grants wishes to its caller. In the short, the boy uses this ability to teleport himself to the sultan's palace and to propose marriage to the princess riding a white dromedary.
How does the story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934) end?
The boy wishes his way to the sultan's house and asks to wed the princess, but the royal family is unimpressed by his ragged, cellar-worker appearance. The short wraps up with his romantic bid still in jeopardy rather than neatly resolved.
Why is Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934) notable to animation fans?
It is one of the earliest animated adaptations of the Aladdin legend, produced under Ub Iwerks' direction for Disney's ComiColor series. Its 1934 release places it in the very first years of the sound-era cartoon era.
Who is the protagonist of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934)?
The main character is an unnamed boy held captive by a lamp trader, forced to scrub lamps in a dark cellar. He becomes the story's driving force after polishing a newly dumped lamp and summoning the red genie, which sets the entire plot in motion.
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