Aladdin Central Messageboard

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:00 pm Post subject: The original Aladdin plotline.

Walt Disney quoted something about the reason he did his animation on fairytales is for us to read the actual story where it's orginated.
Aladdin was a chinese folktale that some writer named Richard Burton had adapted it into his 1001 Arabian Nights Book. The plotline was the same as the Disney movie but with different characters and interactions.
Have any of you read the story? What do you think of it?

Syera · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:13 pm Post subject:

You betcha I've read it! Very Happy

And I quite liked it! 'Specially the bit around the end with the roc. Remember, kids, don't ask your genies to hang rocs' eggs from the ceilings. They might get a little miffed. (And was it just me, or was the African sorceror's brother almost analogous to Mozenrath? I mean, he disguised as a woman... pretty-boy?)

Actually, many of the stories in The 1001 Nights were adopted by the Arabians from other cultures. "Aladdin" happened to be one of them, I'm pretty sure. Otherwise, I don't think the word "vizier" would have appeared in the story.

One of my favorite lines from the story: "Bring me something to eat!"

And: "He came home, his face so changed that his mother was affrightened." (I don't think that was the exact line, but close enough.)
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AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject:

Oh, I absolutely love it. I read it anytime I have a lot of free time Laughing

The book itself is awesome as well. I like both versions by Burton and Lang.

I like the Disney twist on some of the elements in the book. For example, the sultan (who in this book was a greedy JERK) wouldn't let Aladdin marry his daughter until he came back with this RIDICULOUS request that he didn't think he'd be able to do. The point of it was the sultan considered his daughter to be his most precious treasure (Ha, Ha Laughing

) and if Aladdin wanted that, he would have to give him something that was its equal.

So, Aladdin had the Genie of the lamp not only fulfill this request (which I think was like 40 black and white slaves bearing plates of priceless jewels and all finely dressed), but more just to prove he was worthy. This translates to be the "Prince Ali" sequence. Cool

Syera · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:55 pm Post subject:

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:06 pm Post subject:

They say that Aladdin's lazy in the 1001 Arabian Nights Tale. He daydreams and loligags in the fields. He always get in trouble. ( You'll only get into trouble if you get caught.) Aren't we glad that Aladdin is physically fit and the hotness that he is? If he loligags and does nothing then wouldn't he be pudgy ? His mom did most of the talking between him and the Sultan. The princess had a funky name Bedu budiddur something like that.. But it sure sounded funny. The 1001 said that Aladdin spotted her while she was taking a bath. She supposedly wasn't to be seen. But Aladdin fell in love with her.

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:08 pm Post subject:

And the princess having to seduce the magician to carry out Aladdin's plan Laughing

And what is it with the number 40 showing up in everything? I've never done the research and I'm too lazy to do so. I'm guessing it has a religious meaning since lint is 40 days, 40 days and 40 nights with Noah, etc. I remember in the 12th grade, we studied the significance of the number 3 in a lot of fairy tales.

Teacher: Name some three elements in stories
Student: The lady of the lake swooshing the sword over her head three times
Student: Three pigs
Student: Three fairies
Student: Three brothers
Student: Three wishes and three days to get married Laughing

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:11 pm Post subject:

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:19 pm Post subject:

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:27 pm Post subject:

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:31 pm Post subject:

I try

Yeah, now it's just the unveiling of her hood Wink

Syera · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:49 pm Post subject:

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:01 pm Post subject:

His sense of getting in trouble all the time always upset his mom. That's how " proud of your boy" song came up. But, ever since one of the composers died they took out the song and the mother. I'm glad how the movie turned out to be.

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:15 pm Post subject:

They had to change the whole thing because Jeffery Kratzenberg didn't like what they came up with. So, when Ted and Terry came into the project, they changed some stuff and got rid of some things including his mother, which in turn got rid of that song.

Mariposa79 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:32 pm Post subject:

shadows_light91 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:06 pm Post subject:

No... It was Howard Ashman. He died of AIDS that March before Beauty and the Beast came out. He was the person he wrote the lyrics for Alan's music. The song was almost written to Howard's own mother, because in a way he felt like the original Aladdin did, that he had messed up and wanted to make his mother proud. The song meant something to Howard, and that's why after Howard died, it was so hard for Alan to let it go. I can only imagine having to do it myself... *sniffles*

Big Alan/Howard fan talking... hee hee
_________________
"You're already writing the music into the songs and the music out of the songs and writing the music within the songs for dialogue and little bits of music for scenes. Why don't you write the score?"
-Howard Ashman