Alibaba and the Forty Thieves
About Alibaba and the Forty Thieves
Woodcutter Alibaba rescues the dancer Marziana from Sher Khan and shelters her with his sister Ayisha. He overhears Abu Hussain's cave password, takes treasure, and spends it on the poor. His brother Kasim steals the secret, is trapped in the cave, and is killed by the dacoits. Abu Hussain later arrives disguised as an oil merchant, one man hidden in each of forty barrels. Marziana exposes him, Alibaba kills him in the cave, and the couple marry.
Cast & crew
More about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves
T. R. Sundaram produced and directed this Tamil swashbuckler for Modern Theatres. Wikipedia credits the script to the Modern Theatres Story Department. Wikidata names Murasoli Maran as writer. Susarla Dakshinamurthi composed the score and reused songs from the 1954 Hindi film Alibaba Aur 40 Chor. W. R. Subba Rao photographed it in Gevacolor. L. Balu edited it. It opened on January 14, 1956, at Pongal. Wikipedia gives the running time as 149–160 minutes. It is a remake of the Hindi film, itself drawn from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves in One Thousand and One Nights, and the second Tamil version after the 1941 film of the same name.
Themes
Background
South Indian features were still black and white in 1956. A Gevacolor Ali Baba opened on the Pongal holiday.
In film history
Wikipedia calls it the first Tamil film, and the first South Indian film, shot in full-length colour. The box-office result is tied there to that fact, and the film is described as a milestone for Ramachandran.
Making
Shooting was done mainly at Mysore and Yercaud. The colour negative was Gevacolor, a process Modern Theatres used for a full-length feature rather than a short or a tinted print.
Audiences
Wikipedia reports a box-office success and a run of more than 100 days, and says the songs became popular.
Look
W. R. Subba Rao shot the film in Gevacolor, largely at Mysore and Yercaud.
Technique
It is the first Tamil and South Indian full-length colour feature, photographed in Gevacolor.
Music
Susarla Dakshinamurthi composed the score and reused many songs from the 1954 Hindi Alibaba Aur 40 Chor.
Preservation
A full copy circulates as a public-domain video file.
Notes
- M. G. Ramachandran plays Alibaba. P. Bhanumathi plays Marziana. P. S. Veerappa plays Abu Hussain. M. G. Chakrapani plays Amir Kasim Khan.
- K. A. Thangavelu plays the cobbler Ghulam, whom Abu Hussain kills after Ghulam points to Alibaba's sudden wealth.
- Wikipedia's cast list includes Waheeda Rehman as a dancer.
- M. N. Rajam plays Bulbul. K. Sarangapani plays Dowlath. Vidyavathi plays Salima.
- The Hindi source film supplied songs that Dakshinamurthi reused rather than replacing.
Awards
- Film Fans' Association Award for Best Tamil Film
Scenes
- Alibaba hears the cave password and carries treasure out.
- Kasim forgets the word and is killed inside.
- Marziana hears Abu Hussain whispering to the men in the barrels.
- Alibaba kills Abu Hussain in the cave and marries Marziana.
Influenced by
- Alibaba Aur 40 Chor
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (1956).webm)