is a 1971

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

film by

Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...

, retelling the evergreen story of

Ali Baba "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who heard ...

and the Forty Thieves from the ''Arabian Nights'', or One Thousand and One Nights. It was directed by Hiroshi Shidara and written by Morihisa Yamamoto.

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

played a decisive role in developing structure, characters and designs for this film, whose credits list him as Key Animator and Organizer. Seiichiro Uno wrote original music for the film. It was released on 18 July 1971 in Japan. Other releases followed, including: * West Germany (as ''Ali Cats und der fliegende Professor'', on 16 March 1973) * Italy (as ''Ali Babà e i 40 ladroni'') * USA (a dubbed version called ''Alibaba's Revenge'') * International English version (''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'')

Plot

The story is about a little boy who is the descendant of the leader of the thieves who met their fate in the 1001 Nights. He joins forces with a mouse and 38 cats to form the 40 thieves whose sole purpose is to steal back their rightful treasure from Ali Baba the 33rd. The tyrannical Ali Baba being nearly broke as he has spent most of the money his father left him, finds a magic lamp which is inhabited by an ailurophobic genie who cannot work his magic unless all the cats in the kingdom are gone. The boy and his companions, plan to save the jailed cats, to get back the stolen treasures from Ali Baba and saving the oppressed people from his tyranny.

References

External links

* 1971 anime films Films based on Ali Baba 1970s Japanese-language films Japanese animated fantasy films Japanese fantasy adventure films Toei Animation films 1970s fantasy adventure films {{anime-film-stub