The Thief And The Cobbler (VHS, 1997) $4.40 + $3.65 shipping. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Restored to its true form, this lost classic has finally been found - for you at home. [4] Originally conceived in the 1960s, the film was in and out of production for nearly three decades due to independent funding and ambitiously complex animation. [49], Alex Williams, the son of the original director who also worked on the film before it was re-edited, criticised changes made by Calvert and Miramax, called the finished film "more or less unwatchable" and found it "hard to find the spirit of the film as it was originally conceived". [33][34], The Completion Bond Company asked television animation producer Fred Calvert to do a detailed analysis of the production status. This Page is dedicated to informing people about the original. Price was hired to make the villain more enjoyable for Williams, as he was a great fan of Price's work and Zigzag was based on two people that Williams hated. But the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. Menu. It has never been seen the way it was intended to be seen until now. [39] The Miramax version has been said to resemble a rip-off of Aladdin. His love interest is Princess Yum Yum. [6][10][39] The problem in creating a high-quality restoration is that after the Completion Bond Company had finished the film, many scenes by Williams that were removed disappearedmany of these had fallen into the hands of private parties. The 2006 DVD was found by most reviewers to be unsatisfactory, with the only extra features being trailers for other Weinstein Company family films. Williams was just as hard on himself, with animator Roger Vizard stating, "He was the first person in the morning and the last one out at night. Tomm Moore, the director of all three films, said, "Some friends in college and I were inspired by Richard Williams's unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler and the Disney movie Mulan, which took indigenous traditional art as the starting point for a beautiful style of 2D animation. One so grand that it transcends pastiche of his forefathers and friends of the industry. I had two assistant directors - one who spoke French and one who spoke Tunisian. In December 1994, Miramax Films, then a subsidiary of Disney (which had already released Aladdin first), bought the North American rights to the film, which had already been rejected by several other American distributors. However, Connery's name remains credited as Tack in the end credits of the "Recobbled Cut" version. Some minor changes were made to "make it feel more like a finished film", like adding more music and replacing some bits of audio and storyboards with those from the Princess and the Cobbler version of the film. Developed concurrently with his studio's contract work, Williams spent the rest of the decade in pre-production of an animated feature film based around the stories of the 13th-century folk hero. But the mystics had also foretold that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things. This is also, to date, the final film to feature Stanley Baxter. He steals the repaired shoe from Tack, prompting the cobbler to chase him through the palace. The Thief and the Cobbler (1993) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Williams said that his idea was "to make the best animated film that has ever been madethere really is no reason why not. Because Williams did not participate in the documentary, it is instead a documentary from the perspective of animators and artists who had worked with Richard Williams and his studio during the film's lengthy production. The Miramax version was set to be released by Miramax Home Entertainment on VHS in December 1995, five months after its theatrical release. It was a regular event. [44] These releases are now out of print as further scheduling of the Region 1 release has yet to commence as of 2023. By BOSLEY CROWTHER. During production under Allied Filmmakers, four musical numbers were added: "It's So Amazing", "Am I Feeling Love", "She Is More", and "Bom Bom Bom Beem Bom". What is the Spanish language plot outline for The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)? That night, the trees come to life and attack them. In 1964, Richard Williams, a Canadian animator living in the United Kingdom, was running an animation studio assigned to animate commercials and special sequences for live-action films. [58] Gilchrist's YouTube account, "TheThiefArchive", now serves as an unofficial video archive of Richard Williams' films, titles, commercials, and interviews, including footage from the Nasrudin production. [10] For years, Richard Williams was devastated by the film's production and had never publicly discussed it since then. The studio produced eye-popping hand-drawn animation for short subjects, television specials, sequences in feature films, and thousands of commercials for everything from Tic-Tacs to cigarettes. "[8] The New York Times called it "a great big Eastman coloured dumb show" which "moves at a snail's pace in cardboard oriental settings. With Thief, Williams began planning several sequences to feature a greater use of this technique, including Tack and the Thief's palace chase, which was achieved without computer-generated imagery. The Thief and the Cobbler: The Tragic Tale of an Unfinished Masterpiece By Michael McCarrick Published Jun 14, 2020 The Thief and the Cobbler could have been one of the greatest animated films of all-time, but it became a cheap Disney knock-off. "before destroying the entire tower with a storm cloud. [14], Williams later began promising his new film as a "100-minute Panavision animated epic feature film with a hand-drawn cast of thousands. Williams hired veteran Warner Bros. animator Ken Harris as a chief animator on the project,[14] which was then titled The Amazing Nasrudin. Los Angeles Times 8 Sep 1961: A10. For the decades that followed, Williams and his studio continued to develop the project as its own original story and would fall in and out of production of what he heralded to be his masterpiece; a middle eastern fantasy epic inspired by the Arabian folk tales of One Thousand and One Nights. It took Calvert 18 months to finish the film,[6] which was turned into a Disney-type musical. By the time of the 1992 workprints, she had been replaced by Sara Crowe. Filming was to have started in Rome on 15 July 1960. Williams reportedly agreed to Shakespeare's proposal, but her bid was ultimately rejected by the Completion Bond Company in favor of a cheaper one by Fred Calvert,[37] whom the company had assigned to finish the film as cheaply and quickly as possible. However, due to the lackluster reception of most hand-drawn animated films released during the early 2000s, as well as his tough relationship with then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Roy left the Walt Disney Company in November 2003, and the project was put on hold. Notes From Hollywood Williams hired veteran animators from the golden age of animation, such as Art Babbitt, Emery Hawkins and Grim Natwick, to work at his studio in London and help teach him and his staff. Search the history of over 797 billion "Arabian Knight" redirects here. He had staked so much toil and sacrifice into The Thief and the Cobbler only for it to be taken away from him by an industry that boiled animation down to its most generally audience-appealing attributes. [2][27] Allied's distribution and sales partner Majestic Films began promoting the film in industry trades under the working title Once. At this time, Eberts encouraged Williams to make changes to the script. Karim camps nearby and slips into the camp to steal food and water. RELATED: How 'The Little Prince' Succeeds as a Love Letter to the Classic Story. Williams is featured in the documentary, through archival interviews. The Thief and the Cobbler (1995) Trailer (VHS Capture) - YouTube 0:00 1:22 The Thief and the Cobbler (1995) Trailer (VHS Capture) retro VHS trailers 49K subscribers Subscribe 286 77K views 9. ASIFA-San Francisco benefit appearance, Balboa Theater, San Francisco, California. [28] This plan did not come to pass. I can't stand this film being so obscure. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 13:43, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Thief_of_Baghdad_(1961_film)&oldid=1141726162, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 13:43. According to animator Michael Sporn, Paul Matthews was an African-American delivery person with a deep, dark voice whom Williams met in an elevator on the way to a rehearsal space during production on Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure. I am not surprised that the suits decided to scrap this because it is my honest opinion that said executives are screened before promotion to make sure they are sans grey matter. ^e Sims' voice for the Witch was mostly re-dubbed by Marshall, but a few lines spoken by Sims were retained after she first fully materializes and when she receives her chest of money all the way up to the part when she's in a basket lighting a match to the fumes. The Thief of Baghdad (Italian: Il ladro di Bagdad) is a 1961 film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Steve Reeves.[4]. A commercially released North American DVD of the Miramax version was released by Miramax Family on 8 March 2005. [50] In 2010, however, he discussed the film during an interview about his silent animated short Circus Drawings, a project he shelved in the 1960s before he started work on The Thief. In 2001, this pan and scan DVD was released through Canadian studio Alliance Atlantis, which, at the time, distributed many of Miramax's films in Canada. After over two decades of work, the film was taken away from Williams when he couldnt meet his deadline. However, the prints of "Arabian Knight" only use a black background behind the credits. [6][8] He made a workprint which combined finished footage, pencil tests, storyboards, and movements from the symphonic suite Scheherazade to cover the 1015 minutes left to finish. Nearly 30 years in the making, a labor of love by a team of animation greats, this was to be the masterpiece of Williams career, perhaps the most ambitious independent animated film ever conceived. However, after Roy's death in 2009, the project was officially called off. Most of the suitors flee, but Karim uses a torch to fight off the trees, after which the Second Door appears. Several radically altered versions of the film were released by separate companies: The Princess and the Cobbler by Allied Filmmakers, and Arabian Knight by Miramax Films. After Natwick died, Williams would animate the Witch himself. Nearly 30 years in the making, The Thief and the Cobbler has been widely regarded as "the greatest animated film never made", despite receiving multiple theatrical and home video releases in the. The film was conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams, who worked for nearly three decades on the project. After a brief scuffle, the thief reluctantly gives up and leaves Tack with the balls. When Tack upsets ZigZag the Vizier, the wizard drags him off to the royal castle, where Princess YumYum falls for the bashful boy and saves . Though this rendition of the film will forever be . [32] Meanwhile, Walt Disney Feature Animation had begun work on Aladdin, a film that bore striking resemblances in story, style and character to The Thief and the Cobbler; for example, the character Zigzag from Thief shares many physical characteristics with both Aladdin's villain Jafar, and its Genie, as animated by Williams Studio alumnus Andreas Deja and Eric Goldberg. [8][15] He later stated, "In hindsight we should have just gone to Europe, take another five years, made it on our own, and then go to a distributor and get people who find it as a novelty."[30]. Holds the record for the longest production schedule of a completed feature movie, twenty-eight years. Here's to a forever unfinished work, may it have many glorious years of re-editing and imagining. The Thief and the Cobbler: Recobbled Cut Episode aired Feb 14, 2014 IMDb RATING 8.6 /10 20 YOUR RATING Rate Animation Talk-Show Animat talks about The Thief And The Cobbler: The Recobbled Cut and gives his thoughts on it. "[21] Williams was planning to later finish these sequences when the financing would come in. Although Roger Rabbit ran over budget before animation production began, the success of the film proved that Williams could work within a studio structure and turn out high-quality animation on time and within budget. Sullivan Bluth Studios, the Dublin-based studio headed by former Disney animator Don Bluth, animated the first song sequence "She Is More", and Kroyer Films produced the second number "Am I Feeling Love?". They ride through and find themselves in a forest. He was inspired to do the greatest work of his career, even at the expense of financial security and time management, for the sake of the art form. [14] Williams' current wife Imogen Sutton suggested him to finance Thief with European backers, citing his appreciation of foreign films. With Cobbler, Williams sought to elevate the art of animation to a level of artistry the medium had yet to achieve even in the days of Walt Disney. Throughout his career, Williams was driven to show the true power that animation has as an art form and that, if masterfully done, can do things that no other medium could. "[6] Originally planning to release the Princess and the Cobbler version, then-Miramax president Harvey Weinstein decided to recut the film even further[39] and released their version entitled Arabian Knight. According to Garrett Gilchrist, however, this anecdote is false,[18] as Calvert and people from the Completion Bond Company were visiting the studio more often towards the end of production. Williams stated that he did not intend to follow "the Disney route" with his film, stating that it would be "the first animated film with a real plot that locks together like a detective story at the end." The studio missed two deadlines, and the scene was completed in late 1979 for $250,000. In 1986, Williams met producer Jake Eberts, who began funding the production through his Allied Filmmakers company and eventually provided US$10 million of the film's $28 million budget. When the thief sneaks into Tack's house, the two get stitched together and stumble outside, causing Tack's tacks to fall onto the street. In the time of the Arabian Nights, the city of Baghdad was ruled by Sultan Ali Bajazeth but actually controlled by the scheming Grand Vizier Ghamal. "[9], Diabolique magazine said the film "has bright colours and Tunisian locations but is hurt by a wonky screenplay and uncertainty how much fantasy to put in."[10]. It maintained a cult following.[7]. The Thief and the Cobbler (also The Princess and the Cobbler, or Arabian Knight, depending on which version you're watching) is a legendary attempt by master animator Richard Williams to create the greatest animated feature ever. Don't put it in colour. Screenplay by Richard Williams and Margaret French, Produced by Imogen Sutton and Richard Williams, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). The Thief And The Cobbler - Clamshell Case Rare OOP VHS Tape Animated. [50], The Recobbled Cut has been revised three times in 2006, 2008, and 2013. and hopefully getting it released in some form to the public. Garrett Gilchrist and Helge Bernhardt of the Recobbled Cut and Richard Williams Archive provided rare materials to Schreck for his production, which was funded via Kickstarter. Tack is brought before King Nod and his daughter, Princess Yum-Yum. [10][8] The animation department at Warner Bros. had put their enthusiasm towards high-quality television animation, but had little confidence towards backing feature animation. The work done by Williams and his team garnered the studio international acclaim and industry notoriety, attracting the attention of prospective talents and employers the world over. Warner Bros. had signed a deal with the Completion Bond Company to ensure that the studio would be given a finished film, otherwise they would finish The Thief under their management. Jean MacCurdy, Warner Bros.' then-head of animation, did not know anything about animation, as she admitted to an artist who had worked for Williams while she was seeing footage of The Thief. 2023 JustWatch - All external content remains the property of the rightful owner. Watch the restoration The film can be streamed via YouTube. Karim arrives and uses the magic jewel to create an army of Karims, which, armed only with clubs, defeats Osman and his army. So the work was difficult. The main difference is that the Australian release kept the thief silent. on the Internet. $17.99 + $3.65 shipping. 1993, Kids & family/Action, 1h 12m. For the comic book character, see, An unreleased poster made near the end of the film's production, before it was taken from Williams, (Clive Revill re-recorded a few lines for the Miramax version), Production under Warner Bros. (19891992), Production under Fred Calvert (19921993), Other animated films with long production histories. [14][24] Williams also allowed animators like Natwick and Babbitt to work on the studio assignments, such as the 1977 feature Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. Steven Spielberg saw the footage of The Thief and was impressed enough that he and Robert Zemeckis asked Williams to direct the animation of Zemeckis' film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Karim sneaks into the palace, waylays Osman, and impersonates the prince, using the opportunity to steal jewels from all of the assembled courtiers. 2.5K 103 6 Hello! His karaoke favorites include singing Rainbow Connection as Kermit the Frog and Frank Sinatra's My Way as Goofy. Warner Bros. pulled out and a completion bond company assumed control of the film. Williams began development work on a film based on the stories, with Shah and his family championing production. Directed by Richard Williams Screenplay by Richard Williams and Margaret French Master animator Ken Harris TV Shows. Come the late 80s, Williams talents caught the attention of producer/director team Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, who hired Williams for a film that aimed to bring the golden age of cartoons back to life through a groundbreaking blend of live-action and animation. 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