Ali Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the Arabian Nights. He falls asleep and dreams he is in Baghdad as an advisor to the Sultan (Young). He organizes work programs, taxes the rich, and abolishes the army, in a spoof of Roosevelt's New Deal. This film was the second of three in which Shirley Temple and Cesar Romero appeared together, second was Wee Willie Winkie (1937) and The Little Princess (1939).
The cast also includes Gypsy Rose Lee, using the stage name of Louise Hovick, as the Sultana.
The Raymond Scott Quintette also appears, performing "Twilight In Turkey."
Contents
Plot
A movie company is doing the Arabian Nights when a hobo enters their camp, falls asleep and dreams he's back in Baghdad as advisor to the Sultan. In a spoof of Rosevelt's New Deal, he organizes work programs, taxes the rich and abolishes the army.
Cast
Eddie Cantor as Ali Baba/Aloysius 'Al' Babson
Tony Martin as Yusuf/Announcer at Premiere
Roland Young as Sultan
June Lang as Princess Miriam
Gypsy Rose Lee as Sultana
Raymond Scott as Orchestra Leader
John Carradine as Ishak/Broderick
Virginia Field as Dinah
Alan Dinehart as Boland
Douglass Dumbrille as Prince Musah
Maurice Cass as Omar, The Rug Maker
Warren Hymer as Tramp
Stanley Fields as Tramp
Paul Hurst as Captain
Sam Hayes as Radio Announcer/Assistant Director
Sidney Fields as Assistant Director
Ferdinand Gottschalk as Chief Councilor
Charles Lane as Doctor
Jeni Le Gon as Specialty Dancer
The Peters Sisters as Specialty Act
The Pearl Twins as Specialty Dancers
Uncredited Guests At Premiere:
Phyllis Brooks as Herself
Dolores del Río as Herself
Douglas Fairbanks as Himself
Jack Haley as Himself
Sonja Henie as Herself
Victor McLaglen as Himself
Tyrone Power as Himself
The Ritz Brothers as Themselves
Cesar Romero as Himself
Ann Sothern as Herself
Shirley Temple as Herself
Production
Two men were killed and two injured on August 27, 1937, when the flying carpet rig collapsed in the studio. The "carpet" was a 1,500-pound (680 kg) platform suspended high above the floor by piano wires attached to the four corners. The platform fell while it was being tested; none of the actors were on set. Three workmen had been riding on the carpet, with one, camera grip Harry Harsha, dying from his injuries the next day, and 48-year-old actor and prop man Philo Goodfriend was crushed to death underneath. Goodfriend had also been the commodore of Santa Monica Yacht Club.
Cultural references
A clip from Ali Baba Goes to Town is shown in the film The Day of the Locust (1975), in which Karen Black plays an aspiring actress in 1930s Hollywood. A brief shot of Black is edited into the Ali Baba footage to create the impression that her character played a bit role in that film.
Some scenes from Ali Baba Goes to Town are described in detail in Swing Time by Zadie Smith. The character Tracey resembles the dancer Jeni LeGon, who performs in the film.