A Lad in Bagdad
A Lad in Bagdad is the 165th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on July 1, 1968, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.[1]
| A Lad in Bagdad | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Paul J. Smith |
| Produced by | Walter Lantz |
| Story by | Cal Howard |
| Starring | Grace Stafford Daws Butler |
| Music by | Walter Greene |
| Animation by | Al Coe Les Kline |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 minutes |
| Language | English |
Plot
The cartoon starts in the eponymous city, in which the narrator describes as an exciting land of enchantment and mystery. We see a flying carpet traveling over the landscape, on which Woody is the passenger. While Woody looks at every direction, the carpet driver tells him that the place you get off, and he pushes an invisible switch that makes Woody falls to the ground below. A man resting in a bed full of spices notices him falling right on it, so he gets off. Luckily for Woody, the spices do not hurt him. It just makes him bounce a few times. When he notices the spices are really rubber spices, he calls the man a stickfaker, before he drives out the woodpecker from the place. Next, he see a snake charmer performing his trick, by making his snake dances as he plays his flute. Woody then looks in the bag in which the snake is, and than says Hey, what you're doing in the there?. The snake turns out to be just a puppet played by a man. Enraged after begin discovered by the woodpecker, he calls Woody a wiseguy and punches him, ordering him to scram out. He saw another man with a rope. The man tells him to watch the famous Indian Rope Skill, while he throws the rope to something and starts climbing it. Woody wonders how he did that, so he burns the rope with a lighter, causing the man to fall with his rear on fire. He drives him away.
Woody then notices another person from Bagdad selling magic lamps. The person tries to sell one to the woodpecker, but he doesn't believe it and calls him a fake. The man convinces Woody to rub the lamp and wish for something. Woody does, but before he could actually say his wish, the man produces a yellow kitten out of his hat and gives to him as his wish. Woody obviously didn't wish this, but he buys the lamp anyway. Woody rubs the lamp again for a wish, and a real genie comes out of it. Even the man who sells the lamp to Woody is surprised by this, and as so he's willing to get the lamp back. Woody then wishes for a dish of ice cream. However, the genie produces a vanilla one, which Woody dislikes. He asks the genie to produce one of either strawberry or chocolate, but the genie can't make any of these. Woody throws the vanilla ice cream away, right in the face of the con man, who was about to catch him. The genie notices him, and hides in his lamp. The man steals the lamp from Woody, and he wishes for a cattle pie. The genie produces one... but he throws it right in his face. The genie takes the kitten of the man's hat and with his magic, turns the kitten into a lion which chases the man away.
Woody is seen walking with the lamp over the streets of Bagdad. The man appears out of a vase and tries to stab Woody with a sword, but he ducks in time. The genie whispers something in Woody's ears and produces a dynamite stick. Knowing what to do, Woody throws the dynamite in the vase, blowing it up with the man inside of it. Woody is seen wishing for something, but before he could complete, the man steals the lamp from him again. He runs into nearly a lake. He wishes for a boat, only for a goat hitting him right into the lake, where he was almost swallowed by a crocodile. Woody takes the lamp back, and genie advises him to take care of it.
The man grabs Woody by the neck and demands the lamp. Woody gives it, and the man puts it over his hat. But it disappears, with his head. The genie pops out of his lamp, and kicks his rear, making the man's head to pop out. The genie advice Woody again to take care better of his lamp, and that he could only make one last wish. The man then grabs the lamp with a stick, causing the genie to exits it and advises Woody. The man escapes away with a magic blue carpet. Woody and The Genie found a red one and ride it. Soon, a carpet chase in the sky happens. The two threatens him by throwing eggs at his head. The man asks for help, and rubs the lamp, even though there's no genie in there.
Woody and The Genie then fly down with their carpet quickly enough to rip off some parts of the man's carpet. When they finish with it, the man is left falling. Woody then trades his parachute for the lamp, of which the man accepts for saving his life. To his dismay, that parachute only contains a large anchor which helps for his fall. Meanwhile, Woody and the Genie land safely on land. Woody remembers the dark-eyed genie that he has one more wish. The genie suggests Woody wishes for a pie. As he wishes for that, the genie produces one and gives him... by throwing it right on his face. Woody ends this cartoon with a sad version of his laugh.
References
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 157–158. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.