"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 it from Syrian storyteller Hanna Diyab. As one of the most popular ''Arabian Nights'' tales, it has been widely retold and performed in many media across the world, especially for children (for whom the more violent aspects of the story are often suppressed). In the original version, Ali Baba ( ar, علي بابا ') is a poor woodcutter and an honest person who discovers the secret of a thieves' den, and enters with the magic phrase " open sesame". The thieves try to kill Ali Baba, but Ali Baba's faithful slave-girl foils their plots. Ali Baba's son marries her and Ali Baba keeps the secret of the treasure.

Textual history

The tale was added to the story collection '' One Thousand and One Nights'' by one of its European translators, Antoine Galland, who called his volumes ''

Les Mille et Une Nuits ''Les mille et une nuits, contes arabes traduits en français'' ("The Thousand and One Nights, Arab stories translated into French"), published in 12 volumes between 1704 and 1717, was the first European version of ''The Thousand and One Nights' ...

'' (1704–1717). Galland was an 18th-century French Orientalist who heard it in oral form from a Syrian Maronite story-teller, called Hanna Diyab, who came from Aleppo in modern-day Syria and told the story in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. In any case, the earliest known text of the story is Galland's French version. Richard F. Burton included it in the supplemental volumes (rather than the main collection of stories) of his translation (published as '' The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night''). The American Orientalist

Duncan Black MacDonald Duncan Black MacDonald (1863-1943) was an American Orientalist. He studied Semitic languages at Glasgow and then Berlin, before teaching at the Hartford Theological Seminary in the United States starting in 1893, founding the first school in the U.S ...

discovered an Arabic-language manuscript of the story at the Bodleian Library; however, this was later found to be a counterfeit.

Story

Ali Baba and his older brother, ( ar, قاسم ') Cassim (sometimes spelled Kasim), are the sons of a merchant. After their father's death, the greedy Cassim marries a wealthy woman and becomes well-to-do, building on their father's business. Ali Baba marries a poor woman and settles into the trade of a woodcutter. One day, Ali Baba is at work collecting and cutting firewood in the forest, when he happens to overhear a group of 40 thieves visiting their stored treasure. Their treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by a huge rock. It opens on the magic words " open sesame" and seals itself on the words "close sesame". When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself and takes a single bag of gold coins home. Ali Baba and his wife borrow his sister-in-law's

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

to weigh their new wealth. Unbeknownst to them, Cassim's wife puts a blob of wax in the scales to find out what Ali Baba is using them for, as she is curious to know what kind of grain her impoverished brother-in-law needs to measure. To her shock, she finds a gold coin sticking to the scales and tells her husband. Under pressure from his brother, Ali Baba is forced to reveal the secret of the cave. Cassim goes to the cave, taking a donkey with him to take as much treasure as possible. He enters the cave with the magic words. However, in his greed and excitement over the treasure, he forgets the words to get out again and ends up trapped. The thieves find him there and kill him. When his brother does not come back, Ali Baba goes to the cave to look for him, and finds the body quartered and with each piece displayed just inside the cave's entrance, as a warning to anyone else who might try to enter. Ali Baba brings the body home where he entrusts Morgiana ( ar, مرجانة '), a clever slave-girl from Cassim's household, with the task of making others believe that Cassim has died a natural death. First, Morgiana purchases medicines from an

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Amer ...

, telling him that Cassim is gravely ill. Then, she finds an old

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

known as Baba Mustafa whom she pays, blindfolds, and leads to Cassim's house. There, overnight, the tailor stitches the pieces of Cassim's body back together. Ali Baba and his family are able to give Cassim a proper burial without anyone suspecting anything. The thieves, finding the body gone, realize that another person must know their secret, and they set out to track him down. One of the thieves goes down to the town and comes across Baba Mustafa, who mentions that he has just sewn the pieces of a corpse back together. Realizing the dead man must have been the thieves' victim, the thief asks Baba Mustafa to lead the way to the house where the deed was performed. The tailor is blindfolded again, and in this state he is able to retrace his steps and find the house. The thief marks the door with a symbol so the other thieves can come back that night and kill everyone in the house. However, the thief has been seen by Morgiana who, loyal to her master, foils the thief's plan by marking all the houses in the neighborhood similarly. When the 40 thieves return that night, they cannot identify the correct house, and their leader kills the unsuccessful thief in a furious rage. The next day, another thief revisits Baba Mustafa and tries again. Only this time, a chunk is chipped out of the stone step at Ali Baba's front door. Again, Morgiana foils the plan by making similar chips in all the other doorsteps, and the second thief is killed for his failure as well. At last, the leader of the thieves goes and looks himself. This time, he memorizes every detail he can of the exterior of Ali Baba's house. The leader of the thieves pretends to be an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality, bringing with him mules loaded with 38 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 37 hiding the other remaining thieves. Once Ali Baba is asleep, the thieves plan to kill him. Again, Morgiana discovers and foils the plan, killing the 37 thieves in their oil jars by pouring boiling oil on them. When their leader comes to rouse his men, he discovers they are all dead and escapes. The next morning, Morgiana tells Ali Baba about the thieves in the jars. They bury them, and Ali Baba shows his gratitude by giving Morgiana her freedom. To exact revenge, the leader of the thieves establishes himself as a merchant, befriends Ali Baba's son (who is now in charge of the late Cassim's business), and is invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house. However, the thief is recognized by Morgiana, who performs a

sword dance Sword dances are recorded throughout world history. There are various traditions of solo and mock-battle (Pyrrhic) sword dances from Africa, Asia and Europe. General types of sword dance include: *solo dancers around swords – such as t ...

with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the thief's heart, when he is off his guard. Ali Baba is at first angry with Morgiana, but when he finds out the thief wanted to kill him, he is extremely grateful and rewards Morgiana by marrying her to his son. Ali Baba is then left as the only one knowing the secret of the treasure in the cave and how to access it.

Analysis

Classification

The story has been classified in the Aarne–Thompson-Uther classification system as ATU 954, "The Forty Thieves". The tale type enjoys "almost universal ... diffusion".

Variants

A West African version, named ''The Password: Outwitting Thieves'' has been found. Percy Amaury Talbot located a Nigerian variant, called ''The Treasure House in the Bush'', from Ojong Akpan of Mfamosing. An American variant was collected by Elsie Clews Parsons from Cape Verde.

In popular culture

Audio recordings and music

Audio readings/dramatizations include: *

Dick Bentley Charles Walter "Dick" Bentley (14 May 1907 – 27 August 1995) was an Australian-born comedian and actor of radio, stage and screen. He starred with Jimmy Edwards in '' Take It From Here'' for BBC Radio. He was a staple of and pioneer of radio, ...

played Ali Baba in a musical dramatization on

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riverside ...

(RLP 1451)/Golden Wonderland (GW 231). * The story was dramatized for ''

Tale Spinners for Children Tale Spinners for Children was a series of stories and novels adapted for young audiences on vinyl records in the early 1960s. They included a collection of old fairy tales, folklore, literary classics such as ''Don Quixote'' and ''Robinson Cruso ...

'' on

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

(UAC 11018). *

Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969 ...

narrated the story on

Caedmon Records Caedmon Audio and HarperCollins Audio are record label imprints of HarperCollins Publishers that specialize in audiobooks and other literary content. Formerly Caedmon Records, its marketing tag-line was Caedmon: a Third Dimension for the Printe ...

(TC 1251)/ Fontana Records (SFL 14108). *

Martyn Green William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his performances and recordings as principal comedian of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, in t ...

narrated the story on ''Arabian Nights' Entertainment'' (

RLP 1405). * Bing Crosby narrated and sang a version of the story for Simon & Schuster Records (A298:20)/Gala Records (GLP 351). * Bing Crosby recorded the story on 25 April 1957, linking the narrative with songs. This was issued as an album ''

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves "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 hear ...

'' in 1957. * "Main Hoon Alibaba", a song from the 1953 Indian film ''Char Chand'' by

Talat Mehmood Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in acti ...

and Premlata, it narrates the adventures of Ali Baba. * "Alibaba Alibaba", a song by

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in th ...

from '' Alibaba Aur 40 Chor'', a 1966 Indian film. * "Main Alibaba" is a song by K. J. Yesudas from '' Alibaba Marjinaa'', a 1977 Indian film adaptation of the folktale. * "Alibaba Alibaba" is a song about Alibaba and his love for Marjina by Suresh Wadkar and Kavita Krishnamurthy, from the 1982 Indian film '' Jeeo Aur Jeene Do''. * "Ali Baba Ali Baba" is a song about the woodcutter by

Runa Laila Runa Laila ( bn, রুনা লায়লা, ur, ; born 17 November 1952) is a Bangladeshi playback singer and composer. She started her career in Pakistan film industry in the late 1960s. Her style of singing is inspired by Pakistani p ...

and

Aadesh Shrivastava Aadesh Shrivastava (4 September 1964 – 5 September 2015) was a music composer and singer of Indian music. Initially, he had worked as a drummer to music composers including R. D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan before working independently as a music d ...

from the 1990 Indian film ''Agneepath''. *The second track on "super group"

Dark Lotus Dark Lotus was an American hip hop group based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Formed in 1998 as a side project of Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, Dark Lotus was best known as a representative of the horrorcore subgenre. From 1998 to 201 ...

' album ''Tales from the Lotus Pod'' (2001) is titled "Ali Baba". * John Holt sings of the dream he had of Ali Baba in his song titled "Ali Baba". *On the first track on ''

Licensed to Ill ''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records, and became the first rap LP to top the ''Billboard'' album chart. It is one of Columbia ...

'', "Rhymin' & Steelin'", the Beastie Boys chant "Ali Baba and the forty thieves".

Books and comics

* Tom Holt's mythopoeic novel ''Open Sesame'' is based on characters from the story of ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''. * In an

Alvin Alvin may refer to: Places Canada *Alvin, British Columbia United States *Alvin, Colorado *Alvin, Georgia *Alvin, Illinois * Alvin, Michigan *Alvin, Texas * Alvin, Wisconsin, a town *Alvin (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community Other ...

comic book (

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark" ...

No. 10, Jan.-Mar. 1965),

The Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three ...

(Alvin, Theodore, and Simon) join eccentric scientist Dr. Dilby in his time machine. Their first stop is ancient Persia, where they meet Ali Baba and help him fight the 40 Thieves. * Although not a direct adaptation, the characters of Ali Baba, Cassim, and Morgiana as well as part of the concept of the Forty Thieves are featured in the Japanese manga series ''

Magi Magi (; singular magus ; from Latin '' magus'', cf. fa, مغ ) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius t ...

''. In 2012, this manga was adapted to

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 ...

Theatre - Stage

* The story has been used as a popular

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

plot for many years. An example of the "pantomime Ali Baba" was the pantomime/ musical ''

Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of '' Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tal ...

'' (1916). * ''40 Thieves'' (1886) was a pantomime at the

Royal Lyceum Theatre The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by a ...

, Edinburgh. * '' Ali-Baba'' (1887) is an opéra comique, with music by

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable success in the 1870 ...

. * ''Badi-Bandar Rupkatha'' (বাঁদী-বান্দার রূপকথা) is a 2014 Bangladeshi theatrical dance adaption of Ali Baba and Forty Thieves organised by Srishti cultural centre and Nrityanchal. Many leading Bangladeshi dancers performed in the adaption such as Shamim Ara Nipa, Shibli Sadiq, etc.

Theatrical films

Live-action Foreign-language films

* ''Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs'' is a 1902 short silent film directed by

Ferdinand Zecca Ferdinand Zecca (19 February 1864 – 23 March 1947) was a pioneer French film director, film producer, actor and screenwriter. He worked primarily for the Pathé company, first in artistic endeavors then in administration of the international ...

, and possibly the first film adaptation. * ''Alibaba and the Forty Thieves'' is a 1927 Indian silent film adaptation by Bhagwati Prasad Mishra. * ''Alibaba Aur Chalis Chor'' (''Alibaba and the Forty Thieves'') is a 1932 Indian

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

-language feature film by J.J. Madan. *''Alibaba'' is a 1937 Indian

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

-language fantasy-comedy film adaptation by Modhu Bose of Kshirode Prasad Vidyavinode's play based on the story of Ali Baba. It stars Bibhuti Ganguly in the titular role, Sadhana Bose as Marjina and Madhu Bose as Abdullah - the antagonist. *''

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 ...

'' is a 1940 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film by

Mehboob Khan Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907
at filmreference.com. – 28 ...

. The film was a bilingual, made in

Punjabi language Punjabi (; ; , ), sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It has approximately 113 million native speakers. Punjabi is the most widely-spoken first language in Pakistan, with 80.5 ...

as ''Alibaba'' at the same time. It stars Surendra in a double role as Ali Baba and his son along with

Sardar Akhtar Sardar Akhtar (1915–1986) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi and Urdu films. She started her acting career on the Urdu stage. Her early films were with Saroj Movietone, where she did a majority of stunt (action) roles. She came into pr ...

, Ghulam Mohammed and Wahidan Bai. * '' Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum'' (''Alibaba and the Forty Thieves'') is a 1941 Indian

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

-language comedy film adaptation by K. S. Mani. * ''Ali Baba We El Arbeen Haramy'' (1942, in aka ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'') is an Egyptian film adaptation, starring Ali Al-Kassar as Ali Baba and the comedian actor Ismail Yasin as his assistant. * ''Ali Baba'' is a 1945 Indian Hindi-language film adaptation by

Nanubhai Vakil Nanubhai Vakil (23 May 1902 – 29 December 1980) was a Hindi and Gujarati film director. He was the first to make a Gujarati talkie film with a biopic on the saint Narsinh Mehta in 1932. ''Narsinh Mehta's'' (1932) star cast included the actress ...

. * '' Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs'' (1954) is a

French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

starring

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan t ...

and

Samia Gamal Samia Gamal ( ar, سامية جمال, born as Zaynab Khalil Ibrahim Mahfuz, 5 March 1924 – 1 December 1994) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. Biography Born in the small Egyptian town of Wana in March 1924, Samia's family move ...

. * '' Alibaba Aur 40 Chor'' (''Alibaba and 40 Thieves'') is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language fantasy action film directed by Homi Wadi. It stars Mahipal in the titular role and

Shakila Shakila Mohseni Sedaghat ( fa, شکیلا محسنی صداقت, Šakīlā Moḥsenī Sadāqat), known mononymously as Shakila ( fa, شکیلا, Šakīlā; born May 3, 1962), is an Iranian singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. She is ...

as his love interest, Marjina. * ''Son of Ali Baba'' is a 1955 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film by Majnu. It follows the adventures of Ali Baba's son. *'' Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum'' (''Alibaba and the Forty Thieves'') is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language adventure fantasy-drama film by T. R. Sundaram, starring

M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...

in the titular role. *''Khul Ja Sim Sim'' (''Open Sesame'') is a 1956 Indian Hindi-language action film by

, starring Mahipal and

in the lead roles. It starts from when Ali Baba has gained the treasure of the thieves after defeating them but his arrogance grows and he starts using the money for his own pleasure. *''Sim Sim Marjeena'' is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film by Naren Dave, starring Helen and Mahipal in the lead roles. It follows the adventures of Ali Baba and Marjeena, who serves as his love interest here. It is a sequel to 1956's ''Khul Ja Sim Sim''. * ''Aik Tha Alibaba'' (''There was a Alibaba'') is a 1963 Indian Hindi-language action film adaptation by Harbans Singh. * '' Sindbad Alibaba and Aladdin'' is a 1965 Indian Hindi-language musical fantasy-adventure film by Prem Narayan Arora. It features the three most popular characters from the Arabian Nights. * ''

Ali Baba Bujang Lapok ''Ali Baba Bujang Lapok'' ("Ali Baba the Old Bachelor") is a 1961 Malay comedy film directed by, written by and starring Malaysian silver-screen legend P. Ramlee and produced in Singapore by Malay Film Productions Ltd. Based loosely on the sto ...

'' (1960) is a

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n comedy film which quite faithfully adhered to the tale's plot details but introduced a number of anachronisms for humour, for example the usage of a truck instead of donkey by Cassim Baba to steal the robbers' loot. *'' Alibaba Aur 40 Chor'' (''Alibaba and 40 Thieves'') is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

- fantasy film by

Homi Wadia Homi Wadia (22 May 1911 – 10 December 2004) was an Indian film director and producer in Bollywood (Hindi cinema). He was the co-founder of Wadia Movietone productions, established in 1933 and later after the closure of Wadiatone, he founded Ba ...

, starring

Sanjeev Kumar Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. He is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. He acted in genres ranging from romantic dramas to thrille ...

in the lead role. * '' Ali Baba 40 Dongalu'' is a 1970 Indian Telugu-language film by B. Vittalacharya. Based on the folktale, it stars N T Rama Rao in the titular role and Jayalalitha as Marjiana. * ''

Marjina Abdulla ''Marjina Abdulla'' is a 1973 Indian Bengali-language film based on Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves directed by Dinen Gupta. This film has been music directed by Salil Choudhury.The film starring Rabi Ghosh, Gita Dey, Utpal Dutt, Santosh Dutta, ...

'' is a 1973 Indian Bengali-language musical film adaptation by Dinen Gupta, starring

Santosh Dutta Santosh Dutta ( Bengali: সন্তোষ দত্ত; 2 December 1925 – 5 March 1988) was a Bengali actor, best known for playing the character of Jatayu in Satyajit Ray's Feluda movie series ''Sonar Kella'' and '' Joi Baba Felunath''. ...

as Ali Baba, Mithu Mukherjee as Marjina,

Rabi Ghosh Robi Ghosh ( bn, রবি ঘোষ) (24 November 1931 – 4 February 1997) was an Indian actor known for his work in Bengali cinema. He is known for his comic appeal, though his versatile acting talent brought him success in various kin ...

as Abdulla (Marjina's brotherly figure) and

Utpal Dutt Utpal Dutta () (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993) was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Th ...

as the chieftain of the robbers. * ''Ali Baba ve Kırk Haramiler'' (1971, in English: ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'') is a Turkish film, starring

Sadri Alışık Sadri Alışık (born Mehmet Sadrettin Alışık; 5 April 1925 – 18 March 1995) was a Turkish stage and movie actor, and one of the most loved comedians in Turkey. He was the husband of Çolpan İlhan. Biography He was a prolific actor, ap ...

as Ali Baba. * '' Alibabayum 41 Kallanmaarum'' (''Alibaba and 41 Thieves'') is a 1975 Indian

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

-language musical film by

J. Sasikumar Nambiathusseril Varkey John (14 October 1927 – 17 July 2014), better known by his stage name, screen name Sasikumar, was an Indian film director who worked in Malayalam cinema. He has directed more than 141 films in his career which began in ...

, starring Prem Nazir as Ali Baba. * ''Ali Baba'' is a 1976 Indian Hindi-language action adventure-fantasy film, based on the folktale, by Mohammed Hussain. * '' Alibaba Marjinaa'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language action-adventure film by Kedar Kapoor, starring Prem Krishan as Alibaba and Tamanna as Marjinaa. *'' Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves'' is a 1980 Indian-Soviet film based on the folktale, directed by Latif Faiziyev and

Umesh Mehra Umesh is an Indian given name. People * M. S. Umesh, actor * Umesh Chandra Banerjee, jurist * Umesh Chandra Dutta, social reformer * Umesh Chandra Patra, zoologist * Umesh Harijan, footballer * Umesh Kamat, actor * Umesh Kulkarni (cricketer), c ...

. The film stars Indian actors

Dharmendra Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known Mononymous person, mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first "He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has w ...

Hema Malini Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...

and

Zeenat Aman Zeenat Khan (born 19 November 1951), better known as Zeenat Aman, is an Indian actress and former fashion model. She first received recognition for her modelling work, and at the age of 19, went on to participate in beauty pageants, winning both ...

alongside

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

and

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

n actors. The storyline is slightly altered to extend as a long movie. The writers were Shanti Prakash Bakshi and Boris Saakov, the music was scored by musician R.D. Burman, and the Choreographer was P. L. Raj. It was the most successful Indian-Soviet co-production, becoming a success in both India and the Soviet Union. * 新阿里巴巴 (Xin A Li Ba Ba) /New Ali Baba and Forty Thieves is a 1988 Taiwanese Mandarin-language fantasy-comedy directed by Chun-Liang Chen and Ulysses Chun Ouyang starring

Chyi Chin Chyi Chin (; born 12 January 1960) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter and actor. Early life Chyi was born in Taichung, Taiwan. When he was young, his father had a strict daily regimen of study that started at 5 am. His studies varied fro ...

as Ali Baba and

Eric Tsang Eric Tsang Chi-wai (; born 14 April 1953) is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, and television host, best known for hosting the variety show '' Super Trio series'' on the Hong Kong television network TVB over 18 years. He currently hol ...

as Ali Mama. * ''Alibaba Aur 40 Chor'' (''Alibaba and 40 Thieves'') is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language action adventure-drama film by

Sunil Agnihotri Sunil Agnihotri is a Bollywood film and TV producer and director. He has been described as the "king of television costume dramas". Work Sunil Agnihotri started as an assistant director and did many films. His last as an assistant was with Lat ...

. A modern-day retelling of the folktale, it follows Alibaba (

Arbaaz Khan Arbaaz Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 4 August 1967) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Hindi cinema, in addition to Telugu and Malayalam cinema. Since making his debut in 1996, he has acted in many leading and suppor ...

) as he faces off against a local bandit who has been terrorizing his village.

Live-action English-language films

* ''

'' (1944), remade as ''

The Sword of Ali Baba ''The Sword of Ali Baba'' is a 1965 American adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Virgil W. Vogel and written by Edmund Hartmann and Oscar Brodney. The film stars Peter Mann, Jocelyn Lane, Frank McGrath, Gavin MacLeod, Frank Pu ...

'' (1965), reimagines the thieves as freedom fighters against Mongol oppression, and Ali Baba as their leader.

Frank Puglia Francesco Giuseppe "Frank" Puglia (9 March 1892 – 25 October 1975) was an Italian-American film actor. He had small, but memorable roles in films including ''Casablanca'' (a Moroccan rug merchant), ''Now, Voyager'' and ''The Jungle Book''. ...

portrayed the character named Cassim in both versions. * ''

Son of Ali Baba ''Son of Ali Baba'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie. According to the film's trailer, it was made in response to thousands of letters in response to '' The Prince Who Was a ...

'' is a 1952 film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

and

Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''The Hustler'' (1961), ''Carrie (1976 film), Carrie'' (1976), and ''Children of a Lesser God (film), Children of a Lesser God' ...

Morris Ankrum Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) was an American radio, television, and film character actor. Early life Born in Danville in Vermilion County in eastern Illinois, Ankrum originally began a career in ...

plays Ali Baba. * The story of Ali Baba was featured in ''

Inkheart ''Inkheart'' (german: Tintenherz) is a 2003 young adult fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke, and the first book of the ''Inkheart'' series, which was continued with ''Inkspell'' (2005) and ''Inkdeath'' (2007). The novel won the 2004 BookSense Boo ...

'' (2008). One of the 40 Thieves, named Farid (played by Rafi Garven), is brought out of the story by Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and ends up becoming his ally.

Animation - USA

* A '' Comi Color'' cartoon, ''Ali Baba'' (1936) * A ''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves'' (1937), features

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Bluto). * A '' Merrie Melodies''

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Warner Bros. Cartoons, Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring role ...

Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Mel ...

cartoon, ''

Ali Baba Bunny ''Ali Baba Bunny'' is a 1957 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on February 9, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. In 1994, it was voted #35 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by m ...

'' (1957), has a similar premise to the concept of the treasure-filled magical cave. * The Disneytoon Studios film '' DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp'' uses the reference of the folk tale but alters the name of Ali Baba to Collie Baba, the story origins reveals that the DuckTales version of the greatest thief that he stolen the magic lamp from the evil sorcerer name Merlock for good. *In '' Aladdin and the King of Thieves'' (1996), the 40 thieves play an integral part in the story. However, the story is very different from the original Ali Baba story, particularly Cassim's new role as Aladdin's father and the King of Thieves, a title which is given to the leader of the Forty Thieves. *In the animated movie ''Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves-The Lost Scimitar of Arabia'' (2005), Ali Baba, the son of the Sultan of Arabia, is worried about his father's safety when he discovers that the Sultan's evil brother, Kasim, has taken over the throne and is plotting to kill him. With his friends, Ali returns to Arabia and successfully avoids his uncle's henchmen. Out in the desert, Ali becomes the leader of a group of forty men who are ready to fight against Kasim.

Animation - Europe and Asia

* The story was adapted in the 1971

', storyboarded by

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 ...

. * ''

'' is a 1973 Indian

-language musical drama short animated film directed by Rohit Mohra. *Ali Baba appears as a protagonist in the 1975 anime series '' Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures''. This version is portrayed as a young desert raider who befriends Sinbad and accompanies him on his adventures. * In the manga, '' Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic'' (serialized since June 2009), Alibaba appears as another protagonist. At some point in the show, he is shown as the leader of a gang of thieves called Fog Troupe. Morgiana is his loyal friend, whom Alibaba freed from slavery, and Cassim is his friend from the slums, who is constantly jealous of Alibaba and tries to bring him ill fate, when he can. * ''Alibaba'' is a 2002 Indian 3-D animated adventure film by Usha Ganesarajah, produced by Pentamedia Graphics. * ''Alibaba and The Forty Thieves'' is a 2018 Indian 3D-animated film adaptation by V. Murugan.

Television

Live-action

* Indian TV series ''

Alif Laila ''Alif Laila'' is an Indian television series based on the '' One Thousand and One Nights'', also known as the ''Arabian Nights''. It was produced by Sagar Arts. It was made in two seasons. The series from 1993 to 1997 for 143 episodes on DD ...

'', based on the Arabian Nights, had a 14 episode segment on Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. * ''

Princess Dollie Aur Uska Magic Bag ''Princess Dollie Aur Uska Magic Bag'' (trans: Princess Dollie and her magic bag) is an Indian teen fantasy adventure television series produced by Sagar Films (Pvt.Ltd.) for Star Plus channel. The show initially started as teen drama ''Hello ...

'' (2004–2006), an Indian teen fantasy adventure television series on Star Plus where Vinod Singh portrays Ali Baba, one of the main characters in the show along with Sinbad and Hatim. * ''Ali Baba'' (2007) is a French telefilm starring

Gérard Jugnot Gérard Jugnot (; born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Jugnot was one of the founders of the comedy ''troupe'' Le Splendid in the 1970s, along with, among others, his high-school friends Christian C ...

. * In the American/British television mini-series '' Arabian Nights'' (2000), the story is told faithfully with two major changes. The first is: when Morgiana discovers the thieves in the oil jars, she alerts Ali Baba and, together with a friend, they release the jars on a street with a steep incline that allows the jars to roll down and break open. Furthermore, the city guard is alerted and arrest the disoriented thieves as they emerge from their containers. Later, when Morgiana defeats the thief leader, Ali Baba, who is young and has no children, marries the heroine himself. *In the 2019 BBC/FX adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol'', Ali Baba was portrayed by

Kayvan Novak Kayvan Novak ( fa, کیوان نواک; born 23 November 1977) is a British actor and comedian.Kadivar, DariuSyriana breaks Iranian stereotypes, ''Persian Mirror''. Retrieved 3 August 2007. He co-created and starred in the comedy series '' Fon ...

. This was an expansion from a reference to the character in the original novel. *This story was partially used in the 2022 indian fantasy TV series Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul Aired on Sony SAB, where Sheezan Mohammed Khan played the main character of Ali Baba.

Animation

* '' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' televised a "

gender bender A gender bender is a person who dresses up and acts like the opposite sex. Bending expected gender roles may also be called a genderfuck. Gender bending may be political, stemming from the early identity politics movements of the 1960s and 19 ...

" version of ''Ali Baba'' in 1999, featuring the voices of

Jurnee Smollett Jurnee Diana Smollett (born October 1, 1986) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, including '' On Our Own'' (1994–1995) and ''Full House'' (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition ...

as a female Ali Baba,

Tommy Davidson Thomas Davidson (born November 10, 1963) is an American comedian and actor. He was an original cast member on the sketch comedy TV show '' In Living Color'', Mitchell on ''Between Brothers'' (1997-1999), Dexter on '' Malcolm & Eddie'' (1999-200 ...

as Cassim,

Marla Gibbs Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer and television producer, whose career spans six decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, in th ...

as the Grandmother,

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show '' Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 2 ...

as Mamet the Moocher, George Wallace as Baba Mustafa, and

Bruno Kirby Bruno Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.; April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in ''City Slickers'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', '' Good Morning, Vietnam'', ''The Godfather Part II'', and ...

as the Great One. * In ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' episode " Moe Goes from Rags to Riches" (29 January 2012),

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

Scheherazade Scheherazade () is a major female character and the storyteller in the frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. Name According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade'' de ...

, who tells the story to

Nelson Muntz Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and the lead school bully from the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', where he is best known for his signature mocking laugh "Ha-ha!". He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was first intro ...

as King Shahryar. * Elements of Ali Baba were featured in the second ''

Dinosaur King is a Japanese card-based arcade game from Sega that uses similar gameplay mechanics to '' Mushiking''. The game was revealed in JAMMA 2005. A Nintendo DS version was also later released. In the fall of 2008, Upper Deck Company release ...

'' series, from episodes 18 through 21. One of the most common elements of the story featured the 39 Thieves (one of its 40 members was out sick), and it featured the "Open Sesame" phrase. *''Adventures of Ali Baba'' (2018–2019) is an Indian animated television series, produced by

Shilpa Shetty Kundra Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty; Née Shetty; 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi-language films. Shetty made her screen debut in the thriller ''Baazigar'' (1993) which garnered her nominations for two Filmfa ...

, which aired on Colors Rishtey. A modern-day retelling of the folktale, it follows brothers Ali and Baba, who protect dungeons and fight evil forces with their supernatural powers.

Video games

* ''Ali Baba'' (1981) is a computer video game by Quality Software * '' Ali Baba and 40 Thieves'' (1982) is an arcade video game by Sega. * Blade of Ali Baba is a unique item of the video game ''

Diablo II ''Diablo II'' is an action role-playing hack-and-slash video game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and macOS. The game, with its dark fantasy and horror the ...

'' (2000). * A version of Ali Baba appears in ''

Sonic and the Secret Rings is a 2007 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Wii. A spin-off from the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, it is the first title in the franchise for the system, and follows Sonic the Hedgehog's quest to stop an ...

'' (2007), where he is portrayed by the character Tails. * A gang of thieves known as the "Forty Thieves" appears in '' Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time'' (2013). *"Alibaba" appears as the

hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...

alias of

Futaba Sakura ''Persona 5'', a role-playing video game by Atlus, is centered on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a vigilante group of high-school students working to change the hearts of criminals by getting them to confess their crimes through defeating a phy ...

in ''

Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation ...

''. *The story Alibaba and the 40 thieves appears on the website ''

Poptropica ''Poptropica'' is an online role-playing game, developed in 2007 by Pearson Education's Family Education Network, and targeted towards children aged 6 to 15. ''Poptropica'' was primarily the creation of Jeff Kinney, the author of the ''Diary of ...

'' as a playable island. * Alibaba and Morgiana were playable characters in the mobile game '' Grimms Notes'', while the 40 thieves and their leader were enemies. * "Ali Baba's Wee Booties" are a community created weapon for the '' Demoman'' in the video game ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' mod for '' Quake'' and its 1999 remake, '' Team Fortress Classic''. The game was ...

'' (2007)

Military

At the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...

, Cadet Squadron 40 was originally nicknamed "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" before eventually changing its name to the "

P-40 The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

Warhawks". The name "Ali Baba" was often used as derogatory

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

by American and Iraqi soldiers and their allies in the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

, to describe individuals suspected of a variety of offenses related to theft and looting. Additionally, British soldiers routinely used the term to refer to Iraqi civilians. In the subsequent

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

, it is used as a general term for the insurgents. The Iraqis adopted the term "Ali Baba" to describe foreign troops suspected of looting.

Miscellaneous

* Alibaba Group of China used the name because of its universal appeal. * Zero-knowledge proofs are often introduced to students of

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...

with a pedagogical parable involving "Ali Baba's Cave."

Gallery

File:Robida Alibaba page8et9.jpg, A depiction of the Forty Thieves. File:Robida - Ali-baba page6.jpg, The Forty Thieves attack

Cassim This is a list of characters in ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ''The Arabian Nights''), the classic, medieval collection of Middle-Eastern folk tales. Characters in the frame story Scheherazade Scheherazade or Shahrazad ( fa, شهرزاد} ...

. File:Robida - Ali-baba page12.jpg, A member of the Forty Thieves tries to discover the location of the house of Ali Baba. File:Robida - Ali-baba page11.jpg, A member of the Forty Thieves marks the door of Ali Baba File:Robida - Ali-baba page7.jpg, Morgiana pays Baba Mustafa the

Cobbler Cobbler(s) may refer to: *A person who Shoemaking, repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes Places * The Cobbler, a mountain located near the head of Loch Long in Scotland * Mount Cobbler, Australia Art, entertainment and media * The Cobbler (1923 ...

. File:Robida - Ali-baba page13.jpg, Morgiana pours boiling hot

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

into the jars containing the infamous Forty Thieves. File:Robida - Ali-baba page4.jpg, Ali Baba presents treasures from the magical cave of Sesame to Morgiana.

Notes

External links

''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''
(e-text, in English, at Bartleby.com)
''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Arabian Nights''
at the

''The Sword of Ali Baba''
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baba, Ali Fictional Arabs Fictional Iraqi people Fictional outlaws Iraq in fiction Iraqi folklore One Thousand and One Nights characters Fictional people from Baghdad Male characters in fairy tales ATU 650-699 ATU 850-999