The Singing Princess  (1949)

Theatrical Release Information:
The Singing Princess

Released in the U.S. at the same time as the animated Italian feature I Fratelli Dinamite, La Rosa di Bagdad demonstrated that Disney held no monopoly on clever cartoonery. Inspired by the Arabian Nights, the story concerns a beautiful princess, a poor-but-honest hero, an evil sultan, and a slave of the lamp. Reviewers in 1949 were much taken by director Anton Gina Domeghini's clever choice of camera angles, and by Ricardo Pick Mangiagalli's musical score. Unfortunately, the film is generally unavailable today, denying audiences the opportunity of comparing La Rosa di Bagdad to its spiritual offspring Aladdin. Reportedly, the film was released to American television in excerpted, serialized form in the late 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide