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Ali Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 film 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.
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."
A clip from Ali Baba Goes to Town is shown in the movie 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.
Original Release
10/15/1937
US Release
10/15/1937
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Eddie Cantor | Ali Baba / Aloysius Babson/Ali Baba/Eddie Cantor |
Tony Martin | Tony Martin / Yusuf / Yusuf/Tony Martin |
Roland Young | Sultan |
June Lang | June Lang / Princess Miriam / Princess Miriam/June Lang |
Gypsy Rose Lee | Louise Hovick / Sultana / Sultana/Louise Hovick (billed as Louise Hovick) |
Raymond Scott and His Quintet | Raymond Scott Quintete |
John Carradine | Broderick / Ishak |
Virginia Field | Dinah / Dinah/Dina |
Alan Dinehart | Boland |
Douglass Dumbrille | Prince Musah |
Directors
Writers
Harry Tugend, Jack Yellen, Gene Towne, C. Graham Baker, Gene Fowler
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Eddie Cantor | Ali Baba / Aloysius Babson/Ali Baba/Eddie Cantor |
Tony Martin | Tony Martin / Yusuf / Yusuf/Tony Martin |
Roland Young | Sultan |
June Lang | June Lang / Princess Miriam / Princess Miriam/June Lang |
Gypsy Rose Lee | Louise Hovick / Sultana / Sultana/Louise Hovick (billed as Louise Hovick) |
Raymond Scott and His Quintet | Raymond Scott Quintete |
John Carradine | Broderick / Ishak |
Virginia Field | Dinah / Dinah/Dina |
Alan Dinehart | Boland |
Douglass Dumbrille | Prince Musah |
Maurice Cass | Omar - The Rug Maker / Omar |
Warren Hymer | Tramp |
Stanley Fields | Tramp |
Paul Hurst | Captain |
Sam Hayes | Radio Announcer |
Douglas Wood | Selim |
Sid Fields | Assistant Director |
Ferdinand Gottschalk | Chief Councilor |
Charles Lane | Doctor |
Peters Sisters | Specialty / Themselves |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Laurence Schwab | Producer |
Editors
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
1938 | Oscar | Best Dance Direction | Nominated |