Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (1926)

Director:

Lotte Reiniger
(more)

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1929 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

A handsome prince rides a flying horse to faraway lands and embarks on magical adventures, which include befriending a witch, meeting Aladdin, battling demons and falling in love with a princess.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Prince | Sorcerer | Princess | Sister

Directed by
Lotte Reiniger
Carl Koch		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lotte Reiniger		uncredited

Original Music by
Wolfgang Zeller

Cinematography by
Carl Koch		(director of photography) (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ulli Elfert	....	sound engineer (2001 alternate version: Primrose Film Productions Ltd.)
Eberhard Leschin	....	sound engineer (2001 alternate version: Primrose Film Productions Ltd.)
Michael Schubert	....	sound director (2001 alternate version: Primrose Film Productions Ltd.)

Animation Department
Lotte Reiniger	....	animator
Carl Koch	....	animator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Nina Goslar	....	commissioning editor (2001 alternate version)

Music Department
Klaus-Peter Beyer	....	music producer (2001 alternate version)
Helmut Imig	....	conductor: Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg (2001 alternate version)
Torsten Scholz	....	orchestra leader: Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg (2001 alternate version)

Other crew
Berthold Bartosch	....	collaborator (as Berthold Bartose)
Alexander Kardan	....	collaborator
Carl Koch	....	technical director
Walter Ruttmann	....	collaborator (as Walther Ruttmann)
Walter Türk	....	collaborator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Comenius-Film GmbH

Distributors

• Universum Film (UFA) (1926) (Germany) (theatrical)
• University Arts Foundation (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Audio Brandon Films (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Milestone Film & Video (2003) (USA) (TV) (as Milestone Films) (2001 alternate version)
• Facets Multimedia Distribution (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Deutsches Filmmuseum Frankfurt  restoration (2001 alternate version)
• Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg  orchestra (2001 alternate version)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

Runtime:

65 min (24 fps) | USA:66 min (2001 alternate version) | Germany:81 min (18 fps)

Country:

Germany

Color:

Black and White (tinted and toned)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Comenius-Film GmbH

Trivia:

Lotte Reiniger cut figures out of black cardboard with a pair of scissors, and joined movable parts with thread in order to animate them. In the years 1923-1926, about 250,000 frame-by-frame stills were made and 96,000 were used in the film. Her husband, Carl Koch, was responsible for the photography in all her films until his death in 1963.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film (1999) (V)

A beautiful film to look at and experience so many years later

Although "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is most commonly considered to be the first full-length, color-animated film of its kind, in 1926 this adaptation of the "Arabian Nights" stories was created using silhouette animation by Lotte Reiniger, and it's just as wonderful to look at.

She spent three years cutting out the figures to be used in the film, and the result is a visual marvel - I notice my television guide only gave it two and a half stars (from four), less than they gave "Batman Forever," but I fail to see what is unimpressive about this.

The story sees Prince Ahmed going on magical adventures with his flying horse, saving a beautiful princess and so on and so forth. It's the typical fantasy story told extremely well with visual craftsmanship that really makes this worth seeing alone. It's a silent film, only about an hour long, so it's an acquired taste. Film buffs will probably get more out of this than the average viewer, but I really enjoyed it.