The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) - full transcript
Based on stories from "The Arabian Nights." A wicked sorcerer tricks Prince Achmed into riding a magical flying horse. The heroic prince is able to subdue the magical horse, which he uses to fly off to many adventures. While travelling, he falls in love with the beautiful Princess Peri Banu, and must defeat an army of demons to win her heart. The entire film is animated using the silhouette technique, which employs movable cardboard and metal cutouts posed in front of illuminated sheets of glass.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
The Sorcerer
Dinarzade
Ach med
Peri Banu
Aladdin
The Witch
Great was the power
of the African Sorcerer.
In the city of the Caliph, they were
celebrating the ruler's birthday.
The Great Caliph.
"A magic horse, my exulted Caliph.
It flies through the air."
Princess Dinarzade,
the Caliph's daughter.
Prince Achmed,
her brother.
"Gold cannot buy this horse!"
"So choose among my treasures!"
"May I take what I most desire?"
"By the beard of the Prophet!"
End of Act 1
Act 2
The Story of Prince Achmed
"How can one bring the horse
back to Earth?"
"The lever at the head
drives it into the air."
"The lever at the tail
brings it to Earth."
"Does the Prince know this?"
Far, far away from home, he finally lands
on one of the magic islands of Wak-Wak.
Prince Achmed was
young and brave,
and eager for adventure.
"Who are you, maidens?"
"We serve Peri Banu,
ruler of the spirit world of Wak-Wak."
"Stay with us, handsome stranger!"
On the neighbouring island,
in a magic lake...
...beautiful Peri Banu bathes
every night with her attendants.
"Give me my cloak of feathers!"
"Come with me
to my beautiful homeland."
Thus Peri Banu was kidnapped
from the Lands of the Demons.
The horse carried her
to far-away China.
"Don't be afraid of me..."
will be your servant until I die."
"You don't know the demons
of Wak-Wak!"
"They will kill you!"
"Allah's mercy will protect us,
if you become my wife."
Meanwhile, the Sorcerer
searched for his magic horse.
"We will find our home,
and you will forget Wak-Wak."
"I'll follow you!"
"The Prince sends you this garment..."
am to lead you to him!"
End of Act 2
Act 3
Adventures in China.
The Chinese Emperor.
The Emperor's favourite.
The Sorcerer brought Peri Banu here,
to sell her to the Emperor.
The Emperor smiled
on the gracious Peri Banu.
"Kill her or marry her!"
"Now, my brave Prince,
I will return to your sister!"
In this mountain
dwelt the Sorcerer's greatest enemy:
the Fire Mountain Witch.
"How dare you come
to my magic mountain?"
"The African Sorcerer
brought me here."
"Stop! He is my greatest enemy!"
"And we are friends!"
The Bridegroom.
"Help me free Peri Banu!"
"I fear no spirits!"
"With these weapons
you can conquer the spirits."
The Bride.
"Down there,
Peri Banu is getting married."
"We must stop the wedding!"
The demons of Wak-Wak
were searching for their mistress.
"Take me to Wak-Wak!"
THE GATES OF WAK-WAK
OPEN ONLY TO THE ONE
WHO
THE
MAGIC LAMP OF ALADDIN
POSSESSES.
End of Act 3
Act 4
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.
"I am Aladdin."
"Where's the Magic Lamp?"
"Do you not have it?"
"Let me tell you the story!"
"I was a poor tailor
in the city of the Caliph."
"One day a mysterious stranger
paid me a visit."
"This is Dinarzade,
the Caliph's daughter."
"You shall have her,
if you do me a favour!"
"He led me to a high mountain."
The Magic Lamp
"Get the lamp!"
"Give the lamp to me!"
"Let me out first!"
"So die! I have other ways
to get the lamp!"
"I languished in the dark cave,
until I succeeded in lighting the lamp."
"What is your command,
O Master?"
"I am your servant.
I and all the spirits of the lamp!"
"Take me home!"
"Now I knew I could win
the Princess Dinarzade!"
"Overnight, I built
a splendid palace for her."
"In the morning, the Caliph visited
the enchanted building."
"She became my wife."
"The Caliph is my father,
Dinarzade my sister."
"Tell me what happened after!"
"One day, everything vanished,
the palace, Dinarzade and the lamp."
"I fled before the fury of the Caliph!"
"I set out to sea."
"A fearful storm broke."
"And so you found me."
"Do you know who did this to you?"
"The African Sorcerer!"
"He coveted Dinarzade."
“Hurry, Achmed,
and flee Peri Baum.“
"The spirits want to kill her,
because she followed you."
"The Sorcerer has stolen
the Magic Lamp!"
"Only the lamp can open
the gates to Wak-Wak!"
"Kill the Sorcerer,
and the lamp is yours!"
"Kill him!"
"I will try!"
"Your enemy is dead!"
End of Act 4
Act 5
The Spirit Battle of Wak-Wak.
The spirits rose up
against their faithless mistress.
"Prince Achmed stands
before the gates!"
"Bring out Peri Banu!"
"Go on, Aladdin!
Summon the spirits of the lamp!"
But the spirits of darkness
were one step ahead of him.
Aladdin was overwhelmed.
"Oh no! The lamp!"
Then the Witch intervened.
Flocks of benevolent spirits
streamed from the magic lamp.
"Behold! The palace!"
"Return, and be happy
in the land of the mortals!"
"Dinarzade must be in the palace!"
The towers of the Caliph's city
appeared before them.
"Aladdin's palace has returned!"
Meanwhile, the call to morning prayer
sounded from the minarets.
The End.
The Sorcerer
Dinarzade
Ach med
Peri Banu
Aladdin
The Witch
Great was the power
of the African Sorcerer.
In the city of the Caliph, they were
celebrating the ruler's birthday.
The Great Caliph.
"A magic horse, my exulted Caliph.
It flies through the air."
Princess Dinarzade,
the Caliph's daughter.
Prince Achmed,
her brother.
"Gold cannot buy this horse!"
"So choose among my treasures!"
"May I take what I most desire?"
"By the beard of the Prophet!"
End of Act 1
Act 2
The Story of Prince Achmed
"How can one bring the horse
back to Earth?"
"The lever at the head
drives it into the air."
"The lever at the tail
brings it to Earth."
"Does the Prince know this?"
Far, far away from home, he finally lands
on one of the magic islands of Wak-Wak.
Prince Achmed was
young and brave,
and eager for adventure.
"Who are you, maidens?"
"We serve Peri Banu,
ruler of the spirit world of Wak-Wak."
"Stay with us, handsome stranger!"
On the neighbouring island,
in a magic lake...
...beautiful Peri Banu bathes
every night with her attendants.
"Give me my cloak of feathers!"
"Come with me
to my beautiful homeland."
Thus Peri Banu was kidnapped
from the Lands of the Demons.
The horse carried her
to far-away China.
"Don't be afraid of me..."
will be your servant until I die."
"You don't know the demons
of Wak-Wak!"
"They will kill you!"
"Allah's mercy will protect us,
if you become my wife."
Meanwhile, the Sorcerer
searched for his magic horse.
"We will find our home,
and you will forget Wak-Wak."
"I'll follow you!"
"The Prince sends you this garment..."
am to lead you to him!"
End of Act 2
Act 3
Adventures in China.
The Chinese Emperor.
The Emperor's favourite.
The Sorcerer brought Peri Banu here,
to sell her to the Emperor.
The Emperor smiled
on the gracious Peri Banu.
"Kill her or marry her!"
"Now, my brave Prince,
I will return to your sister!"
In this mountain
dwelt the Sorcerer's greatest enemy:
the Fire Mountain Witch.
"How dare you come
to my magic mountain?"
"The African Sorcerer
brought me here."
"Stop! He is my greatest enemy!"
"And we are friends!"
The Bridegroom.
"Help me free Peri Banu!"
"I fear no spirits!"
"With these weapons
you can conquer the spirits."
The Bride.
"Down there,
Peri Banu is getting married."
"We must stop the wedding!"
The demons of Wak-Wak
were searching for their mistress.
"Take me to Wak-Wak!"
THE GATES OF WAK-WAK
OPEN ONLY TO THE ONE
WHO
THE
MAGIC LAMP OF ALADDIN
POSSESSES.
End of Act 3
Act 4
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.
"I am Aladdin."
"Where's the Magic Lamp?"
"Do you not have it?"
"Let me tell you the story!"
"I was a poor tailor
in the city of the Caliph."
"One day a mysterious stranger
paid me a visit."
"This is Dinarzade,
the Caliph's daughter."
"You shall have her,
if you do me a favour!"
"He led me to a high mountain."
The Magic Lamp
"Get the lamp!"
"Give the lamp to me!"
"Let me out first!"
"So die! I have other ways
to get the lamp!"
"I languished in the dark cave,
until I succeeded in lighting the lamp."
"What is your command,
O Master?"
"I am your servant.
I and all the spirits of the lamp!"
"Take me home!"
"Now I knew I could win
the Princess Dinarzade!"
"Overnight, I built
a splendid palace for her."
"In the morning, the Caliph visited
the enchanted building."
"She became my wife."
"The Caliph is my father,
Dinarzade my sister."
"Tell me what happened after!"
"One day, everything vanished,
the palace, Dinarzade and the lamp."
"I fled before the fury of the Caliph!"
"I set out to sea."
"A fearful storm broke."
"And so you found me."
"Do you know who did this to you?"
"The African Sorcerer!"
"He coveted Dinarzade."
“Hurry, Achmed,
and flee Peri Baum.“
"The spirits want to kill her,
because she followed you."
"The Sorcerer has stolen
the Magic Lamp!"
"Only the lamp can open
the gates to Wak-Wak!"
"Kill the Sorcerer,
and the lamp is yours!"
"Kill him!"
"I will try!"
"Your enemy is dead!"
End of Act 4
Act 5
The Spirit Battle of Wak-Wak.
The spirits rose up
against their faithless mistress.
"Prince Achmed stands
before the gates!"
"Bring out Peri Banu!"
"Go on, Aladdin!
Summon the spirits of the lamp!"
But the spirits of darkness
were one step ahead of him.
Aladdin was overwhelmed.
"Oh no! The lamp!"
Then the Witch intervened.
Flocks of benevolent spirits
streamed from the magic lamp.
"Behold! The palace!"
"Return, and be happy
in the land of the mortals!"
"Dinarzade must be in the palace!"
The towers of the Caliph's city
appeared before them.
"Aladdin's palace has returned!"
Meanwhile, the call to morning prayer
sounded from the minarets.
The End.