The first animated feature to become number one at the box office since The Jungle Book back in 1967, Aladdin was also the highest-grossing animated film of all time to its date, as well as the highest-grossing Walt Disney production to date (surpassed in 1994 by
The Lion King). The reasons were many.
The 31st animated film from Disney, Aladdin was one of the studio's first real cross-over animated pictures, appealing to both children and adults. Children took to the fantasy aspects - once again, a royal princess raised by a single parent, her father the sultan. There was magic and mayhem in old Bagdad, along with a cohesive story, a rich musical score, and great state-of-the-art animation. Adults, on the other hand, were treated not only to all of the above, but to a
Robin Williams laugh fest.
Williams was cast in the role of the magic Genie, the one who lives in the lamp and presents "Al" with his three wishes. But when our hero rubs this lamp, the movie becomes more like "Robin Williams Unplugged." The renowned star of television, screen, and stand-up night clubs, Williams practically stole the picture, at least for the adult audience. Yet although the animation team had Williams in mind from the beginning, the actor almost didn't sign to appear. It wasn't until they presented him with a mock-up of the Genie doing Robin's stand-up routines and comedy records that he was convinced. In fact, he liked it so much that he worked for scale - $485 per day, Screen Actors Guild minimum. According to TV Guide's sources, the studio was so pleased they sent him a token of their gratitude - an original Picasso!
In Aladdin, Robin as the Genie gives a whole new meaning to the term "free spirit" as he ad-libs about 60 different impressions, including Ed Sullivan,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arsenio Hall,
Robert De Niro, and William F. Buckley (apparently a popular figure in fantasy films). This use of contemporary figures was a real departure for Disney, locking an animated feature in time with references to American pop culture, including game shows, recent movie hits, TV commercials, and politics. But it worked, and word of mouth about Williams' antics helped make the film an even bigger hit.
So did the memorable score by
Academy Award winners Alan Manken and Howard Ashman. When Ashman died of AIDS in 1991 before completing the lyrics to all the film's songs, a devastated Menken continued the work with Tim Rice (Andrew Lloyd Webber's former writing partner). The complete soundtrack became one of the hottest albums of the year, and the composers received two out of the five Oscar nominations, winning Best Song with "A Whole New World." The songs also won five
Grammys, including song of the year. The album was also voted best instrumental for a motion picture or television, as well as best children's recording. "A Whole New World" won for best song written specifically for a film and for best pop performance by a duo or group (sung by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle).
The popularity of Aladdin continued long after the film's release. There was the usual merchandise, of course - the lunchboxes, clothing, and toys. The videocassette sold the most units ever for a video to that date. That was followed by an unusual video release of an animated film based on the original movie. The Return of Jafar (1994) went straight to video, rather than having a theatrical release. It, too, proved a top seller, even sans Robin Williams as the Genie (he's replaced by Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer on "
The Simpsons"). And there was a TV cartoon of Aladdin, running on CBS as well as the Disney channel and in syndication.
