Ali Baba Bujang Lapok | |
---|---|
The one-sheet for Ali Baba Bujang Lapok.
|
|
Directed by | P. Ramlee |
Written by | P. Ramlee |
Starring | P. Ramlee Aziz Sattar S. Shamsuddin Zaiton |
Music by | Kassim Masdor P. Ramlee |
Cinematography |
Abu Bakar Ali Mustafa Yassin |
Edited by | H. R. Narayanan |
Production
company |
Malay Film Productions Ltd.
|
Distributed by | Shaw Organisation |
Release date
|
1960 |
Country | Singapore Malaysia |
Language | Malay |
Ali Baba Bujang Lapok is a 1960 Malaysia/Singapore comedy film directed by, written by and starring Malaysian silver-screen legend P. Ramlee and produced in Singapore by Malay Film Productions Ltd. Based loosely on the story of Ali Baba from 1001 Arabian Nights, the film is occasionally self-referential and contains elements of anarchic comedy, burlesque comedy and farce. The title includes the suffix Bujang Lapok because it is the third instalment in the Bujang Lapok series of comedy films that star the trio of P. Ramlee, S. Shamsuddin and Aziz Sattar. This film marked the feature film debut of Sarimah, who would go on to a long movie career, and is also notable as one of the few P. Ramlee films where he plays the villain.
Ali Baba (Aziz Sattar) is a poor man who cannot succeed in life. He constantly sends his wife to his brother Kassim Baba's house to borrow flour so they can eat, but the stingy Kassim Baba (S. Shamsuddin) is frustrated at his brother and constantly reminds his wife, Aloyah, of Ali Baba's uselessness. When Aloyah comes to ask for flour for the umpteenth time, Kassim Baba loses his temper and lashes out at her sending her home in tears. She blames Ali Baba for putting her in the situation and blames him for not making an effort to seek a job. Ali Baba finally relents and goes out into the woods to gather firewood where he chances upon a group of 40 thieves marching through the woods carrying loot and treasures. He hides in a tree and watches their leader (P. Ramlee) stand in front of a cave and sings a verse of seemingly nonsensical words (niat ingsun matek aji semar ngising, actually a Javanese language poem) which causes an entrance to the cave to open. Ali Baba waits until the thieves have all left the cave before coming out of the tree and using the magic words to open the cave. Inside, he discovers a variety of riches and wealth, but only takes a box of gold coins.