Archive

Pioneers of Japaneses Animation: From Tekobo to Momotaro

Princess of Baghdad

Iwao ASHIDA / Iwao ASHIDA

Japan1948 38min 35mm B&W

Synopsis

Feature-length animation of a story from The Arabian Nights. Although it didn’t attract much attention in its time, the movements of the characters withstand comparison to today’s TV animations.

Diretor

Iwao ASHIDA

Iwao Ashida learned the art of animation from Ikuo Oishi and was his cinematographer. His first work, Frog Swordsmanship, was released in 1933. In 1948, he produced the feature-length Princess of Baghdad. There is an anecdote that tells of how the famous cartoonist Osamu Tezuka asked Ashida for guidance but was turned down. Some of his main works are The Power of Five (1937), The Magic Castle(1947), The Scarecrow(1953), and One-legged Cricket(1955).

Iwao ASHIDA

Iwao Ashida learned the art of animation from Ikuo Oishi and was his cinematographer. His first work, Frog Swordsmanship, was released in 1933. In 1948, he produced the feature-length Princess of Baghdad. There is an anecdote that tells of how the famous cartoonist Osamu Tezuka asked Ashida for guidance but was turned down. Some of his main works are The Power of Five (1937), The Magic Castle(1947), The Scarecrow(1953), and One-legged Cricket(1955).