LIFE USA TODAY z MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019z 3D
For years “Aladdin” fans have pushed
a theory that the street peddler who
shows off the magic lamp at the begin-
ning of the 1992 animated classic also
was the Genie, voiced by Robin Wil-
liams.
This is one fan theory that is entirely
correct.
“Aladdin” filmmakers confirmed the
twist in 2015, but now we have the proof.
Walt Disney Studios is revealing the
planned original ending, never fully
completed, that shows the peddler
transforming into Genie.
USA TODAY has an exclusive look at
the scene, which is part of the animated
“Aladdin Signature Collection” home re-
lease (out digitally Aug. 27, on Blu-ray
Sept 10).
Ron Clements, who directed “Alad-
din” with John Musker, said the original
ending showing the turban-wearing
peddler turning into Genie was changed
late in the editing process.
“That was always the intention in
making the movie. The end would be
this reveal – this man with the turban in
the beginning was, in fact, the Genie,”
Clements says. But the scene “was elim-
inated as ‘Aladdin’ continued to evolve.”
Fans had long reached the conclusion
that Genie and the peddler were the
same person based on small details,
such as both characters having four fin-
gers on each hand. A more obvious tell
was that Williams voiced both charac-
ters. Along with his famed Genie, Wil-
liams brought his genius comedic skills
to the small role of the peddler, who
shows off the seemingly simple lamp in
the beginning and gets the story started.
This original ending, which had the
departing peddler hopping off his camel
and transforming in a whirlwind to Ge-
nie, had been drawn up in detailed sto-
ryboards and played against “Arabian
Nights” sung by lyricist Howard Ash-
man. Clements says test audiencessaw
the rough ending and loved it.
But there were a number of changes
in the pressure-packed production
time, including the ending. “That last
year of ‘Aladdin’ was extremely intense.
And there were story changes,” Clem-
ents says.
Ultimately, the decision was made to
cut the peddler to shorten the film’s con-
clusion, featuring Aladdin and Princess
Jasmine whisking off on their magic
carpet. “In terms of aesthetics, it’s bet-
ter to end quicker,” Clements says.
He says he’s pleased with the exist-
ing ending, which does have Williams’Genie reappearing for a final “made you
look” moment.
“I have no big regrets about the way
we ended up the film,” he says. “When
we did ‘Aladdin,’ that was before the in-
ternet. We never anticipated things
would be so analyzed and there would
be all of these fan theories.”He does enjoy that fans continue to
find new things to talk about in his clas-
sic films with Musker, including 1989’s
“Little Mermaid” and 1997’s “Hercules.”
“All this discussion is fun,” Clements
says. “I’ve debunked a few myths out
there. But there are some that are right
on.”MOVIES USA TODAY EXCLUSIVE
Disney peddles ending for ‘Aladdin’
We rented Divvy Bikes, Chicago’s
bike-share program, from a dock in Old
Town and headed north to Lincoln Park
and a bridge to the 18-milelakefront
trail. It’s $15for a 24-hour pass, and you
can drop it off at any stationwith open
slots. Note a project completed in 2018
separated the bike and pedestrian
lanes, so make sure you’re in the correct
lane.
We headed north, stopping for more
skyline photos than he would have
liked, and one bike swap because of a
loose pedal.
There are a handful of waterfront res-
taurants and bars along the way, but he
zeroed in on a tiny taco stand near
Waveland Park and the Sydney Maro-
vitz Golf Course. We ordered four street
tacos from Two Wheels Taco: two chick-
enand two carne asada and took them
and our bikes to the lake for a picnic.
It was the perfect pit stop.
We kept going north, before turning
back and docking the bikes near Ohio
Street Beach so we could walk back to
Old Town via the shopping mecca that is
Michigan Avenue.
Our self-guided bike tour was about
31 ⁄ 2 hours long.
The next morning, with time left in
our 24-hour pass, we picked up bikes
and headed to the Chicago Riverwalk,
where we planned to rent kayaks.
One wrinkle: It was a weekday morn-
ing and several stations were full of
bikes. We finally found a drop-off spot
in The Loop, the downtown business
district, and walked to the riverwalk.
Kayaking the Chicago River
The Chicago River isbusywith giant
tour boats and pleasure boats galore,
especially in the summer.
I’ve kayaked a couple of times, but
am a nervous novice so I convinced my
son to do a tandem kayak so I didn’t veer
into the path of a Chicago architecture
tour.
We rented one from Urban Kayaks
and, after a quick test of our paddling
technique and very thorough safety
video (stay away from the lake and hug
the right side of the river in each direc-
tion, in the imaginary kayak “lane”), we
were launched into the water for a one-
hour ride.
I’ve seen Chicago and the river from
many vantage points, but the kayak was
unique and I wished we stayed on long-
er, intimidating as it was when sight-
seeing tours were looming. Next on my
list: one of Urban Kayaks’ fireworks, his-
tory or sunset tours.
My son described the experience as
“freakin’ cool” and “an awesome way to
see the city.”
We walked along the riverwalk and
Wacker Drive to Wells Street Market,
one of my favorite food halls in Chicago.
(It’s open only during the week.) I had
gyros from Piggie Smalls Gyro Shop, a
stand from the founder of esteemed
Chicago restaurant Purple Pig, and Jack
had a Nashville hot chicken sandwich
from Fry the Coop.Rooftop viewsCindy’s Rooftop, a restaurant and bar
at the Chicago Athletic Association Ho-
telon Michigan Avenue near Millen-
nium Park, rightfully ranks up there as a
must-see in Chicago for sweeping views
of the lake, the skyline and The Bean
(official name “Cloud Gate”) and Crown
Fountain below.
We headed to the crowded outdoorbar and hovered for a spot against the
railing for the perfect photo.
Our other “rooftop” venue, albeit in-
door and touristy: 360 Chicago on the
94th floor of the John Hancock build-
ing. We picked the Hancock because it
was closer than the SkyDeck at Willis
Tower(Sears Tower in another life.)
It’s nothing as fancy as the Signa-
ture Room a floor above or the Signa-
ture Lounge two floors above, but it’s
more family-friendly, the views are
just as fantastic, there’s a bar, and you
get some history about the skyscraper.
We scored a couple of living-room-like
lounge chairs by the windows facing
north and sat there for nearly an hour.
We didn’t try the Tilt, which is billed as
“Chicago’s highest thrill ride, an en-
closed moving platform that literally
tilts you out over Michigan Avenue.”
Inspired by the lake views below,
we ditched our dinner plans and head-
ed to Oak Street Beach for a sunset pic-
nic with cheese, salad and other
snacks picked up at 1350 Commissary
Market, tucked inside a residential
high-rise on Lake Shore Drive.Lincoln Park ZooZoos aren’t at the top of most 19-
year-olds’ must-see lists in Chicago,
but Jack was intrigued when he spot-
ted a camel on our bike ride through
Lincoln Park on the way to the lake-
front trail.
We made plans to go back on his last
day, after strolling through a farmer’s
market in Lincoln Park.
Animal lover or not, Lincoln Park
Zoo is a must-see in Chicago. Think of
it as a giant city park with animals and
surprise views of the skyline. The best
part: it’s open every day, and admis-
sion is free.
We wandered for more than an
hour, checking out a polar bear, giraffe,
monkeys and more.
As I was texting a friend for the
name of his favorite hot dog stand (The
Wiener’s Circle), Jack jumped in line
for a regular hot dog at the zoo. It
wouldn’t have been my choice, but this
wasn’t a trip about the best food spots
in Chicago.
He wolfed it down, and we walked
back through Lincoln Park to Michigan
Avenue for back-to-school shopping.the right people,” and inspires Julia to
give one of her infamous speeches.Season 3, Episode 19: “The
Women of Atlanta”The brash, outspoken and opinion-
ated women make “Designing” a femi-
nist classic. Its point of view about
sexism, specifically in the workplace,
was never on better display than in
this episode. When the Sugarbaker
team is invited to participate in a pho-
to shoot honoring businesswomen,
they’re surprised and horrified by the
revealing poses and suggestive ges-
tures the photographer requests. They
have quite a bit to say about it.Season 5, Episode 23: “Fore!”The Beaumont Driving Club (or
rather, “The Incredibly Elite Bona Fide
Blue-Blood Beaumont Driving Club”)
is a frequent topic of the series, and
incites a frank discussion of race. Su-
zanne has long tried to get into the
club, but after a policy change admits
African Americans (so they can be on
the PGA Tour), hired-hand-turned-
firm-partner Anthony (Meshach Tay-
lor) is accepted. Julia tries to break
the news to him that he might be a to-
ken member, but he already knows
and is ready to take advantage of his
membership. “You think I can’t take a
cold shoulder at a country club?” he
says. “It’s a small price to pay, and be-
sides, I get a little black history for my-
self.”Season 3, Episode 15: “Full Moon”Some episodes of “Designing” are
heartbreaking, others are touching
and many dive into important cultural
issues. But some are just downright
hilarious. This episode, best remem-
bered for the moment in which Julia
accidentally moons a crowd (including
the mayor of Atlanta), is a reminder
that the series excelled at physical
comedy in addition to sharp and rap-
id-fire dialogue.Bryan Alexander
USA TODAY
With a bound off the camel, the peddler becomes the Genie in “Aladdin.”PHOTOS BY WALT DISNEY STUDIOSThe peddler transforms into Genie in a
whirlwind depicted on storyboards.Test audiences saw the original rough
ending and liked it.Some fans spotted the peddler’s other
identity: The Genie.DesigningContinued from Page 1DChicago
Continued from Page 1D
The views from Cindy's Rooftop at the
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel are
stunning.DAWN GILBERTSON/USA TODAY