Special photographic effects: Tom Howard. Camera operator: Denys Coop. Set continuity: Angela Martelli. Music director: Muir Mathieson. Choreographer: Alex Romero. Animators: Gene Warren, Wah Chang, Don Sahlin, Herb Johnson. Sound recording supervisor: A.W. Watkins. Mr. Pal's assistant: Gae Griffith. Executive producer: Matthew Raymond. Producer: George Pal. Associate producer: Dora Wright. Photographed in a hard matte 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
Songs: "Tom Thumb's Tune" and "Are You a Dream?" by Peggy Lee; "The Talented Shoes" and "After All These Years" by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; "The Yawning Song" by Fred Spielman and Kermit Goell.
Available on an excellent Warner Home Video DVD. Copyright 1958 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, filmed at M-G-M British Studios, Boreham Wood, Herts., England. A George Pal Production for Galaxy Pictures. U.S. release: 23 December 1958. New York opening at neighborhood theaters as the top half of a double bill with Andy Hardy Comes Home: 23 December 1958. U.K. release: 21 December 1958. Australian release: Not recorded. 8,300 feet. 92 minutes.
NOTES: Negative cost: $900,000.
COMMENT: This is one of those films that believe in the principle that if you're making a kiddies' film, you have to talk down to your tiny tot audience. The acting is all grossly exaggerated and hammy in the extreme, the worst offenders being Bernard Miles, — who has about as much charm and presence and suitability for the role as a church warden at a boxing match, — Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers. June Thorburn is not much better.
Admittedly, all these players are hampered by the corny script. Jessie Matthews is probably just as bad but the pleasure of seeing her again after all these years makes up for a lot. Russ Tamblyn, however, acts and dances with plenty of bounce, though he is not well served by some very obvious and crudely matted special effects. Alan Young gives a pointer as to how the script should be played with a charming approach, not so much tongue-in-cheek as not taking himself or the story too seriously. When he loses Tom at the fair, he is not seriously alarmed and doesn't make out with a whole lot of synthetic, phony theatrics. He acts naturally.
However, the real joys of "Tom Thumb" are the songs and the musical and dance numbers and all the business with the animated toys — business which manages to get by on its novelty appeal rather than the skill of the animators.
Aside from the fuzziness in the special effect sequences, the film is attractively colored and photographed. The sets are nice and production values first class. Pal's first directorial effort shows a bit of skill and imagination though a great deal of the dialogue spots are directed in a straightforwardly routine style. Still the film certainly has its moments — for example, the camera panning to the opening under the door as Tom knocks — despite its crudely matted effects and even the use of an obvious doll for Tom in some scenes.
Songs: "Tom Thumb's Tune" and "Are You a Dream?" by Peggy Lee; "The Talented Shoes" and "After All These Years" by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; "The Yawning Song" by Fred Spielman and Kermit Goell.
Available on an excellent Warner Home Video DVD. Copyright 1958 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, filmed at M-G-M British Studios, Boreham Wood, Herts., England. A George Pal Production for Galaxy Pictures. U.S. release: 23 December 1958. New York opening at neighborhood theaters as the top half of a double bill with Andy Hardy Comes Home: 23 December 1958. U.K. release: 21 December 1958. Australian release: Not recorded. 8,300 feet. 92 minutes.
NOTES: Negative cost: $900,000.
COMMENT: This is one of those films that believe in the principle that if you're making a kiddies' film, you have to talk down to your tiny tot audience. The acting is all grossly exaggerated and hammy in the extreme, the worst offenders being Bernard Miles, — who has about as much charm and presence and suitability for the role as a church warden at a boxing match, — Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers. June Thorburn is not much better.
Admittedly, all these players are hampered by the corny script. Jessie Matthews is probably just as bad but the pleasure of seeing her again after all these years makes up for a lot. Russ Tamblyn, however, acts and dances with plenty of bounce, though he is not well served by some very obvious and crudely matted special effects. Alan Young gives a pointer as to how the script should be played with a charming approach, not so much tongue-in-cheek as not taking himself or the story too seriously. When he loses Tom at the fair, he is not seriously alarmed and doesn't make out with a whole lot of synthetic, phony theatrics. He acts naturally.
However, the real joys of "Tom Thumb" are the songs and the musical and dance numbers and all the business with the animated toys — business which manages to get by on its novelty appeal rather than the skill of the animators.
Aside from the fuzziness in the special effect sequences, the film is attractively colored and photographed. The sets are nice and production values first class. Pal's first directorial effort shows a bit of skill and imagination though a great deal of the dialogue spots are directed in a straightforwardly routine style. Still the film certainly has its moments — for example, the camera panning to the opening under the door as Tom knocks — despite its crudely matted effects and even the use of an obvious doll for Tom in some scenes.