The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)

Milo is a boy who is bored with life. One day he comes home to find a toll booth in his room. Having nothing better to do, he gets in his toy car and drives through - only to emerge in a ... See full summary »

Directors:

Chuck Jones, Abe Levitow,

Writers:

Chuck Jones (screenplay), Sam Rosen (screenplay),

Stars:

Butch Patrick, Mel Blanc, Daws Butler

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Butch Patrick	...	Milo
Mel Blanc	...	Officer Short Shrift / Word Speller / Dodecahedron / Demon of Insincerity (voice)
Daws Butler	...	Whether Man (voice)
Candy Candido	...	Awful DYNN (voice)
Hans Conried	...	King Azaz / The MathemaGician (voice)
June Foray	...	Ralph / Faintly Macabre / Princess of Pure Reason (voice)
Patti Gilbert	...	Princess of Sweet Rhyme (voice)
Shepard Menken	...	Tock (voice) (as Shep Menken)
Cliff Norton	...	Spelling Bee / Senses Taker (voice)
Larry Thor	...	Kakofonous A. Dischord (voice)
Les Tremayne	...	Humbug (voice)

Storyline

Milo is a boy who is bored with life. One day he comes home to find a toll booth in his room. Having nothing better to do, he gets in his toy car and drives through - only to emerge in a world full of adventure.

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Plot Keywords:

toy car | boy | rainbow | needle | market stall | 

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Taglines:

It's an Alphabeautiful Mathemagical New Musical Movie!

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Genres:

Family | Adventure | Animation | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Milo in the Phantom Tollbooth

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

CASTLE THUNDER: Heard at every mention of the Castle in the Air earlier in the movie and when the last five Demons of Ignorance merge to create the monster.

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Goofs

When King Azaz is first seen (in long shot) his costume has the purple and blue colors of the Mathemagician, instead of the correct colors of orange and red. (Noticed by someone's seven-year-old daughter.)

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Quotes

Milo: [Wakes up to find himself in the Doldrums] I wonder where I am.
Lethargians: [Echoing voice] You're in the Doldrums!
Milo: The what drums?
Lethargians: [Lands on Milo's head] Welcome to the Dol... drums.
Lethargians: Allow me to introduce... ourselves.
Lethargians: [Splits into 2 more Lethargians] We are lethargians.
Milo: I'm very pleased to meet you.
Milo: Could you help me please? I think I'm lost.
Lethargians: Think? Don't say that! It's against the law to think in the doldrums!
Milo: That's ridiculous! Everybody thinks.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Being from Another Planet (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Milo's Song"
(1969)
Music by Lee Pockriss
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Performed by the Cast

User Reviews

OK, but would have been better not as a musical

I've never read the book "The Phantom Tollbooth". The movie version has some fascinating visuals, but the singing doesn't add anything. I understand that Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc had to find something to do now that they were no longer creating Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, but a musical doesn't seem like the right thing. Still, I should affirm that the movie portrays some neat things happening (especially when Milo first drives through the tollbooth).

So, it's the sort of movie that you watch if there's nothing else. I now notice that Milo was played by Eddie Munster himself, Butch Patrick. Also featuring the voices of Daws Butler, Candy Candido, June Foray (best known as Rocky the Squirrel) and Hans Conried.