The Little Prince (1974)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (story)
Alan Jay Lerner ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Musical | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A pilot, stranded in the desert, meets a little boy who is a prince on a planet.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Prince | Planet | Desert | Snake

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Steven Warner	...	The Little Prince
Joss Ackland	...	The King
Clive Revill	...	The Business Man
Victor Spinetti	...	The Historian
Graham Crowden	...	The General
Richard Kiley	...	The Pilot
Donna McKechnie	...	The Rose
Bob Fosse	...	The Snake
Gene Wilder	...	The Fox

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry		(story "Le Petit Prince")
Alan Jay Lerner
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry		novel

Produced by
Stanley Donen	....	producer
A. Joseph Tandet	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Angela Morley		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Peter Boita
George Hively

Production Design by
John Barry

Art Direction by
Norman Reynolds

Costume Design by
Tim Goodchild
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
Ronnie Cogan	....	hair stylist
Ernest Gasser	....	makeup artist
Eileen Warwick	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Arthur Carroll	....	production supervisor
Eric Rattray	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Burgess	....	assistant director
Allan James	....	first assistant director: Tunisia

Art Department
Jock Lyall	....	construction manager: location
W.E. Welch	....	construction manager: studio

Sound Department
Jim Groom	....	dubbing editor
Bill Rowe	....	sound mixer
Jim Willis	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Vernon Messenger	....	special effects technician
John Richardson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Tom Howard	....	photographic effects (as Thomas Howard)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
John Palmer	....	camera operator
Paul Wilson	....	director of photography: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Guerin	....	wardrobe master

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	conductor
Angela Morley	....	music supervisor
Angela Morley	....	orchestrator
Thelma Orr	....	music editor

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	unit publicist
Al Burgess	....	location manager
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Ronn Forella	....	choreographer
Bob Fosse	....	choreographer
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Marjorie Lavelly	....	continuity
Kay Mander	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• TVC London  animation sequences

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/6 | USA:G | UK:U | Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Richard Burton was actively pursued for the role of the pilot. Burton had had a huge success, on Broadway, with Lerner & Lowe's "Camelot", but had turned down the film role (Camelot (1967)), as he did "The Little Prince".

Quotes:

The Fox:It's only with the heart that one can see clearly. What's essential, is invisible to the eye.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FLCL (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Little Prince

Classic 70's film

I'm totally mystified by the previous review. This movie is a product of its time -- 1974 -- so why blame it for that? You wouldn't criticize "Don't Look Now" because Donald Sutherland wears wide lapels.

"The Little Prince" is a pitch-perfect film, beautifully written and filmed, with an amazing sense of humor. Yes, it's totally dated, and some of the songs are horrible, but it's got an originality even "West Side Story," another classic stylish film, can't match.

If you want irony, American humor or 21st century attitude, avoid this film like the plague. But if you can appreciate brilliant little films that wear their hearts on their sleeves don't miss this film.

An added bonus: in Bob Fosse's spectacular five minute dance you can see every dance move Michael Jackson ever made.