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:

Frank Sinatra was interested in the role of The Pilot and had the producers of the film behind him but director Stanley Donen vetoed his casting.

Quotes:

The Snake:One sting and you'll be singing as your soul ascends.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FLCL (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Closer And Closer And Closer

A neglected gem

This film, a musical version of the classic Antoine de St. Exupery fable, containing the last score written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (CAMELOT, MY FAIR LADY, GIGI), is a neglected gem of a film musical. Witty, inventive, melodic (the title song alone is as good as anything they ever wrote), and quite moving, it features uniformly superb performances, particularly from the then six-year old Steven Warner in the title role and Bob Fosse, in his final screen performance, as the death-dealing Snake.

Only caveat is Stanley Donen's excessive use of a fish-eye lens, to suggest the curvature of the earth and to relate that to scenes taking place on the Little Prince's asteroid or other asteroids he visits. It grows tiresome. But the on location shooting in the Sahara desert is breathtaking.

This film was cut prior to release by Paramount, excising an entire musical number, "Matters of Consequence," as well as shortening other musical numbers with damaging interior cuts, and removing Donna McKechnie's dance as the vain Rose. It is a prime candidate for restoration on DVD. Good as the film is, the cut material rounds out the story and characters, makes the musical numbers more effective, and would enhance the film.

The uncut version was previewed in NYC, but has never been seen since. Paramount, who dumped the film after only two weeks of release, must have thought they were making a children's movie, but anyone who knows the original knows it is a fable meant primarily for adults.

Donen has given interviews suggesting that he prefers the longer version. Anybody at Paramount listening?