Gulliver's Travels (1939)

A doctor washes ashore on an island inhabited by little people.

Directors:

Dave Fleischer, Willard Bowsky (uncredited)

Writers:

Jonathan Swift (based on immortal tale), Edmond Seward (story adaptation)

Stars:

Jessica Dragonette, Lanny Ross, Pinto Colvig

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jessica Dragonette	...	Princess Glory (singing voice)
Lanny Ross	...	Prince David (singing voice)

Storyline

Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally minuscule rival, Blefuscu, as well as smooth the way for the romance between the Princess and Prince of the opposing lands. In this he is alternately aided and hampered by the Lilliputian town crier and general fussbudget, Gabby. A life-threatening situation develops when the bumbling trio of Blefuscu spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, manage to steal Gulliver's pistol.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | 1930s | 18th century | gulliver | lilliput | 

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Taglines:

Out of the Book...On to the Screen

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was originally released in 1939. It was such a success that it continued to have theatrical bookings into the 1960s. In the later years, the bookings tended to be part of double features or for special kiddie matinees.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gabby: [singing] All's well, what's a rainy day? / Never mind that cloud, behind that cloud you'll find a golden ray.

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Alternate Versions

The Winstar Home Entertainment DVD release adds many additional sound effects in order to pan the audio out to a Dolby 5.1 mix.

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Connections

Featured in Family Classics: Family Classics: Gulliver's Travels (1939) (1962)

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Soundtracks

I Hear a Dream (Come Home Again)
(1939) (uncredited)
Music by Ralph Rainger
Lyrics by Leo Robin

User Reviews

Forget the put downs....I dig it !!

I've seen this many times over the years, and it's one of my absolute favorites. Some folks seem to think the Fleischers have to take a back seat to Disney.

NOT !!

They were, in many instances ( such as this one), far more inventive than Disney, and their work did not lose touch with common emotions,and had broad-based appeal to all ages, despite technical complexity.

Mickey Mouse will never go off the air. But neither will Betty Boop or Popeye.

In its own special way, "Gulliver's Travels" rivals the Disney features with its complexity, and its lack of laziness. If you really look at it, and keep in mind that this is animation done by hand...the old fashioned way, you will have a keener appreciation for the hard work that went into it. In those days, Disney and the Fleischers had to run the studios like a factory. It took teams of men in units and working shifts to concentrate on just the movements of the characters to make them appear lifelike (not like the computer animation of to-day, or even the TV animation of UPA or Hanna-Barbera in the 1950s).

"Roto-scoping", a process invented by the Fleischers, made the task that much more daunting. But the Fleischers had to be "perfectionists/masochists". The love of their craft shows in the movements, the backgrounds, the stories, and the music...not to mention the characters.

I am truly taken with the score. It is warm and dreamy and romantic....tearful to some. Some folks can't get with it, but it's a shame we don't don't hear much real music like that anymore in the mainstream.

Win Sharples and Victor Young did a very fine job...one of the best of All cartoon scores. Work on this film appears to have gotten Win Sharples the scoring job for the Fleischers, one he held down after the Fleischers were given the gate by Paramount, and which he continued to hold until Famous Studios was padlocked.

I can't recommend this feature highly enough. It's good clean fun, an accurate character study, terrific music, animation...the "whole nine".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Viagens de Gulliver

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fleischer Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1