Tom Thumb (1958)

Follows a boy, no bigger than a thumb, who manages to outwit two thieves determined to make a fortune from him.

Director:

George Pal

Writers:

Ladislas Fodor (screenplay), Jacob Grimm (based on a story from the pen of) (as the Brothers Grimm)

Stars:

Russ Tamblyn, June Thorburn, Peter Sellers

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Russ Tamblyn	...	Tom Thumb
Alan Young	...	The Lover: Woody
June Thorburn	...	The Lover: Forest Queen
Terry-Thomas	...	The Villain: Ivan
Peter Sellers	...	The Villain: Antony
Bernard Miles	...	The Parent: Jonathan
Jessie Matthews	...	The Parent: Anne
Ian Wallace	...	The Cobbler
Peter Butterworth	...	Kapellmeister
Peter Bull	...	Town Crier
Stan Freberg	...	Yawning Man (voice)
Dal McKennon	...	Con-Fu-Shon (voice)

Storyline

Follows a boy, no bigger than a thumb, who manages to outwit two thieves determined to make a fortune from him.

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Plot Keywords:

queen | forest | interrupted whipping | miniature person | wedding | 

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Taglines:

He's Tiny but Terrific! Yes, exactly 5 1/2 inches high...

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 1958 (UK)

Also Known As:

El pequeño gigante

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),Galaxy Pictures Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 92 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In addition to being an accomplished dancer, Russ Tamblyn also studied acrobatics and gymnastics. It is Tamblyn, not a stunt double, doing the many athletic moves.

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Goofs

When Ivan and Antony abandon tom thumb to the Black Swamp, the characters, seen from the rear, are clearly played by different, much younger men.

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Quotes

Ivan: There are two crooks here - and both of them are you!

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Crazy Credits

Closing credits: "tom thumb" is a trade - mark

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Connections

Featured in That's Dancing! (1985)

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Soundtracks

tom thumb's Tune
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Peggy Lee

User Reviews

The perfect movie for kids?

When I was a kid, this was among my favourite movies. The story of an old couple who are finally granted a wish to have a son, only to find he is just as tall as a thumb, is heartwarming and funny. And the naive character of the boy, the clumsy and funny villains, the comic relief characters, all together make this an enchanting tale for kids.

But for me, the highlight of the entire movie was the yawning man. There were lots of funny setpieces (dancing shoes, a romantic sub plot, ...) to extend the length of the movie, which would otherwise have lasted only half an hour or so, but this one stands out in my mind even today: The animated puppet that sings a yawning song, which makes Tom fall asleep. The song was so good, I have never forgotten it, and better yet: It worked. It was incredibly hard for my entire family not to yawn - not because of boredom, but because there are few things as infective as yawning...

So while Harry Potter may be the kiddie-movie of the moment, full of expensive special effects and a world famous franchise, it is hard to beat this old classic with the one thing that Harry Potter lacks: A soul.

Few other kid's movies managed that. Watch "Jack and the Beanstalk" (with Gene Kelly), or a few of the old Czech fairy tale movies (Salt prince, Cinderella with Hazelnuts), and you won't be disappointed. They all had what most ultra-slick kid's movies lack....