Tom Thumb (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
As I start this review for 'Tom Thumb' (helmed by producer/animator/effect expert George Pal), I'm reminded of the fun it has to offer children. This colorful MGM musical fantasy won me over as a kid; must've watched it over 50 times. And I imagine it still might for children today, some 55 yrs. after it was made. The script, loosely taken from the Brothers Grimm, is simple, but effective faerie tale about a boy no bigger than a thumb. To begin: a childless, middle-aged peasant couple (Jessie Matthews, Bernard Miles) receive a knock on their door one night & open it to find a miniature boy (Russ Tamblyn) claiming to be their long hoped-for son.
It turns out that an enchanted Fairy Queen (beautiful June Thorburn) created Tom for the Bernard Miles character when he saved a tree from being cut down in said forest. Journeying to the village one day, Tom is caught by moustache-twirling villain Ivan (a great Terry-Thomas) & his dolt of a sidekick, Tony (funny Peter Sellers), who intend to use our 5 1/2-inch-tall hero for their own evil purposes. In-between all of Tom's misadventures with the fiendish villains, he helps forge a romance btwn. handsome forester Woody (a congenial Alan Young) & the magical Forest Queen. If he gains the courage to kiss her, she can finally become mortal.
Highlights of this magical production are the plentitude of musical numbers (like "Very Own Song"), some state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects, & some incredible oversized sets (to show Tamblyn as a small being). Alex Romero staged the dance numbers, in which Russ Tamblyn executes some wonderfully athletic & exciting dancing. Georges Perinal's color cinematography (aided by Tom Howard's effects) catches all the fun & liveliness of the proceedings. One of the more ingenious sequences involves the 'puppetoons' - delightful characters, like Con-fu-shon & The Yawning Man, who dwell in Tom's bedroom, and only come alive at nighttime when his parents go to bed. By cleverly meshing miniatures, enormous props, & animation, we see the world with tiny Tom in it, and also how he sees it.
The movie's songs are also exceedingly hummable (some even sung by Peggy Lee). I can hear the main theme in my head now {doo-dee doodee doooo ... dweeee doo-dee doodee, doodee doodee doooo ... dwee doo-dee doodee, doodee doodee dum-dum, doodee doodee dum-dum, doodee doodee dum ba-dum bum}. Now, there are a few scary moments, i.e., Tom's parents taken away for a potential meeting with whips for a lashing in front of the whole town! But overall, 'Tom Thumb' it's a light, breezy musical adventure with unforced humor & smiles for the entire family. I feel like popping it into my DVD player & watching it as if I were a 6 yr. old right now.
It turns out that an enchanted Fairy Queen (beautiful June Thorburn) created Tom for the Bernard Miles character when he saved a tree from being cut down in said forest. Journeying to the village one day, Tom is caught by moustache-twirling villain Ivan (a great Terry-Thomas) & his dolt of a sidekick, Tony (funny Peter Sellers), who intend to use our 5 1/2-inch-tall hero for their own evil purposes. In-between all of Tom's misadventures with the fiendish villains, he helps forge a romance btwn. handsome forester Woody (a congenial Alan Young) & the magical Forest Queen. If he gains the courage to kiss her, she can finally become mortal.
Highlights of this magical production are the plentitude of musical numbers (like "Very Own Song"), some state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects, & some incredible oversized sets (to show Tamblyn as a small being). Alex Romero staged the dance numbers, in which Russ Tamblyn executes some wonderfully athletic & exciting dancing. Georges Perinal's color cinematography (aided by Tom Howard's effects) catches all the fun & liveliness of the proceedings. One of the more ingenious sequences involves the 'puppetoons' - delightful characters, like Con-fu-shon & The Yawning Man, who dwell in Tom's bedroom, and only come alive at nighttime when his parents go to bed. By cleverly meshing miniatures, enormous props, & animation, we see the world with tiny Tom in it, and also how he sees it.
The movie's songs are also exceedingly hummable (some even sung by Peggy Lee). I can hear the main theme in my head now {doo-dee doodee doooo ... dweeee doo-dee doodee, doodee doodee doooo ... dwee doo-dee doodee, doodee doodee dum-dum, doodee doodee dum-dum, doodee doodee dum ba-dum bum}. Now, there are a few scary moments, i.e., Tom's parents taken away for a potential meeting with whips for a lashing in front of the whole town! But overall, 'Tom Thumb' it's a light, breezy musical adventure with unforced humor & smiles for the entire family. I feel like popping it into my DVD player & watching it as if I were a 6 yr. old right now.