tom thumb | | Cast : | Russ Tamblyn, June Thorburn, Peter Sellers | | Director : | George Pal | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 01, 1958 | | DVD Released Date : | October 03, 2000 | | Language : | Unknown (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | G (General Audience) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 31, 2005 | | Summary | Delightful Family Entertainment | Content
 | Are you looking for a film that you can safely watch with your children ? Have you seen most of the Disney catalogue ? Well, happily--once in a while--someone other than Disney produces a film that can enchant young and old, and in 1958 Mr. George Pal did just that with "Tom Thumb". After producing several science fiction classics in the fifties, Mr. Pal and his crack special effects team set up shop in England for this winning musical fantasy, based on the famous fairy tale.
A poor, honest wood-cutter, Jonathan (Bernard Miles) and his wife, Anne (Jessie Matthews) are granted three wishes by the Forest Queen (lovely June Thorburn) for sparing her favourite tree. They basically bungle their wishes, but they are granted a son to raise. His name is Tom, and he is 5 1/2 inches tall. Of course, being so tiny, Tom has all sorts of interesting adventures. Unfortunately, one of them involves innocently helping two crooks (the hilarious team of Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers) steal a bag of gold, for which Tom's new parents are blamed. Luckily, Tom is able to eventually turn the tables on the crooks, with help from a local "merry minstrel"
(affable Alan Young),who also has a crush on the Forest Queen, and we wind up with a very happy ending !
Tom is played by one of the most talented and remarkable performers in the history of cinema--Mr. Russ Tamblyn--an incredible dancer and acrobat with a very engaging personality. Even among this strong cast, Russ Tamblyn--all "5 1/2 inches" of him--stands tall ! The extended production number with Tom and the toys is a classic--a tribute to Mr.Tamblyn's talent and Mr.Pal's Oscar-winning (as it turned out) special effects team. You can see how all that "puppetoon" experience paid off ! A later scene where Tom puts on wooden shoes that can't stop dancing is another highlight.
As the "heavies", Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers are a matchless pair--with his rolling eyes, and devilish grin, Mr. Thomas gives this film exactly the type of "over-the-top" performance it needs, with Mr. Sellers as a perfect, dim-witted foil. They are perhaps the funniest duo since Laurel and Hardy.
The DVD is widescreen on one side, and full screen on the other. The colour is beautiful, especially the scenes where Tom is interacting with the toys. The sound is mono. Miss Peggy Lee composed the lively score, with several songs that your children will enjoy (especially the "Yawning Man" sequence, voiced by Stan Freberg)--was there no end to Miss Lee's talent ?
Extras are sparse--brief biographies of Russ Tamblyn and George Pal (who directed as well as produced), and the film's trailer.
"Tom Thumb" is the happy result of two major talents combining their efforts to produce a timeless classic. Today George Pal is remembered and respected as a pioneer of imaginative film. As for Russ Tamblyn, this title role--perhaps more than any other--provides a showcase for his special gifts. How about 4 1/2 stars for a 5 1/2 inch star ! Recommended for the entire family ! |
| Rating | | | Date | November 21, 2004 | | Summary | Beliveable Effects and Camera work... | Content
| This was among the first movies that used front screen and back screen process projection. Of puting small objects on a larger screen and filtering out the lines so that it looks like a smaller object is standing next to a large object in one frame of film. In 1958, this kind of photographic optical effects work was very difficult to do and only a few movies were able to do it in a way so that effects footage and live action footage would look like it belonged there and you could not see the lines where the two different film plates were put together or were distorted. George Pal was a real pioneer film maker and this movie showcases that. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 17, 2004 | | Summary | Warning - No Commentary | Content
| I loved this film in the cinema, though it may be too
slow and dated for some children now. However I was
very dissapointed when I bought this DVD to find that
there was no audio commentary contrary to description
here and other sources. I don't know whether it was
perhaps on some early copies but it isn't on the
current version. Seems a missed opportunity if it was
dropped for some reason. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 13, 2003 | | Summary | Tom Thumb | Content
| Loved the film; brought back memories of my childhood when my parents brought me to see it back in the late 50's. The film though presented principally for children, has a lot of sentimentality and morals to its' credit. Really nice movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 29, 2002 | | Summary | Souvenir de mon enfance vécu de nouveau !!! | Content
| Vous dire l’enchantement que ce film m’a donné en le visionnant de nouveau avec ma fille, c’était comme de retrouver mes dix ans.
Je trouve ce film très bien fait pour l’année, je le recommande à tous adultes qui voudrait
retrouvé leur cœur d’enfants. |
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