Gulliver's Travels
(1939)
74 mins | Fantasy | 22 December 1939
Cast:
Jessica Dragonette, Lanny Ross [ More ]Director:
Fleischer BrothersWriters:
Dan Gordon, Cal Howard, Ted Pierce, I. Sparber, Edmond SewardProducer:
Fleischer BrothersCinematographer:
Charles SchettlerProduction Company:
Paramount Pictures, Inc.In the opening sequence of the film, the credits are superimposed over a three-dimensional sailing ship. The song "Faithful Forever" is not listed in the onscreen credits, but is sung in the film. According to a news item in MPD, the success of Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White motivated the Fleischer Studios to produce this animated feature at a budget of $700,000. This was Max Fleischer's first feature-length-Technicolor animated feature. It only used one episode from the Jonathan Swift book. Modern sources note that the figure of "Gulliver" was rotoscoped throughout the entire film. The movements of actor Sam Parker were traced from live action film to become the figure of "Gulliver." The rest of the characters were represented through animation. Modern sources also add that 500,000 celluloids and twelve tons of paint were used for the 115,700 composite scenes in the film. Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin's song "Faithful Forever" and Victor Young's original score were nominated for Academy Awards.
Several live action films were based on the Swift novel. In 1960, Columbia produced The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, directed by Jack Sher and starring Kerwin Matthews, and in 1977, EMI produced a British-Belgium co-production titled Gulliver's Travels, starring Richard Harris and directed by Peter Hunt. An animated IMAX version of Swift's story, directed by Ian Pearson and Scott Speirs, completed production in late 2003 but, as of spring 2005, it was not scheduled for release. ...
In the opening sequence of the film, the credits are superimposed over a three-dimensional sailing ship. The song "Faithful Forever" is not listed in the onscreen credits, but is sung in the film. According to a news item in MPD, the success of Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White motivated the Fleischer Studios to produce this animated feature at a budget of $700,000. This was Max Fleischer's first feature-length-Technicolor animated feature. It only used one episode from the Jonathan Swift book. Modern sources note that the figure of "Gulliver" was rotoscoped throughout the entire film. The movements of actor Sam Parker were traced from live action film to become the figure of "Gulliver." The rest of the characters were represented through animation. Modern sources also add that 500,000 celluloids and twelve tons of paint were used for the 115,700 composite scenes in the film. Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin's song "Faithful Forever" and Victor Young's original score were nominated for Academy Awards.
Several live action films were based on the Swift novel. In 1960, Columbia produced The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, directed by Jack Sher and starring Kerwin Matthews, and in 1977, EMI produced a British-Belgium co-production titled Gulliver's Travels, starring Richard Harris and directed by Peter Hunt. An animated IMAX version of Swift's story, directed by Ian Pearson and Scott Speirs, completed production in late 2003 but, as of spring 2005, it was not scheduled for release.
On 5 Nov 1699, Lemuel Gulliver, an English seaman, is shipwrecked on the shores of Lilliput, a country of peanut sized people, the tallest of whom is no higher than Gulliver's boots. While Gulliver sleeps on the beach, meek King Little of Lilliput betroths his daughter, Princess Glory, to Prince David, the son of Bombo, the bombastic king of neighboring Blefusco. Trouble arises when King Little insists that his favorite song, "Faithful," be sung at the ceremony, while Bombo is equally insistent that his favorite number, "Forever," be the only song sung at the wedding. Their dispute ends when Bombo declares war and storms out just as Gabby, the town crier, bursts into the palace to announce that a giant is sleeping on the beach. At first alarmed, the people of Lilliput work through the night to tie Gulliver up and transport him to their town. When he awakens, however, they soon discover his benevolence after Bombo's armed soldiers flee at the sight of the giant, and Gulliver merely laughs. In celebration, the Lilliputians plan a feast in Gulliver's honor, while Bombo's henchmen, Snoop, Sneak and Switch, plot dastardly schemes against the Lilliputians. When all the Lilliputians are asleep, Gulliver sees the heartbroken Princess Glory during her secret rendezvous with Prince David and determines to help them. He attempts to arbitrate the broken romance by suggesting that both of the disputed songs be combined and sung. Gulliver's attempt seems doomed, though, when Bombo's war ships arrive off the shore of Lilliput and the three spies prepare to shoot the giant. Seeing the spies aiming the gun at Gulliver, Prince David gallops to the giant's ...
On 5 Nov 1699, Lemuel Gulliver, an English seaman, is shipwrecked on the shores of Lilliput, a country of peanut sized people, the tallest of whom is no higher than Gulliver's boots. While Gulliver sleeps on the beach, meek King Little of Lilliput betroths his daughter, Princess Glory, to Prince David, the son of Bombo, the bombastic king of neighboring Blefusco. Trouble arises when King Little insists that his favorite song, "Faithful," be sung at the ceremony, while Bombo is equally insistent that his favorite number, "Forever," be the only song sung at the wedding. Their dispute ends when Bombo declares war and storms out just as Gabby, the town crier, bursts into the palace to announce that a giant is sleeping on the beach. At first alarmed, the people of Lilliput work through the night to tie Gulliver up and transport him to their town. When he awakens, however, they soon discover his benevolence after Bombo's armed soldiers flee at the sight of the giant, and Gulliver merely laughs. In celebration, the Lilliputians plan a feast in Gulliver's honor, while Bombo's henchmen, Snoop, Sneak and Switch, plot dastardly schemes against the Lilliputians. When all the Lilliputians are asleep, Gulliver sees the heartbroken Princess Glory during her secret rendezvous with Prince David and determines to help them. He attempts to arbitrate the broken romance by suggesting that both of the disputed songs be combined and sung. Gulliver's attempt seems doomed, though, when Bombo's war ships arrive off the shore of Lilliput and the three spies prepare to shoot the giant. Seeing the spies aiming the gun at Gulliver, Prince David gallops to the giant's rescue, but plunges over the cliff as he deflects the shot. David's fall brings Bombo to his senses,and the lovers are united to the combined harmony of "Faith" and "Forever" while Gulliver sails off into the sunset in a small boat made for him by the Lilliputians.
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