Tom Thumb **** (1958, Russ Tamblyn, June Thorburn, Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas) – Classic Movie Review 1841

Producer-director George Pal’s colourful and charming British-made 1958 MGM fantasy musical Tom Thumb stars Russ Tamblyn, giving an engaging, athletic and enjoyable performance in his finest hour as the diminutive 5 ½ inches high lad Tom Thumb, who foxes crooks, sings songs and finds true love.

Screenwriter Ladislas Fodor’s sprightly adaptation of the Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm story is the strong and secure basis of a good fun musical adventure. The movie has its highlights in the cleverly staged dance routines choreographed by Alex Romero to the Peggy Lee-Fred Spielman songs and the funny comedy villain performances of Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers as Ivan and Antony.

The persuasive miniature effects are the film’s other triumph: they are devised by Tom Howard and they won him the 1959 Best Special Effects Oscar. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical and Terry-Thomas was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award as Best British Actor.

June Thorburn also stars as the Forest Queen, who grants the third wish of Jonathan the woodcutter (Bernard Miles) and his wife Anna (Jessie Matthews) to have a little son, Tom, after Jonathan agrees not to chop down the oldest tree in the forest. Soon, unfortunately, gullible Tom falls in with villainous Ivan and Antony on his way to the village.

Matthews makes a welcome screen appearance again after a long screen absence (she had last appeared in a cinema feature way back in 1944, Candles at Nine).

Alan Young (Woody), Ian Wallace (The Cobbler), Peter Butterworth (Kapellmeister), Peter Bull (Town Crier) and Barbara Ferris (Thumbelina) are among the cast. Stan Freberg and Dal McKennon provide the voices of Yawning Man and Con-Fu-Shon.

Tom Thumb was made at MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Also on the soundtrack: Are You a Dream (music and lyrics by Peggy Lee), Tom Thumb’s Tune (music and lyrics by Peggy Lee), After All These Years (music by Fred Spielman and lyrics by Janice Torre), Talented Shoes (music by Fred Spielman and lyrics by Janice Torre), and The Yawning Song (music by Fred Spielman and lyrics by Kermit Goell).

Russ Tamblyn went on to play The Woodsman (segment ‘The Dancing Princess’) / Tom Thumb in the 1962 George Pal feature The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. ‘The Yawning Man’ puppet was later used as one of the elves in ‘The Cobbler and the Elves’ sequence in The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.

Tom Thumb is directed by George Pal, runs 98 minutes, is made by Galaxy Pictures, is released by MGM, is written by Ladislas Fodor, based on a story by the Brothers Grimm, is shot in Eastmancolor by Georges Périnal, is produced by George Pal, is scored by Douglas Gamley and Ken Jones, and designed by Elliot Scott.

Alan Young, the DuckTales and Mr Ed star, passed away at 96 in May 2016.

It is producer George Pal’s first film as director and it was so successful that he directed his next four films. Peter Sellers stepped in at the last minute to play The Whipping Man, masked, after George Pal forgot to cast the character. Pal brought the film in under budget, so the head of MGM British suggested he submit a treatment for his favourite unproduced project. That was The Time Machine (1960).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1841

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