Gulliver's Travels (1939 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gulliver's Travels |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Dave Fleischer Animation directors Seymour Kneitel Willard Bowsky Tom Palmer Grim Natwick William Henning Roland Crandall Thomas Johnson Robert Leffingwell Frank Kelling Winfield Hoskins Orestes Calpini |
| Produced by | Max Fleischer |
| Written by | Dan Gordon Cal Howard Tedd Pierce Edmond Seward Isadore Sparber |
| Starring | Pinto Colvig Jack Mercer Sam Parker Jessica Dragonette Lanny Ross Tedd Pierce |
| Music by | Victor Young Leo Robin (songs) Ralph Rainger (songs) Al Neiburg (songs) Winston Sharples (songs) Sammy Timberg (songs) |
| Cinematography | Charles Schettler |
| Studio | Fleischer Studios |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 22, 1939 |
| Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $700,000 |
| Money made | $3.27 million |
Gulliver's Travels is an animated musical movie from 1939. It was made by Fleischer Studios and directed by Dave Fleischer. Paramount Pictures released it on December 22, 1939.
The movie is based on a famous book by Jonathan Swift called Gulliver's Travels. It tells the story of an explorer who helps a tiny kingdom. This film was the first full-length animated movie from Fleischer Studios. It was also only the second animated movie ever made in America, after Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Contents
The Story of Gulliver's Travels
The movie begins on November 5, 1699. A big storm at sea causes Lemuel Gulliver to shipwreck. He washes up on the beach of Lilliput. Gabby, the town crier, finds Gulliver and is very scared. He rushes back to Lilliput to warn King Little about a "giant on the beach."
At the same time, King Little of Lilliput and King Bombo of Blefuscu are about to sign a wedding contract. Their children, Princess Glory and Prince David, are getting married. But an argument starts over which song should be played at the wedding. King Little wants "Faithful," and King Bombo wants "Forever." Because of this, King Bombo cancels the wedding and declares war!
King Bombo quickly regrets his decision. He decides to apologize and stop the war. But then Gabby finally warns King Little about Gulliver. One of the Lilliputian guards accidentally grabs King Bombo.
Gabby tells King Little about the "giant." A crowd of Lilliputians goes to the beach to capture Gulliver. They tie him to a wagon and take him to town. The next morning, Gulliver wakes up and easily breaks free. The Lilliputians are terrified.
Suddenly, the Blefuscuian fleet arrives to attack Lilliput. But when they see Gulliver, King Bombo and his forces quickly run away. The Lilliputians realize they can use Gulliver to protect them. They start treating him kindly and even make him new clothes. Everyone sings "It's A Hap-Hap Happy Day."
Back in Blefuscu, King Bombo is embarrassed by his defeat. He orders his three spies in Lilliput—Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch—to get rid of Gulliver. Meanwhile, the Lilliputians celebrate their victory. They treat Gulliver to dinner and a show, where they sing "Bluebirds in the Moonlight."
After the show, the Lilliputians fall asleep. Gulliver walks to the shore, feeling homesick. He sings "I Hear A Dream (Come Home)." The next day, Gulliver helps put out a fire at the spies' hideout. Later that night, Prince David secretly visits Princess Glory in Lilliput. Gabby hears him singing "Forever" and thinks he is a spy. Gabby orders the guards to attack the prince.
Gulliver sees what is happening and picks up David and Glory. They tell him why the war started. Gulliver suggests they combine their two songs, "Faithful" and "Forever," into one new song.
In Blefuscu, King Bombo gets a message from his spies. They promise that Gulliver will soon be gone. King Bombo sends a message by pigeon saying he will attack at dawn. Gabby intercepts this message and warns the Lilliputians. The spies don't know about the attack until they capture Gabby. The Lilliputians march to the beach, singing "We're All Together Now." The spies quickly get Gulliver's pistol ready.
As the Blefuscuian fleet gets close, Gulliver tells them to stop fighting. When they keep shooting, he ties their ships together with their anchors. He pulls them to shore, disarming them. The spies shoot at Gulliver from a cliff. But Prince David jumps in the way and seems to fall to his death.
Gulliver uses David's body to show both kingdoms how silly their fighting is. While they agree to a truce, Gulliver reveals that David is actually unharmed. David and Glory then sing their new combined song, "Faithful Forever." Both sides work together to build a new ship for Gulliver. He sails off into the sunset.
Characters and Voices
- Sam Parker as Gulliver
- Pinto Colvig as Gabby
- Jack Mercer as King Little, Twinkletoes, Sneak, Snoop, Snitch
- Tedd Pierce as King Bombo
- Jessica Dragonette as the singing voice of Princess Glory
- Livonia Warren as the speaking voice of Princess Glory
- Lanny Ross as the singing voice of Prince David
- Cal Howard as the speaking voice of Prince David
Songs from the Movie
The movie features several memorable songs:
- "All's Well"
- "Faithful/Forever"
- "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day"
- "Bluebirds in the Moonlight (Silly Idea)"
- "I Hear a Dream (Come Home Again)"
- "We're All Together Now"
Most of the songs were written by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger. "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day" was written by Sammy Timberg, Al Neiburg, and Winston Sharples.
The music score by Victor Young was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The song "Faithful/Forever" was nominated for Best Original Song. However, both awards went to The Wizard of Oz for its score and the song "Over the Rainbow".
"It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day" and "All's Well" became popular songs used in other cartoons by Fleischer and Famous Studios. "I Hear a Dream" was also quite popular.
Popular Song Covers
Some of the songs from the movie were covered by famous artists:
- "Faithful Forever": Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, Judy Garland
- "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day": Bob Zurke & His Delta Rhythm Band, Arthur Askey, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, Judy Garland
- "Bluebirds in the Moonlight": Glenn Miller
Voice Actors Behind the Characters
The movie had many talented voice actors. Pinto Colvig voiced Gabby. He had also worked for Disney, where he was the voice of Goofy and helped with sounds for Pluto. He also voiced Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Jack Mercer voiced King Little of Lilliput. He was also known for voicing the famous character Popeye the Sailor. Mercer also voiced King Bombo's three spies: Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch. He was a regular voice actor for Fleischer and Famous Studios cartoons.
Jessica Dragonette and Lanny Ross were popular singers. They were hired to sing for Princess Glory and Prince David. Sam Parker, a radio announcer, won the role of Gulliver in a radio contest. The filmmakers liked his appearance so much that they used his movements for Gulliver's animation.
Tedd Pierce was a writer for cartoons. He voiced King Bombo in the movie.
Awards and Nominations
Gulliver's Travels was nominated for two Academy Awards:
- Victor Young for Best Music, Original Score
- Ralph Rainger (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics) for Best Music, Original Song ("Faithful Forever")
Both nominations lost to The Wizard of Oz.
Spin-off Cartoons
After the movie, two short cartoon series were made based on the film:
- The Gabby series, starring the town crier.
- The Animated Antics cartoons, which featured the three spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, and Twinkletoes (the carrier pigeon).
In Spanish: Gulliver's Travels (película de 1939) para niños
