The Daydreamer (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Daydreamer |
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Official release poster
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| Directed by | Jules Bass |
| Produced by | |
| Screenplay by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Maury Laws |
| Cinematography |
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| Studio | Videocraft International |
| Distributed by | Embassy Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 1, 1966 |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States Canada (voice recording) Japan (animation) |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
The Daydreamer is a 1966 musical fantasy film. It mixes stop-motion animation with live-action scenes. The movie was made by Videocraft International, also known as Rankin/Bass Productions.
Jules Bass directed the film. Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Romeo Muller wrote the story. It is based on the famous fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. The film features seven new songs by Jules Bass and Maury Laws. Many famous actors lent their voices or appeared in the film. These include Paul O'Keefe, Jack Gilford, and Ray Bolger. Margaret Hamilton, known from The Wizard of Oz, also stars. Cyril Ritchard voices the Sandman. Some voice actors from the Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer also worked on this film. These include Burl Ives, Billie Mae Richards, and Larry D. Mann.
The puppet parts of the film were created using a special technique called "Animagic." Don Duga staged these scenes in New York. Tadahito Mochinaga supervised the animation in Tokyo, Japan. This movie was the first big film from Videocraft to be shown in theaters. Embassy Pictures distributed it.
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Story of The Daydreamer
The film tells the story of a teenage boy named Hans Christian Andersen. He is the son of a poor shoemaker. Hans loves to daydream instead of doing his schoolwork. One day, he decides to run away from home.
Whenever Hans falls asleep or starts daydreaming, he enters a magical world. In these dreams, he goes on strange adventures. He meets two tricky tailors and a tiny girl named Thumbelina. He also meets a mermaid and a mischievous boy in a beautiful garden. Hans is always looking for the "Garden of Paradise" in his dreams.
In the real world, Hans gets into trouble. A game warden falsely arrests him for hunting. Hans is then made to chop wood as punishment. His father, who is looking for Hans, also gets arrested by the same warden. He was fishing in a protected area. Father and son are forced to chop wood together. They are only released when Hans's father gives up a special ring he wears.
These amazing dreams later become the ideas for Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tales. As an adult, he writes stories like "The Little Mermaid" and "Thumbelina". He also writes "The Ugly Duckling", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Garden of Paradise".
Songs in The Daydreamer
The film features several original songs that help tell the story.
- "Daydreamer" – Sung by Robert Goulet
- "Overture" – Music by Maury Laws
- "Wishes and Teardrops" – Sung by The Little Mermaid
- "Simply Wonderful" – Sung by The Emperor and His Three Minstrels
- "Who Can Tell" – Sung by The Pieman of Odense
- "Luck to Sell" – Sung by Chris
- "Happy Guy" – Sung by Thumbelina, Chris and Chorus
- "Isn't It Cozy?" – Sung by Three Bats and the Mole
- "Finale (The Daydreamer)" – Sung by Chorus
Main Cast
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played:
- Paul O'Keefe as "Chris" (Hans Christian Andersen)
- Jack Gilford as Papa Andersen
- Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Klopplebobbler
- Sessue Hayakawa as The Mole
- Patty Duke as Thumbelina
- Boris Karloff as The Rat
- Hayley Mills as The Little Mermaid
- Burl Ives as Father Neptune
- Tallulah Bankhead as The Sea Witch
- Victor Borge as The Second Tailor
- Ed Wynn as The Emperor
- Ray Bolger as The Pieman
- Cyril Ritchard as The Sandman
- Terry-Thomas as The First Tailor
- Robert Harter as Big Claus the game warden
Additional Voices
- Billie Mae Richards as one of the Little Mermaid's sisters
- Larry D. Mann
- James Daugherty
- William Marine
Film Crew
Many talented people worked behind the scenes to create The Daydreamer.
- Director: Jules Bass
- Writer and Producer: Arthur Rankin, Jr.
- Executive Producer: Joseph E. Levine
- Music and Lyrics: Maury Laws and Jules Bass
- Additional Dialogue: Romeo Muller
- Animagic Technician: Tadahito Mochinaga
Soundtrack Album
A soundtrack album for The Daydreamer was released by Columbia Records. It included all the songs and some of the background music from the film. In 2006, the album was re-released on CD with extra bonus tracks.
