Tom Thumb (1958) User Reviews

"This is my song...I can sing it tall and I can sing it long"

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 5 September 2005]

I remember seeing this the first time when I was attending public school in Queens in the early 1960s. It was shown as a treat to the students at an extended G.O. assembly. I had not seen it when it came out in 1958 (I was only four) but I recall seeing Disney's PETER PAN about that time, so I cannot understand missing this film.

It was a fun film. The trick animation (which won an Oscar) was particularly good in the sequence when the toys came to life. It was probably influential with similar scenes in BABES IN TOYLAND in 1960. However, BABES IN TOYLAND had the benefit of the Disney studio, not to mention a wonderful Victor Herbert score. The score of tom thumb was not very memorable, except for the song that I quoted above, which had some of the silliest lyrics I can recall.

The film was actually more interesting than I would have known as a child. Besides George Pal's style in the film and the trick animation, it was one of the last musical films that had a major role for Jessie Matthews as tom's mother. In the U.S. Ms Matthews is not too well recalled, but she was the leading female musical comedy star in England in the 1930s. Her husband here is Sir Bernard Miles, who is better remembered as the villain in Hitchcock's remake of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. The star was Russ Tamblyn, finally in a starring role - a step beyond his performances in THE LAST HUNT and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, and heading for his best performance in WEST SIDE STORY. The second lead, Alan Young, had already made ANDROCLES AND THE LION and AARON SLICK FROM PUNKIN CREEK, and (as he was here working with George Pal) would have his dramatically best role (or roles) in Pal's future masterwork THE TIME MACHINE. Young would also soon gain television immortality as "Wilbur Post" the friend of the talking horse MR. ED.

This film was one of the pairings of Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers in a comedy. As Tony and Ivan they are the greedy thieves who use tom to rob the town treasury, only to turn on each other in a fight that enables tom to trip them up. Terry-Thomas has a sharpened nose in his makeup, which is accentuated by his sharp crowned hat. Sellers in particular had interesting make-up in this film, fattened up to look particularly threatening in a greasy sort of way, and wearing a small derby hat. He has the best line in the film. When tom (still unaware of what crooks he is with) is inside the town treasury Tony/Terry-Thomas tells him to pass over a bag of gold. Which one, asks tom. "THE BIGGEST ONE!", shouts Ivan/Peter.

Great Fun for the Family

[Space_Mafune · 7/10 · 4 April 2003]

A timeless fantasy featuring the adventures of the world's smallest and best boy. There's some fun songs, decent acting and terrific special effects (for the time and era). This should delight most kids and is pleasant enough for most adults to enjoy as well. As the bumbling villains Ivan and Tony, Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers steal much of the show.

tom thumb

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 16 September 2005]

I watched this classic film many times a kid, I said to myself that I would love to see it again when I was grown up, so when the opportunity came I did not miss out, directed by George Pal (The Time Machine). Basically poor but honest woodcutter / lumberjack Jonathan aka "Honest John" (Bernard Miles) is chopping down a large old tree when he is stopped by a mystical Forest Queen (June Thorburn), she convinces him to spare the tree for a family of birds, she demonstrates her magic powers, and in gratitude grants him and his wife Anna (Jessie Matthews) three wishes. Unfortunately they squander the three wishes while squabbling over dinner, what they really wanted was a son they cannot have, they have a second bedroom full of toys and a crib for a child, Anna laments that they could have wished for a child, Jonathan consoles her that the Forest Queen may yet show kindness and grant them one more wish, Anna says she would love any child they have, "even if he was no bigger then her thumb." Later at night Jonathan and Anna are woken by a soft knocking at the door, there appears a young boy (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' Russ Tamblyn) who is literally the size of a thumb, he addresses them familiarly as "father" and "mother", Anna instinctively knows the boy's name is Tom, and they put him to bed happy that they finally have a child. In the morning Tom wakes in his crib and is greeted by the toys of the room, including Chinese doll Con-Fu-Shon (Dal McKennon), he explains that grown ups never see them coming to life, they celebrate Tom's arrival until they are interrupted by Jonathan and Anna. The next day Jonathan and Tom are travelling, family friend Woody (Alan Young, best known as Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales) takes Tom into town to the fair, there The Cobbler (Ian Wallace) provides him with "Talented Shoes" that keep dancing to music being played, then he is carried away on a balloon. At the top of the nearby treasury, thieves Ivan (BAFTA nominated Terry-Thomas) Antony (Peter Sellers) are trying to steal a bag of gold, they realise that due to his size Tom can help them, they convince him the money will be given to poor orphans. As a reward for his help Ivan gives Tom a single gold sovereign from the stolen loot, Tom is found by the Forest Queen, aka "Queenie" to Woody, they have an argument and she disappears in a mood, Tom is disheartened by causing trouble, and his parents are distraught over his disappearance, while sneaking through the window Tom accidentally drops the gold coin into a cake his mother has been baking. The next morning the robbery has been discovered, guards are searching for the culprits, they stop at the cottage to get out of the rain and have some breakfast, one of the guards bites into the cake and finds the gold coin, the guards recognise it as part of the stolen, and wrongly arrest Jonathan and Anna. Tom goes to find the real robbers, with the help of Woody they track down Ivan and Antony to an old castle, after knocking out Woody and fighting over the loot the thieves get away, but Tom has the ability to control the horse they are riding, they reach town, Ivan and Antony are arrested and the gold is returned. In the end Woody discovers the way to make Queenie human is to kiss her, after doing so it concludes with them getting married, and Tom wakes his own princess with the female cake decoration with whom he happily dances. Also starring Carry On's Peter Butterworth as Kapellmeister, Peter Bull as Town Crier and Stan Freberg as The Yawning Man. Acrobatic dancer Tamblyn is likable as the tiny hero who brings joy and happiness to his elderly parents, Young is a little out of place as the slow-witted friend, and Thomas and Sellers are great as the hissable pantomime villains. Based on the fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, this film is full of bright colour, the stop-motion animation for the toys coming to life and all components to shrink the hero are well done, the songs are all enjoyable, especially "Tom Thumb's Tune" and The Yawning Man (which does work to make you yawn as you sing along), this is splendid entertainment for all ages, an enjoyable fantasy musical. It won the Oscar for Best Special Effects, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical. Very good!

This is a classic at it's best!

[gflenard · 7/10 · 5 October 2011]

I just watched this tonight. The last time I saw this movie was about thirty years ago. If anyone enjoys Dismey movies and/or anything light-hearted and musical...this is a must-see!

The main character, of course appeared later in "West Side Story". He is a fabulous dancer. I'd be afraid to do some of the stunts he did in this film.

Also, this film was critically acclaimed for the special effects of this time period.

If your children(or you, for that matter) enjoy fairy tales, movies taken from fairy tales. Or, maybe just a little family fun...give this one a try

"And what did you wish for? A sausage!"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 7/10 · 8 October 2020]

Charming without being cloying, romantic without being saccharine, humorous without being vulgar 'tom thumb' is a colourful fairy tale with music and dancing and a happy ending. What more do you want in a good family film? The sets and special effects are perfect, all filmed in gorgeous Eastmancolor. The large size props in which Tom Thumb disports himself are beautifully crafted.

Filmed in the U.K. it has a mainly British cast but all perform splendidly as if they came straight out of a book of fairy tales; Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers as the comic villains, Bernard Miles and Jessie Matthews as the parents, Alan Young and the luminous June Thorburn as the lovers and bouncing Russ Tamblyn as Tom. People will have their favourite scenes but mine was 'The Yawning Man' voiced by Stan Freberg.

The kind of film they don't make anymore, Just fun and that's it.

With more screen time to Russ Tamblyn, just maybe ...

[mik-19 · 6/10 · 2 April 2005]

Hardly the congenial dramatization of any work by the harrowing Grimm Brothers! This 1958 'Tom Thumb' is much too sweet, sugar-coated and unassuming to even begin to delve the depths of the Grimms.

24-year old Russ Tamblyn plays the minuscule boy Tom who, by the intervention of a miracle, comes to liven up the days of a childless middle-aged couple, a woodcutter and his wife. A pair of colorful crooks uses the boy to steal some money from the treasure, and his foster parents are accused of the theft, so now Tom Thumb has to save the day.

Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers compete as to who is the more deliciously unsavory and their interaction is quite violent by today's Disney standards, but still they come closer to the Brothers Grimm than anything else in this film. Except maybe the delightful abundance of toys that come to exuberant life when Tom enters their 'lives'! The scene in the beginning when Tom dances and bounces around all his new toys is gorgeous, Russ Tamblyn displays all his athleticism and dancing skills here, and the animation is wonderfully realized, even when seen today. Regrettably, Tamblyn does not get much screen time except in totals, so we never really learn what goes on in that tiny brain of his. But ... of course, he is terribly cute.

The songs, unfortunately, are so-so, not one memorable on in the lot. But watch it with your kids, they might just bite the bait.

Kids might like it

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 19 January 2009]

Story about Tom Thumb (Russ Tamblyn) who is no bigger than someone's thumb. He gets involved with two bumbling crooks (Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers) and such.

Kids might like it but this is pretty hard going. Basically this is more of a musical than anything else. The songs are (to be nice) unmemorable and annoying. It got to the point that I was dreading each song--and there are LOTS of them! The story (what there is of it) is very slight and the lapses in logic were puzzling even for a fairy tale movie. Terry-Thomas (chewing the scenery) and Peter Sellers were stupid and unfunny and Alan Young and June Thorburn were unbelievably bland as young lovers. On the plus side Tamblyn was good in the title role, the dances are colorful and there's some really cool stop motion animation with Tom's toys. So kids will probably like this (although they might howl at the stop motion animation which looks clumsy next to CGI) but I was bored silly and couldn't wait for this to be over. I give it a 6.

Good things do indeed come in small packages.

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 2 October 2009]

Woodcutter Honest Jonathan is granted three wishes by the forest queen as gratitude for not chopping down a mighty oak tree. Returning home he excitedly tries to tell his wife about the wishes, but an argument ensues and during the course of which, the three wishes are foolishly wasted. Realising the folly of their waste, they both sadly ponder on the absence of a son in their life, no matter what size he be. Jonathan muses that perhaps the queen would grant them one more wish, even a small one...

Based on the Brothers Grimm story, "tom thumb" may just be the most undervalued musical made in the 1950s. "tom thumb" has everything a family musical should have, a fantastical fairytale full of colour, vibrant song and dance sequences, and a warmth to cheer the bluest of hearts. With the athletic and ebullient Russ Tamblyn taking the lead as Tom, and villains portrayed with such gleeful caddishness by Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas, the film was always going to start from a good footing. Add in Tom Howard's Academy Award winning effects, Gamley & Jones' whimsical score and the zippy direction from Ray Harryhausen mentor, George Pal, well what's the excuse for not letting this film into yours, and your children's life?

The story unfolds in a blaze of glorious art design and pupetoon effects. As Tamblyn roams around his little world, the makers blend over-sized sets with animation and real life choreography. Yeah its a little creaky now, but this is still magic, a hark back to a time when it was hard work to craft such a fusion of incredible delights. There's a main sequence as Tom brings the toys to life (you see a toy without a child is as bad as a child without a toy), a truly wondrous segment of film that deserves classic status. Fit to sit alongside the moment Gene Kelly danced with Mickey Mouse in Anchors Aweigh, this sees Tamblyn trip the light fantastic around, and with, numerous articles and childhood toys beloved by so many in the past. Then there is the talented shoes, a mortality romantic sub-plot, and yes! the good against evil thematic so rich and potent with many a fairytale that has been spun. It's all good, really it is.

Am I biased because it was a childhood favourite? You can bet your last Cent, Penny or Euro that I am indeed! But I know this one truth, that I have shown this to various age groups over the years, and not once has this film finished and not been met with smiles and even happy tears on occasions. Because ultimately it delivers the joy to the children, and to the children in us all. And that be the truth your honour.

Doo be doo be doo 9/10

A film children and adults can enjoy on certain levels...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 16 January 2009]

The talented RUSS TAMBLYN does a superb job of singing, dancing and acting while playing the title role of the miniature boy presented as a gift to a woodsman and his wife by a woodland spirit. They treat him as their own son and the film revolves around his misadventures after his parents are wrongly accused of a crime and he must find the real culprits (TERRY-THOMAS and PETER SELLERS) in time for a happy ending.

The trick photography is marvelous, the toys that come to life are inventive and fun, the interaction between Tom and all the other townspeople is well done--and this was all before the CGI effects we have today.

There's a lot of charm to several musical numbers, especially one called "Yawning Man," and all of the song-and-dance numbers are done in rollicking style. Songstress Peggy Lee wrote several clever songs.

Well worth watching, a family film that can be enjoyed by adults or children. Tamblyn's talents are given full reign in this one.

Family Fantasy Musical

[adamshl · 5/10 · 18 April 2013]

It's gratifying to know how much this film meant to some folks. Apparently it did what the filmmakers intended, as far as supporters of this work are concerned.

For me, it was a rather tedious, limp affair, despite the vigorous performance of Russ Tamblyn. The Pal special effects seemed dated, though impressive from a historical perspective. The songs come across as fair, and the whole enterprise seemed pale and drawn out.

One can see the effort (and cost) that went into this production, for it's often quite opulent and elaborate. Perhaps kids from ages 3-7 might be its best audience. There's nothing harmful here for very young children, and their parents might appreciate a film the family can watch together. In that sense, "tom thumb" has a value.

Superb Special Effects, courtesy George Pal, but Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas almost steal the movie

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 24 May 2001]

This movie deservedly won the Oscar for its Special Effects. Russ Tamblyn was well-cast as tom. The romantic sub-plot is superfluous and Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers all but steal the movie as a bumbling pair of thieves. Funny enjoyable puffball of a movie. Well worth watching for the effects and Sellers and Thomas.

Grimm's fairy tale becomes cheerful, noodle-headed musical...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 25 June 2006]

George Pal directed this colorful production based on the tale by the Brothers Grimm involving a woodcutter and his wife who are granted a succession of wishes--though their request for a little boy goes somewhat awry when a thumb-sized young man shows up on their doorstep! Very silly story tends to test the boundaries of whimsical fantasy, and Russ Tamblyn as tom thumb is forced to shout out all his lines (which quickly wears out his welcome), but it's certainly an eyeful that may enchant older children. Peggy Lee's songs are enjoyable, Peter Sellers pops up in a supporting role, and the Oscar-winning visual effects are a lot of fun. **1/2 from ****

So-So Musical

[jdrusk · 5/10 · 2 September 2005]

Average musical almost redeemed by Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers as the villains as well as by special effects that surpassed most of those of the 50s.

The Peggy Lee songs do not come near matching those of The Lady and the Tramp. The dance numbers are not well choreographed. Alan Young, an acquired taste at best, stumbles through his role as Woody.

Still, it's not a complete failure as a movie. Russ Tamblyn is energetic, the Forest Queen is pretty, and the story is sweet.

The IMDb tells me that I need 10 lines in a review. I'm sure the powers that be are much too young to have read the short zingers in _Time_ and _The New Yorker_ of 50 to 60 years ago.

The perfect movie for kids?

[PlanecrazyIkarus · 29 September 2002]

When I was a kid, this was among my favourite movies. The story of an old couple who are finally granted a wish to have a son, only to find he is just as tall as a thumb, is heartwarming and funny. And the naive character of the boy, the clumsy and funny villains, the comic relief characters, all together make this an enchanting tale for kids.

But for me, the highlight of the entire movie was the yawning man. There were lots of funny setpieces (dancing shoes, a romantic sub plot, ...) to extend the length of the movie, which would otherwise have lasted only half an hour or so, but this one stands out in my mind even today: The animated puppet that sings a yawning song, which makes Tom fall asleep. The song was so good, I have never forgotten it, and better yet: It worked. It was incredibly hard for my entire family not to yawn - not because of boredom, but because there are few things as infective as yawning...

So while Harry Potter may be the kiddie-movie of the moment, full of expensive special effects and a world famous franchise, it is hard to beat this old classic with the one thing that Harry Potter lacks: A soul.

Few other kid's movies managed that. Watch "Jack and the Beanstalk" (with Gene Kelly), or a few of the old Czech fairy tale movies (Salt prince, Cinderella with Hazelnuts), and you won't be disappointed. They all had what most ultra-slick kid's movies lack....

Inch-high

[dfranzen70 · 6/10 · 13 February 2019]

Likable family adventure. It looks and feels like a Disney classic, but it's really a George Pal movie - you know, the guy who would later do War of the Worlds and the like. Still not sure how old Tom Thumb is supposed to be, but Russ Tamblyn looks like he's at least in his late teens. Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers make great stupid villains, too.

fine family film

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 July 2021]

Before the mechanization of our world, woodcutter Jonathan is chopping down a tree in the forest. The Forest Queen appears before him. She asks him to stop. When he agrees, she grants him three wishes. He and his wife waste the first two wishes. With the third wish, the childless couple receives a tiny child, Tom Thumb (Russ Tamblyn). Jonathan in on the road with Tom when they encounter villainous Ivan and Antony (Peter Sellers) who offer to buy Tom.

It's a fun little family film. It's always fun to see a character living in the giant world. Tom Thumb reminds me a lot of Pinocchio. It does put the elements into a blender and mix it up. The result is somewhat fun. Tom Thumb should be played by a boy. Russ Tamblyn is fine with the dancing and his energy but the character is begging to be a child. The role does have a child-like innocence. While the Chinese toy is very badly stereotyped, some allowance must be made for the era. This is generally a good family film.

Something different from the mind of George Pal

[TheOneManBoxOffice · 6/10 · 9 June 2019]

"Tom Thumb", released in 1958, is a rather unique MGM musical in that it was directed by George Pal, the man behind the stop-motion animated characters known as the "Puppetoons" (i.e. 1947's Tubby the Tuba), as well as the producer of science fiction classics like 1951's When Worlds Collide and 1953's The War of the Worlds.

Based on the Grimm fairy tale of the same name, the film stars future West Side Story star Russ Tamblyn in the title role, as a boy the size of a thumb, sent by a forest queen (June Thorburn), to live with a married couple (Jessie Matthews and Bernard Miles) who wished for a kid. During his adventures, he would also befriend woodwind musician named Woody (Alan Young of Mister Ed fame), George Pal's "Puppetoon" magic also makes an appearance when Tom's toys come to life (with the voices of Stan Freberg and Dallas McKennon, whose grandson I'm good friends with). Finally, there are the two bumbling thieves, Ivan and Antony, (Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers pre-Pink Panther respectively) who trick Tom into stealing money from the village treasury.

As someone who enjoys watching classic movies (I watch TCM often, so that should be a clue) and is a film major at university, I can say that this film has a certain charm to it that makes it still enjoyable today, and still makes for a good film to show to the kids. The Puppetoon animated segments were quite impressive for the time, and Tamblyn's athletic skill and choreography really shines. The songs are also a nice touch, with one of them being written by Peggy Lee, three years after her work on the Disney picture Lady and the Tramp.

The only thing that doesn't age well at all is the film's compositing effects (or "green screening"), which is rather poor and one of the toy characters, Con-Fu-Shon, is definitely not PC, as it can be seen as an Asian stereotype, because, well...it is. Let's not beat around the bush.

With those positives and negatives in mind, it is an interesting relic from the '50s, and can still make for a nice film for the kiddywinks in order to keep them quiet for an hour-and-a-half.

Great songs and musical production numbers!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 14 October 2017]

Special photographic effects: Tom Howard. Camera operator: Denys Coop. Set continuity: Angela Martelli. Music director: Muir Mathieson. Choreographer: Alex Romero. Animators: Gene Warren, Wah Chang, Don Sahlin, Herb Johnson. Sound recording supervisor: A.W. Watkins. Mr. Pal's assistant: Gae Griffith. Executive producer: Matthew Raymond. Producer: George Pal. Associate producer: Dora Wright. Photographed in a hard matte 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

Songs: "Tom Thumb's Tune" and "Are You a Dream?" by Peggy Lee; "The Talented Shoes" and "After All These Years" by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; "The Yawning Song" by Fred Spielman and Kermit Goell.

Available on an excellent Warner Home Video DVD. Copyright 1958 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, filmed at M-G-M British Studios, Boreham Wood, Herts., England. A George Pal Production for Galaxy Pictures. U.S. release: 23 December 1958. New York opening at neighborhood theaters as the top half of a double bill with Andy Hardy Comes Home: 23 December 1958. U.K. release: 21 December 1958. Australian release: Not recorded. 8,300 feet. 92 minutes.

NOTES: Negative cost: $900,000.

COMMENT: This is one of those films that believe in the principle that if you're making a kiddies' film, you have to talk down to your tiny tot audience. The acting is all grossly exaggerated and hammy in the extreme, the worst offenders being Bernard Miles, — who has about as much charm and presence and suitability for the role as a church warden at a boxing match, — Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers. June Thorburn is not much better.

Admittedly, all these players are hampered by the corny script. Jessie Matthews is probably just as bad but the pleasure of seeing her again after all these years makes up for a lot. Russ Tamblyn, however, acts and dances with plenty of bounce, though he is not well served by some very obvious and crudely matted special effects. Alan Young gives a pointer as to how the script should be played with a charming approach, not so much tongue-in-cheek as not taking himself or the story too seriously. When he loses Tom at the fair, he is not seriously alarmed and doesn't make out with a whole lot of synthetic, phony theatrics. He acts naturally.

However, the real joys of "Tom Thumb" are the songs and the musical and dance numbers and all the business with the animated toys — business which manages to get by on its novelty appeal rather than the skill of the animators.

Aside from the fuzziness in the special effect sequences, the film is attractively colored and photographed. The sets are nice and production values first class. Pal's first directorial effort shows a bit of skill and imagination though a great deal of the dialogue spots are directed in a straightforwardly routine style. Still the film certainly has its moments — for example, the camera panning to the opening under the door as Tom knocks — despite its crudely matted effects and even the use of an obvious doll for Tom in some scenes.

a round of applause for TOM THUMB

[ptb-8 · 8/10 · 13 January 2009]

Made 52 years ago and still enchanting, this MGM musical and puppetoon version of TOM THUMB is still a valid solid family delight. Told in a very European storybook manner, rather like the illustrations from a Little Golden Book, TOM THUMB unfolds into a spectacular special effects laden thrill... and no CGI all marvelous sets and over-sized art direction with amazing stop frame animation and puppet movements. It actually became more interesting for the astonishing and clever ideas edited together to make the story work. In 2009 this version might at first seem a bit too juvenile for today's kids but the simple ideas presented as a pantomime with sheer brilliance of on screen mastery and some hilarious acting by Terry Thomas Peter Sellers and Russ Tamblyn made me in middle age realize that once the lights go down and a genuinely well made film begins, it works for any person of any age. The two 8 year olds with me who are saturated with Harry Potter and Star Wars simply loved TOM THUMB and like kids of any year gone, laughed along with the beauty and wit on screen. It must have had a big budget because what I saw in scene after scene was a beautifully constructed lavish fantasy with completely convincing special effects.. made of cardboard and film. TOM THUMB still works !! What a delight. This version did not have a gollywog dance wither so it might have been the shorter version still clocking in at about 92 minutes. I saw the Gollywog but he was lying down by the time he appeared. I saw a new 35mm print in a cinema in Sydney on Jan 13, 2009. The color was rich and a bit dark and the grain obvious, but it was so clever and funny I forgot any film laboratory hardness.

Just like Tom Thumb's Blues (and reds, yellows and greens etc)

[Lejink · 6/10 · 13 January 2018]

Nice to re-watch a film I'd not seen since I was a child, the Brothers Grimm tale of Tom Thumb brought to cinematic life by George Pal. Not be confused with that other later film involving a character called Woody, a diminutive boy for whom the toys in his bedroom come to life and a musical soundtrack, "Tom Thumb" stars Russ Tamblyn as the tousle-haired tiny boy magically born fully formed to the elderly, good-hearted woodcutter and his doting but just occasionally nagging wife after he does a good deed in the eyes of the young Fairy Queen of the woods.

In a sub-plot said Queen is playing slightly hard-to-get with her human admirer, second cornet in the village band, Woody. It's not long before Tiny Tom encounters and then befriends him, both of them happily heading on into town where a fun fair is in progress, although a bewitched pair of dancing shoes trip Tom into the path of scheming villain Terry Thomas and his portly, dumb sidekick both these parts played with gusto by Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers, soon to be reunited in an altogether different movie the next year, the sharp-edged political satire "I'm Alright Jack".

Various scrapes and misunderstandings follow which all end up with Tom and Woody in a race to save Tom's wrongly accused parents face 20 lashes in public. You can guess how it ends up from there.

I really enjoyed the fantasy sequences, especially Tom's s interaction with the toys, firstly when he comes awake and secondly when trying to sleep. Likewise the dancing shoes sequence at the carnival with Peter Butterworth carrying on well enough as a stall holder. The acting is nice with other British actors besides, like Bernard Miles and Jennifer Matthews in prominent parts as the new-old parents. Russ Tamblyn, the young American actor soon to feature in "West Side Story" is very likeable as the acrobatic Tom.

Okay so some of the process shots rather jarringly misfire, some scenes run on too long and the songs are okay at best but there's a nice title "storybook" sequence, a fine "Mutt and Jeff" turn by Thomas and Sellers and lots of fine stop-animation work to enjoy.

Colourful, energetic and fun this is still a nice family entertainment perhaps best watched around Christmas time, as I did.

While amazing in its day, this one is strictly for undemanding kids.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 10 July 2013]

I understand why some of the reviewers have fond memories of seeing "tom thumb" when they were kids. Back in 1958, the special effects were amazingly good. However, when seen today, the film comes off as very badly dated and a bit stupid. There...I said it. So, despite some wonderful George Pal effects, today it just seems like a silly and insignificant film.

The story begins with a magical queen giving an old couple a 'son'--a 4 inch high one! Tom turns out to be a lot like Pinocchio--very naive and ripe to be taken advantage of by baddies. And, the baddies (Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers) convince the little guy to steal for them--and poor Tom doesn't know what he's going. Additionally, Tom has lots of singing and dancing adventures with magic shoes, toys that come alive and the like.

I guess that part of the reason the film hasn't aged well is that stop-motion has been supplanted by CGI. The computer animations simply look better and don't have a 'halo' around characters when they are superimposed onto backgrounds. Another problem is the singing and dancing--there is just too much and it probably would bore many kids. Overall, a nice film back in the day but a terribly dated one today.

Wonderful Fantasy - Great Dancing!

[movingpicturegal · 9/10 · 5 September 2007]

Rich, colorful musical fantasy based on a Grimms fairy tale that is delightfully fun to watch. Telling the tale of a woodsman who is granted three wishes by a very beautiful blonde fairy, the Forest Queen, after he agrees to not cut down a giant oak. But he blows it on the wishes (gee, who could have guessed that would happen?!), much to the chagrin of his patient wife, by blurting out a wish for a sausage, which ends up on his nose via another wish, forcing him to use the last wish to get it off his nose - okey dokey. Luckily, the Forest Queen is very patient, apparently, for they are given a fourth wish - they would like to have a young one to play with their room full of toys, someone they can love even if he is no bigger than their thumb. Well, next thing you know, Tom Thumb (played by Russ Tamblyn) has come knocking on their door - he's tiny, but he sure can dance! He's bedded down for the night by his new "parents" and wakes up to have a magical dance party with his toys, now come to life via some really wonderful special effects. Another fun musical number features a village dance where all the dancers have purchased "talented shoes" from the cobbler that keep dancing as long as there is music. Later poor Tom gets mixed up with two villains who force him to steal bags full of gold (this part of the film was the one segment that I thought dragged the story down a bit). There is also a subplot involving a local music man (Alan Young) who is in love with the Forest Queen and doesn't realize that he can turn her into a mortal via a kiss.

As a whole, this film is really a lot of fun - with great dancing, brightly colored period costumes, and trick photography which really succeeds in making Tom look small. All the actors are great in this - but Russ Tamblyn really steals this film with his marvelous, amazing, athletic skill at combining dance with gymnastics - really a fantastic talent. The music in this is fairly good, although nothing spectacular - though I must say that I saw this screened at Cinecon 43 in Hollywood four days ago (it looked great on the big screen, by the way) and I still keep finding myself humming one of the tunes from this all day long, it's really stuck in my head. Alan Young appeared in person for this screening and proved to be highly funny and entertaining during an interview after the film was shown. This would be a terrific movie for children to see, for adults I also find this film to be quite entertaining - I am partial to fantasies, this was a treat to see.

Once Upon A Time...

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 4 September 2018]

...there was an honest woodcutter called Jonathan (Bernard Miles), who lived with his wife Anne (Jessie Matthews) in a small cottage in a great forest. One day, while Jonathan is busy chopping down a mighty oak, the beautiful Forest Queen (June Thorburn) appears and asks him to stop, promising to grant him three wishes if he does so. The woodcutter agrees, but stupidly wastes his wishes; taking pity on him, the Forest Queen grants one further wish, giving the childless couple a son in the form of Tom (Russ Tamblyn), who is no bigger than their thumb.

All is well until two despicable villains, Ivan (Terry Thomas) and Antony (Peter Sellers), dupe the diminutive, naive youngster into helping them steal gold from the town's treasury. Shortly after, Tom's parents are arrested for the crime when one of the missing coins finds its way into their home. To save his mother and father from a public flogging, Tom must track down the real thieves and bring them to justice, with a little help from loveable local layabout Woody (Alan Young).

Thirty seven years before Pixar's Toy Story, director George Pal made this charming fairytale adaptation that also featured toys that come to life (AND a prominent character named Woody!), but he did so without the aid of computers. Showcasing an impressive array of old-school special effects techniques (stop-motion, travelling mattes, animation, oversized props, forced perspective, puppetry), Tom Thumb is an innovative, vibrant, family-friendly treat for fans of classic fantasy.

Tamblyn, in the title role, can be a little bit annoying at times, with his over-exaggerated pantomime-style performance, but his sheer energy and agility has to be admired, especially during the 'living toy' dance set-piece, in which he busts some crazy moves to a jazzy beat and performs acrobatics worthy of Jackie Chan. Also hamming it up a treat are Thomas and Sellers as the boo-hiss bad guys, but being the villains of the piece, the overacting here is a little more excusable.

With a rollicking pace, terrific set design, a few catchy songs, and some memorably freaky moments (is it just me or is the Yawning Man seriously creepy, even moreso than the Black Swamp?), Tom Thumb is still highly entertaining fun for all ages, recommended for those who love the likes of The Wizard of Oz, Jack the Giant Slayer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the work of Ray Harryhausen.

Kid Movie Shows Its Age

[slokes · 5/10 · 31 December 2011]

Some children's musicals have an ageless quality, both in terms of the time they were made and their ability to appeal to audiences at various points in life. Think "The Wizard Of Oz," "Gay Purr-ee," "Mary Poppins," and a slew of recent Disney films.

Then there's "tom thumb." A children's movie of and for its time, "tom thumb" was a big hit when it was released in 1958 and remained a holiday offering for regional TV channels a couple of decades later. Today, however, it stands out, at least to this pair of older eyes, more as a curio, a showcase for some impressive special effects, a directorial debut for kid-film king George Pal, and Peter Sellers' first appearance in an international screen role as Antony, one of a pair of villains (alongside Terry-Thomas, who as Ivan has the bigger part here).

Terry-Thomas got his only British Academy Award nomination for his work here, though neither he nor Sellers stand out especially. Sellers in particular plays his part too heavy, both in manner and in costume. The comedy in Ladislas Fodor's script is too twee, and slow-paced in an apparent effort to keep even the youngest audience member from losing the plot. It's not much of a plot, either. To the extent "tom thumb" strives to be diverting, it succeeds, but at the expense of offering more lasting entertainment.

More central to the film, and to its relative merits, are Russ Tamblyn as the title character, a cheerful if gullible youngster who arrives at Acorn Cottage, home of Honest John (Bernard Miles) and his wife Anne (Jessie Matthews). The childless couple is so desperate for a little boy that they fill an empty bedroom with a myriad of expensive-looking toys while contenting themselves to dine on cabbage.

"I'd love him with all my heart, even if he were no bigger than my thumb," Anne says. Tom, as it turns out, is bigger than that, but only by about an inch.

If "tom thumb" had been made today, there would have been more made of the boy's arrival, in terms of his adopted parents adjusting to the reality of their little treasure. But in true fairy-tale style, they take to Tom quite matter-of-factly. The film spends its first 45 minutes celebrating Tom's new place in life, centered on a long dancing sequence between Tom and his new toys, who embodying a tradition cemented by the "Toy Story" films, only spring to life when the adults are away. It's a great sequence, even if it does nothing in the way of forwarding a plot. Children today I think will still enjoy this part, anyway.

The second half of the movie centers on Tom's difficulty overcoming the machinations of Antony and Ivan. He's suckered by the pair when they use his small size to burgle the village vault. Then, when his parents are blamed for the theft, Tom must uncover the real crooks and bring them to justice.

The film still looks gorgeous, shot it seems on a set similar to that used in "The Wizard Of Oz." The theme song is nice, though overplayed. The rest of the songs are flat on delivery, and that goes double for the other main storyline here, a romance between Woody, a goofy musician (Alan Young), and the magical woodland creature called the Forest Queen (June Thorburn) who brought Tom to John and Anne in the first place. Whenever Woody and Queenie come on screen, you know kids of all ages will be ready to forsake the lovebirds for Angry Birds.

But Tamblyn's unaffected sincerity and enthusiasm keep "tom thumb" from being a total drag. Pal's direction definitely works at striking the right balance between menace and humor, even if there's not much on screen either to be scared of or laugh at.

I liked this film more for seeing Sellers try out some early physical comedy, knowing he stood here on the verge of a five-year run that would be the envy of any comedian of the sound era. It's disappointing in its limitations, but affecting in the way it encapsulates the notion of children's entertainment in a more innocent age.