Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American cel-animated Technicolor feature film, directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios. The film was released on December 22, 1939 by Paramount Pictures, who had the feature produced as an answer to the success of Walt Disney's box-office hit Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The sequences for the film were directed by Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, and Orestes Calpini. This is Paramount's first feature-length animated film.
Gulliver was the second cel-animated feature film ever released, and the first produced by an American studio other than Walt Disney Productions. The story is based very loosely upon the Lilliputian adventures of Gulliver depicted in Jonathan Swift's 18th century novel Gulliver's Travels.
Plot:
On November 5, 1699, Gulliver (voiced by Sam Parker) washes onto Lilliput, after a shipwreck. While scouting the forest, the town crier 'Gabby' (voiced by Pinto Colvig), finds Gulliver unconscious body and rushes to warn the ruler of Lilliput, King Little (voiced by Jack Mercer). At this time, Little and his friend, King Bombo (voiced by Tedd Pierce) of Blefuscu, are signing a wedding contract, granting their children, Princess Glory of Lilliput (voiced by Jessica Dragonette) to Prince David of Blefuscu (voiced by Lanny Ross), permission to marry. When they argue over which song is to play at the wedding, Bombo declares war.
After failures, Gabby tells King Little of the "giant on the beach" (i.e. Gulliver), and leads a mob to the beach to capture him. There, the Lilliputians tie Gulliver to a wagon on which they convey him to the capital. In the next morning, Gulliver awakens and breaks himself free; but when they see that the invading Blefuscuians are intimidated by his size, the Lilliputians enlist his help against their neighbor, treating him with hospitality and making him a new set of clothes.
King Bombo, who has sent three spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, into Lilliput, orders them to kill Gulliver; whereupon the spies steal Gulliver's flintlock pistol, confiscated by the Lilliputians, and prepare to use it against him. Meanwhile, Gulliver learns of the war's cause from Glory and David, and proposes a new song that combines the two proposed by their fathers.
When the spies assure King Bombo that they can kill Gulliver, Bombo announces by carrier pigeon 'Twinkletoes', that he will attack at dawn. Gabby intercepts this message and warns the Lilliputians; but is himself captured by the spies, who prepare the pistol. As the Blefuscuian fleet approaches Lilliput, Gulliver ties them together and draws them disarmed to shore. The spies fire at Gulliver from a cliff, but Prince David diverts the shot and falls to his apparent death. Using David's body to illustrate his point, Gulliver scolds both Lilliput and Blefuscu for fighting; but when they solemnize a truce, reveals that David is unharmed, whereupon David and Glory sing their combined song for everyone to hear. Both thereafter build a new ship for Gulliver, on which he departs.
Cast:
Gulliver - Sam Parker
Gabby - Pinto Colvig
King Little, Twinkletoes, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch - Jack Mercer
King Bombo - Tedd Pierce
Princess Glory - Jessica Dragonette
Prince David - Lanny Ross
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Written by Dan Gordon, Cal Howard, Tedd Pierce, Edmond Seward, Isadore Sparber
Based on Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Starring Pinto Calvin, 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
Production company Fleischer Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates December 22, 1939
Running time 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $700,000
Gulliver was the second cel-animated feature film ever released, and the first produced by an American studio other than Walt Disney Productions. The story is based very loosely upon the Lilliputian adventures of Gulliver depicted in Jonathan Swift's 18th century novel Gulliver's Travels.
Plot:
On November 5, 1699, Gulliver (voiced by Sam Parker) washes onto Lilliput, after a shipwreck. While scouting the forest, the town crier 'Gabby' (voiced by Pinto Colvig), finds Gulliver unconscious body and rushes to warn the ruler of Lilliput, King Little (voiced by Jack Mercer). At this time, Little and his friend, King Bombo (voiced by Tedd Pierce) of Blefuscu, are signing a wedding contract, granting their children, Princess Glory of Lilliput (voiced by Jessica Dragonette) to Prince David of Blefuscu (voiced by Lanny Ross), permission to marry. When they argue over which song is to play at the wedding, Bombo declares war.
After failures, Gabby tells King Little of the "giant on the beach" (i.e. Gulliver), and leads a mob to the beach to capture him. There, the Lilliputians tie Gulliver to a wagon on which they convey him to the capital. In the next morning, Gulliver awakens and breaks himself free; but when they see that the invading Blefuscuians are intimidated by his size, the Lilliputians enlist his help against their neighbor, treating him with hospitality and making him a new set of clothes.
King Bombo, who has sent three spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, into Lilliput, orders them to kill Gulliver; whereupon the spies steal Gulliver's flintlock pistol, confiscated by the Lilliputians, and prepare to use it against him. Meanwhile, Gulliver learns of the war's cause from Glory and David, and proposes a new song that combines the two proposed by their fathers.
When the spies assure King Bombo that they can kill Gulliver, Bombo announces by carrier pigeon 'Twinkletoes', that he will attack at dawn. Gabby intercepts this message and warns the Lilliputians; but is himself captured by the spies, who prepare the pistol. As the Blefuscuian fleet approaches Lilliput, Gulliver ties them together and draws them disarmed to shore. The spies fire at Gulliver from a cliff, but Prince David diverts the shot and falls to his apparent death. Using David's body to illustrate his point, Gulliver scolds both Lilliput and Blefuscu for fighting; but when they solemnize a truce, reveals that David is unharmed, whereupon David and Glory sing their combined song for everyone to hear. Both thereafter build a new ship for Gulliver, on which he departs.
Cast:
Gulliver - Sam Parker
Gabby - Pinto Colvig
King Little, Twinkletoes, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch - Jack Mercer
King Bombo - Tedd Pierce
Princess Glory - Jessica Dragonette
Prince David - Lanny Ross
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Written by Dan Gordon, Cal Howard, Tedd Pierce, Edmond Seward, Isadore Sparber
Based on Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Starring Pinto Calvin, 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
Production company Fleischer Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates December 22, 1939
Running time 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $700,000
Category
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Short film