Daydreamer (1966)

Starring:Tallulah Bankhead, Victor Borge, Patty Duke, Jack Gilford, Sessue Hayakawa, Margaret Hamilton, Burl Ives, Boris Karloff, Hayley Mills, Paul O'Keefe, Cyril Ritchard, Terry-Thomas, Ed Wynn, Ray Bolger, Robert Harter, Larry D. Mann, Billie Mae Richards, James Daugherty, William Marine, Robert Goulet
Director: Jules Bass
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

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Not only does the incurably sleepy Hans "Chris" Andersen dream in full color, this future storyteller also dreams in "Animagic." From the award-winning team that delights youngsters annually with their 1964 classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass), The Daydreamer blends animated, roly-headed puppets with live-action talent including Jack Gilford (Cocoon) and Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz). A hunger for knowledge sends young Chris Andersen searching for the elusive Garden of Paradise. But the Sandman (a wavy shadow, voiced by Cyril Ritchard) casts Chris into a magical puppet world where he breaks a little mermaid's heart, humiliates an emperor, and causes big trouble for tiny Thumbelina. Screen favorites like Hayley Mills, Tallulah Bankhead, Burl Ives, and Boris Karloff lend their voices to the fantasy. Best suited for sentimental Rudolph fans and kids who adore lengthy song-and-dance classics like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this visual candy store runs 99 minutes. (Ages 6 and older) --Liane Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-03-10

I used to watch this on T.V. when I was a kid every year at Thanksgiving. Now I can let my daughter watch it and get to know all the songs like I did, only now, more often!

Still entertaining me many years later! .......2007-01-23

I loved this movie as a child and still sing "Isn't it cozy here...". I bought this for my children ages 3 & 6. They loved it. The acting and story are goofy, but this is a kids movie. They loved the familiarity of the fairy tales and the animation of these stories. We had quite a discussion about the original "Little Mermaid" and how the story ends. As well as the Emperor's New Clothes & Thumbelina which they weren't as familiar with. As an adult, I get a kick out of the movie stars and my kids recognized the "Wicked Witch" right away. Although they didn't quite understand that Ray Bolger was the Scarecrow. I loved this movie and found it more entertaining than Mad Monster Party which I also enjoyed as a child. The best part of the whole thing is sharing the classics of my childhood with my children.

Animagic Tour de Force.......2005-11-05

I had fond memories of The Daydreamer, having seen it on TV in the early 1970s, so I was delighted to see the DVD version. The highlight, to my mind, was the bats' song and dance number in the mole's den ("Isn't it Cosy?"). A friend of mine used to amuse us in elementary school days by singing that song in class whenever the teacher left the room! It was also a treat to see Boris Karloff as a rat with a bad case of lumbago! Another memorable sequence was the destruction of the Garden of Paradise. Even young children today might find it a little frightening.
While not up to the standards of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or "Mad Monster Party," the film is well worth seeing nevertheless. It has a marvellous cast--most of the cast members being seen only as puppets--from Burl Ives to Margaret Hamilton to Terry-Thomas, and a lovely soundtrack. Ideal family viewing--for kids and grown-ups alike.

Ah, to daydream..........2004-02-10

This is another wonderful childhood movie, full of the joys and woes that come to a young boy who dares to daydream, perhaps a little to obsession. He gets into all sorts of adventures and trouble. What also trully shines is Ray Bolger as the pieman, who dances around like a playful kitten, darting about the rest of the cast with his armful of pies, and his humerous gestures. You also get to see a little Rankin/Bass version of Ray, which is equally as charming. Great movie, great to watch when you're bored, or with he family, all year round.

The Enchanted World of Hans Christian Andersen.......2003-05-12

"The Daydreamer" has some really cool animagic sequences. Boris Karloff's song and dance bit with the Rat and the Mole is one of the best things I have seen from Rankin/Bass. The underwater sequence is great, with Burl Ives, Hayley Mills and Tallulah Bankhead playing the leads of The Little Mermaid, Father Neptune and the Sea Witch.

However, overall "The Daydreamer" is a mediocre film. The live action bits are pretty bad, with nothing really passing for acting or a storyline on display. The producer went the wrong direction, buy banking on the large cast of stars who are mostly unknown today.

Given that this is a mediocre film, I would have wished for a better DVD to make up the difference. "The Daydreamer" just doesn't have the punch necessary to pull of a DVD without accompaniment. Paired with "The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes" and you would have had a must-buy. The addition of any other Rankin/Bass animagic special would have been appreciated.

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