The Little Prince (1974)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (story)
Alan Jay Lerner (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Sci-Fi | Family

Plot:

A pilot, stranded in the desert, meets a little boy who is a prince on a planet.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Prince | Planet | Desert | King

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Steven Warner	...	The Little Prince
Joss Ackland	...	The King
Clive Revill	...	The Business Man
Victor Spinetti	...	The Historian
Graham Crowden	...	The General
Richard Kiley	...	The Pilot
Donna McKechnie	...	The Rose
Bob Fosse	...	The Snake
Gene Wilder	...	The Fox

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry		(story "Le Petit Prince")
Alan Jay Lerner		(writer)
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry		novel

Produced by
Stanley Donen	....	producer
A. Joseph Tandet	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Peter Boita
George Hively

Production Design by
John Barry

Art Direction by
Norman Reynolds

Costume Design by
Tim Goodchild
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
Ronnie Cogan	....	hair stylist
Ernest Gasser	....	makeup artist
Eileen Warwick	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Arthur Carroll	....	production supervisor
Eric Rattray	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Burgess	....	assistant director
Allan James	....	first assistant director: Tunisia

Art Department
Jock Lyall	....	construction manager: location
W.E. Welch	....	construction manager: studio

Sound Department
Jim Groom	....	dubbing editor
Bill Rowe	....	sound mixer
Jim Willis	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Vernon Messenger	....	special effects technician
John Richardson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Tom Howard	....	photographic effects (as Thomas Howard)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
John Palmer	....	camera operator
Paul Wilson	....	director of photography: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Guerin	....	wardrobe master

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	conductor
Angela Morley	....	music supervisor
Angela Morley	....	orchestrator
Thelma Orr	....	music editor

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	unit publicist
Al Burgess	....	location manager
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Ronn Forella	....	choreographer
Bob Fosse	....	choreographer
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Marjorie Lavelly	....	continuity
Kay Mander	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• TVC London  animation sequences

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/6 | USA:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film and TV Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Richard Burton was actively pursued for the role of the pilot. Burton had had a huge success, on Broadway, with Lerner & Lowe's "Camelot", but had turned down the film role (Camelot (1967)), as he did "The Little Prince".

Quotes:

The Fox: It's only with the heart that one can see clearly. What's essential, is invisible to the eye.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FLCL (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

You're A Child

CHARMING MASTERPIECE

Many have disliked THE LITTLE PRINCE, it was not what one would call a great success. What a pity! It embodies all those great attributes of the musical era of fantasy, entertainment and charm. Stanley Donen is a master craftsman of the musical genre of film making. A lifetime of devotion to his craft of musical theatre - on and off the silver screen. It is a pity the film is not available on DVD, that the film has not made a comeback after all these years. There are no criticisms, gratefulness yes for the likes of Bob Fosse, Victor Spinetti, the elegance of Richard Kiley, and Gene Wilder in perhaps one of his finest, controlled and loving roles ever on screen.

Watch the film and if you have children watch it with them! This film should be a must for once a year screening, in the tradition of THE WIZARD OF OZ. It is music, film, story magic, that touches the heart, touches the soul, touches imagination.