The Daydreamer (1966)

the audience applauded

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Cmon, this film is a holiday favorite. A local TV station would show it every Thanksgiving. I even saw it in the theatre when it came out. It's a simplistic film for children. Perhaps you're not getting that fact.For it's time....it was done very well. This was before FINDING NEMO, RATATOUILLE, and TOY STORY. Remember, in 1966, there were no computer generated images to dazzle. It was all done one frame at a time. We're not talking Spielberg here. You have to give credit to the crew members. In the day...this was state of the art.OK, so it's not to everyone's taste, I understand. But to this child, it will always bring back wonderful memories of turkey, a lit fireplace, adults at the dining room table, and us kids glued to the TV screen watching Hans Christian Anderson come to life. When this was played we knew Christmas wasn't far behind.This movie is truly an ensemble piece. Most of the stars are dead. At least we have the DVD to see the great performances. They really were great. This is a true classic!

Viewed this film many years ago and it always was a great film for children and adults. The cast of actors were all veterans of the screen, namely: Jack Gilford, Ray Bolger(The Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz) and Margaret Hamilton(The Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz) and the king of Horror, Boris Karloff (Frankenstein Monster). It also featured the voices of: Burl Ives, Tallulah Bankhead, Terry-Thomas, Victor Borge, Ed Wynn, Patty Duke and Robert Goulet. Karloff was the menacing voice of "THE RAT" in this internationally produced, live-action puppet fantasy. It is a MUST SEE to find out the complete story and ending.

Those among us who treasure Rankin/Bass' annual holiday specials like RUDOLPH THE REINDEER and SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN undoubtably have wondered at some point or another why the production company never tried any full-length feature efforts. Well, they did, with mixed results. The most ambitious effort of several was THE DAYDREAMER, Rankin/Bass' live action/stop-motion animation effort that was apparently supposed to be their masterwork but didn't quite deliver. Sure, it's a children's musical fantasy, and it's cast with a plethora of then-famous movie and television stars, but the whole thing just doesn't work. The story concerns an adolescent Hans Christian Andersen, learning life's lessons as he dreams himself into adventures(the animated sequences)that turn out to be several of the beloved Danish storyteller's famous stories, like Thumbelina, the Little Murmaid, etc. What really puts one's teeth on edge are the live-action sequences with Paul O'Keefe and Jack Gilford as Chris and Papa Andersen. Despite their distracting Brooklyn accents, what really spoils the mood is the degree of disfunction in this family. Papa Andersen is indecisive and easily put-upon by his harpie customers. Chris is selfish and is easily swayed into abandoning many of his new-found friends. Several of the animated sequences are atmospherically dark with less than happy resolutions. The songs are not on par with most of the television offerings, and the film drags intolerably so that, by the time it does end, you really don't care if Chris does get back home. As an adult, I found it hard to sit through, and I can't see a child today(or in 1966)watching this with any degree of sustained interest, with the exception of Tim Burton. And surely, the decision to have Robert Goulet sing the film's theme song was the kiss of death . . .

Just perfect for rugrats and pre-schoolers. Several Hans Christian Anderson tales told by way of live action and stop motion puppetry. A diverse cast donated time and talent to this somewhat dated film. The cast features Ed Wynn, Ray Bolger, Patty Duke, Boris Karloff, Burl Ives, Margaret Hamilton, Tallulah Bankhead and Paul O'Keefe.