Co-directed by Henry Levin and producer George Pal, this average biographical fantasy won an Oscar for Best Costume Design and was nominated for Color Art Direction-Set Decoration and Cinematography, and Score. The film was made using the three projector Cinerama process, which loses something in the translation to a television set, even in letterbox format. One can clearly see the seams between the three screens in most shots and even some tinting differences in a few scenes ("The Singing Bone" sequence being the most obvious). There is also the effect where persons in the outer thirds appear larger than their peers in the middle of the same frame. Though it must have been something to see in the theater, the effects used give the audience a "ride" or a sense of motion (most notably in "The Dancing Princess" sequence), these scenes fall flat without a 25 foot radius rounded screen.As for the film's story, the biography is centered around the brothers Grimm, the "big kid" family man Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and the more serious bachelor Jacob (Karlheinz Böhm). While both are working on an historical account of the local Duke's (Oscar Homolka; his manservant Gruber is played by Ian Wolfe) family history, Wilhelm keeps trying to convince his brother that they should be capturing children's stories they hear for future generations, before they're lost forever. Additionally, he and bookstore owner Stossel (Walter Slezak) play matchmaker for the preoccupied Jacob with Greta Heinrich (Barbara Eden); Wilhelm's wife Dorothea is played by Claire Bloom. During the course of this backdrop story, Wilhelm tells (to children such as his own) or hears (from an old woman played by Martita Hunt) of these fairy tales:The Dancing Princess story is about a King (Jim Backus) that wants to know what his daughter (Yvette Mimieux) is doing every night to wear out her shoes. He can't find out because she's been drugging the men, who've been promised her hand in marriage if they can, before she goes out. Enter the Woodsman (Russ Tamblyn), who's been given a special invisibility cloak by the Gypsy (Beulah Bondi). Naturally, given Tamblyn's talents, the Princess has been sneaking out to dance the night away with other gypsies. Utilizing the cloak, the Woodsman is able to follow her, then appear & dance his way into her heart (wearing a mask), and ultimately win the Princess per the King's promise and (mask-less) even her approval.The Cobbler (also played by Harvey, in makeup that makes him look like Pinocchio's Geppetto) and the Elves story is a touching one about the harried craftsman who's working to complete toy elves for the poor children across the street in time for Christmas. This necessitates neglecting his regular work and jeopardizes his chances of finishing the shoes of several impatient customers (Walter Brooke, Sandra Gale Bettin, and Robert Foulk) in time for the Prime Minister's (Clinton Sundberg) party. However, when he goes to sleep on Christmas Eve, the elves come to life and finish the shoes for him. David Pal's special effects are above average.The Singing Bone story includes a fire breathing dragon that so terrorizes his country that the King (Otto Kruger) promises to give half of his kingdom to the person that slays it. Bumbling knight Ludwig (Terry-Thomas) and his ill-treated, yet resourceful humble servant Hans (Buddy Hackett) set about to do just that, where others have failed. Long scenes sporting inferior (dragon) special effects finally produce the predicted results, the dragon is killed, but with an unexpected outcome, Hans did it. But before they return to the King with the dragon's head, Ludwig kills Hans to ensure credit for himself. However, a year later, a shepherd (Robert Crawford Jr.) finds a bone on Hans's grave which "tells" the truth of what happened. Sydney Smith narrates. Ludwig gets his comeuppance as Hans reappears before the King.While Wilhelm hears the old woman tell this last story, he not only loses the manuscript of the Duke's family history, but he nearly catches his death of cold. Greta leaves for her home country of Germany when Jacob chooses to support his brother's family in their poverty, caused by the loss of their job for the Duke, in lieu of marrying her. Delirious during his recovery, Wilhelm is visited (dream sequence) by many of the more famous characters from fairy tales who urge him to write them down lest they disappear forever. Arnold Stang plays Rumpelstiltskin. Of course, he recovers and, while Jacob continues to write such thrillers as "Legal History", Wilhelm cranks out book after book of these children's stories. In the end, Jacob is honored with literary honors in Germany. While he's "reunited" with Greta, Wilhelm receives a welcome greeting from hundreds of German children shouting "tell us a story", which naturally he begins with "once upon a time" before the film fades to black.

I recently came upon this on TCM and had to watch it again because this was one of the richly-shot, well-acted, imaginative fairy-tale films that captured my young imagination and really never left me - seeing Russ Tamblyn, Buddy Hackett, the marvelous Terry-Thomas - it was like meeting old friends again. For all the reputation of Laurence Harvey as a cold, aloof actor, he was thoroughly convincing as the brother obsessed with fairy stories. My favourite scenes are still those at the witch's house and like the other reviewer, the eerie bone-flute song - that still thrilled me. I remembered most of the words to that song, oddly enough! It was a wonderful kid's film and even after forty years, its charm still captures me. It was innocent stuff like this that encouraged my reading (much like Harry Potter does for young fans today) and put me on the road to a BA Honours in English Literature decades later. Never underestimate films or more importantly, the power of the written word to inspire and motivate. Highly recommended.

Maybe it's because I grew up with this movie, and am stuck in that age, but I have always found this to be a special and magical movie experience. It was especially so on the big screen when I was 6 years old. We also had the soundtrack box edition on vinyl. So, I rated this movie highly, because I feel it truly was perfection (especially for its day), and needs to be re-discovered by families, and the young-at-heart everywhere. I hate clichés, but they just do not make them like this anymore. This gem should be restored in its full glory, and preserved and brought back to life. Hope you get to enjoy it someday.

When I was a kid I would have travelled to the moon if necessary to see anything in Cinerama and this film was no different. I have not seen it since '62 or '63 but I can still recall its magic. If I dug hard enough in old trunks I might even find its 'programme'. Amazing how blockbusters and special format pics always seemed to have accompanying booklets...or they did here in NZ at least.If I was to view this now in some small screen format it might indeed seem corny and clumsy and dull but let me say that in three eye cinerama it was a sumptuous feast for a ten or so year old and I reckon if I was to see it again in those circumstances I would still be spellbound. How could one not be when senses are in sensory overload?Years later I got to visit the real Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. I recall it being a bit of a a disappointment compared to the sequences where it featured in this film. Long live Cinerama!