The Little Prince (1974) User Reviews (44)

Magical musical tale in which a pilot meets a young boy who want to learn about life

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 27 October 2012]

This magic picture is a musical fantasy , being based on the children's classic by Antoine Saint-Exupery . It deals with an aviator (Richard Kiley , though Richard Burton was actively pursued for this role) who crashes on the barren desert of Sahara and finds a little alien (Steven Warner) who is a prince on a small planet called asteroid B612 and teaches and guides him about the secrets of importance of love and life . The little boy travels and meets a king (Joss Akland) , a businessman (Clive Revill) , a historian (Victor Spinetti), a General (Graham Crowden) a snake (Bob Fosse) and a fox (Gene Wilder).

Based on the known book considered a classic but doesn't do justice , resulting to be slow-moving , a little bit boring and including excessive songs . Great main cast featured by Richard Kiley as a pilot stranded in the desert who counsels a young boy efficiently played by Steven Warner . Excellent support cast plenty of notorious secondaries as Gene Wilder , Joss Ackland , Clive Revill , Victor Spinetti and special mention to choreographer and filmmaker Bob Fosse who carries out a splendid dancing as a snake . Marvelous and colorful cinematography by Christopher Challis , being filmed on location in Tunisia and interiors shot in Eltree studios , Hertfordshire , England. Enjoyable musical score and songs by the classics Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe . The motion picture was well produced and professionally directed by the musical expert Stanley Donen , though is a major letdown for his fans and failed at box office. Donen realized several musical masterpieces , many of them with the help of producer Arthur Freed , and this time of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . As he directed some of the best musicals of history such as ¨On the town¨, ¨Singing in the rain¨, ¨Royal Wedding¨ , ¨It's always fair weather¨, ¨Seven brides for seven brothers ¨, ¨Funny face¨ , among others . Rating : Acceptable and passable . Worthwhile watching .

This film is where MICHAEL JACKSON stole all his dance moves from BOB FOSSE

[slazenger_7 · 7/10 · 14 March 2017]

I had seen this Lerner & Loewe adaptation back when it was first released in 1974 (as a pre-adolescent elementary schooler ). I think it was either a Thanksgiving or Christmas release. The only thing from this film I recalled from that initial theatrical viewing was a song-and-dance sequence involving a therianthropic transfiguration of a snake into a man. That dance sequence by a certain man was all I recalled from this film. Years later when learning about the performing arts industry in general (both stage and screen), I realized it was Broadway icon Bob Fosse(!)...The greatest Broadway dancer & choreographer of all time...Surpassing Jack Cole and Jerome Robbins as a choreographer and even surpassing Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly as a dancer. Fosse was the only dancer who went toe-to-toe with and matched Tommy Rall (arguably the greatest modern stage dancer ever): The 'Alley Dance' from the 1955 film My Sister Eileen between Fosse and Rall is the evidence. But the thing that is absolutely mind-blowing about The Little Prince (1974) is how Bob Fosse's dance sequence in the musical number Snake In The Grass virtually defined Michael Jackson's post- 1982 performing career(!) Michael Jackson's signature dance moves for the most successful period of his performing life (1982-1997) were a direct plagiarism of Bob Fosse's Snake In The Grass sequence. This sequence has all of Michael Jackson's hallmark dance moves. And it is all genuine FOSSE(!). That this film contains the blueprint of Michael Jackson's performing career as an adult is why it is invaluable and A MUST SEE(!)

Imagination in search of magic...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 24 December 2010]

A noble attempt to film French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's cult children's book "Le Petit Prince" as a musical; while it doesn't quite work overall, there are splendid scenes. An aviator crash-lands his plane in the Sahara desert, where he is visited by a Cockney child in royal garb who claims to be from a tiny planet in the galaxy. This Little Prince, in search of knowledge, in turn teaches the pilot, who has been robbed of his imagination. Director Stanley Donen is careful not to get too heavy with the pedagogical moments of insight, and he's aided by Christopher Challis' brilliant cinematography and a rich set design, but the song score (by Alan Jay Lerner, who also scripted, and Frederick Loewe) slows the pacing down. The editing is lax as well, allowing sequences such as the Prince's encounter with the Fox, played by Gene Wilder, to go on and on; a montage in a desert oasis (and the journey there by foot) is also interminable. The 'touching' sentiments in the film's final stages are forced, muffling the emotional impact, while the appealing look of the picture is never allowed to give the narrative its wings. This fantasy is grounded, quite literally. ** from ****

Classic 70's film

[romanhans · 4 May 2004]

I'm totally mystified by the previous review. This movie is a product of its time -- 1974 -- so why blame it for that? You wouldn't criticize "Don't Look Now" because Donald Sutherland wears wide lapels.

"The Little Prince" is a pitch-perfect film, beautifully written and filmed, with an amazing sense of humor. Yes, it's totally dated, and some of the songs are horrible, but it's got an originality even "West Side Story," another classic stylish film, can't match.

If you want irony, American humor or 21st century attitude, avoid this film like the plague. But if you can appreciate brilliant little films that wear their hearts on their sleeves don't miss this film.

An added bonus: in Bob Fosse's spectacular five minute dance you can see every dance move Michael Jackson ever made.

Beautiful title theme

[edjavega · 7/10 · 14 December 2005]

This movie might be best appreciated by those who have read the book firsthand and want to see the characters live in the flesh. While this film follows the story very closely, and features good performers (including Bob Fosse and Gene Wilder), it would be difficult for a newcomer to appreciate just how magical this classic fable is if he/she only watches this movie without reading the book. I suppose it would have come out better as an animated feature.

Still, the movie definitely has its merits. The kid playing the Little Prince does very well - why didn't he have a successful career after this? And the music is very beautiful at parts. I don't know why some say it is not up to the standards of Lerner and Leowe. The title theme (such a haunting melody) and "I never met a Rose" - both sung by the Pilot - are beautiful, and the happy song sung by the Little Prince and the Fox as they come close and dance together is charming and jaunty.

7 out of 10.

a surprising musical with satisfying tactics of the namesake novel

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 13 August 2014]

After ORLANDO (1992, 7/10), here is another film adaptation of a novel which is regarded as difficult to bring onto the silver screen, LE PETIT PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the main concern is the book is rather tiny, but the director is the over-the-hill Stanley Donen (SINGING IN THE RAIN 1952 and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS 1954, 6/10), so it is par for the course that it is a musical picture suitable for a more general family audience.

First of all, Steven Warner is an ideally choice to play the little prince, a cutie-pie with curly blonde-hair who is able to recite verbose lines with ease and proper cadence, conspicuously challenges the terse facts of life-on-earth with his guileless questions and unaffected intuition. Richard Kiley is the pilot, aka. the author's avatar, counterbalances Warner's prodigious debut with a weary gravitas. The most exhilarating show-piece nevertheless is Bob Fosse's SNAKE IN THE GRASS dance routine, anticipated a George Michael and Michael Jackson amalgam, he might not present too much venom of the snake, but it is graphically entertaining and trend-setting at that time. The über-talented Gene Wilder is agile and playful as the fox awaits to be tamed by the little prince and Donna McKechnie is sultry and tantalizing as the doted rose, quite surprising for a kid-friendly flick.

The montages of a woman superimposed onto a flower marks the effort from the visual technique department to recreate the extraterrestrial otherworldliness in a modest budget and to visualize little prince's interstellar journey with cartoon doves carrying him around. DP Christopher Challis distinctively deploys the low-angle shots and the fish-eye shots in the film to magnify the wackiness of the story, also the wonderful desert scenery can satiate one's fastidious eyes.

Overall, this live-action movie is dotted with interesting music numbers to dampen the tautology of its text, and meanwhile it adequately disseminates its source's philosophical gist, after 40 years, one must admire it does't age too badly and it is also a bold musical, nominated for two Oscars (BEST ORIGINAL SONG and ORIGINAL SCORE). Finally, let's also look forward to an animation adaptation next year, from Mark Osborne, the man who co-directs the incredibly pleasing KUNG FU PANDA (2008, 7/10).

classic literature

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 23 December 2022]

A pilot is testing a new plane. He crashes in the desert. He bemoans losing his love for drawing. He then meets The Little Prince.

This seems to be the first English adaptation of this literary classic. I read the story in French during high school. I didn't understand any of the themes at the time. I just thought that it's imaginative nonsense. Of course, it's more interesting to understand it as an adult. This film is still a bit of a mess, but the story is somewhat random. I do wish they hold the epic visuals a bit longer. The desert could be more epic. The kid looks the part. I wouldn't mind if he's better actor, but he's so young. The songs are a mixed bag. I like some of them. None of them are that catchy. Bob Fosse takes a turn dancing as the Snake. Another recognizable face is Gene Wilder who plays The Fox. This is an interesting stab at the material.

Whole doesn't add up to the sum of its parts

[vox-sane · 5/10 · 31 July 2008]

This gets 5 stars for pretty good special effects and nice production values. (Director Stanley Donen probably got practice for these pre-CGI effects by directing Fred Astaire dance up the walls in "Royal Wedding")

For the rest of it: How can a musical by Lerner & Loewe ("My Fair Lady", "Gigi", "Camelot", "Brigadoon", etc.) directed by Stanley Donen ("Singing in the Rain", "Bedazzled", "Charade", etc.) go wrong, especially if it features a small but notable cast that includes guest shots by Bob Fosse and Gene Wilder? Quite easily, actually.

Perhaps part of the problem is the source material. The young adult book THE LITTLE PRINCE is a sweet but didactic tome. Lerner, arguably the best lyric writer of his time (a time including Oscar Hammerstein III) was also a slow and lazy worker. He was also known for filling his body with large amounts of chemicals. He always had a problem with structure and always did better work when he started with good source material ("Pygmalion"/"My Fair Lady").

THE LITTLE PRINCE has an episodic structure. One would think Lerner would leap at the opportunity to present songs in different worlds, with characters having such various points of view.

Instead, the bulk of the songs are given to the aviator character by Richard Kiley (notable exceptions are Fosse and Wilder). Lerner alters the character of the King and changes the Geographer into an Historian (rendering the character senseless). He drops other promising figures, adds a General to the mix, and makes the whole story even more doctrinaire than the original.

Clive Revill and Victor Spinetti do superb jobs in shamefully short roles, as the Businessman and the Historian, respectively. They do not have unique songs. As they are photographed in exactly the same way (through some weird fish-eye lens -- I'm no photographer so I don't know a more precise term), their characters are not distinctive. One may be forgiven for thinking they're on the same world and might be related.

In slightly longer roles, Bob Fosse and Gene Wilder have unique songs, and also interesting settings. Both play animals. Fosse is the Snake and he has a sinuous dance that might be beautiful if it weren't shown in bits and pieces (there is also a real snake and it plays a large part in the movie for all you Ophidiophobics -- including me). Wilder is the Fox and he's fairly typical early Wilder. But they're lost in the whole of the movie.

And Stanley Donen? Lest we forget, he also directed "Blame it on Rio." To be fair, he apparently helmed only one movie between 1967's "Bedazzled" and 1974's "Little Prince." He may have been rusty.

The main problem here is Lerner. Loewe's music is good in his last outing with Lerner, even if the tunes lack his typical hummability. Lerner's lyrics lack his clever wordplay. They're repetitive, redundant (those two words in juxtaposition give you some idea of what the lyrics are like) and lackluster.

The actors do their best. Richard Kiley is a strong anchor for the show as a whole. But "The Little Prince" leaves one unsatisfied.

Flawed, but extremely nice

[Orgelist · 8/10 · 31 March 2001]

Le Petit Prince has been, and may still be, required reading for French students. It is difficult to make a satisfactory film of such a literary icon; it is dangerous to try to make it a musical, as well. I think this film is highly under-rated, and perhaps mostly by people who are not very familiar with its original source. While much of the film could be considered "hokey", I believe that the "dance" sequence of the pilot and the Prince in the spring is sheer delight (as their finding the source of water must have been). Fosse's Snake and Wilder's Fox are phenomenal: it doesn't take long for one to actually believe that they are animals rather than people portraying animals. This is a must-see for all, especially for those with children (they seem to "get it" faster than many adults.

The Cognitive Conquers the Conative.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 12 January 2016]

Richard Kiley is a pilot who is fed up with earthly literalness and takes to the sky. His airplane conks out and he lands in the middle of the Sahara desert. An oddly dressed little boy, Steven Warner, appears out of nowhere and has a fairy-tale conversation with the pilot about a far away planet that is so small you can walk around it in a few minutes. The songs are by Lerner and Loewe, about whom I've never thought much, but they're not nearly as bathetic as Rogers and Hammerstein who, flinging dignity to the winds, could bring themselves to write a simile in "The Sound of Music" as revolting as this -- "Like a lark who is learning to pray." I like Richard Kiley a lot. He's a decent actor, whether in an heroic role ("Phoenix City Story") or whether he's the kind of Commie villain who would blow off Thelma Ritter's poor gray head ("Pickup On South Street.") He's recited poetry for PBS. He can sing too, as he did in "Man Of La Mancha" on Broadway, and as he does here.

The little kid, Warner, I had to wrestle with, a little. Most children in movies should be left out of the movies. Big nuisances for the most part, cherubic and loathsome. But Warner clears the bar -- barely. His piping Brit voice sounds a little clotted and his big puffy blue eyes suggest somebody just coming down from battery acid, but he'll pass.

As for the rest of the cast -- well, WHAT a cast it is! The third person we're introduced to is Donna McKechney who plays a beautiful rose. Mighty like a rose or not, you ought to see her dance, which you can do on YouTube. You'll have an acute infraction of the myoculinary just watching her.

Anyway, the kid tells Kiley the story of his leaving his little planet and traveling to others where he meets diverse inhabitants, all of them silly, and all their professions mildly skewered by Warner's simple questions. To a king: "What are borders for?" And the nonsensical replies, as from a historian on another planet: "I make things up. That's my profession." And from a soldier: "You want to know what life's all about? Dying -- that's what life's all about." The roles are taken by respected performers like Joss Ackland, Victor Spinetti, and Graham Crowden. Stevens finally winds up on earth.

Kiley is desperately trying to fix the engine of his airplane but Stevens drags him away in search of an oasis, through a phantasmic desert landscape littered with the intact skeletons of giant fish and ruined trunks of palm trees. Of course they find water, and the kid tells the story of meeting a snake, a boa constrictor, scientific name Boa constrictor -- Bob Fosse, derby and all, in the wittiest and most entertaining number in the film. Fosse does a moon walk avant la lettre. Later, Gene Wilder shows up as a fox.

I don't think I'll give away the ending. It's sentimental, naturally, but not as touching as Judy Garland's exit from Oz.

The most suitable sort of adults will find this as touching and innocent as the children, who are likely to get a big kick out of it, if their taste for fairy tales hasn't been warped by computer-generated monsters ripping each other's heads off.

The best book ever written is also the worst film I've ever seen.

[matt_matt · 1/10 · 5 July 2002]

_The Little Prince_ was laughably abhorrent. They completely ruined all the delicate parts of the story, removed important characters and replaced them with a bunch of 'comic' characters who were all the same, and used a translation that was, in places, even worse than the official one, which I hadn't previously believed possible. Prior to the movie, I was pleading, "Oh please, let Gene Wilder be the pilot and not the Little Prince himself..."; he was the *fox*. The snake (appparently some kind of poisonous boa constrictor) was played by a bearded gentleman in a black suit, shades, and spats. Even the rose had an actress superimposed on it. Memorable moments from the score included the pilot's lament, _I'm On Your Side_ (during which he apparently traverses the entirety of Tunisia before conveniently arriving back at his ruined aeroplane), and the jubilant _I Need Air!_, which stretched about a paragraph of the actual book out to ten pointless minutes of aerobatics and ruffling hair. Maltin gave it two and a half stars, which I thought was pretty darn generous; I was almost in tears by the end, and not the good, happy kind. This is a book to learn French for; the movie, however, is not even worth watching in that "so bad I have to see it" kind of way. One out of ten, and only because of the coat.

CHARMING MASTERPIECE

[pik923 · 10/10 · 3 October 2003]

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.

AMAZING BUT... What happened at the END?

[giorgiaori · 7/10 · 10 August 2016]

A good movie from a great book. Favorite book of all times for many of us, The Little Prince has the capacity to absorb you in that world we all wish could still exist.

The movie was great until... the end, it felt rushed. What happens with her test? Her school? Her future? Her mother relationship? Her father? Was him on that asteroid?

Like... YOU CAN'T finish a movie like this. It was all about that one day and that one test and the you cut it out? In so many moments I thought "okay she now will know what to answer at that final test because/thanks to this experience". It was out of the blue.

But overall a great/feel good movie :)

The Little Prince Has No Clothes

[JohnSeal · 2/10 · 11 March 2003]

I've never read the story, but as a film, The Little Prince is woefully bad. Besides the poorly written songs by Alan Jay Lerner, the film is desperately miscast, with Richard Kiley as a pilot whose plane ends up in the Sahara, where he encounters a painfully twee Steven Warner in the title role. Young Warner's fluffy blonde hairdo looks like it was stolen from some late '60s beat group and his emoting is poor, even for a seven year old. Bob Fosse's performance as the Snake is uncomfortably close to paedophilia, as his song concerns giving The Little Prince a 'little sting' that will make him feel really good. The only watchable segment features the always wonderful Gene Wilder as the Fox, and Wilder brings a gentle and whimsical subtlety to a role that is too small for his prodigious talents. And why cast the marvelous Victor Spinetti and then shoot his entire scene through a fisheye lens? Considering director Stanley Donen's track record--the man made the original Bedazzled!--this is a bizarre failure.

A Valiant Effort.

[wildwoods · 3 June 2003]

Certainly much thoughtfulness, sincerity and hard work was poured into this little film.

However, many great literary masterpieces cannot be captured on film. `The Little Prince' is one such treasure. Sadly, grown-ups often cannot see the truth. The most important of all truths is the very last one the Little Prince learned at the end of his sojourn: `It is only with the heart one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.'

Read the book. See it with your hearts.

A badly conveyed movie of a disappointing story

[seancoleman-62445 · 1/10 · 12 February 2016]

As a french student in High School I believe that I am extremely qualified to review this after reading the book and watching the film. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this has to be the most uncomfortable I've felt in school in a long long time. Stanley Donen's vision takes an extreme turn to left-field. The little prince, everywhere he goes is met by some adult who has some disturbing agenda for him. Whether it may be sensually spitting water into Saint Exuperie's mouth, trying to touch the actor who played willy wonka in the original film, or having to listen to a man clad in leather do a tap dance around him about how he wants to kill him. If the little prince had made it out of this movie alive he would have had to undergone severe psychiatry to cope with this molestation. I'm not saying that the events in the story didn't make sense as well. Oh wait, they didn't. Birds can't fly through space and one can't live on an asteroid. This has to be the worst movie I have seen in a long time, and I watched transformers 2 last night.

Wonderful film

[artzau · 8/10 · 13 August 2003]

I'm always amazed at reading reviews-- especially those where the viewers either loved or hated the film, with no one in between. Antoine de Saint-Exupery's tale of lost youth and unresolved childhood desires is the basis of this film, which one reviewer here calls "...an overlooked gem." I certainly share this view. The film is a delight but should not be compared too closely with the book. However, the basic message of the book, i.e., the innocence of youth embraces the significant values of human life and is all too soon lost, comes through nicely. The character of Kiley, as the pilot, Wilder, as the fox, and Fosse, as a delightful snake, are very suggestive of their counterparts in the story.

How successful this is as a musical, I would guess, is still up for grabs. I couldn't recall much of the music later, which is usually a good indication whether a show has legs. But, the tunes are pleasant and children seem to enjoy the fantasy of it all.

This is a splendid little film. Don't overlook it.

Terrific film

[cknob-1 · 8/10 · 10 June 2008]

Stanley Donen's cinematic adaptation of Antoine De Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince is a delightful musical that will appeal to children and adults alike. The film is adequately paced at 88 minutes and will hold the attention of its young audience. The cinematography of Christopher Challis does justice to Saint-Exupery's original art work in the novelette. The stark beauty of the desert and the crisp brilliance of the night sky provide a beautiful backdrop to the sweet interaction between The Pilot and The Little Prince played by Richard Kiley and the adorable and competent Steven Warner. The film remains faithful to much of the original story except for a 1970s upgrade of the inhabitants of the Prince's neighboring planets. The drunkard, the lamplighter and the vain man of the novel are replaced by more contemporary representations of frivolously driven grown-ups. There is more than just a hint of Cold War era futility and fear flavoring these characters. In the novel, The King ridiculously rules over no one on a small empty planet. In the film, he has been replaced by a boarder patrolling royal figure demanding "Where are your papers. Where is your passport?" Another planet is home to a general commanding an army without soldiers who proudly lectures on the virtues of military discipline. In a world 30 years into the Cold War and exhausted from a decade of Vietnam, these were much more appropriate symbols of pointless and aimless grown-up affairs. In viewing these planetary visits, Challis' work is technically impressive. A majority of the scenes are shot through a circular, fish eye lens adding a claustrophobic feel to the action played out on these tiny worlds. Bob Fosse's choreography is impressive. I wish the same could be said of his performance in the film as The Snake. I wondered how he would work some of his trademark accessories into the portrayal in a subtle and intelligent manner. Instead, he looks ridiculous in chapeau, black gloves and spats dancing well worn steps from "Cabaret" among the rocks and sagebrush. I'm certain young viewers will enjoy the movie regardless but Fosse is an actor with average delivery skills who truly shines by creating in the dance studio or directing behind the camera. Several years later, he wisely turned portrayal of the thinly veiled biographical character Joe Gideon in "All That Jazz" over to actor Roy Scheider and the result was 9 Oscar nominations and 4 awards. Gene Wilder is excellent as The Fox. His gentle voice and appearance is wonderfully suited to roles in children's film and he taps into the same spirit he brought to Willie Wonka in "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". No child would fear taming this gentle creature.

In all, the film is cinematically beautiful, wonderfully told, sweet, sad and endearing. Like the novel, it should be enjoyed by film-goers of all ages.

A neglected gem

[EHaagendaz · 10/10 · 25 January 2001]

This film, a musical version of the classic Antoine de St. Exupery fable, containing the last score written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (CAMELOT, MY FAIR LADY, GIGI), is a neglected gem of a film musical. Witty, inventive, melodic (the title song alone is as good as anything they ever wrote), and quite moving, it features uniformly superb performances, particularly from the then six-year old Steven Warner in the title role and Bob Fosse, in his final screen performance, as the death-dealing Snake.

Only caveat is Stanley Donen's excessive use of a fish-eye lens, to suggest the curvature of the earth and to relate that to scenes taking place on the Little Prince's asteroid or other asteroids he visits. It grows tiresome. But the on location shooting in the Sahara desert is breathtaking.

This film was cut prior to release by Paramount, excising an entire musical number, "Matters of Consequence," as well as shortening other musical numbers with damaging interior cuts, and removing Donna McKechnie's dance as the vain Rose. It is a prime candidate for restoration on DVD. Good as the film is, the cut material rounds out the story and characters, makes the musical numbers more effective, and would enhance the film.

The uncut version was previewed in NYC, but has never been seen since. Paramount, who dumped the film after only two weeks of release, must have thought they were making a children's movie, but anyone who knows the original knows it is a fable meant primarily for adults.

Donen has given interviews suggesting that he prefers the longer version. Anybody at Paramount listening?

entertaining and witty....

[the-dude · 8 May 1999]

I only saw this movie by accident, and I'm glad I did catch most of it! Apart from the interesting plot-line, little prince goes space travelling only to end up on earth, the movie has a lot to offer, especially for the young viewer. The sets and locations are well chosen, making for a colourful trip through space, and the characters are acted out quite well. Especially the historian and the snake are very amusing, not to forget the amiable little prince himself. And it's great to see Gene Wilder in an earlier role. But this movie isn't just for kids. It makes some great observations about life, as pointed out by the fox, who says that all humans are hunters and out to kill him, and also the snake, who promises to cure the prince of his disease, known as life. Then there's the historian, who tells us his job is to make up things. That would explain a lot. Not being a great fan of musicals myself, I found that this one was quite watchable. All in all, a fairly good adaption of the children's story by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The only real shortcoming of this movie is that no part of it is really that memorable, that would make it stick out in your mind. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a film to show your kids, or just a bit of light entertainment, this pleasant little movie might be the one for you. Historian: "I thought of it, wrote it down, read it and it's been printed, therefore it's fact."

Magical and poignant

[vlinchong · 9/10 · 7 February 2000]

This is a great film to show a little kid. Closely based on the book (even using those great illustrations), and with beautiful music by Lerner and Loewe, it is magical and poignant. Steven Warner is wonderful as the Prince who came down from the littlest asteroid in the sky. Bob Fosse's snake dance is still being imitated by my little kid. The music certainly lives up to the book and more than that, illuminates the character of the narrator to an infinite degree. I am still humming the songs a week after I've seen it.

invitation to reading

[Vincentiu · 14 April 2012]

nice, out not very great ambition, a drawing ad usum delphini more than adaptation, charming, honest, with not inspired songs, prey of its time, not great, not impressive but subject for good entrainment. the tale of Little Prince is only soul of a book. the letters, the drawings, the delight of reading are secrets to feel the profound message or the sense of this extraordinary trip. because the work of Saint - Exupery is not comedy, drama or musical. it is a mirror. so, the great virtue of this small film is to be invitation to discover Sain-Exupery masterpiece.and Steven Warner is perfect road sign. just an instrument to a fabulous castle. out of that, a boy and his need of root. a flower, a snake, few planets, a plain and a dialog with mystics nuances. tale about truth. and freedom of elephant from hat.

Delightful...touching...

[cbcerteza · 10/10 · 14 November 2005]

I have read the book a couple of years back and when I stumbled across this VCD of The Little Prince, I snapped it up straight away.While watching the movie, I was so enchanted with the innocence of the little prince. The film made me realize that even as a adults we should not lose our child-like qualities. The movie is very touching, especially when Gene Wilder (the fox) and Steven Warner (The Little Prince)were sitting together and the prince is about to say goodbye and the next scene was the fox sitting on a wheat field. I was on tears really! Also the part when the Prince was bitten by the snake and the pilot carried him to his plane...

In my opinion...the little prince did not die...he was a reminder to the pilot of his lost childhood.

I recommend this movie to young and old alike...especially to students who have read the book...also to the students who finds it hard to appreciate literature...this movie will certainly encourage so many people to appreciate films (of substance!) and literature.

"It's only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eyes."

[oOoBarracuda · 10/10 · 10 June 2016]

Stanley Donen took on the task in 1974 of bringing the magical story of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery to life. Gene Wilder, Richard Kiley, and Bob Fosse bring to life the tale of a stranded pilot and a prince from another planet in a beautifully magical film delighting audiences since its debut. Telling life only in the way a little boy, and a man who never lost his magic can, The Little Prince should be required viewing for all human beings.

Pilot (Richard Kiley) is stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert when his plane breaks down. He believes to be alone until he happens upon a little boy, The Little Prince (Steven Warner) who has traveled to the Sahara from another planet. His planet, Asteroid B- 612, is ill-equipped to care for the only rose it has ever grown. This rose is so special to The Little Prince, he stops at nothing to care for it. Leaving his planet he travels to a strange planet with borders that he must have documentation to pass through. He also learns of people that dress up in their country's flag to fight other people on another planet. The Little Prince also meets a man called a historian (Victor Spinetti), whose job it is to make things up, and a man called a Business Man (Clive Revill) who can claim ideas as his, as long as he thinks of them first. Finally, when he meets The Pilot, The Little Prince shares pieces of his journey, reigniting the magic that inspired him to become a pilot in the first place. The Little Prince also tells The Pilot of his meeting with a snake (Bob Fosse) who said that he could help him get back to his planet, with a steep price. A fox (Gene Wilder) also does a great deal of teaching to The Little Prince by illustrating to him that even though there are billions of people in the world, the ones we tame, that are close to us, are special. Doing a great deal of teaching, The Little Prince imparts much-needed knowledge on The Pilot, and the audience, before parting ways.

The Little Prince is a fantastic piece of cinema. The story and the lesson is lost on no one. We believe we are so free on planet Earth because we are so used to the absurd things that we do. Once we really evaluate the behaviors and habits we take for granted we can see how preposterous they are. For instance, we kill other human beings over areas of land based on lines people have drawn on a map that we had nothing to do with. Seeing big issues like this, at their core, through the innocence of a child is something that all adults should do more often. The Pilot's story is also crucial. When we are children, we see infinite possibilities around us, and we are gifted with our own rich fresh perspective on the world around us. As we age, we are taught how we are supposed to see the world, and abandon any notions that don't fit in with what is societally appropriate. We would do the world and ourselves a favor by never forgetting that no one else in the world has the same perspective we do, and no one else will look at the same thing the same as someone else, if that does happen, we have failed and lost what makes us unique. Never lose your pilot, and never stop drawing your own version of an elephant inside a boa constrictor.

Gene Wilder's role in The Little Prince was short, but one I am so thankful for, as I probably would never have seen this movie if it wasn't for his part in it. He played a fox, in human form, and did so remarkably. He excelled at the sharp quick movements of a fox, both in facial expressions and body movements. His rapid yet fluid actions made me aware of a brand of physical acting that I didn't know he excelled in. Wilder is also the most perfectly gentle soul that I can imagine to play such a heartfelt gentle part. Another film that if often left unnoticed in a rundown of Wilder's work, yet one that carries such an important message to the human spirit. The Little Prince should not be missed by anyone on this planet, or any of the others.

What A Great Little Film! Loved It!

[Philaura · 8/10 · 29 March 2000]

Loved all the players - every one. The story is classic and has much wisdom. I just happened across it in a discount bin in a grocery store, saw the cast and Lerner & Lowe and thought "How bad can it be". Well was I pleasantly surprised. A real treasure that I gave to my nephew and went out and paid full price for another copy for myself.