Synopsis

Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. To earn a living, they accepted a commission to write a flattering family history for a Duke. While the practical Jacob wants to finish the job, the fantasy-minded Wilhelm prefers to collect fairy tales, losing the manuscript along the way which caused a rift between the brothers. Re-enactments of some of the fairy tales created by director-animator Pal were integrated into the main plot. This fabulous film showcases the director's mastery of the Cinerama process and novel animation effects. While some original negatives were long neglected with water damage, the film has been digitally restored to its true Cinerama glory. The SmileBox version shown in this screening digitally recreates the original wraparound experience.

The film runs 144 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.

*The 4K restoration was scanned from the three 6-perf 35mm original camera negatives and the 7-channel magnetic soundtrack.

Director: Henry Levin, George Pal
Cast: Laurence Harvey, Karl Boehm, Claire Bloom, Barbara Eden

Henry Levin (1909-1980)
Levin was a New Jersey-born film director of over fifty feature films including Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) and Where the Boys Are (1960).

George Pal (1908-1980)
Pal was a Hungarian-born animator emigrated to the United States during the Second World War. He began creating the Academy Award nominated Puppetoons animation series in the 1930s.

^Pre-screening Introduction; Online talk by Kathryn Penny (Head of Screen and Cultural Engagement at Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum) in English