THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM

US, 1962, 135 minutes, Colour.
Laurence Harvey, Karlheinz Bohm, Claire Bloom, Walter Slezak, Barbara Eden, Oskar Homolka, Martita Hunt, Ian Wolfe, Walter Rilla, Yvette Mimieux, Russ Tamblyn, Jim Backus, Beulah Bondi, Clinton Sundberg, Terry- Thomas, Buddy Hackett, Otto Kruger, Billy Barty.
Directed by Henry Levin and George Pal.

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm was made in Cinerama, a big spectacular entertainment, the story of the brothers themselves as well as the dramatisation of three of their stories: The Dancing Princess, The Cobbler and the Elves, The Singing Bone.

Laurence Harvey is a rather stern and dour choice for one of the Brothers Grimm. Karlheinz Bohm had appeared in Michael Powell’s classic horror thriller, Peeping Tom, two years earlier. Claire Bloom is attractive as the wife of one of the brothers. There are several stars in each of the fairy stories, led by Yvette Mimieux and Russ Tamblyn in The Dancing Princess, and Terry- Thomas and Buddy Hackett in The Singing Bone.

The film was nominated for many technological Oscars and won for best costume design. It is an entertaining background to the brothers, the world which created their fairy stories.

In 2005, Terry Gilliam released The Brothers Grimm (edited heavily by Harvey Weinstein). Heath Ledger and Matt Damon were the two brothers – it was a Terry Gilliam fantasy, a mixture of realism, fairy tale with a historical context of wars. The two films contrast with the light-hearted Hans Christian Andersen of the 1950s with Danny Kaye. Henry Levin was a director of light adventures. George Pal was more associated with science fiction.

1. The appeal of the film, for children , for family audiences? The enjoyment of the film as biography? The visualising of some of the fairy tales? The blend of both?

2. The film was made in Cinerama. Were the effects evident, for example the coach going down the mountain speeding? The use of colour, wide screen, locations, the world of fantasy, ballet? MGM music?

3. The importance of the German setting for the Grimm brothers? The romantic aspects of Germany with its castles and landscapes and mountains, the real atmosphere of the town and the brothers working on the biography
of the Duke? The encounters with the Duke and his impetuosity? The life of the town, the streets, bookshops, libraries, people?

4. The character of Wilhelm and his delight in stories? Jakob and his work? Dorothea and her love for Wilhelm and trying to cope with his telling of stories when he should have been writing the biography? Greta and her love for Jakob? How real were they as characters? Did they seem to be In some kind of fairy tale themselves?

5. The focus on Wilhelm and his attitude of joy, love for the children, taking them for walks and telling stories? The importance of his encounter in the woods with Anna Richter? What kind of woman was she, her style, stories? Her contribution to Grimm's knowledge?

6. The importance of the loss of the manuscript, Dorothea’s reaction, Wilhelm’s illness? This providing an occasion for the visit of the characters from his story?

7. The story of ultimate success, the collage and listing of so many of their stories, the continued delight of the children?

8. What was the achievement of the Brothers Grimm? Their stories and the values behind their stories, entertain, instruct?

9. The visualising of the story of the Dancing Princess, the character of the princess and her wilfulness, the King and his cruelty and humour? The point of the suitors and the princess’ attitudes towards them? The woodsman
and his determination to win, his ruses, his dancing with the princess? The contribution of the gypsies? The charm of the dancing? The happy ending? The moral of this fable?

10. The visualising of the story of the cobbler? Laurence Harvey doubling as the cobbler, the puppets and their impact visually, with humour? The moral of this fable?

11. The visualising of the story of the singing bone, the blend of comedy, adventure? The importance of the dragon? The two characters, cheating and tricking? The moral of this fable?

12. Why the universal appeal of such fairy tales?