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The Little Prince

Play trailer Poster for The Little Prince G Released Nov 7, 1974 1h 28m Kids & Family Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A prince (Steven Warner) from another planet ponders life with a pilot (Richard Kiley) in the desert.
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The Little Prince

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
Pauline Kael The New Yorker The ineffable may be effective in print and on records, but it isn't exactly the substance of musicals. Sep 27, 2023 Full Review Polly M. Robertus Common Sense Media Tender fable may appeal more to adults than kids. Rated: 4/5 Jan 2, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Nov 12, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mike P Strange adaptation of the children's literary classic about a lost pilot who meets a magic prince who helps him appreciate life again. Donen gets the whole thing wrong; under his guiding arm Kiley and the Prince have a Law and Order SVU type vibe. The prince is supposed to be like a Guardian Angel or a metaphor; and Donen takes it all too seriously and it all falls flat unfortunately. Stick with the book on this one. Not recommended. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review steve d Simplistic and really lame. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member It's simple but complex and philosophical but heart warming. Definitely the best adaptation of the book. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Ken R Anyone who even dared to think of making a film out of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's classic novel was going headlong into difficult territory. And when you bravely decide you're going to take the challenge, you need equally brave artists to risk the journey with you. Stanley Donen was in good company when he embarked on ‘The Little Prince' with the distinguished team of Lerner and Loewe in 1973. It would be the last work of the famous writer composer team together. It was always going to be a hit or miss affair as its theme doesn't sit comfortably in a formal genre. For some, it's not quite adult enough while it's also too sophisticated for certain kids. In fact, this is a philosophical study of relationships and the difficulty of adults to maintain enough childish delight to sustain youthful exuberance into adulthood. This is profound stuff! As for the music, it's up there with many of this team's great works but just a little differently so. Except for what some regard as a couple of forgettable songs there are more than enough soaring delights to please the team's followers. It was never possible or necessary, to write great songs for small sketches that were simply intended to link parts of the story - why some critics fail to understand this is telling of their nativity. While I may agree that some sections of this production don't come across entirely successfully - it was always going to be this way due to the unique situations being portrayed. This is no ordinary story or musical, and that should be part of its charm. Many profound thoughts are put forth and those with the sensitively and perceptiveness of heart and mind will benefit from seeing this one-of-a-kind classic work. Richard Kiley is perfect as ‘The Pilot' he is both strong and sensitive - with just the right voice to project the messages of each powerful song. When he and young Stephen Warner are desperately looking for water they share a duet that tells of the many moods of the parched land in "Sometimes The Desert" - together they give this glowing melody wonderful warmth. Bob Fosse as The Sssnake, offers up a powerful allegory representing the deceptive serpent in the garden, while Gene Wilder is totally beguiling as The Fox - both these segments are perfected by two more terrific songs. Sadly, even though it was nominated and won several major Awards The Little Prince failed to find the perfect audience but those who looked deeply inside its soul were the beneficiaries of a great cinematic wealth wrapped up in striking Christopher Challis photography. Buy it on DVD and discover the magic for yourself. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/12/20 Full Review Audience Member I have such a soft spot for Saint Exupery's brilliant book. Obviously the film isn't as good as the book, but has some great moments - I loved Bob Fosse as the Snake and Gene Wilder as the Fox!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A treasure of a lost musical from the 70's. Incredibly underrated soundtrack as well. Gene Wilder is terrific as the fox. Additionally, there's a fantastic, quirky innocence in telling this story through a musical narrative that does the source material absolute justice. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Little Prince

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A prince (Steven Warner) from another planet ponders life with a pilot (Richard Kiley) in the desert.
Director
Stanley Donen
Producer
Stanley Donen
Screenwriter
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Alan Jay Lerner
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Musical
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 7, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2011
Runtime
1h 28m
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