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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(!)

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 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.

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.

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).

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.

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 ****

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.

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 :)

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.

_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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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."

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.

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.

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.

It's very difficult to make a movie based on a book, especially when the book is a masterpiece. I must say this movie does this perfectly well. It transmits you every value, emotion and message of Saint-Exupéry's book. I saw this movie when I was a child, and it moved me that time. But now, being 41 years old, it continues moving me and making me remember that every man is a child too, or should always be. The actors are great. Every scene catches the message of the original book. The role played by Gene Wilder (as the Fox) really touches. The music is superb! What else can one ask of a film? I give this movie more than 10 points!