Tom of T.H.U.M.B.: A segment in The King Kong Show, an American-Japanese cartoon beginning in 1966. A secret agent, Tom, and his assistant, Swinging Jack, both shrunken down to three inches tall, form the Tiny Human Underground Military Bureau to fight evil.
Pinkeltje: Dutch film, 1978, directed by Harrie Geelen. Based upon the Pinkeltje series by Dick Laan.
The Adventures of Thelma Thumb: an animated segment on Sesame Street, dating to 1978. It dealt with a normal girl whose shrunken alter ego was Thelma Thumb (Pepita Pulgarcita in Spanish, Daumelinchen in German, and Selma Duim in Dutch).
Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998): A French animated film following the adventures of a tiny boy named Kirikou who saves his village. A sequel, Kirikou and the Wild Beasts, was released in 2006.
Enchanted Tales: Tom Thumb Meets Thumbelina (1996) When the evil Prince Medwin plots to imprison his father and destroy the Great Meadow, two people rise to oppose him – Tom Thumb, the king’s tiny but loyal subject, and Thumbelina, the two-inch-tall Princess of the Great Meadow. Review here.
The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina (2002). Tom Thumb (Elijah Wood) and Thumbelina (Jennifer Love Hewitt) are both babies stolen from a hidden kingdom of little people. They find each other, but must avoid the evil Mole King who wants to marry Thumbelina. Review here.
Shrek 2 (2004). Tom Thumb and Thumbelina make a cameo at the Royal Ball but are promptly swept up by the janitor.
Modern Folk Opera, Episode 1176, A Thumbelina in the Bamboo Tube. Aired December 2009. The tiny Nang Ut marries a prince, but his siblings scheme against them.
Review here.
Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3
Review here.
Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3
“Thế giới cổ tích.” Episode 10 was a retelling of Nàng Út.
Meñique y el espejo mágico, 2014. Not a thumbling tale, but inspired by one.
Ever After High: Thumbelina's daughter, Nina Thumbell, is a laid-back cheerleader with the ability to shrink. She appeared first in written material, including the tie-in novel Fairy's Got Talent (December 2015), and made her cartoon debut in Dragon Games (January 2016). The doll became available in Spring 2016.
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb (1934). Krazy Kat/Columbia Cartoon Collection. Directed by Manny Gould, Ben Harrison.
Tom Thumb (1936). An Ub Iwerks cartoon. There is no real story, other than Tom getting into various predicaments.
Farmer Tom Thumb (1940): Columbia Fables. At first Tom Thumb is a disappointment to his father, but then he orders vitamins that make the crops grow and save the farm.
Tom Thumb in Trouble (1940) – Warner Brothers’ Merrie Melodies, by Chuck Jones. Tom sets off to find a small bird, which was mistakenly driven away by his father, and ends up lost in a snowstorm.
The Adventures of Tom Thumb, Jr. (1940). Tom Thumb Jr. and his insectoid friend wash up on an island. A woman captures the tiny boy and mistakes him for a baby. That night, he and his friend attempt to escape, braving a kitten and other dangers.
YouTube
YouTube
Tom Thumb’s Brother (1941): A Columbia/Screen Gem cartoon directed by Sid Marcus. Tom Thumb’s younger and smaller brother Pee Wee proves his worth.
Foney Fables (Merrie Melodies, 1942). Tom Thumb appears in a brief gag, having grown to a large size thanks to taking his vitamins.
YouTube
YouTube
The Mite Makes Right (1948). A Noveltoons short in which Tom Thumb runs away to the circus and eventually does a show as a mouse trainer. Directed by Bill Tytla and produced by Famous Studios.
YouTube
YouTube
tom thumb (1958). Musical film directed by George Pal and starring Russ Tamblyn as the titular character. The Queen of the Forest grants the wish of an old woodcutter and his wife, and sends them a five-inch-tall son. Two robbers dupe him into helping them rob the kingdom’s treasury; after his parents are arrested for the crime, he sets out to bring the criminals to justice. Review.
Tom Thumb (1959). Fractured Fairy Tales, Rocky and His Friends, season 1, episode 18. Tom, resentful because he’s only the size of his father’s thumb, rides away on a souped-up butterfly to start “Big Thumb’s Gang.” When people blame King Arthur for the rise of juvenile delinquency, he tells Merlin to get to the bottom of it. To solve the problem, Merlin makes Tom’s father’s thumb (and thus, Tom) the size of a normal human.
Tiny Tom (1960). Fractured Fairy Tales, Rocky and His Friends, season 2, episode 24. When he’s 28, his parents finally realize that he’s still no bigger than a thumb. He meets with many misadventures (a sequence in which he’s sucked into a vacuum and shouts for help becomes really funny when you’ve read about the swallow cycle). His father tries to make him grow with various diets and exercise regimes. Finally, it turns out that his parents are giants, and Tom is normal-sized.
Thom Tum (1960). Fractured Fairy Tales, Rocky and His Friends, Season 2, Episode 50. To make his wife happy, a poor mudmaker asks for a son from a good fairy who lives in a house made of cheese. Thirty years later the baby they found on the doorstep still hasn’t grown a bit (I sense a recycled joke). They put a magic chickpea under his bed (a thimble) and he grows into a giant who eats everything. Fortunately, they hear of a castle overrun by a magical duck that constantly lays thousands of eggs, and work this to their advantage, eventually getting a kingdom of their own.
This is reminiscent of "The Young Giant."
This is reminiscent of "The Young Giant."
Touché Turtle and Dum Dum was a segment in the 1962 "New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series." In Episode 27, "Thumb Hero," they investigate the case of Tom Thumb, accused of being a jewel thief who enters buildings through keyholes. Also features Tom's girlfriend Tina and the super-strong miniature criminal Tom Crumb.
(Thanks to Bob Nelson for finding this one)
(Thanks to Bob Nelson for finding this one)
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962): directed by Henry Levin and George Pal. It tells the story of the Brothers Grimm; Russ Tamblyn reprises the role of Tom Thumb in a dream sequence.
I Was A Teenage Thumb (1963). A satirical retelling from Warner Bros. Tom makes his way to the court of King Arthur and goes on many adventures, and eventually weds a princess, starting a line of sons of diminishing size.
Vimeo
Vimeo
Tom Thumb in King Arthur's Court (1963). Harman/Sheehan, Coronet Instructional Films. In a moralistic tale, Tom makes his way to Camelot and proves his courage. As a knight with a thimble for a helmet and a belt buckle for a shield, he helps save Camelot from a thief named Limbo and his pet spider Satan.
On YouTube
On YouTube
Мультфильм: Мальчик с пальчик (Malchik-s-Palchik, 1977).
The Mother Goose Video Treasury (1987) Tom Thumb is played by Joe A. Giamalva.
Tom Thumb (1991). Gary Delfiner Productions. A 25-minute, still-picture tour of Richard Jesse Watson’s 1989 book. Here, Tom saves Camelot from a giant.
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993). Surreal horror film with stop-motion animation. Tom, a tiny being resembling a fetus, encounters other tiny people and helps to shut down an evil laboratory.
Wolves, Witches and Giants: Season 3, Episode 10, Tom Thumb (1997). Produced by Simon and Sara Bor. It's a straightforward Thumbling retelling. This Tom Thumb was a bad-tempered giant in Episode 9, The Giant Who Sucked His Thumb, and lost his strength and shrank down to thumb size at the end to segue into Episode 10.
Simsala Grimm: Episode 2, Der Däumling (1999). This German series stars two toys, Doc Croc and Yoyo, who come to life and enter the world of the Brothers Grimms’ fairy tales.
Rugrats Tales from the Crib: Three Jacks and a Beanstalk (2006). Tom Thumb appears in a cameo as an aggressive wrestler.
Гора самоцветов ("Mountain of Gems"): Мальчик с пальчик (Malchik-s-palchik, 2006). This story was credited as a Belarusian tale.
Paleček: A short included in Břetislav Pojar's stop-motion animated film Fimfárum 2. The film included several other fairy tales. It has also been released in French as "Le Voyage de Tom Pouce."
Fimfárum 2 won the Best Feature-Length Film Award at the Zech Republic's 2006 AniFest, and Paleček won Best TV Special at the 2007 Festival of European Animated Feature Films.
Fimfárum 2 won the Best Feature-Length Film Award at the Zech Republic's 2006 AniFest, and Paleček won Best TV Special at the 2007 Festival of European Animated Feature Films.
Thumbelina
Thumbelina (1924). Silent, black-and-white silhouette animation by Herbert M. Dawley. At the end, the swallow returns her to her mother's house.
On Youtube
On Youtube
Hans Christian Andersen (1952). A musical featuring a song about Thumbelina which was later made famous by Danny Kaye and was nominated for an Oscar.
"Däumelinchen" (1955) by Lotte Reiniger. Beautiful shadow puppetry tells a short version of the tale of Thumbelina.
Däumelinchen’s Abenteuer (Thumbelina’s Adventures, 1958). A 16-minute short directed by Christl Wiemer. East Germany: DEFA-Studio für Trickfilme.
Дюймовочка (Dyuymovochka, 1964). A 30 minute Russian retelling of Thumbelina.
The Daydreamer (1966). A Rankin/Bass stop-motion film based on the stories of Hans Christian Andersen. Thumbelina appears, played by Patty Duke.
The World of Hans Christian Andersen (Andersen Monogatari, 1968): A Japanese cartoon film about a young Hans Christian Andersen finding inspiration. Thumbelina appears in a brief dream sequence.
Hans Christian Andersen Stories (Andersen Monogatari, 1971): A Japanese cartoon series with two fairy creatures introducing different stories by Andersen. Thumbelina appeared in episodes 7-10.
Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972) reuses archive footage of a (very bad) live-action version of Thumbelina.
Thumbelina (1977) - episode from Merlin's Cave (also Tales of Magic or World Famous Fairy Tales).
Oyayubihime (1978): (Sekai Meisaku Dōwa Oyayubi-hime; World Classic Fairytale Princess Thumb): an anime movie from Toei Animation
Tommelise (1983): a 28-minute film using puppets, directed by Jørgen Vestergaard. Danish.
Det Danske Filminstitut.
Det Danske Filminstitut.
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Thumbelina (1984). Carrie Fisher stars as Thumbelina. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Video Ehonkan Sekai Meisaku Douwa (Funky Fables, 1988-1989): Thumbelina was Episode 1. This series was produced by Fuji TV and shown on the children's TV program Hirake! Ponkicki.
O Malence (About Malenka, 1988): A Czech 13-minute animated short.
Hello Kitty no Oyayubi Hime (1990)
Video Anime Ehonkan Sekai Meisaku Dōwa, Episode 22 (1990).
On Youtube.
On Youtube.
Thumbelina (1992) 49-minute animated film. Thumbelina is on a quest to save the tiny people of her meadow. Along the way, she is given to a childless woman who wishes to raise her as her daughter.
Thumbelina: A Magical Story (Oyayubi hime monogatari, 1992): A troublesome girl named Maya is pulled into her mother’s dream set in the world of Thumbelina, and must find her way home.
Thumbelina (1993) by Burbank Animation. For her generosity, the Marvelous Magician gives the lonely old widow Hobbs a flower from which the tiny, incredibly squeaky main character emerges. However, the widow's pet pig becomes jealous and arranges to have her kidnapped by a toad.
Thumbelina (1994): Don Bluth’s adaptation of Andersen’s fairytale. Jodi Benson voices Thumbelina, a tiny girl in a big world who longs to find love.
Review
Review
Peukaloliisa (1994). Storyboard and animation by Rita Oittinen for The Finnish Broadcasting Company.
Sesame Street: One Thumbelina puppet appeared with her husband in The Fairytale Newlywed Game (Episode 2404, 1988) and another Thumbelina appeared in a Sesame Street News Flash (Episode 3168, 1994; Thumbelina is to the immediate right of Kermit the Frog in the image).
Thumbelina was also mentioned in the Sesame Street 1977 Calendar; the Sesame Street Library Volume 11 (1978); the album Big Bird presents Hans Christian Andersen (1982). The song "Thumbelina" was sung in episode 0015 (1969)
Thumbelina was also mentioned in the Sesame Street 1977 Calendar; the Sesame Street Library Volume 11 (1978); the album Big Bird presents Hans Christian Andersen (1982). The song "Thumbelina" was sung in episode 0015 (1969)
Merhen Ōkoku (1995). Oyayubi-hime appeared in episode 16 and seemed to have light purple hair. This show has multiple names including Les Contes les plus Célèbres in France.
On YouTube.
On YouTube.
Timeless Tales: Thumbelina (1997). Part of Hallmark’s fairy tale series.
"Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" - Thumbelina (1997). This retelling is set in a South American rain forest.
Tommelise (2005): An episode of the Danish series Der var engang..., titled The Fairytaler in English. This episode was released in conjunction with Andersen's 200th birthday.
Tommelise (2005) - one of twenty episodes of Andersen's Fairy Tales (H.C. Andersens Eventyrlige Verden), by Jorgen Bing, released for his 200th birthday. This series used puppets and marionettes.
The French dub is on Dailymotion.
The French dub is on Dailymotion.
Dyuymovochka (2007): A live-action, artistic musical film directed by Leonid Nechayev which aired at various film festivals. Thumbelina is an amnesiac queen of the elves, wandering with a single flower as her only clue to her past. While her elves search for her, she encounters various animals including a greedy mouse and selfish beetles, as well as a friendly mole. YouTube.
Barbie Presents: Thumbelina (2009). Here Thumbelina is a tiny fairy who hopes to save her meadow. The story has nothing to do with the Andersen tale.
Natsuyuki Rendezvous, Episodes 5 and 8 (2012). An anime about a young man who falls in love with a flower shop owner, but must contend with the ghost of her husband. In the fifth episode, the man and the ghost switch places and the man enters a strange dream world where the flower shop owner appears as Thumbelina.
Thumbelina - Bedtime Story (2013). A YouTube channel that posts adaptations of fairytales and classics. This version has limited animation and is pretty short.
Watch on YouTube.
Watch on YouTube.
Goldie and Bear (2015): Thumbelina is a recurring character on this Disney Junior show, first appearing in the episode "Thumbelina's Wild Ride." She babysits the main characters.
Oyayubi-hime: A Japanese version I haven't been able to find other information on.
Spanish dub on YouTube.
Spanish dub on YouTube.
Hop o' My Thumb
Unlike the previous films, which were mostly animated (for obvious reasons), Hop o' My Thumb features a character who's small but not truly miniature. Therefore, it's been a much more popular idea in live-action films.
Le Petit poucet (1901). Studio: Pathe.
Le Petit poucet (1903): directed by Sigmund Lubin.
Le Petit poucet (1905). Direcotor: V. Lorant-Heilbronn
Le Petit poucet (1903): directed by Sigmund Lubin.
Le Petit poucet (1905). Direcotor: V. Lorant-Heilbronn
Le Petit Poucet (1909): A short silent film directed by Segundo de Chomon.
Le petit Poucet (1908) – director Albert Capellani
Le Petit Poucet (1912), director Georges Andre Lacroix
Le Petit Poucet (1912), director Louis Feuillade
Le Petit Poucet (1920), director Robert Boudrioz
Le Petit Poucet (1912), director Georges Andre Lacroix
Le Petit Poucet (1912), director Louis Feuillade
Le Petit Poucet (1920), director Robert Boudrioz
Le Petit Poucet (1922), directed by Marius O'Galop. 13 minutes.
Le Petit Poucet (1941), directed by Henri Cerutti. 19 minutes long.
Jeannot l'Intrepide ("Johnny the Giant Killer," 1950), an animated film by Jean Image, was inspired by Le Petit Poucet. Jeannot is the youngest of seven brothers who are captured by an evil ogre and shrunken down to insect size. This was France's first full-length color cartoon.
Little Tom Thumb (1967). Directed by Joy Batchelor.
Pulgarcito (1958) A Mexican film directed by René Cardona. In the end, the cannibalistic ogre is reformed. Pulgarcito was played by seven-year-old Cesáreo Quezadas.
Quezadas reprised his role in Caperucita y Pulgarcito contra los monstruos (1962). In this film, Tom Thumb and Red Riding Hood teamed up against a pair of evil witches who had captured their friends. (This was also a sequel to 1961's Caperucita y sus tres amigos.)
Quezadas continued to use Pulgarcito as a stage name, as in Aventuras de Joselito y Pulgarcito or Aventuras de Joselito en América, 1960.
Quezadas continued to use Pulgarcito as a stage name, as in Aventuras de Joselito y Pulgarcito or Aventuras de Joselito en América, 1960.
Tom Thumb (1972) directed by Michel Boisrond. Adds a romance between Tom Thumb and the princess Rosemonde, which begins when he returns a toy butterfly to her. In the end, he saves both his brothers and the princess from the ogre.
Malchik-s-Palchik (1985)
Le Petit Poucet (Mes plus beaux contes, 1996). Millimages/Polygram Vidéo. Animated French film, about 40 minutes. Created by Frédéric Nagorny, René Huchez, Karin Schepping. YouTube.
Le Petit Poucet (2001), Director: Olivier Dahan. A dark and nightmarish film. Here, the youngest daughter of the ogre, Rose, does not want to become an ogress, and helps the boys escape. Petit Poucet tricks the ogre into falling off a cliff and then uses the magic boots to deliver a message to the queen and end the war that has formed a backdrop to the movie.
Le Petit Poucet (2010/2011): Directed by Marina de Van.
Issun-Boshi
Issun boushi / Inch High Samurai (1918). By Seitaro Kitayama.
Issun-boshi (1927): directed by Sanjugo Naoki and Seika Shiba. Chamei Kuriyama played Issun-Boshi.
Issun-boshi (1927): directed by Sanjugo Naoki and Seika Shiba. Chamei Kuriyama played Issun-Boshi.
Issunbōshi no shusse (The Tiny One Makes it Big), 1929. Animated short, only about a minute long. The creator is unknown.
In Japanese: 一寸法師ノ出世’
In Japanese: 一寸法師ノ出世’
Issun Boushi: Chibisuke Monogatari (Tiny Chibisuke's Big Adventure, 1935), by Mitsuyo Seo. It features a drawn-out battle with the oni, where the hero uses a stamp to duplicate himself and create an army of tiny soldiers. At the end, all the copies jump into the hammer and emerge as a full-sized man.
Toybox Series #3: Picture Book 1936 (1934): A WWII propaganda short by Komatsuzawa Hajime. When the land of toys is attacked by evil Mickey Mouse clones, they call out characters from a story book to help them. Led by Momotaro, this includes Issun-Boshi. YouTube.
Issun-boshi (1948)
Issun-boshi (1955). Directed by Seiichirô Uchikawa.
Issun-boshi (1956)
Issun bosh (1967) by Katsuo Takahashi
Issun-boshi (1955). Directed by Seiichirô Uchikawa.
Issun-boshi (1956)
Issun bosh (1967) by Katsuo Takahashi
Manga nippon mukashi banashi, episode 25 (1976). Every episode in this series was animated uniquely, and some fairytales were shown more than once.
Super Mario Issun Bōshi (1989): second original animated video in the Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros., featuring Mario as Issun-Boshi. The other episodes were Momotaro and Snow White.
Manga nippon mukashi banashi, episode 1209 (1990).
Issun Boushi (2007). By Nobuhiro Aihara and Keiichi Tanaami.
An animated short I haven't been able to find a date or creator for.
Another short I haven't found any identifying information for.
Hometown Rebuilding: Folktales from Japan (Furusato Saisei Nippon no Mukashi Banashi) included 3 versions of Issun Boshi – Episode 2 (2012), Episode 140 (2014), and Episode 188 (2015).
Princess Kaguya
Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi (1975) includes an animated short directed by Takao Kodama.
Dailymotion
Dailymotion
Taketori monogatari/Princess from the Moon (1987): A retelling with a modern slant and sci-fi elements.
This version inspired an operetta, From the Towers of the Moon by Robert Moran.
This version inspired an operetta, From the Towers of the Moon by Robert Moran.
Big Bird in Japan (1989) features Princess Kaguya.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), a feature-length animated film by Studio Ghibli.
Video Games
Okami: An insect-sized character named Issun is based on the character of Issun-Boshi. He is part of a race of tiny wood sprites, Korpokkur.
The Touhou Project, a doujin game series, has a few installments featuring a boss named Shimyoumaru Sukuna. She's a descendant of Issun-Boshi, carries Uchide's Mallet and a large needle, and uses a ramen bowl for a helmet. Her name is a reference to Sukunahikona.
Kannou Mukashibanashi Portable: an Otome game where one of the possible stories is Issun Boshi (other selections include the Little Mermaid). It seems to be a sort of visual novel as well as a dating game, and there are multiple "routes" the player can choose. One is a murder mystery, and in another a second tiny character called Issun Tarou shows up for a love triangle.
Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel, The Collector's Edition includes a bonus quest, "The Thumbelina Curse." Thumbelina is a tiny girl cursed and trapped by a witch. She escapes only to be romanced by a mole and finally freed by a fairy prince.
Music
"Petit Poucet," the second piece of Ravel's suite Ma mère l'Oye. 1910.
“Thumbelina” – Danny Kaye. 1952.
“Small People” – Wevie Stonder. Absurdist band; song is based on the story of Thumbling. 2009.
“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” – Bob Dylan. This is not an adaptation and is entirely unrelated, but does use the name. 1965.
“Thumbelina” – Danny Kaye. 1952.
“Small People” – Wevie Stonder. Absurdist band; song is based on the story of Thumbling. 2009.
“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” – Bob Dylan. This is not an adaptation and is entirely unrelated, but does use the name. 1965.
Comics
Thumbelina appears in the fairytale-inspired comic series Fables, where she lives with the Lilliputians.
Tom Thumb: long-running comic strip by Dudley Watkins, appearing in the magazines The Beano and Bimbo.
Thumbelina: a DC character with the ability to shrink.
Tom Thumb: a villain who fought the diminutive hero "Doll Man" in Quality Comics
Thumbelina (Kristina Anderson): an obscure Marvel hero whose names are clear references to the tale. She can shrink her body while increasing her strength.
Tom Thumb (Thomas Thompson): a brilliant scientist and member of Squadron Supreme with dwarfism. An equivalent of this character in another universe was actually thumb-sized.
Tommy Thumb: a midget in a Nazi-run circus that Captain America eventually took down.
Namesake is a webcomic featuring many people from books and fairytales. Thumbelina is a character from a book world who became the leader of the organization Calliope.
Tom Thumb: long-running comic strip by Dudley Watkins, appearing in the magazines The Beano and Bimbo.
Thumbelina: a DC character with the ability to shrink.
Tom Thumb: a villain who fought the diminutive hero "Doll Man" in Quality Comics
Thumbelina (Kristina Anderson): an obscure Marvel hero whose names are clear references to the tale. She can shrink her body while increasing her strength.
Tom Thumb (Thomas Thompson): a brilliant scientist and member of Squadron Supreme with dwarfism. An equivalent of this character in another universe was actually thumb-sized.
Tommy Thumb: a midget in a Nazi-run circus that Captain America eventually took down.
Namesake is a webcomic featuring many people from books and fairytales. Thumbelina is a character from a book world who became the leader of the organization Calliope.
Sources
The International Fairy-Tale Filmography
Zipes, Jack. The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films.
Zipes, Jack. The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films.
