Rumpelstiltskin (MGM)

Image citation: Rotten Tomatoes. (n.d.). [Untitled Image]. Retrieved 15 March, 2025, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cannon_movie_tales_rumpelstiltskin/pictures.

The Wizard of Oz may be Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)'s only iconic fairy-tale musical, but the company made a few more. An example is their 1980s adaptation of the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin.

Regarding Grimms' fairy tales, "The Frog Prince," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel" all have iconic film adaptations. Despite the tale being fairly well known, "Rumpelstiltskin" has yet to receive one (particularly from Disney). Yet, I feel as if the MGM film is underrated and awaiting discovery. 

MGM did not adapt "Rumpelstiltskin" the way Disney would; the film is faithful to the original tale, maintaining even the repetition (the elf spins the wheel three times). The most significant changes occur at the end of the film. For instance, in the original tale, the messenger (an animatronic black bird in the film) watches the dwarf (Billy Barty) dance inside his house while in the movie, he lives in a cave. 

As any feature-length fairy tale should, Rumpelstiltskin added depth to the characters. For instance, the miller's daughter, named Katie (Amy Irving), tends the garden while singing about becoming queen. She additionally identified constellations, even though it would have been better to show her pointing them out. The prince, named Henry (John Moulder-Brown), also meets Katie before she goes to the castle, and even after her first test from King Mezzer (Clive Revill). 

In addition, the film added a villain to the story: Queen Grizelda (Priscilla Pointer). Unlike the queen in "Snow White," she constantly insults without planning to kill Katie. Besides, Queen Grizelda does not die in the end. MGM also added a castle servant girl as a side character, Emily (Yael Uziely), who does not speak for much of the film (no explanation).

If I were to criticize the storyline of Rumpelstiltskin, it would be the scene in which the clerk's children yell and throw food at the dinner table. I don't find this scene necessary.

Another problem I have with Rumpelstiltskin is the lighting getting a bit too dim. Even then, it is still better than in many modern live-action films. Besides, its faithfulness would technically make the film much more forgettable than Disney films. However, the actors' performances, especially Amy Irving as Katie, and the songs make up for it. 

As with Disney's fairy tale films, Rumpelstiltskin is a musical. It is more like pre-Renaissance Disney films, though; it is a "jolly musical" (how Walt Disney described Mary Poppins) rather than a Broadway-style show. The songs, though not better than Disney music, are fairly engaging and memorable. 

One more compliment I have for Rumpelstiltskin regards how it keeps the ending involving Katie's newborn child. MGM could have skipped the newborn part and, instead, have Katie guess Rumpelstiltskin's name before marrying the prince. Too many popular fairy tales involving princesses have the wedding as the last event, which sends the message that life ends after marriage. Because of its ending, "Rumpelstiltskin" stands out among other Grimms' fairy tales.

Not only is Rumpelstiltskin underrated, but as a faithful adaptation, it encourages readers to check out the original tale more than even Disney tales. 

SCORE: Good (8.5/10)

AGE RATING: 7+

Have you seen Rumpelstiltskin? What do you think about it?

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales

Image citation: Amazon. (2015). [The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics)]. Retrieved 10 March, 2025, from Amazon.com: The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics): 9780143107422: von Schonwerth, Franz Xaver, Eichenseer, Erika, Tatar, Maria: Books.

When one thinks of famous male fairy-tale authors, Charles Perrault, the Grimm Brothers, and Hans Christian Andersen come to mind. Yet, another fairy-tale collector has remained unknown until recently. 

As with the Grimm Brothers collecting in Germany, Franz Xaver von Schönwerth collected fairy- and folktales from Bavaria. Yet, most of Schönwerth's tales are much shorter than those of the Grimm Brothers. A factor can be Schönwerth's preservation of the oral storytelling style and a lack of explanation behind the magic. Their shorter length makes these tales easier to break down.

Even though these tales were collected by a man, there are some gender-role reverses. For instance, as Maria Tatar writes in the introduction, Schönwerth uses the word "beautiful" for both males and females. It is unfortunate how our society perceives "beauty" as a feminine trait (think "classic" fairy tales like "Sleeping Beauty" and "Beauty and the Beast"). Plus, there are several stories about men lifting the curses from enchanted princesses alongside the more traditional "Enchanted Prince Disenchanted" tales (i.e. "Beauty and the Beast"). 

Since, of course, all of Schönwerth's tales are new to me, I did not memorize many of them. Of the ones I memorized, one of my favorites is "Ashfeathers," Schönwerth's version of "Cinderella." It is less pagan than the Grimms' version; Ashfeathers gets her gown from a well instead of a tree on her mother's grave. Even better, she goes to church instead of a ball (making the tale more Christian). 

Another tale I enjoyed is "The Girl and the Cow," which has some "Beauty and the Beast" elements (three sisters, an enchanted castle, an animal prince). It is about a cow who takes the miller's three daughters to a castle across a lake (which can represent an evangelist bringing nonbelievers to Jesus). The youngest daughter stays at the castle and lifts the curse of an enchanted prince, who asks for her hand in marriage (representing the reward for Christlike obedience). 

Some of the "role reversal" tales strike me as anti-Christian, though. For instance, in "Follow Me, Jodel!" an enchanted frog princess gives orders to the boy who freed her from her spell. This implies a woman starting a romantic relationship, a job God has given to men. The toad bride archetype is more faithfully employed in "Hans Dudeldee," in which a golden fish brings Hans to the toad princess.  

Schönwerth even has some tales about partnering with Satan, such as "The Devil and the Fisherman" and "Contests with the Devil." Partnering with the deeds of darkness is forbidden by scripture. Some of you might tell me, "You're being too harsh." Fairy tales are not inherently Christian, neither do I know if Schönwerth was a believer, but I write my blog from a Christian perspective to honor God.

One more tale I want to highlight here is "Pearl Tears," which has Catholic undertones. The "Madonna"/"Our Lady of the Angels" (representing the Virgin Mary or a guardian angel) assists with the birth of the protagonist Maria and brings her to the palace, where God the Father and God the Son share a room. After suffering at home, Our Lady of the Angels gives Maria the palace (representing a convent), where she helps the poor and sick until death.  

I did not enjoy all of Schönwerth's tales, but I believe they need to become more popular. I hope to see picture book and/or film adaptations of "The Girl and the Cow" and "Hans Dudeldee" in the future. Especially if not, I plan to write my own versions of these tales. 

SCORE: Good (8.5/10)

AGE RATING: 12+

Have you read The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales?