The Phantom Tollbooth

[JaniceFerSure]

Has anyone at MC ever seen the movie,or read the book The Phantom Tollboth(starring The Munster's Butch Patrick,illustrated by Chuck Jones) (book by:Norton Juster)?

Milo is a boy who is bored with life. One day he comes home(from school),and starts to talk to one of his friends on the phone,when a toll booth suddenly appears in his room. Having nothing better to do, he gets in his toy car and drives through - only to emerge in a world full of adventure(and as a cartoon)!There are such characters as(here is the cast listing):

Mel Blanc .... Officer Short Shrift/The Word Speller/The Dodecahedron/The Demon of Insincerity (voice)
Daws Butler .... Whether Man (voice)
Candy Candido .... Awful DYNN (voice)
Hans Conried .... King Azaz/The Mathematician (voice)
June Foray .... Ralph//Reason (voice)
Patti Gilbert .... Princess of Pure Reason/Princess of Sweet Rhyme (voice)
Shepard Menken .... Tick Tock the Watch Dog (voice) (as Shep Menken)
Cliff Norton .... Spelling Bee/Senses Taker (voice)
Larry Thor .... Kakofonous A. Dischord (voice)
Les Tremayne .... Humbug (voice)

Such is a song called Nothing to do in the Doldrums.Rhyme & Reason.Awful Dynn's song.


This movie not only taught about words,sounds,numbers,music,(boredom)but also how to have fun,when there is nothing else to do.

 

[Jennifer12]

I read the book in a Children's Lit course and I loved it! The word play had me laughing so hard tears were falling from my eyes. I couldn't believe I'd never found it when I was a kid.

I didn't know there was a movie. I'll have to be on the lookout for it.

Jen

 

[Klonoa]

Read the book and saw the movie...way back in high school so long ago...

--Klonoa

 

[Whatever]

I loved that book! Yaaaayyy!
It reminds me of "The Last of the Really Great WHANGDOODLES" by Julie Edwards aka Julie Andrews!

 

[Convincing John]

I loved that book, too! Cookie Monster would be right at home at the part where Milo and Tock eat the alphabet letters!

Convincing John

 

[Doogied]

Now that's a good book.....

I originally saw that movie when I was 5 years old....(1982!!) I have since read the book many many times and I read with all the little people in my life (cousins, nieces and such....) When we are done reading it we then watch the movie.....It encourages children to "think outside the box" because the entire thing is a play on words. It still blows me away when I think about how creative the author was.....now if you will excuse me, the Horrible Dynne has come to dine and I must be off!

 

[cherrypotion27]

I've both read the book and seen the animated movie (I love the movie, and I'm a huge fan of the Chuck Jones/Les Tremayne version of The Humbug).

 

[The Count]

*Gasp! How is it I never knew of this thread waaaaay back when it was first started? And it was started by one of my originalMC classic forum friends no less. Yes, I remember the animated movie version with fondness, glad I saw it when I still had good enough sight. Haven't seen it since owing to Cartoon Network airing it in Spanish as part of their language identity crisis here on my station.

This reminds me of another great animated movie/book, but a thread of its own would be better to muffining this.
Take care JFS. *Huge hugs to you Lady D.

 

[anytimepally]

I read the book in 2004 while visiting a friend in Rochester, NY.. she'd been trying to get me to read it for years, and I'm glad I did.. it was fantastic!

 

[Colbynfriends]

I too have read this book, and I loved it. haven't seen the movie though, but if I did, I don't think i'd like it as much as the book, but who knows. I might have to search for that book at a Borders one day.