FILM · 1994 · IRELAND
Thumbelina
15 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
15 Interesting Facts About Thumbelina
Interesting Facts (13)
- #001
During test screenings, the producers initially played the Walt Disney Pictures logo, which earned positive ratings by making audiences believe they were watching a Disney film. Ironically, Disney later acquired the film when it bought 20th Century Fox, which had replaced Warner Bros. as distributor because Fox's production company had acquired Don Bluth Ireland Limited.
- #002
This is one of two films based on Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales and starring Jodi Benson as the main character; the first was The Little Mermaid (1989).
- #003
In a 2010 interview, Don Bluth admitted that the script was one of the film's shortcomings. They hired a screenwriter to write a draft that Bluth rejected. However, due to the tight schedule, Bluth had to prepare a new script within two weeks.
- #004
King Colbert (Kenneth Mars) comes to his son's defense by asking Queen Tabitha (June Foray) whether she remembers being sixteen. In The Little Mermaid (1989), which also starred Jodi Benson and was likewise adapted from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, Mars's character (King Triton) had exactly this problem with his daughter.
- #005
Angeline Ball was the live-action reference model for Thumbelina and for Goldie in another Don Bluth film, Rock-A-Doodle (1991).
- #006
It was first released alongside the Animaniacs (1993) short I'm Mad (1994).
- #007
It was Jodi Benson's first animated film not produced by Disney, but the film came into the company's ownership in 2019.
- #008
It was initially intended for a Thanksgiving 1993 release.
- #009
Barley and poppy are signs of fertility and birth in some beliefs.
- #010
This was Kenneth Mars's last animated film released in theaters. All of his subsequent animated films through 2007, four years before his death in 2011, were direct-to-video/DVD.
- #011
This was Gilbert Gottfried's second animated film released in theaters after Aladdin (1992).
- #012
Jacquimo bears a certain resemblance to Henri in An American Tail (1986).
- #013
The main menu of the Blu-Ray shows the Eiffel Tower in Paris, even though the film is set in the Middle Ages, long before the tower was built. The film itself features the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Production Story (1)
- #014
The film was initially planned to be distributed in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and internationally by J&M Entertainment. When it was completed, both companies dropped the deal over concerns about the bankruptcy of Bluth's studio. Warner Bros. then bought the distribution rights in March 1993.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #015
Betty White was initially cast as Mrs. Fieldmouse, but Don Bluth was unhappy with her performance and cast Carol Channing without informing White of the recasting. Bluth was unaware that White and Channing were old friends, and after recording her own part, Channing called White to say she was voicing a field mouse for an animated film. "So am I," White replied. "What a strange coincidence." Bluth was suddenly besieged by angry calls from White's manager.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work