Book Vs. Movie: The Phantom Tollbooth
The 1961Classic Children’s Novel Vs the 1970 Chuck Jones-Directed Movie
The Margos are heading back to the world of Children’s literature with The Phantom Tollbooth by author Norton Juster and illustrations by Jules Feiffer which was first published in 1961. The story of a bored young boy named Milo who finds a magical tollbooth that sets him off on incredible adventures in math and wordplay. Along the way, he meets a big dog named Tock who keeps him on time as he reaches the Kingdom of Wisdom and develops a love of learning and puns.
Juster was given a Ford Foundation grant in 1958 to write the story but it wasn’t until his neighbor Jules Feiffer came up with the unique illustrations that the story came to life. It’s now considered a classic and therefore tough to adapt to screen.
Animation superstar Chuck Jones directed the film for MGM (Juster hated the final product) and it stars Butch Patrick, Mel Blanc, and June Foray.
So, between the original story and the 1970 adaptation–which did we prefer?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- How the book came to life
- The life lessons encouraged in the book
- The main differences between the book and movie
- Starring: Butch Patrick, Mel Blanc, and June Foray.
Clips used:
- CNN interview with Norman Juster
- The Phantom Tollbooth trailer
- Words in a Word
- Theme music for Rhyme and Reason by Lee Pockriss Lyrics by Norman Gimble, Norman L.Martin, and Paul Vance.
Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
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