Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American cel-animated Technicolor feature film produced by Max Fleischer and directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios. Released to cinemas in the United States on December 22, 1939 by Paramount Pictures, the story is a very loose adaptation of Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel of the same name, specifically the first part which tells the story of Lilliput and Blefuscu, and centers around an explorer who helps a small kingdom who declared war after an argument over a wedding song. The film was the Fleischer Studios' first feature-length animated film, as well as the second animated feature film produced by an American studio after Walt Disney Productions' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as Paramount had commissioned the feature in response to the success of that film. The sequences for the film were directed by Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, and Orestes Calpini.

Plot
On November 5, 1699, Lemuel Gulliver washes onto the beach of Lilliput after a storm at sea and ultimate shipwreck. Following the calm of the storm, the town crier Gabby stumbles across Gulliver in terror ("All's Well") and rushes back to Lilliput to warn King Little of a "giant on the beach". As this is happening, King Little of Lilliput and King Bombo of Blefescu are signing a wedding contract between their children, Princess Glory and Prince David of Blefuscu, respectively. All is fine until an argument starts over which national anthem is to be played at the wedding; the anthem of Lilliput ("Faithful") or the anthem of Blefuscu ("Forever)." In fury, King Bombo cancels the wedding and declares war against Liliput. He quickly regrets this decision and decides that he should apologize and call off the war, until Gabby finally makes his way to warn King Little and one of the Lilliputian guards accidentally grabs King Bombo.

Gabby tells King Little of the "giant", and leads a mob to the beach to capture him. There, the Lilliputians tie Gulliver to a wagon on which they convey him to the town. The next morning, Gulliver awakens and breaks himself free. The Lilliputians are terrified until the Blefuscuian forces arrive in Lilliput, and they hesitate to attack due to his size. Realizing that they can use Gulliver as a weapon against the Lilliputians, they start to treat him with hospitality and they even make him a new set of clothes. (It's A Hap-Hap Happy Day)

Back in Blefuscu, King Bombo is embarrassed by the defeat, and orders his three spies in Lilliput, Sneak, Snoop and Snitch, to get rid of that Giant "or else." Meanwhile, in celebration of the defeat, the Lilliputians treat Gulliver to dinner and a show (Bluebirds in the Moonlight). When the Lilliputians fall asleep after the show, Gulliver walks to the shore when he notices that his pistol has been taken. When he arrives at the shore, Gulliver feels homesick of his life as a sailor while singing "I Hear A Dream (Come Home)" After some horseplay with Gabby, the hideout where the three Blefuscuian spies are positioned catches on fire, and Gulliver rushes to put it out. Afterward, Gabby overhears Prince David singing a reprise of "Forever" to Princess Glory, and orders his guards to attack the "spy". Noticing this, Gulliver picks up David and Glory in his hand and they tell him of the war's cause. Gulliver suggests that they combine "Faithful" and "Forever" into one song.

In Blefuscu, Bombo receives a message from his spies assuring that Gulliver will soon be a "dead duck", and announces by carrier pigeon he will attack at dawn. Gabby intercepts this message and warns the Lilliputians. Because of this, the spies aren't aware of the attack until they capture Gabby as the Lilliputians are marching to the beach (We're All Together Now) and they hastily prepare Gulliver's pistol. As the Blefuscuian fleet approaches Lilliput, Gulliver demands they lay down their arms and settle their matters peacefully. When they continue shooting, he ties the Blefuscuian together using their anchors and draws them disarmed to shore. The spies aim and fire at Gulliver from a cliff, but Prince David diverts the shot and, while doing so, falls to his apparent death. Using David's body to illustrate his point, Gulliver scolds both Lilliput and Blefuscu for their futile fighting when they solemnize a truce. Gulliver reveals that David is unharmed, whereupon David and Glory sing their combined song for everyone to hear. ("Faithful Forever") The spies release Gabby from the sack. Both sides thereafter build a new ship for Gulliver on which he departs, and he sails off into the sunset on the ocean.