The Daydreamer_
"Before the Little Mermaid, there was..."
A young Hans Christian Andersen goes in search of knowledge in the Garden of Paradise in order to make his studies easier. Each time he falls asleep, he experiences in his dreams the different characters he would later write about in fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and The Emperor's New Clothes.
Director
Jules Bass
Starring
Paul O'Keefe, Jack Gilford, Margaret Hamilton
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Jules Bass →
Year context
The Daydreamer was released 60 years ago in 1966.
The Daydreamer is a Animation, Adventure, Family film with a runtime of 1h 41m.
CAST (20)
Paul O'Keefe
Chris
Jack Gilford
Papa Andersen
Margaret Hamilton
Mrs. Klopplebobbler
Ray Bolger
The Pieman
RH
Robert Harter
Big Claus
Tallulah Bankhead
The Sea Witch (voice)
Victor Borge
Zenith, the Second Tailor (voice)
Patty Duke
Thumbelina (voice)
Sessue Hayakawa
The Mole (voice)
Burl Ives
Father Neptune (voice)
Boris Karloff
The Rat (voice)
Hayley Mills
The Little Mermaid (voice)
Cyril Ritchard
The Sandman (voice)
Terry-Thomas
Brig. Zachary Zilch, the First Tailor (voice)
Ed Wynn
The Emperor (voice)
Larry D. Mann
Various (voice)
Billie Mae Richards
Various (voice)
JD
James Daugherty
Various (voice)
WM
William Marine
Various (voice)
Robert Goulet
Singer (voice)
CREW
STUDIOS (1)
Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
101 min (1h 41m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
4.6/10 (11 votes)
Popularity
5
IMDB
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Daydreamer about?
A young Hans Christian Andersen goes in search of knowledge in the Garden of Paradise in order to make his studies easier. Each time he falls asleep, he experiences in his dreams the different characters he would later write about in fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and The Emperor's New Clothes.
How long is The Daydreamer?
The Daydreamer has a runtime of 101 minutes (1h 41m).
Who directed The Daydreamer?
The Daydreamer was directed by Jules Bass.
Who stars in The Daydreamer?
The cast of The Daydreamer includes Paul O'Keefe, Jack Gilford, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Robert Harter.
What is the rating of The Daydreamer?
The Daydreamer has a rating of 4.6 out of 10 based on 11 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (5)
Animation
Adventure
Family
Fantasy
Music
KEYWORDS (8)
fairy tale
stop motion
fable
cobbler
based on fairy tale
garden of eden
quest
live action and animation