Released in May 1977, Charles Band’s Cinderella proved to be an unexpected hit for the burgeoning producer. Seeing the potential, Band decided to make another adult musical comedy film version of a classic fairy tale. He reunited with co-writer Frank Ray Perilli, who also wrote Mansion of the Doomed, Laserblast, and Last Foxtrot in Burbank. However, Michael Pataki had since moved on to have a recurring role in the 1970s The Amazing Spider-Man TV show. In the directing chair was Harry Hurwitz, using the pseudonym Harry Tampa, whose prior credits include The Projectionist and Richard. Notably, the director of photography was Daniel Pearl, who previously shot The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and its remake. Band and company decided to include various fairy tale characters in this film rather than adapting one story. After a brief one-to-two-week shoot, Fairy Tales hit US theaters in August 1978.
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Synopsis
The Prince (Don Sparks) has turned 21, and his doctors (Irwin Corey, Robert Harris, and Simmy Bow) have an announcement. His father, the king, declares that his son will only inherit the kingdom if he can produce an heir. The only problem is that The Prince is only interested in his dream girl, and no other woman will suffice. He quests for the perfect woman, taking him to the old lady in the shoe, Gussie Gander (Brenda Fogarty). Here, she’s the madam of a whorehouse featuring Little Bo Peep (Angela Aames) and Snow White (Anne Gaybis). Unfortunately, none of the women do it for The Prince, so Gander has her cohort Sirus (Sy Richardson) try helping. He takes The Prince to see Aunt La Voh (Martha Reeves), who can create a love potion to help him. But will our prince ever come, or is he doomed to be a peasant?
Review
While Cinderella had its charm and was a fun time, Fairy Tales lacks what made the earlier film special. Compared to Michael Pataki’s energetic direction, Harry Hurwitz films the sequences in a flat, dull fashion that feels tired. Watching it, you get the sense that Hurwitz didn’t care for the material and just saw it as another job. However, despite how flat the direction is, Daniel Pearl’s cinematography adds a dreamlike quality that helps sell the picture. It’s easy to see how Pearl transitioned from this to shooting music videos for The Police, Billy Idol, and Animotion. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the poor choreography, where the actors are either standing still or flailing about. Andrew Belling returns to compose the score, but unfortunately, the songs here lack the energy of the previous film. The one exception is “You’ll Feel the Magic in Me” by Martha Reeves.
The goofy-looking Don Sparks is certainly game for the lead role, but he lacks the charm Cheryl Smith had. He’s certainly a sympathetic character, but he’s kind of a weiner who stumbles about from scene to scene. Sy Richardson once again proves to be a highlight of the film as the wisecracking yet dated pimp Sirus. Irwin Corey from Stuck on You has some funny moments, but he’s gone after the first five minutes. Most notably, this film features future scream queen Linnea Quigley, though she doesn’t show up until near the end. The rest of the cast either strip naked or mug for the camera, which can get old pretty quickly. While the film only clocks in at 76 minutes, it feels like a long 76 minutes to endure. Overall, Fairy Tales is a product of its time, but not a very good one.
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