Kingdom
in the Clouds
(aka TINERETE FARA BATRÎNETE, TINERETE FARA BATRANETE SI VIATA FARA DE, YOUTH WITHOUT OLD AGE)
English-Language Versions:
(1974) Paramount Family Matinees (rerelease)
With: Mircea Breazu (the Young Man), Ana Szeles (the Fairy Princess), Ion
Tugearu (the Prince of Liars), Carmen Stanescu (the Green Witch), Emanoil
Petrut, Nicolae Secareanu, Mihai Paladescu, Nicolae Brancomir, Margareta
Pogonat, Eugenia Basanceanu, George Mottoi, Zoe Anghel-Stanca, Corin
Constantineschu, Simona Manda
***
SYNOPSIS: A long time ago, in the beautiful rolling hills of Rumania, a brave
Young Man wanders, searching for adventure and the secret of eternal youth, and
"a marvelous kingdom where no-one could grow old or die". He had heard that
high on the mountains, where the land touches the sky, such a kingdom exists.
Soon, the Young Man encounters a giant bearded man, who is slowly turning an
immense spinning wheel. The giant is Father Time, and the wheel is the wheel of
time. The Young Man asks directions to the magical kingdom in the clouds, but
Father Time laughs at the youth's naiveté.
The Young Man jumps on the rope of time, and tries to stop it, but cannot, so
he continues on his way. Before him, an immense rock opens from a mountainside,
and the Young Man scurries underneath before it closes again.
On the other side of the mountain, the landscape is entirely different; the
Young Man wanders through a withered forest of dead trees and thirsty flowers.
A parched sunflower pleads to the Young Man for some water, and the kindly
Young Man gives it some.
Suddenly, the flower turns into a beautiful fairy! She offers the Young Man a
golden horn, and instructs him that each time the Young Man blows the magical
instrument, she will come to his aid. The fairy disappears, as the Young Man
watches, amazed. The Young Man blows the horn, and the fairy appears again,
asking him why he foolishly wasted one of his three chances for help. The Young
Man replies that he merely wanted to see her beautiful face again. The Fairy
scolds the Young Man for his reckless romanticism, and vanishes once again.
Later, the Young Man enters a much darker part of the forest, and hears cries
for help. He stumbles upon a black bird who is keeping many white birds in a
cage. The main avian is the Queen of the Forest Birds, who has been put under a
spell and imprisoned by the fearsome Prince of Liars.
The Queen pleads with the Young Man to free her and her subjects with the
truth, but the Prince of Liars insists that "Truth is strong but lies are
stronger, for the harm they do lasts much longer!" Even worse, the big black
bird has turned the Queen of the Forest Birds into a mechanical doll!
The Young Man battles the Prince first with sticks, and then with fire, and
finally unmasks him; he is not a bird at all, but an evil man in a bird suit.
Even his disguise was a lie! The Young Man frees the good white birds and puts
the blackguard into his own cage. The evil Prince warns the Young Man that his
father is King of the Liars, and a terrible fate awaits all those who cross
him!
The Queen of the Forest Birds thanks the Young Man, and warns him to be
especially aware of the Land of Fire and Decay, where an evil witch lives. She
offers the Young Man one of her feathers, which he may use to summon her powers
should he need help someday. The Young Man takes the imprisoned Prince, cage
and all, and throws him off a cliff, where he explodes into a million pieces!
The Young Man continues onward, and soon sees the object of his quest: the
Kingdom in the Clouds! He climbs a heavenly rainbow, and is soon at the door of
an immense castle. The Young Man knocks at the golden gates of this magical
city. A citizen answers the knock, and tells the Young Man that although he has
indeed reached the Kingdom of Eternal Youth, only the most deserving achieve
immortality. First, the applicant must pass three tests set by her Royal
Princess, ruler of the Kingdom!
The first test involves retrieving the Goldenrod of Plenty from the Evil Witch.
The Young Man agrees to this Herculean task, and begins on his way. However, in
the Land of Fire and Decay, the horrible Green Witch breathes fire, and awaits
her prey.
The Young Man spies a sick horse lying on the ground, who begs him to leave
before a similar fate befalls him. The Young Man continues on, towards the
Witch's house. Mistaking the Witch for a kindly old woman, the Young Man asks
her for a pail of water for the poor horse. Of course, the Witch has filled the
bucket with rocks. The Young Man now knows that he has met his mortal enemy,
the Green Witch!
The Young Man enters the Witch's house of horrors. She promises to give the
Young Man the item he seeks, if he will merely turn her charred hellscape into
a golden oasis! The tireless the Young Man agrees to this impossible task, and
vows to find some water for the fallen equine. Meanwhile, the Witch takes the
Goldenrod of Plenty, puts it in a chest, and locks it so that no-one can ever
get it!
Amazingly, the Young Man goes to the very bottom of an abandoned well, and
fetches a pail of pure, cool water for the grateful horse. Seeing that the
Young Man is actually making progress in her terrible forest, the Witch tries
to imprison him in a giant spider's web, but he easily dismantles the sticky
trap.
The Witch then starts a windstorm to undue all Man's good work, but he is able
to start up an abandoned windmill, and douse with water those parts of the land
where the Witch has sent balls of fire. Finally, the Witch runs out of fire-breath, and the land stops burning. The Young Man even finds some grass for the
horse to eat.
Much later, we see that the Young Man has repaired the windmill and beautified
the entire landscape. He returns to the Witch's house for his payment as
promised, but the Witch sleeps soundly inside, with no intention of keeping her
part of the bargain.
The Young Man sits on the porch, forlorn. He remembers the Bird Queen's
promise, and holds the magical feather she gave him up to her ear. It turns
into a flute. The Young Man starts to play the flute, and the tune that comes
out forces the Witch, and everything in her power, to dance until they drop!
Soon, the Goldenrod of Plenty has been released from its prison, and sails to
the Young Man on the surface of a golden pond. Also, the horse which the Young
Man saved turns into a majestic steed, and vows allegiance to the Young Man
forever. The Young Man and Horse ride off into the clouds, and soon return to
the magical kingdom.
The Young Man returns to the kingdom gates with his treasure. The guard is
pleased by this man's courage and ingenuity, so he gives him his net task:
retrieve the Golden Apple of Truth from the Kingdom of Liars, before the dawn
rises! As the Young Man trots off to his net challenge, Father Time aids him by
shining a heavenly nightlight upon his mission.
The Young Man blows the magic horn, and asks the magical fairy what he should
do. The fairy appears, and points him to the entrance to the Kingdom of the
Liars. She tells the Young Man to take the ring off the very finger of the King
of Liars!
The Young Man thanks the fairy, and gives her a magic flower as a remembrance
of him. The two beings express their fond feelings toward each other through
telepathic communication, but all too soon, the fairy vanishes.
Soon, the forest becomes alive with grotesque creatures from the Kingdom of
Liars. Even the Prince of Liars returns from the dead to do battle with Man!
The bizarre beings surround the Young Man, and pretend to be friends. They
dance around the Young Man, confusing him. They even offer him a "golden
apple", but it turns to rock before his eyes!
Soon, the Young Man is imprisoned, and introduced to the King of Liars. He is
tied with rope, and taunted by the Prince he thought he had killed.
Later, the Young Man is alone in the courtyard, and ponders his bleak future. A
voice tells him to hum on a leaf, so he grabs one nearby, and starts humming a
lullaby. The lilting tune starts putting everyone to sleep, including the
guards. Soon, the ropes have slackened, and the Young Man is once again free!
The Young Man steals into the King's bedroom, and tries to extract the ring
while he sleeps. The task proves tougher than he thought, however, and the King
awakes just as the Young Man runs off with the prize.
Against all odds, the Young Man manifests a daring escape amidst the entire
King's army, and rides off on his steed, which has waited patiently for his
master outside the prison walls. The King's troops mount their horses as well,
and soon, the Young Man is being chased by the army of evil warriors.
The Young Man finally reaches the cave where the Golden Apple resides, but soon
he is fighting for his life against the King's army. He manages to outfox his
foes, however, and uses the King's ring to open the door to the Golden Apple.
The light of Truth blinds the evil soldiers, but the Young Man soaks up the
rays of righteousness like mother's milk. The Young Man takes the Golden Apple,
and rides off while the evil minions cover their eyes in pain.
The Young Man returns to the magic Kingdom, and this time he is let into the
palace. The Young Man presents the Golden Apple to the Royal Court. The
Princess arrives, and the Young Man thinks he has never seen a more beautiful
creature.
The good King asks the Young Man if he is ready for the last, and most
difficult obstacle to eternal youth. The palace hold a golden book, in which
lies all the knowledge of the ages. To whomever finds the key to this book, and
can unlock its secrets, will go eternal youth, as well as the Princess' hand in
marriage, for the Princess has vowed to marry the purest, bravest man in the world.
The Young Man is told to seek this magic key at a tower at the edge of the
treacherous ocean. Unfortunately, the Prince of Liars has snuck into the palace
as well, and hears these instructions. He sneaks off. We also learn that the
Princess is in reality the beautiful fairy who has helped the Young Man along
his journey!
The Prince of Liars arrives at the Tower well before the Young Man does, but
has no luck accessing the mute monolith. The Young Man arrives, and the Prince
once again deceives the Young Man by promising a truce, when he in fact merely
wants to use Man's strength and cunning toward his own goal.
The Young Man throws the rope, and the Prince climbs it. Finally reaching the
top, the Prince spies the treasured key. He summons Prince to climb the rope as
well, hoping to lure him to his death.
The Young Man reaches the top, and begins his climb down the pit in which lies
the key. The Young Man grabs the key, and the Prince pulls him out of the pit.
Once atop, the Prince grabs the key, and pushes the Young Man down into the
well to perish.
Meanwhile, the Princess tells her court all about the Young Man and his noble
promises to her, when suddenly the flower he gave her wilts, and she fears that
he is in peril.
As the Prince of Liars rides toward the Kingdom with the magic key, the Young
Man beseeches Father Time to slow things down, so that he might have a chance
to change fate before it is too late. Father Time agrees, only if the Young Man
will answer three riddles!
A giant riddle book appears, and the Young Man solves the first one, while the
Prince arrives in the royal court with the key. He tells a fib about Man's fate
at the hands of a fictitious dragon, but nobody wants to believes him.
The King reluctantly accepts that this cretin, having brought the key, has
indeed won the Princess' hand in marriage. The Princess is beside herself, but
knows no way out of this dilemma into which she was born. The Queen tries to
console her by challenging her wisdom in picking the Young Man as the chosen
one, but the Princess still believes she was right to pick him.
Soon, the evil Prince approaches the Princess, ready to take his bride; it is
their wedding day! The ceremony begins, just as the Young Man answers the final
riddle, and is given the Golden Key. Swiftly, the Young Man rides his steed
through the clouds, hoping to reach his bride in time.
The Young Man arrives just as the vows are set to be taken, and swears the he
has the real key. The King decides to compare the keys by weight. Both men
place their keys on the scales, and of course Man's key weighs more. The Prince
and his key disappear in a puff of smoke.
Later, the real marriage ceremony takes place. In addition to gaining a
marvelous new bride, the Young Man is given his ultimate reward: eternal youth!
The lovers exchange their vows of eternal devotion, and the congregation dances
in joy.
Overwhelmed with his good fortune, the Young Man foolishly drinks from the
nearby mountain brook, which he has been forewarned will return him to a mere
mortal. The Princess, though horrified, decides to drink as well, and share
with her beloved into that most common of life experiences: death.
The Young Man apologizes to the Princess for his recklessness, but she explains
that she now understands that without death, life would have no meaning, so the
Young Man has actually given the Princess a gift more valuable than eternal
life, a full and happy life, full of love and joy!
THE END
***
In the Kiddie Matinee canon, KINGDOM IN THE CLOUDS is a lost jewel, a full-fledged
fantasy-adventure with many supernatural overtones. Ten years earlier,
you could easily see AIP or Roger Corman releasing this to drive-ins and
grind houses, like THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE, THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD or THE
SWORD AND THE DRAGON. All feature a brave warrior in a primitive foreign
landscape taking a simplistic, episodic journey of spirit which is based
on a native folk tale.
Largely studio-bound and boasting elaborate sets and visual effects, KINGDOM
evokes the fantastic worlds of filmmakers such as George Pal and Aleksandr
Ptushko. A visually stunning film, KINGDOM features huge studio sets as well as
fantastic ultra-natural landscapes, in addition to some effective miniatures, and
even some stop-motion animation. Impressive optical effects abound, as well as
many costumed characters, maintaining a delightful theatricality throughout.
In its depiction of a lone innocent seeking a magical kingdom and meeting
creatures both good and evil on his way, KINGDOM is likely Rumania's answer to
THE WIZARD OF OZ, and not a bad attempt at that. The hero of the piece, who
goes entirely unnamed, is a generic construct of youth, innocence and virtue,
best by all form of iconographic temptation and assistance. His simplistic
journey unravels in a strictly straightforward narrative, but is none the less charming for that, and many of his adventures can still evoke a sense of wonder on first viewing.
Our “Young Man” first encounters Father Time, a magnificent giant with an immense spinning wheel, sitting somewhere in the lower clouds of the sky. A more theatrical effect could not be imagined, and it works exceedingly well. Then there’s the magical fairy, who materializes out of a sunflower. Of course, the young man falls instantly for this beauty, and you just know that she will figure in the piece further on. Thus, when she turns out to be the Princess of the magic kingdom, our hero could not be more thrilled.
To us, the most exciting sequence takes place in the Green Witch's hellish domain; this elaborate set is both mysterious and creepy, with its charred ruins, twisted vines, and patches of burning land. Here is where our hero finds his familiar, a magnificent talking horse.
The kingdom itself is a glorious mixture of full-size set facades and miniatures, with some nice sunbeam opticals superimposed to complete the magical illusion. To get to the kingdom, one must cross a wonderful rainbow bridge.
Another majestic effect is the tower which holds the magic key of knowledge; surely designed on the biblical Tower of Babel, this somewhat creepy structure seems to be a beautiful model, with a small section built full-scale for our actors to climb.
The climax of the film involves our hero navigating Father Time's creepy netherworld in time to save the Princess from marrying the Prince of Liars, and this exciting sequence involves some impressive cross-cutting, creating a great deal of tension and anticipation.
The exciting finale consists of a grand wedding and reception, the crowning act of many a classic fairy tale, and the scenes with the kingdom’s populace dancing in front of the Stonehenge-like structures is truly a sight to behold.
Character development is minimal, as this is, after all, primarily a children’s fairy tale. The hero is fairly transparent, an innocent youth full of spit and vinegar, and his nemesis, the Prince of Liars, is a cartoon clown. The bad guys are all very bad, and the good buys are all very good, which is how it should be in fairy tale-land!
The English-language version released to the U.S. and Canada in 1971 by the short-lived Xerox films featured cartoonish dubbing, courtesy of Belluci Productions in New York City, as well as a somewhat sappy theme song (a theme song was a trait of the three Xerox Films releases; we wonder if it was coincidence, or part of their marketing campaign).
The following excerpt from the KINGDOM IN THE CLOUDS pressbook suggests some amusing attempts at marketing the film:
***
USE YOUR HORSE SENSE
You'd be amazed at how much attention you can get from parking a horse in front of your theatre! They don't cost much to rent for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and they can generate a great deal of excitement with the kids. Try to get a white one, to coordinate with the horse in the movie, and put a sign on him: "Come to the Kingdom in the Clouds."
***
Questionable ballyhoo aside, KINGDOM IN THE CLOUDS was probably one of the most expensive and glorious foreign films to ever hit the U.S. Kiddie Matinee circuit, and for this we can be thankful to the woefully underrated Xerox Films. This incredible film sorely needs a DVD re-release, and a new, appreciate audience.
Video/DVD availability: VHS (Studio Off-Hollywood Entertainment, 1993, “Specially for kids” series, volume 6, oop)
Links of related interest:
a biography of author Ion Creanga
(1968, Rumania) color 88 minutes
Bucharest Film Studio
Story: Petre Ispirescu (based on the writings of Ion Creanga)
Screenplay: Elisabeta Bostan
Music: Temistocle Popa
Cinematography: Julius Druckman
Produced by Nicolae Codrescu
Directed by Elisabeta Bostan
(1971) Xerox Film Corporation 88 minutes
Series Director: Thomas D. Anglim
Executive Producer: Robert Braverman
Produced by Belluci Productions
Screenplay: Janet Waggener
PROMOTION:
A WINNING RIDE
You can also put the horse to use-or a pony might be easier-by giving the kids a free ride around your theatre! In suburban situations you can give them a ride from the parking lot to the theatre. Best have a trained horse handler on duty for safety, but you can probably make an agreement with a local stable or riding academy whereby they'll lend you the horse and handler without charge and you'll let them give out cards advertising their facilities. The entire promotion can cost you nothing and bring in a lot of business.
TRY SOME WITCHCRAFT
Send someone dressed like the Green Witch around town! It's easy to get an inexpensive witch's costume, and a full coating of green eyeshadow or vegetable dye will do the rest. She can tote one of our exciting full-color onesheets, or any message you want.
GET TIME ON YOUR SIDE
As above, you can send a Father Time figure around town, dressed like the one in the film. His message could be "Time for Great Adventure-come to the Kingdom in the Clouds." He should be sure to make the rounds of all the playgrounds on the Friday before you open, and perhaps be outside the school when classes let out.
A GOLDEN IDEA
Since the hero of this picture has to retrieve a magic golden apple, you can offer free "golden apples" to all your patrons. You can buy a couple of cases of Golden Delicious for 6 or 7 cents an apple, and the boost in business should more than pay for the expenditure. Also, parents will appreciate the fact that you are giving the kids something of quality to eat--just as you are giving them something of quality to see on the screen.
A review of a recent UK screening
Two posters for KINGDOM IN THE CLOUDS. First, a Spanish one-sheet; next, an Australian daybill.
(from the pressbook): "The Green Witch is one of dozens of evil characters the hero has to overcome in 'Kingdom in the Clouds', the latest release in the new 'Entertainment to Grow On' series from Xerox Films. Designed for children, but with wide appeal for adults who are dissatisfied with many of the pictures being shown today, the film avoids anything offensive in the way of obscenity, nudity, sex, vulgarity, and violence. It does feature tremendous horse chases, huge castles, an enchanted rainbow roadway in the sky an exciting adventure story, and a cast of hundreds. Xerox has specific plans to release approximately a dozen such pictures. The film is playing special matinees this weekend."
(from the pressbook): "One of the biggest children's pictures ever made, Xerox Films' 'Kingdom in the Clouds', which plays special matinees in town this weekend, has a cast of hundreds and some of the most elaborate sets ever built for a picture of its kind. The film has fire-breathing witches, devastated lands which blossom in a minute, huge castles, spectacular horse chases, and a thrilling rope climb up a 200-foot tower. It has immense underground caverns, shining cities, an enchanted rainbow roadway in the sky, and a story that is filled with action. The film is part of Xerox's new 'Entertainment to Grow On' series which will emphasize quality both in content and production."
A rare photo of director Elisabeta Bostan.
visit the KINGDOM IN THE CLOUDS
foto gallery!