Santa's Magic Fountain
(aka THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN)
With: Peter Nestler (Prince), Hans Conried (Otto the Owl), Buddy Baer (Hunter), Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Narrator), Catherine Hansen (Princess), Josef Marz (Gustav), Helmo Kindermann
Plot Outline: A prince searches for a magic fountain to save his dying father, the King. His two evil brothers try to subvert his plans. A magic dwarf helps the Prince. The Prince meets a Princess and defeats an evil kingdom. The Prince finds the Magic Fountain, and gives the "Water of Life" to his father, who recovers. The Prince and Princess marry, and live happily ever after.
***
THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN is a terribly troubled film, very hard to like, yet oddly a recognizable prototype for much Kiddie Matinee product of the 1960's. Filmed in a lackluster part of Bavaria, but spoken in English, with stupid songs and a long-winded plot, TMF tries valiantly to create a light-hearted fairy tale atmosphere.
However, the plot about three sons trying to find "magic water" to save their father the King, has no dramatic tension. Also, the main characters speak bad English with heavy German accents, making the exposition as murky as molasses.
The addition of a magic dwarf named Gustav, and his familiar, a wise-cracking owl (Hans Conreid in a sad role), adds nothing but confusion. When Gustav prances through the dingy woods, singing "Listen to the Glockenspeil", we are beside ourselves with dismay. An effeminate boy joins them. What has this to do with anything?
Sir Cedric Hardwicke narrates this sorry tale in rhyme, which is always deadly. Buddy Baer, the only "name" talent who appears on screen, is the only bright spot in a very dark film. Peter Nestler (as the Prince) and Catherine Hansen (as the Princess), with their terminally Teutonic ways, are a fairy tale couple entirely lacking in charisma. The usually-talented Steve Allen wrote the sappy, lethargic title song.
When we finally reach "the Magic Fountain" it is a regular town fountain shown out-of-focus, as is a "magic sword" which the Prince uses to fight off a sudden enemy. These are the special effects, and they are abysmal.
Although it is over-dramatic, even hysterical at times, THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN comes across as anemic, dull and long-winded, and is torture to sit through. One wonders if the filmmakers actually thought kids could follow the indecipherable, talky plot, or even care to.
One of the worst in the Kiddie Matinee catalog, THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN is truly a "fractured fairy tale". To add insult to injury, this slow-witted abomination was re-released a decade later, under the totally spurious title SANTA'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN. To our knowledge, Santa doesn't even make an appearance! This isn't kiddie exploitation; this is child abuse.
Video/DVD availability: VHS (various)
(1961, U.S./West Germany) color 82/75 minutes
Cabri Productions
(1970) Hallmark Productions
Story: Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm, Wilhelm Carl Grimm (from their story "the Water of Life")
Screenplay: John Lehman
Directed by Allan David
Our thanks to Don Worth for supplying an image of this rare theatrical poster
for the original 1961 release of THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN.