THE 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER (1960, U.S.)

The 3 Worlds
of Gulliver

(aka GULLIVERS TRAVELS, THE WORLDS OF GULLIVER)
(1960, U.K./U.S.) color 100 minutes
Morningside Movies / Columbia Pictures
Story: Jonathan Swift (based on his novel "Gulliver's Travels")
Screenplay: Arthur Ross, Jack Sher
Music: George Duning, Bernard Herrmann
Cinematography: Wilkie Cooper
Special Effects: Ray Harryhausen
Produced by Charles H. Schneer
Directed by Jack Sher

With: Kerwin Mathews (Dr. Lemuel Gulliver), Jo Morrow (Gwendolyn), June Thorburn (Elizabeth), Lee Patterson (Reldresal), Grégoire Aslan (King Brob), Basil Sydney (Captain Pritchert), Charles Lloyd Pack (Makovan), Martin Benson (Flimnap), Mary Ellis (Queen of Brobdingnag), Marian Spencer (Empress of Lilliput), Peter Bull (Lord Bermogg), Alec Mango (Minister of Lilliput), Sherry Jackson (Glumdalclitch) (as Sherri Aberoni)

***

Young Gulliver is going to marry the beautiful Elizabeth Elizabeth (June Thornburn, best remembered as "Queen Of The Forest" in George Pal's TOM THUMB). But Gulliver is a struggling surgeon and internist, who doesn't want to live in poverty. He leaves his love for a mission as a British naval surgeon aboard Captain Pritchert's vessel, the Antelope.

Liz doesn't want her love to go on this mission, and she stows away on the Antelope. She tries to persude Gulliver to allow her to travel with him. He refuses, and asks the captain to send her back to England.

However, a terrible storm soon breaks across the South Seas, and Gulliver and Liz are soon sent into the brink, where they find themselves trapped by the mean, selfish Liliputians.

Gulliver tries to settle the ongoing Lilliputian wars, but their miserable Monarch will have none of it, and poor Gulliver is forced to flee the kingdom in a rowboat.

He soon lands upon another enchanted realm, Brodenag, a place ruled by ignorant giants. Gulliver is not too thrilled at being the mascot of the giant King and Queen.

But Gulliver soon finds his beloved Elizabeth again, and the couple find an ally in a kindly little girl, Glondaglitch (Sherry Jackson, best remembered as Danny Thomas' daughter on "Make Room For Daddy").

When The Evil Sorcerer goads the King to have Gulliver and Liz killed for practicing witchcraft, the pair run for their lives. The King and Queen and their royal army go after the couple, with torches and weapons at the ready.

To save her friends, Glondaglitch puts the little people into her sewing basket and sends them both into the sea, where the next day, Gulliver and Elizabeth realize that their adventures were nothing more than bad dreams!

Poor Elizabeth fears that they might run into those horrible creatures again, but Gulliver assures her that with their love, and the wisdom they've acquired during this strange journey, they can deal with any problems which arise.

They ask a sailor as to their whereabouts. Happily, they discover that they are both back home in Wapping Falls, England, where they run home to their new lives and well-deserved happiness.

***

Sherry Aberoni is the same actress who performed on Danny Thomas' "Make Room For Daddy"/"The Danny Thomas Show" as "Sherry Jackson." She eventually changed her name back to Sherry Aberoni, and left acting to marry a doctor in Southern California. Aberoni did, however briefly, return to acting when she did voice-overs for such well-known TV cartoon shows as "Josie & The Pussycats" and "Super Friends". Aberoni was the voice of Alexandra on "Josie & the Pussycats" and the voice of Junior Super Friend Wendy in "Josie & The Pussycats In Outer Space". Aberoni also appeared on "The Mickey Mouse Club's 25th Anniversary TV Special" with the other Mouseketeers, and the show's host, Paul Williams.

- Kevin S. Butler

Video/DVD availability: VHS (oop)