Customer Reviews

Faerie Tale Theatre - The Dancing Princesses [VHS]

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THE DANCING PRINCESSES surely ranks as one of the finer entries in the FAERIE TALE THEATRE series. It features the beautiful Lesley Ann Warren as well as a sweeping and delightful musical score.

The story is about the daughters of a widowed King (Roy Dotrice) who somehow wear out their dance-slippers every night despite being locked in their room until morning. The secret is not discovered until a crafty soldier (Peter Weller) follows them and finds that they go dancing in a fairy-kingdom under the ground.

This must surely be my favourite, because its everything a fairytale should be; romantic, funny, sad and incredibly-entertaining. Lesley Ann Warren looks luminous and has a remarkable chemistry with Peter Weller.

The story also features Sachi Parker (the beautiful and talented daughter of Shirley MacLaine) as the comical youngest princess; as well as Zelda Rubinstein (Tangina from the POLTERGEIST trilogy).

Most FAERIE TALE THEATRE fans single out this episode as their all-time favourite (with TALE OF THE FROG PRINCE coming a close second). This was actually the final episode ever made of FTT.

After years of waiting, Faerie Tale Theatre fans can finally own the series on DVD. Shelley Duvall's series originally appeared on Showtime 20 years ago and featured well-known and rising stars of the time. The series' enthusiastic interpretations of beloved fairy tales has made it a cult classic. Better yet, the DVD prices are affordable, especially after the high prices the used VHS copies have been earning in recent years.

About this episode:

The Dancing Princesses is one of the best episodes from Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. When six princesses wear out their new dancing shoes every night while locked in their bedroom, their father the king is determined to learn the cause. Only a humble soldier is able to solve the puzzle.

Cast:
Lesley Ann Warren ... Genetta
Peter Weller ... Soldier
Roy Dotrice ... King
Starr Andreeff ... Dinetta
Laura Harrington ... Coretta
Sachi Parker ... Loretta
Viveca Parker ... Musetta
Lora Staley ... Wanetta
Ian Abercrombie ... The Cobbler
Zelda Rubinstein ... Old Woman
Max Wright ... Prince Heinrick

I was so stoked to find this, it was a favorite movie of mine as a child and was wonderful to watch it again. Recommended for little girls that love princesses and fairy stories.

Often said to be the best episode from Faerie Tale Theatre, this is an excellent version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Lesley Ann Warren is truly great as the oldest princess with the sweet, strong personality. Peter Weller does a wonderful job as the soldier and Roy Dotrice is superb as the kind but grouchy old father. It was nice to see Poltergeist's little psychic Zelda Rubinstein in another role, even though it is quite small. Great sets, costumes, script, actors and music score.

The dancing princesses is one of the best stories out of the faerie tale theatre collection. It was my favorite movie when I was a girl. It's such a shame though that they no longer have these available for purchase though. I would certainly buy the series.

I used to watch this movie all the time when I was a child. I am so glad I was finally able to find it and buy it online. It has everything a little girl could want in a fairy tale: princesses, a magic underground kingdom that can only be reached through your bedroom, dancing all night in beautiful dresses with handsome princes, and cloaks that keep smart soldiers invisible. I wish Faerie Tale Theatre was still on the air, it was so great! If you can find a reasonably priced copy of "The Dancing Princesses," buy it!

This story is clasic and timeless. I remember this from my childhood. It's about an overprotective Father of 6 princesses who discovers that his daughters go and dance in the middle of the night and wear out their sdancing slippers each night. He sends out a proclaimation to every prince in the land saying that if they can solve the mistery in 3 days than they will inherit the kingdom and they will be able to marry one of his daughters. Who will suceed? Will one of the princesses be married? I strongly suggest renting or buying this video. It's one of my all time favorites!

Faerie Tale Theatre's adaptation of "The Dancing Princesses" displays the wit that characterizes the best work of the series. This twenty-sixth and last title in Shelley Duvall's brainchild series casts Lesley Anne Warren, Roy Dotrice and Peter Weller("RoboCop")in a solid show.

The king, played by Mr. Dotrice, is perplexed to the point of anger that his six daughters mysteriously escape their locked bedroom each night, leaving only tattered dancing shoes the next morning as clues to where they might go. He devises a marriage competition whereby each contending prince must find out where the princesses go, with the promise of marriage to the princess of his choice if he uncovers the secret. After three days with no luck, the prince is summarily sent away. This continues with one feckless prince after another until Peter Weller's keen soldier shows up at the palace door with a secret weapon to aid in the quest...

The script is cannily insightful and even realistic to a degree, as it is hinted that the king's emotional distance from his daughters helped lead to their nocturnal dancing. Performances are uniformly excellent, with the only minor complaint being that some of the princesses are relegated to the background fairly easily. This is due to the nature of ensemble casting, especially when the princesses are grouped together. Often, one or two stand out to the detriment of the rest.

Also starring Zelda Rubinstein("Poltergeist"), Faerie Tale Theatre's "The Dancing Princesses" is great. My only real complaint is that this show was never truly publicized on a grand scale as the last original episode from Faerie Tale Theatre. The series as a whole deserved more official credit and publicity as it was winding down, but the high quality of "The Dancing Princesses" as a final episode is tribute enough to a fabulous legacy.

This is a movie I watched as a child and had not seen in years. It arrived quickly and was in perfect condition.