Product Details

• Actors: Shelley Duvall, Nancy Allen, Diane Stilwell, Beatrice Straight, Jane Alden
• Directors: Tony Bill
• Format: Color, Live, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
• VHS Release Date: March 1, 1990
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303065805
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,085 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this FAERIE TALE is one to treasure..., October 22, 2004

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faerie Tale Theatre - The Princess And The Pea (DVD)

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA is one of the all-time great FAERIE TALE THEATRE episodes. Featuring a talented cast and brilliant costumes and sets, it's totally adorable.

Prince Richard (Tom Conti) leads a boring and eventless life under the thumb of his controlling mother Queen Veronica (Beatrice Straight). Until, one stormy night, in whirls the vivacious Princess Alecia (Liza Minnelli). But is she really a princess? Queen Veronica is skeptical, so employs a method to test her royalty: she places a tiny pea under 20 mattresses and quilts. If Alecia can feel the pea it will prove beyond any doubt her royal blood.

Will Alecia pass the test? And if she does, will she choose to marry Richard? You'll find out in THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA. Co-starring Jane Alden and Nancy Allen.

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic title in Shelley Duvall's series boasts wit to spare, May 30, 2010

By 

Gregory N. Perkins "wide reader" (Frankfort, KY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faerie Tale Theatre - The Princess And The Pea (DVD)

Faerie Tale Theatre's production "The Princess and the Pea" features an exceptional cast including Liza Minneli, Tom Conti, Tim Kazurinsky and Beatrice Straight. A script written with drily effective humor makes this entry one of the best in the series.

It tells of Alecia, a young woman played beautifully by Ms. Minneli who almost literally stumbles into a palace on a rainy night to be welcomed by an incredulous Prince Richard. Tom Conti plays the prince with exasperated, dry humor reminiscent of the Monty Python and Black Adder British comedy troupes. Relenting with the frazzled beauty, Prince Richard allows her to stay in secret in the castle with the company of himself and the court jester, played by Tim Kazurinsky. In this production, Mr. Kazurinsky utilizes an impressive Cockney British accent and is a standout in a relatively minor role. Meanwhile, Richard's mother Queen Veronica, played by Beatrice Straight, is trying to marry her son off to an array of vapid princesses, unaware of the young lady who has already moved into the castle. What follows when the queen becomes aware of the young lady's existence is the central crisis of a unique, wonderful show.

Also featuring a lively, whimsical musical score, Faerie Tale Theatre's "The Princess and the Pea" is great.

P.S. Hans Christian Andersen's original very short story is called "The Princess On The Pea." This adaptation is a brilliant creative expansion of that story which actually improves on it considerably.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fond memories and excellent acting by all !!!, January 12, 2009

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faerie Tale Theatre - The Princess And The Pea (DVD)

The Princess And The Pea is a charming installment in this "Faerie Tale Theatre" series of DVDs for children. The plot moves along at a pace that will keep a child interested; and I thought the acting was very well done, particularly on the part of Tom Conti who plays Prince Richard. The cinematography works well and the quality of the print is rather good.

When the action starts, Queen Veronica (Beatrice Straight) and her silly, ineffectual husband King Fredrico (Pat McCormick) are being their pompous selves, almost oblivious to the needs of their son Prince Richard. With a little bit of help from the court jester (or, "the fool," played by Tim Kazurinsky), Richard decides he wants to marry a Princess so his life will be truly complete. Unfortunately for Prince Richard, his mother Queen Veronica takes complete charge of the search for a suitable Princess and this drives poor Richard to distraction.

They interview many potential princesses; but none come up except for Princess Elizabeth (Nancy Allen) who, as we quickly find out, wants to merely use Prince Richard as a way to become a Queen herself someday. Richard doesn't like this; and he begins to consider a rather vagabond type of Princess named Alecia (Liza Minnelli) who has been staying at the castle after twisting her ankle.

Of course, things can run in different directions from here. Queen Veronica and King Fredrico don't even know Princess Alecia has been staying the past few days in the castle while her ankle was recuperating--how will they react when they find out Alecia has been staying with them? Prince Richard and the court "fool" had been keeping it a secret. Will Alecia pass "the test" that Queen Veronica wants her to pass to prove to them all that she is indeed a suitable princess for her son Richard? Can Princess Alecia feel a single tiny pea underneath twenty mattresses and quilts to prove her royal heritage? Watch and find out!

The DVD doesn't come with extras unless you count "scene selection" as an extra. I don't; but that's no problem because this is geared toward children and I don't know that the typical four year old would reap all the benefits from a running commentary anyway.

I highly recommend this film for children and it's nice to be able to watch this with your children. It's great entertainment and I am only too sorry that this individual DVD is currently out of print. However, if you or your children enjoy this, you should consider getting Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection and perhaps also Faerie Tale Theatre: Tales from the Brothers Grimm.