IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Disney live action TV movie musical, based on the fairytale The Princess and the Pea.Disney live action TV movie musical, based on the fairytale The Princess and the Pea.Disney live action TV movie musical, based on the fairytale The Princess and the Pea.
- Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
- 3 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCarol Burnett, who plays Queen Agravain in this version, played Princess Winifred in the original Off-Broadway production in 1959, which later moved to Broadway, and then to TV as Once Upon a Mattress (1964). Burnett recreated the role in Once Upon a Mattress (1972).
- GoofsDuring the Happily Ever After number, Princess Fred gets up on the table and kicks off the books stacked there but when we look down a few seconds later the stack she just kicked off on the right side of the table as we face it has returned.
- Quotes
Queen Aggravain: Goodbye, good luck, get out.
- ConnectionsRemake of Once Upon a Mattress (1964)
Featured review
While watching ONCE UPON A MATTRESS and seeing Carol Burnett as Queen Aggravain, I immediately realized that she must have played Princess Winnifred in the original version of the show in the '60s. This became all too clear when I saw that Tracey Ullman's daffy princess was lacking a certain spark that Burnett would have given to the part--plus she was a little too mature for the role to begin with.
Denis O'Hare seemed another case of miscasting as Prince Dauntless, a role could easily have been played by Matthew Morrison, who instead was saddled with a boring secondary role.
But despite these misgivings, there's much to like about this rowdy version of the tale, vibrant with colorful sets and costumes (particularly Burnett's jeweled outfits) and some witty lines that are tossed about by a capable cast.
But there's always the feeling that something isn't right--and not being able to compare this version with the original I can't say what it is but I see from other reviews that much of the original material was altered or deleted entirely. Perhaps this is why there's a feeling that it could have been so much better.
Summing up: For Carol Burnett fans, it's a delicious chance to watch her play broad comedy with such finesse. She never misses an opportunity to ham it up but keeps it from being too over-the-top to be enjoyable. And while the choreography could have been more inventive, Tracey Ullman gives all of her energy to some of the dance routines with some very funny results.
Unfortunately, Tom Smothers is wasted in the role of the mute King Sextimus. But all in all, it's a fun version of a fractured fairy-tale, based on "The Princess and the Pea."
Denis O'Hare seemed another case of miscasting as Prince Dauntless, a role could easily have been played by Matthew Morrison, who instead was saddled with a boring secondary role.
But despite these misgivings, there's much to like about this rowdy version of the tale, vibrant with colorful sets and costumes (particularly Burnett's jeweled outfits) and some witty lines that are tossed about by a capable cast.
But there's always the feeling that something isn't right--and not being able to compare this version with the original I can't say what it is but I see from other reviews that much of the original material was altered or deleted entirely. Perhaps this is why there's a feeling that it could have been so much better.
Summing up: For Carol Burnett fans, it's a delicious chance to watch her play broad comedy with such finesse. She never misses an opportunity to ham it up but keeps it from being too over-the-top to be enjoyable. And while the choreography could have been more inventive, Tracey Ullman gives all of her energy to some of the dance routines with some very funny results.
Unfortunately, Tom Smothers is wasted in the role of the mute King Sextimus. But all in all, it's a fun version of a fractured fairy-tale, based on "The Princess and the Pea."
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Érase una vez un colchón
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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