The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth is a 1970 American live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster's 1961 children's book The Phantom Tollbooth. This film was produced by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts. Jones also directed the film, save for the live action bookends directed by fellow Warner Bros. Cartoons alum Dave Monahan. The film was released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 7, 1970, and was the last MGM feature film release to include animated segments. MGM's United Artists subsidiary would release its first fully animated film The Secret of NIMH in 1982.
Completed by 1969, the film was held up for release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer until late 1970 due to internal problems. The animation studio closed soon after the film's release, with MGM leaving the animation business for good. Juster had no input into the film adaptation, and has stated that he is not particularly fond of it.

Directed by Chuck Jones
Abe Levitow
Dave Monahan (live action)
Produced by Chuck Jones
Written by Norton Juster
Sam Rosen
Based on The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Starring Butch Patrick
Mel Blanc
Daws Butler
Candy Candido
Hans Conried
June Foray
Patti Gilbert
Shepard Menken
Cliff Norton
Larry Thor
Les Tremayne
Michael Earl
Music by Dean Elliott
Cinematography Lester Shorr
Editing by William Faris
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)
November 7, 1970
Running time 90 minutes
Country United States
Language English