After many childless years, King Stefan and Queen Leah, his lovely and beautiful wife, happily welcome the birth of their daughter, Princess Aurora. They proclaim a holiday for their subjects to pay homage to the princess and celebrate her birth. At the gathering for her christening she is betrothed to Prince Phillip, a small boy who is the only son of King Hubert, King Stefan's friend, so that their kingdoms will always be united.
D'après la pièce de Shakespeare, Le Songe d'une nuit d'été, ce film de marionnettes destiné aux adultes met en scène les trois univers de cette histoire complexe : l'Athènes patricienne, le milieu populaire et le monde magique des elfes et des nymphes.
Géninoir, un singe malveillant, tente de s'emparer de la baguette de la bonne fée qui veille sur le village des animaux. Pour y arriver, il intègre la fête foraine qui arrive dans le village et se fait passer pour un vendeur de sucreries. Pendant un soir de fête, Géninoir arrive à corrompre Chocolat — jeune chien musicien qui connaît la mélodie pour faire apparaître la baguette — avec quelques bonbons. Ayant enfin la baguette, Géninoir fait régner la terreur… C'est alors qu'intervient Saturnin, poète-canard, afin de sauver sa belle Barbara pétrifiée par le choc !
Set in London, circa 1900, George and Mary Darling's preparations to attend a party are disrupted by the antics of their boys, John and Michael, acting out a story about Peter Pan and the pirates, told to them by their older sister, Wendy. Their father, who is fed up with the stories that have made his children less practical, angrily declares that Wendy has gotten too old to continue staying in the nursery with them, and it's time for her to grow up and have a room of her own. That night, they are visited in the nursery by Peter Pan himself, who teaches them to fly with the help of his pixie friend, Tinker Bell, and takes them with him to the island of Never Land.
Cinderella is the beloved child of a widowed aristocrat. Anxious for his daughter to have a mother's love, he remarries to Lady Tremaine, with two daughters: Drizella and Anastasia. After her father dies unexpectedly, Lady Tremaine is revealed to be a cruel and selfish woman, and Cinderella is abused and mistreated by her stepfamily, who take over the estate and ultimately reduce her to being a scullery maid in her own home. Despite this, Cinderella grows into a kind and gentle young woman, befriending the animals in the barn and the mice and birds who live around the chateau.
After singing the film's signature song "When You Wish Upon a Star", Jiminy Cricket explains that he is going to tell a story of a wish coming true. His story begins in the Tuscany workshop of a woodworker named Geppetto. Jiminy watches as Geppetto finishes work on a wooden marionette whom he names Pinocchio (a name his cat Figaro and fish Cleo both dislike). Before falling asleep, Geppetto makes a wish on a star that Pinocchio would be a real boy. During the night, a Blue Fairy visits the workshop and brings Pinocchio to life, although he still remains a puppet. She informs him that if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish he will become a real boy and assigns Jiminy to be his conscience.
Part one
A beautiful young woman named Hermia (Olivia de Havilland) is in love with Lysander (Dick Powell) and wishes to marry him. Her father Egeus (Grant Mitchell), however, has instructed her to marry Demetrius (Ross Alexander), whom he has chosen for her. When Hermia refuses to obey, stating she is in love with Lysander, her father invokes before Duke Theseus of Athens (Ian Hunter) an ancient Athenian law that states a daughter must marry the suitor chosen by her father, or else face death. Theseus offers her another choice—to live a life of chastity as a nun and worship the goddess Diana.
In the story, Peter Pan, a magical boy who refuses to grow up, brings the Darling children (Wendy, John, and Michael) from London to Neverland, where they have adventures that include a confrontation with the pirate Captain Hook and his crew. Later, the children feel homesick and wish to go home. Wendy invites Peter and the Lost Boys to come with them so they can be adopted. The Lost Boys are eager to do so, but Peter refuses because he does not wish to grow up. Wendy and her brothers and the Lost Boys are captured by the pirates, but rescued by Peter, who forces Captain Hook to walk the plank and be eaten by the crocodile who once ate his hand. Wendy and the boys return to the Darling home, where Mrs. Darling meets Peter for the first time and offers to adopt him, but he refuses for the same reason that he refused to go back with Wendy and the boys - he has no intention of growing up. Peter asks Wendy to return to Neverland with him, and Mrs. Darling agrees to allow Wendy to go back once a year to help Peter with his spring cleaning.
Cendrillon, exploitée par ses deux demi-sœurs, ne peut se rendre au bal organisé en l’honneur du prince. Mais lorsque sa marraine la fée lui rend visite, cette dernière transforme ses loques en robe et lui fournit un carrosse. Elle a jusqu’à minuit pour profiter de la fête. Sur place, le prince s’éprend de la jeune fille, mais elle doit hélas vite s’enfuir, perdant sa chaussure durant le trajet. Le prince recherche dès lors partout sa propriétaire…
Un fumeur s'endort et pendant son sommeil deux fées malicieuses s'amusent avec sa pipe. S'apercevant de cela, il les capture et les emprisonne dans une boîte à cigares ...
The Duke of Athens decrees that Hermia (Rose Tapley) shall forsake Lysander (Maurice Costello) in favour of her father's choice, Demetrius (Walter Ackerman). The lovers elope into the woods, quickly followed by Demetrius and his love, Helena (Julia Swayne Gordon). The town tradesmen, meanwhile, rehearse a play in honour of the duke's betrothal to Hippolyta. Back in the forest, Titania, Queen of Fairies (Florence Turner), quarrels with Penelope, who avenges herself by sending Puck (Gladys Hulette) away with a magic herb, which, dabbed on the eyes of a sleeping person, shall make the "victim" fall in love with the first person to appear after awakening. Soon, Lysander and Demetrius are smitten with the wrong girls and Titania has fallen in love with Bottom, the egotistical leader of the tradesmen, whom Puck has turned into an ass. When Penelope discovers all this mischief, she lifts the spell and the wedding of the duke and Hippolyta can proceed.
Un jeune troubadour consulte la Fée Carabosse pour connaître son avenir. Celle-ci lui montre la vision d’une princesse prisonnière dans un château. Pour aller la délivrer, elle lui propose un talisman magique. Au moment de payer, le troubadour trompe la fée en lui donnant un sac rempli de sable. Elle jure de se venger [..]
La princesse Azurine est fiancée au prince Bel-Azor en présence des fées-marraines. Mais le Roi a oublié d'inviter la Sorcière qui, furieuse, se venge en faisant enlever la princesse pendant son sommeil. Bel-Azor se lance à sa recherche avec l'aide de la fée Aurora. Après bien des aventures et des épreuves, il la délivre et l'épouse au milieu des réjouissances de la Cour.
D'après le catalogue Pathé:
« C'est l'hiver, La neige tombe. L’aspect désolé de la campagne jette sur ce tableau sa note mélancolique. Une pauvre paysanne attend son mari, parti chercher du bois dans la forêt. Quand il arrive enfin, ils se lamentent sur leur triste sort. S’ils avaient seulement un enfant ! Ce vœu a été entendu par la fée Printemps qui leur apparaît. D’un coup de sa baguette magique, elle transforme le décor qui se change en un paysage riant et fleuri. Eux-mêmes sont recouverts de riches costumes. La fée appelle les fleurs qui viennent dans sa main former un magnifique bouquet aussitôt changé en un joli bébé rose qu’elle leur remet. Puis elle disparaît les laissant au comble de leur joie et de leurs désirs. »