The Valiant Tailor (1934)
“One small tailor. One enormous problem.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
A bespectacled little tailor mends the king's torn trousers while snacking from a honey pot, and the bees from his shop turn an ordinary day into a royal disaster. When a red-haired giant terrorizes the kingdom, the unlikely hero dumps his honey over the brute's head and lets his bees drive the monster off for good. Based on the Brothers Grimm's "The Brave Little Tailor," it's bright Cinecolor slapstick built around three strong comic characters.
Cast
About the Director
Ub Iwerks — Ub Iwerks co-created Mickey Mouse and was Disney's first star animator before leaving in 1930 to run his own studio, where he produced the ComiColor series. Grim Natwick and Berny Wolf animated; Shamus Culhane co-directed; Art Turkisher scored.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
Public domain in the United States: Celebrity Productions (Pat Powers) never renewed the copyright after the original term lapsed, and the studio dissolved in 1936.
Behind the Scenes
Released theatrically October 29, 1934 as the eighth ComiColor Cartoon, distributed by Pat Powers' Celebrity Productions. Castle Films later sold it for home use retitled "The King's Tailor," the name under which it still circulates.
Did You Know?
- Adapted from the Brothers Grimm tale "The Brave Little Tailor."
- Castle Films renamed it "The King's Tailor" for home-movie distribution.
- Shot in two-color Cinecolor, the cheaper process Iwerks used because Disney held exclusive rights to three-strip Technicolor.
- Animated by Grim Natwick, who had earlier created Betty Boop and would later help animate Disney's Snow White.
Reception & Legacy
Regarded as a solid mid-series entry, praised for vivid color and the expressive comic animation of its three leads even where critics find the story slight.
Superman: Volcano
Summertime
Play Safe
Humpty Dumpty