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The World of Hans Christian Andersen (アンデルセン物語, Anderusen Monogatari; lit.'Andersen Stories'; also known as: アンデルセン物語 マッチ売りの少女 (Anderusen Monogatari: Matchi uri no shōjo; lit.'Andersen Stories: The Little Match Girl')) is a 1968 Japanese animatedfantasy film produced by Toei Animation, based on the works of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Theatrically released in Japan on March 19, 1968, the film was licensed in North America by United Artists in 1971.
A young Hans Christian Andersen, while seeking an opera ticket, suddenly discovers the inspirations and talents he will later have for his fairy tales.[1][2]
The World of Hans Christian Andersen was released by Toei Company on March 19, 1968, three years prior to Andersen Stories (Anderusen Monogatari, 1971), an eponymous and thematically similar series produced by Zuiyo Enterprise and Mushi Production.[1][3] The film and the series also have in common composer Seiichirō Uno, screenwriters Hisashi Inoue and Morihisa Yamamoto, and voice actress Eiko Masuyama. The film was dubbed for U.S. audiences by Hal Roach, who hired Chuck McCann and Al Kilgore to assist him;[3] this was one of his last efforts before his studio closed down.[4]
In 1971, United Artists partnered with Hal Roach Studios to distribute this edit,[5][6] which opened in theaters on March 1.[3] Toei later adapted Andersen's works in feature length films such as Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975), The Wild Swans (1977) and Thumbelina (1978), and in the TV series World Fairy Tale Series.
In his Family Guide to Movies on Video, Henry Herx wrote that "the animation is colorful and creative, though stylistically comparable to Saturday morning TV shows. It provides a wonderful world of fantasy to absorb the small fry at a matinee".[2] The writers of Jerry Beck's Animated Movie Guide gave it three stars out of four; as contributor Fred Patten commented, the film "is pleasant children's fare; a stereotypical and clichéd 'fun for the whole family' animated feature".[3]
The World of Hans Christian Andersen was first released to VHS by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video in the 1980s. In 2004, Digiview Productions released it on DVD.