I saw this film first run at the tender age of 9 in the summer of 1963 at the Loew's State Theater, a downtown movie palace. I loved it so much that I sat through a dreary black and white co-feature just to watch it again. A few weeks later I saw it again when it played our second run neighborhood theater. I even bought a comic book adaptation of it which I own to this day. I just watch the DVD of it and I must say it is somewhat hokey and the special effects were a little cheesy even for its time. I am not some old fogey who degrades todays superior CG effects because I can still enjoy a fantasy film of this period without denegrating the present state of the art. This film has enough color, magic and music, along with luxurious sets, a good cast and solid direction from Byron Haskin (who helmed the original War of the Worlds) to make it a more than pleasurable viewing experience. The nine year old me would have given this 10 out of 10, but the 65 year old me can see how wonderfully cheesy some of it is. Even if some of the wonder I once experienced is gone, I still enjoy this movie a great deal.
