The story of Frog King and its themes have appeared in literature and other forms of art. This page provides a small discussion of some of the better known treatments by authors and other artists.
Adler, C. S. Willie, the Frog Prince. New York: Clarion, 1994.
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NOVEL: Children's book. "In helping his new friend and classmate Marla solve her problems with her unpleasant home life, eleven-year-old Willie finds a greater acceptance of and by his perfectionist father."
Baker, E. D. The Frog Princess. New York: Bloomsbury, 2002.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Princess Emeralda a.k.a. Emma isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh is more like a donkey's bray than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet and she does not like Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emma ever thought to escape her troubles, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! When convinced to kiss a frog so he might return to being a prince, somehow the spell is reversed and Emma turns into a frog herself! Thus begins their adventure--a quest to return to human form."
Charles, Veronika Martenova. It's Not about the Beanstalk!New York: Tundra Books, 2013.
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NOVEL: More first books for fledgling readers that offer the enjoyment of a good story with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations, each book helps youngsters achieve success as they have fun.
The series follows three friends who love to share stories. In each book, one is reminded of a well-known story. As one friend starts his story, the others are reminded of versions they know so each volume has three stories within one framework. The stories come from around the world, and Veronika Martenova Charles provides a note at the end of each book to describe the origins.
Conford, Ellen. The Frog Princess of Pelham. New York: Little Brown and Company, 1997.
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NOVEL: Children's book. Library of Congress description: "When a kiss from Danny turns Chandler, a wealthy but lonely orphan, into a frog, Danny's humorous attempts to change her back into a human land the pair on a television talk show."
Davies, Adam. The Frog King. New York: Riverhead Books, 2002.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Harry Driscoll is living in New York City (if you call trying to survive on an editorial assistant's salary "living"). His family is wealthy (but Harry Driscoll is not). His education is Ivy League (but what good is it doing him?). His publishing job is entry level (with no exit in sight). BUT... Harry Driscoll has a dream (if you call an unfinished manuscript hidden in the closet a "dream"). Harry Driscoll has a girl (although intercourse is out of the question). Harry Driscoll even has feelings. (He asked this girl, one day in the park, to be in his life forever-and meant it!) And the other girls? They're not the problem. (The problem is, Harry Driscoll cannot allow himself to say the word "love.")"
Easton, Patricia Harrison. Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog. New York: Clarion, 2003.
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Flinn, Alex. Enchanted. New York: HarperTeen, 2011.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all. It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission. There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades. Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked."
Gidwitz, Adam. In a Glass Grimmly. New York: Dutton Juvenile, 2012.
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NOVEL: More Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classic Take caution ahead-- Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound. Lest you enter with dread. Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true. Step lively, dear reader . . . Happily ever after isn't cutting it anymore. In this companion novel to Adam Gidwitz's widely acclaimed, award-winning debut, A Tale Dark & Grimm, Jack and Jill explore a new set of tales from the Brothers Grimm and others, including Jack and the Beanstalk, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Frog Prince.
Kontis, Alethea. Enchanted. New York: Harcourt Children's Books, 2012.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true. When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises. The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers?"
Levine, Gail Carson. For Biddle's Sake. New York: Harpercollins, 2002.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "There she was, chartreuse and warty and smiling at him. Such a nice smile. Something in his heart fluttered.
"The young maiden, Parsley, will eat nothing but parsley, which in Snettering-on-Snoakes grows only in the fairy Bombina's garden. All is well -- until Bombina is released from the fairy queen's dungeon. Her crime? Failing to get along with humans. And turning them into toads!
"Meanwhile, twin princes Randolph and Rudolph are causing trouble at Biddle Castle and pinning everything on their younger brother, Tansy. Prince Tansy cares about Biddle. Randolph and Rudolph don't. But one of the twins will be king, unless Prince Tansy accepts help from a green Biddlebum Toad!
"A delightful retelling of the little-known German fairy tale 'Puddocky.' this fifth Princess Tale from Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shows that nothing is quite as it seems and that anything is possible, with a dash of magic and a barrel of love."
Lickiss, Rebecca. Never After. New York: Ace, 2002.
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NOVEL: A novel featuring elements from many fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Frog Prince, and The Princess and the Pea. From publisher: "Take a princess, two bumbling wizards, an enchanted frog, a wicked stepmother, a handsome prince, and you have the most delightfully non-Grimm fairy tale of the year."
Mitchell, Stephen. The Frog Prince: A Parable of Love & Transformation. New York: International Thomson Publishing, 1999.
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NOVEL: From publisher: "'There are two kinds of women: those who marry princes and those who marry frogs. The frogs never become princes, but it is an acknowledged fact that a prince may very well, in the course of an ordinary marriage, gradually, at first almost imperceptibly, turn into a frog. . . . I want to tell you a different kind of love story, about a frog who became a prince.' So begins Stephen Mitchell's adult fairy tale. The Frog Prince tells the story of a meditative frog's love for a rebellious princess, how she came to love him in spite of herself, and how her refusal to compromise helped him become who he truly was. This is a magical tale that moves (amphibiously) from story to meditation and back, from the outrageous to the sublime."
Moore, John. The Unhandsome Prince. New York: Ace, 2005.
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NOVEL: From publisher: "Caroline kissed every frog in the swamp until she found the one that turned into a prince--only Prince Hal isn't the handsome specimen she expected to find. Unless she can learn to love the princely sum of his parts, it'll be unhappily ever after."
Morressy, John. A Voice for Princess. New York: Ace, 1986.
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Morressy, John. The Questing of Kedrigern. New York: Ace, 1987.
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NOVEL: Fantasy series. From publisher: "A wizard's life is not an easy life. One never knows who, or what, one's next client will be, or what kind of unpleasantness he, or she, or it, is bringing. And there's always the certainty of travel to far places over bad roads in nasty weather. It's no wonder wizards prefer to live solitary lives in isolated towers or ruins or caves. They're looking for some peace and quiet. But it makes for a lonely life. So when a young man of 160 or so—no age at all for a wizard—meets a beautiful enchanted princess and releases her from a cruel spell, it seems the perfect chance to settle down to a life of cozy domesticity. With a bit of magic here and there to take care of the housework and a loyal house-troll to do the heavy lifting, things ought to be idyllic. And they would be, if it weren't for the unreasonable clients, the barbarian swordsmen, the home furnishings with minds of their own, the otherworldly intruders, and the rest of those annoying day-to-day problems of the profession." Also, "Humorous adventures of the titular wizard mildly spoofing various fairy tale cliches and human foibles."
Napoli, Donna Jo. The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known As De Fawg Pin. New York: Dutton, 1992.
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NOVEL: Children's book. From Library of Congress: "Having been turned into a frog by a hag, a frog-prince makes the best of his new life as he mates, raises a family, and instills a new kind of thinking into his frog family."
Napoli, Donna Jo. Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace. New York: Puffin Books, 1995.
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NOVEL: Children's book. From publisher: "Jimmy, the froglet son of an enchanted frog-prince, tries to save his pond from the evil hag and in the process finds himself transformed into a human boy."
Napoli, Donna Jo. Gracie, the Pixie of the Puddle. New York: Dutton, 2004.
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NOVEL: Children's book. From publisher: "The acclaimed Donna Jo Napoli's beloved and hilarious series about Pin, the (frog) Prince of the Pond, continues with more funny language, wild adventure, and magic. As Gracie the frog picks up the story, she knows her friend Jimmy is special, but even she can't believe his wild stories about his human father and his own adventures as a boy in the palace. Still, she follows him when he leaves the pond. But can she overcome a wicked hag-turned-crocodile, a bratty princess, a menacing cook, and her own froggy instincts to rescue Jimmy and win his love?"
Palmer, Robin. Geek Charming. New York: Puffin, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new “it” bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: selfprofessed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly, Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be pretty cool. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life—and her social status— comes to a crashing halt. Can Dylan—with Josh’s help—pull the pieces together to create her own happily-ever-after?"
Porter, Jane. The Frog Prince. New York: Warner Books, 2005.
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NOVEL: "Holly Bishop is the proverbial, small-town good girl. She always follows the rules, thinks of others first, and she never, ever makes mistakes. Until she marries the man she thought was her Prince Charming, who confesses on their honeymoon that he’s not sexually attracted to her. Now, 14 months later, Holly’s marriage is in the toilet, along with her self-esteem. Determined to start over, she moves to San Francisco, where she must navigate the landmines of dating in the big city. In the shadow of the Golden Gate and amid a population of wacky Bay Area eccentrics, Holly will discover that nice girls don’t always finish last. In fact, they sometimes end up with everything they’d ever wanted."
Springer, Nancy. Fair Peril. New York: Avon, 1996.
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NOVEL: "Embittered by her divorce, fortyish storyteller Buffy Murphy brings home a talking frog and refuses his pleas for a kiss, but her teenage daughter ignores her mother's warnings and finds herself entranced by a blond amphibian. An entertaining light fantasy."
Velde, Vivian Vande. Frogged. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013.
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NOVEL: One should be able to say of a princess “She was as good as she was beautiful,” according to The Art of Being a Princess (third revised edition), which the almost-thirteen-year-old Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. Not feeling particularly good, or all that beautiful, she heads for a nearby pond, where, unfortunately, a talking frog tricks her into kissing him. No prince appears, as one might expect. Instead, the princess turns into a frog herself! Thus launches a funny, wonderfully spun fractured fairy tale in which Imogene wonders if she will be forever frogified.
Weyn, Suzanne. Water Song. New York: Simon Pulse, 2006.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Young, beautiful, and wealthy, Emma Pennington is accustomed to a very comfortable life. Although war rages abroad, she hardly feels its effect. She and her mother travel from their home in Britain to the family estate in Belgium, never imagining that the war could reach them there. But it does. Soon Emma finds herself stranded in a war-torn country, utterly alone. Enemy troops fight to take over her estate, leaving her with no way to reach her family, and no way out. With all of her attention focused on survival and escape, Emma hardly expects to find love. But the war will teach her that life is unpredictable, people aren't always what they seem, and magic is lurking everywhere. "
Beckett, M. E. "Near-Beauty."Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Brooke, William. "A Prince in the Throat." Untold Tales. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.
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SHORT STORY
Clark, Simon. "Now Fetch Me an Axe." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Frog Prince v. Wicked Witch." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Garner, James Finn. "The Frog Prince." Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life and Times. New York: Hungry Minds Inc, 1994.
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SHORT STORY
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. "Mallificent." Little Red Riding Hood in the Big Bad City. Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers, eds. New York: DAW, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. "Switched." Rotten Relations. Denise Little, editor. New York: DAW, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Jacobs, A. J. "The Frog Prince." Fractured Fairy Tales. New York: Bantam, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Kilworth, Garry. "The Frog Chauffeur." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "Kiss Kiss." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "The Princess and Her Future." Red as Blood: Or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer. New York: DAW Books, 1983.
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SHORT STORY
McKillip, Patricia A. "Toad." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
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McKillip, Patricia A. "Toad." Harrowing the Dragon. New York: Ace, 2005.
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SHORT STORY
McKinley, Robin. "The Princess and the Frog." The Door in the Hedge. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1981.
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SHORT STORY: This short story is charming and places some different twists on the classic tale. Once again, McKinley enhances the fantasy genre with her fairy tales variations.
Oertel, Liya Lev. "The Fairy Godfather."Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #2. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Quinn, Daniel. "The Frog King, or Iron Henry." Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Schlachter, Rita. "The Frog Princess." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #1. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Sherman, Josepha. "Feeding Frenzy or The Further Adventures of the Frog Prince." Twice Upon A Time. Denise Little, ed. New York: DAW Books, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Vande Velde, Vivian. "Frog." Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Walker, Barbara. "The Frog Princess." Feminist Fairy Tales. San Francisco: Harper, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Wilson, Gahan. "The Frog Prince." Snow White, Blood Red.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Bloch, Chana. "I and Thou." Cries of the Spirit. Marilyn Sewell, editor. Beacon Press, 1991. (Paperback: Houghton Mifflin, 2000).
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Brewster, Elizabeth. "The Princess Addresses The Frog Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Carlisle, Wendy Taylor. "Kissing the Frog." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 209.
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Carryl, Guy Wetmore. "How a Girl Was Too Reckless of Grammar By Far." Grimm Tales Made Gay. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902.
Read the poem on this site at How a Girl Was Too Reckless of Grammar By Far.
DeFoe, Mark. "Daughters with Toad." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 237.
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Denise, Anna. "How to Change a Frog Into a Prince." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 127.
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You can also read the poem online at the Poetry180 site at How to Change a Frog Into a Prince.
Graves, Robert Ranke. "The Frog And The Golden Ball." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Marriage." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
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Hill, Hyacinthe. "Rebels From Fairy Tales." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Jones, Paul R. "Becoming A Frog." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Kinnell, Galway. "Kissing The Toad." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Also available in:
Kinnell, Galway. "Kissing The Toad." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 93.
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Lochhead, Liz. "Beauty & The." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
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This poem originally appeared in:
Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.
Machan, Katharyn Howd. "Hazel Tells LaVerne." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 202.
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Miller, John R. "Prince Charming." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Mitchell, Stephen. "The Frog Prince." Parables and Portraits.New York: Harper Perennial, 1990.
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Mitchell, Susan. "From The Journals Of The Frog Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Also available in:
Mitchell, Susan. "From The Journals Of The Frog Prince."The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 219.
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Pack, Robert. "The Frog Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Pettingell, Phoebe. "Frog Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Sansom, Clive. "The Well at the World's End." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
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Sexton, Anne. "The Frog Prince."Transformations. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1979.
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This poem is available online through Plagiarist.com at The Frog Prince by Anne Sexton.
Smith, Florence Margaret. "The Frog Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Smith, Stevie. "The Frog Prince." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 93.
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Strauss, Gwen. "The Frog Princess." Trail of Stones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
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Thomas, Joyce. "The Frog Prince." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 44.
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Thompson, Phyllis Hoge. "A Fairy Tale." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Viorst, Judith. "...And the Princess Was Astonished to See the Ugly Frog Turn Into a Handsome Prince." If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries: Poems for Children and their Parents. New York: Atheneum, 1981.
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Yolen, Jane. "Frog Prince." The Storyteller. Cambridge: NESFA Press, 1992.
Also see Frog Prince on the Folklore and Fairy Tale Music page.
I have listed primarily classical compositions of music using the themes of this fairy tale in either ballet, opera or some other musical style. I have also provided links to popular recordings of the music when available at Amazon.com. The advantage to these links is that you can listen to samples of the music at no charge.
Title: The Frog Prince
Artists: Enya
Original Release Date: August 28, 1995
Label: Polygram International
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Title: The Frog Prince
Artists: Original Cast
Original Release Date: June 16, 1998
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
Song Title: Kiss That Frog
Artist: Peter Gabriel
Genre: Pop/Rock Music
Original Release Date: 1992 on Us
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Download the song.
The song also appears on Secret World Live (1994).
Song Title: Frog Prince
Artist: Those Who Dig
Genre: Pop/Rock Music
Label: Instant/Nail
Original Release Date: 1995 on Specimen
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Song Title: Frogs and Princes
Artist: Natasha Bedingfield
Genre: Pop/Rock Music
Label: BMG International
Original Release Date: 2004 on Unwritten
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The Frog and the Princess (1944). Eddie Donnelly, director.
ANIMATION SHORT
The Frog Prince (1954). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Reiniger produced another short of The Frog Prince in 1961. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
The Frog Prince (1961). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Not to be confused with Reiniger's earlier production of The Frog Prince in 1954. This production was an Interlude for Theatrical Performance. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince (1972). Jim Henson, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS.
The Frog Prince gets an early Muppet interpretation. "Enchanted by an evil witch, a beautiful princess is forced to speak only in nonsense phrases. One day, she finds a small frog who can understand what she says. The frog claims to really be a prince, also enchanted by an evil witch. Together they must try to break their spells." (IMDB.com)
The Frog King (1980). Tom Davenport, director.
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Davenport Films, an independent film company, has a wonderful short film based on The Frog King. This is the same film company that produced Willa: An American Snow White. Please follow these links or click on the photo still to visit their website and learn more about this film.
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Tale of the Frog Prince (1982) (TV). Eric Idle, director.
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.
Cast:
Rene Auberjonois ... King Ulrich
Robin Williams ... The Frog Prince
Teri Garr ... The Princess
Eric Idle ... Narrator
This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
"The Well of the World's End." Part of the Storybook International series. 1985.
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LIVE ACTION: Rosemary is sent by her wicked stepmother to fetch water from the well in a sieve. A toad helps her and in return demands to be fed and to sleep in their house. Based on the Scottish tale.
Froschkönig (1987). Walter Beck, director. East Germany. USA Title: The Frog King.
Cast:
Jana Mattukat .... Henriette
Jens-Uwe Bogadtke .... Froschkönig
Peter Sodann .... König/Vater
"Henriette is a princess; she is playing with her ball, but drops it into a well. A talking frog replaces it with a golden ball, on condition that he can eat and drink with her, and rest in her bed. She accepts, but then is repelled at the thought of the frog eating and drinking with her, etc, but her Father makes her do so. In her bedroom, the frog turns into a handsome prince, and she falls in love with him, but he leaves immediately becasue of her broken promises. She pines and eventually seeks him out, braving various tests of her truthfulness in the process." (IMDB.com)
Cannon Movie Tales: The Frog Prince (1988). Jackson Hunsicker, director.
Cast:
Aileen Quinn .... Princess Zora
Helen Hunt .... Princess Henrietta
John Paragon .... Ribbit/Prince Of Freedly
Clive Revill .... King William
To see a full list of Cannon Movie Tales, go to Cannon Movie Tales.
The Frog King (1994). David Kaplan, director.
Cast:
Eden Riegel .... Princess
John Seitz .... Father
Evelyn Solann .... Mother
SHORT: Kaplan has mades his rounds in the independent film festival circuit with his Little Red Riding Hood (1997). His Frog King, which was also well-received, preceded it. Not for kids!
Prince Charming (2001; US premiere 2003). Allan Arkush, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Martin Short .... Rodney
Christina Applegate .... Kate
Andrea Martin .... Serena
Billy Connolly .... Hamish
Bernadette Peters .... Margo
Sean Maguire .... Prince 'Charming' John
Made for TV movie. Originally aired on TNT in the USA. On the day of his marriage to Princess Gwendolyn, Prince John (Maguire) finds himself in a compromising situation with a damsel in distress. As punishment, he and his squire, Rodney (Short), are subjected to a "frogging," transforming them into frogs for all eternity, or until the prince can convince a maiden not only to kiss him but also marry him. After centuries on the pond, John and Rodney are accidentally transported to New York's Central Park and an amazing new world full of taxis, skyscrapers, graffiti and-of course-damsels. In no time at all, the prince gets his kiss and he and Rodney return to human form. But staying that way won't be easy. It's streetwise Kate (Applegate) who has captured John's heart, but, unfortunately, she's not the woman he kissed. In order to break the curse forever, he must convince Margo (Peters), a Broadway diva, to marry him. Connolly portrays Hamish, Margo's director/boyfriend. Martin portrays Margo's wardrobe mistress, Serena.
The Frog Princess (2009). Ron Clements and John Muster, directors. Walt Disney Productions.
Featuring Disney's first offering of a black princess in its line of many princess films, the film is also promoted as a return to hand drawn animation techniques and an American fairy tale set in Louisiana. Speculation over storyline and its relation to The Frog King and Frog Princess tales will continue until the film's release.
Ayckbourn, Alan. This Is Where We Came In. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Fred is waiting for the show to start. The Players arrive: Nell, Bethany, Talitha, Jenkin, Albert and a strange mechanized creature, Kevin on Keyboards. They tell Fred that they are slaves of the Storytellers who control their every move. Once they had a champion, Flavius, who nearly managed to wrest storytelling control back into their hands where it belongs. The Storytellers arrive: Great Aunt Repetitus, Uncle Erraticus and Uncle Oblivious. The Players react fearfully and the stories begin. First an inaccurate version of Hansel and Gretel is told by Erraticus. An equally eccentric rendering of The Frog Prince by Oblivious follows. During this, Fred is identified as the long lost Flavius. In the third tale, Repetitus tries to destroy Flavius and nearly succeeds, but Flavius vanquishes the Storytellers forever.
Haubold, Cleve. The Golden Grotto. Music by James Hitt. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: A classic legend is turned upside-down. Through the spell of a bumbling magician, a happy frog is transformed into a shy prince with a head-cold. Princess Blanda and her hand-maidens lose a golden ball in the grotto. This infuriates her father, King Ludwig, and involves everyone in a riotous series of misadventures as they attempt to retrieve the ball, calm the king and correct the wizard's increasingly confused conjuring. The witless wizard, a worried nurse-maid, a kindly-uncle sort of dragon and a Valkyrie join in the adventure, which ends with a surprising series of magical transformations and a joyous finale.
Hotchner, Kathy. The Tale of the Frog Prince. Lyrics by Bill Roser, Steve and Kathy Hotchner. Music by Bill Roser. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1979.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
SHORT PLAY: In the heart of a magical swamp lives a crusty prince-turned-frog who wants to become human again but, as he sings it, "No one wants to kiss a toad." Into this swamp comes a noisy, haughty royal family with young Rosalie, whose kiss turns the frog back into a (very surprised!) prince.
Mamet, David. The Frog Prince. New York: Samuel French, 1983.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: The classic tale of an arrogant prince serving time as an amphibian. The author turns his considerable talents to the age-old children's story of the prince who is turned into a frog and must find a pure and honest woman to kiss him of her own free will. The old tale is given a decidedly contemporary sensibility that appeals to adults as well as to children.
New York State Theatre Institute. Vasilisa, the Fair (The Frog Princess). New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Play with music. He shot an arrow in the air. It fell to earth he didn't care where. He didn't want to do it but his father made him. When the Tsar of all Russia tells you to shoot an arrow and marry the closest young thing to wherever it lands, you do it. Even if it lands in a swamp by a frog. So Prince Ivan agrees to marry his green quarry, and that's when the trouble starts. This frog is a princess and for hundreds of years she has been loved by the people of Russia. Wonderful Russian folk characters, including a fire-breathing bear, a wicked wizard and his sister, and the witch Baba Yaga enrich this wonderful tale for children of all ages. Originally produced by the New York State Theatre Institute.
Paterson, Stuart. Sleeping Beauty. London: Nick Hern.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.
PLAY: Pantomime. "Two tales for the price of one as the brilliant Christmas show specialist Stuart Paterson weaves the story of the princess and the frog into the dream-world of Sleeping Beauty." --Sunday Times
"This fantastically embroidered variation on the original is classic Stuart Paterson territory. Here is a deep understanding of the old stories, here is the battle between the queens of darkness and light, here is the robust and less than goody-goody heroine, here the wide-eyed, big-hearted boy, here the insight into the real world of children." --Scotsman
