The Land Before Time (1988)

November 18, 1988

The Land Before Time is a 1988 animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall. The film stars the voices of Gabriel Damon, Candace Hutson, Judith Barsi (posthumously) and Will Ryan with narration provided by Pat Hingle. It is the inaugural film in The Land Before Time franchise.

Produced by the American companies Amblin Entertainment, and the American-Irish Sullivan Bluth Studios Ireland Ltd., it features dinosaurs living in the prehistoric times. The plot concerns a young "Longneck" (Apatosaurus) named Littlefoot, who is orphaned when his mother is killed by a vicious carnivore (Tyrannosaurus). Littlefoot flees famine and upheaval to search for the Great Valley, an area spared from devastation. On his journey, he meets four young companions: Cera the "Threehorn" (Triceratops), Ducky the "Bigmouth" (Saurolophus), Petrie the "Flyer" (Pteranodon), and Spike the "Spiketail" (Stegosaurus).

The film explores issues of prejudice between the different species and the hardships they endure in their journey as they are guided by the spirit of Littlefoot's mother and forced to deal with a "Sharptooth" (Tyrannosaurus). This is the only Don Bluth film of the 1980s in which Dom DeLuise did not participate (instead, he starred in Disney's Oliver & Company that same year), and the only film in The Land Before Time series that is not a musical, as well as the only one to be released theatrically worldwide. The film was released by Universal Pictures on November 18, 1988, to generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $84.4 million. Its success, along with An American Tail and the 1988 live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit led Spielberg to found his animation studio, Amblimation. The first film spawned a franchise with thirteen direct-to-video sequels, a television series, video games and merchandise, none of which had Bluth, Spielberg nor Lucas' involvement (though Amblin Entertainment was involved in the television series like it was for Fievel's American Tails).

Also See

• The Land Before Time (1988) (Trailers)
• The Land Before Time (1988) (TV Spots)
• The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure (1994)
• The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (1995)
• The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996)
• The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island (1997)
• The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock (1998)
• The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire (2000)
• The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze (2001)
• The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)
• The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration (2003)
• The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses (2005)
• The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers (2006)
• The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends (2007)
• The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave (2016)

Sound Effects Used

• Hollywoodedge, Bird Hawk Single Scre PE020801/Hollywoodedge, Hawk Screech Single AT082901
• Hollywoodedge, Leopard Snarl Fast CU AT012201 (Used twice for Sharptooth.)
• Hollywoodedge, Thunder Clap Head Sh PE1007203
• SKYWALKER, BIRD - PETRIE'S FLAPPING WINGS (debut)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 22
• SKYWALKER, HUMAN - YELL, SHORT, MALE 04 (debut)
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - ION CANNON GUN
• SKYWALKER, SIZZLE - QUICK SIZZLE
• SKYWALKER, STRETCH - MR. D.N.A. STRETCHING AND SNAP
• Space Lightning 01
• Space Lightning 02
• Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 02
• Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 04
• Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 05
• Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 09
• Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CREATURE - LARGE ANIMAL ROAR 12
• Sound Ideas, BIRD, HAWK - RED TAILED HAWK CALLING, ANIMAL
• Sound Ideas, THUNDER - BIG THUNDER CLAP AND RUMBLE, WEATHER 01
• Sound Ideas, WEATHER - THUNDER CRASH 04

Image Gallery

• The Land Before Time (1988)/Image Gallery