King for a Day (1940 film)
King for a Day is a 1940 American animated short in the Gabby series from Fleischer Studios. It was directed by Dave Fleischer with animation by Willard Bowsky and produced by Max Fleischer. The cartoon stars Gabby, a tiny mailman from Lilliput, and is the first entry in the Gabby spin-off from Gulliver’s Travels. The seven-minute short is in Technicolor and was released by Paramount Pictures on October 18, 1940.
Plot
Gabby delivers a confidential letter to King Little of Lilliput. While the king is bathing, Gabby tries on the king’s crown and robes. King Little catches him, Gabby quickly returns the crown and robes, and hand over the letter. The letter contains a mock death threat, telling the king to stay at home because someone has orders to shoot him. Fearing for his life, the king offers Gabby a chance to be king for a day. Gabby, excited but scared, reads the letter and believes it is addressed to him, imagining danger and fighting invisible enemies. After a series of comic antics, the king congratulates Gabby and sends him on his way, just as a would‑be assassin arrives. The “shooter” turns out to be a photographer trying to take a portrait, resulting in a dramatic flash and an unflattering photo.
Voice cast
- Gabby voiced by Pinto Colvig
- King Little voiced by Jack Mercer
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:59 (CET).