The song first sung by tom and the toys (wordless, they just say dum de dum de dum) and also as the movie ends, is VERY familiar, but I can't place it. Unlike today's movies (or thanks to TCM) there was no credit at the end.
shareThe song was used by a kiddie show host, Johnny Jellybean,
as ( I think) his theme song in the late 50's, early 60's. Hope
you're not old enough to remember that, as I do!
WABC's Johnny Jellybean Show, a.k.a. Time For Fun, ran from 1953-1955. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828328/
The tom thumb (1958) soundtrack listing credits the music and lyrics of "tom thumb's Tune" to Peggy Lee. Could the song have appeared five years earlier as the theme song for a local kiddie show? (Seems doubtful.) Maybe you heard it on a later TV show or the M-G-M "tom thumb" soundtrack Lp?
BTW, according to imdb.com, Johnny Jellybean was played by Kevin Hefner, the younger brother of Hugh Hefner. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373639/
This is one SLOW discussion!
Wallerworld, this is a quote from the website TV Party:
"Mr. Hefner continued to entertain and inform his home viewers as Johnny Jellybean, until the series went off the air on Friday, June 24, 1960."
That's the show I remember (I was born in 55). My mistake was in stating that "tom thumb's Tune" was used as the show's theme. In the version I watched, it was actually a record that Hefner, as Johnny, was pushing on his show. I wanted that record so badly, but my mom wouldn't hear of it.