In 1970, MGM released an animated film version of The Phantom Tollbooth. It duplicates the spirit of the novel by using live action for the "real world" sections at beginning and end, and animation for the fantasy world that makes up the middle. The film includes half a dozen songs, most with little redeeming value, with titles like "Numbers Are the Only Things That Count" and "Noise, Noise, Beautiful Noise." Critical reception to the film was mixed; the entertainment paper Variety described the film as tedious and dull, although it praised the animation and found the basic story amusing. Other reviewers found it to be excellent entertainment for children as well as adults.