The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)

Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and Jacob Grimm (Karl Boehm) are writing a historical manuscript for a local duke (Oscar Homolka), but the project is late because Wilhelm spends his time gathering fairy tales. When Wilhelm drops part of the manuscript in a creek, catches pneumonia while retrieving it. Near death, he dreams of various characters that want to be written -- and upon his recovery, a shaken Jacob agrees to work on a book of fairy tales with him, beginning the brothers' illustrious career.