Although little-known now, the film was an international success at the time. It is NOT a 'biographical' movie, and never claimed to be - in the introduction it describes itself as 'a fairytale about the storyteller'... a large part of the story is told through song and ballet.
Not the least because of the movie's international success, it is regrettable that it in no way can be called "biographical": the story was not at all faithful to the real Andersen's person and unusual career. Even many years later, many people who know Andersen's Tales, know nothing about the poet himself - apart from this purely fictional production.