Lapitch the Little Shoemaker
Encyclopedia
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker is an animated film
for children that was originally released in Croatia
n theatres in 1997 by Croatia Film
. Produced on vintage cel
equipment during the early 1990s, this was the third feature from Croatia Film's animation unit and director Milan Blažeković
, after The Elm-Chanted Forest
(1986) and The Magician's Hat
(1990).
It is based on The Brave Adventures of Lapitch
, a 1913 novel by Croatian author Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
. In this adaptation, all of the characters are animals, and the title character is a mouse, rather than the human character of the original work. As with the book, the film is about a shoemaker's apprentice who leaves the confines of his ill-tempered master, and sets off on an adventure. During his journey, he befriends a circus performer named Lisa, and fights against the evil Dirty Rat.
Lapitch remains Croatia's most successful production in terms of viewership, and became that country's official selection for the 1997 Academy Awards
(in the Best Foreign Language Film category). Its popularity led to the production of a 26-episode television series, also called Lapitch the Little Shoemaker
, at the end of the 1990s.
In February 2000, it first appeared in North America as the initial entry in Sony Wonder
's short-lived "Movie Matinee" video series. The Disney Channel
also premiered it on U.S. cable television later that same month.
Lapitch (Šegrt Hlapić), a small orphan
mouse
, works in a small town as the apprentice of the Scowlers—a mean-mannered shoemaker (Majstor Mrkonja), and his kind-hearted wife (Majstorica). His dog, Brewster (Bundaš), keeps him company when he is alone.
One day, Master Scowler awaits a visit from the Mayor (Gradonačelnik) and his son (both pig
s); Lapitch has to make sure the pigs' boot
s are the right size. When the piglet tries to put them on, things do not go well, and the two patrons leave for good. Lapitch tries to tell the Master it was not his fault, yet he still blames his young apprentice for the mistake.
After Lapitch gets scolded, Mistress Scowler apologises for her husband's bad behaviour. While he tidies up, she tells the young mouse that she and her husband used to be happier ages ago. Lapitch wants to know why, but the Mistress vows only to tell him when he is older.
That night, Lapitch writes a letter to the Scowlers, and goes off into the village streets, wearing the piglet's boots. Although Lapitch has said good-bye to Brewster, the dog joins him the following morning. Eventually, the two of them visit a young squirrel
named Marco (Marko), who lives in a house with a blue star on its walls, and help him round up some geese that went astray while he was tending to the flock.
At evening, Marco's mother thanks them by serving a luscious supper. An awkward raccoon, Melvin (Grga), eavesdrops on the group's conversation. Hearing of a valuable treasure stored inside their house, he runs off to tell his boss, the evil Dirty Rat (Crni Štakor), about the goods.
When morning comes, Lapitch and Brewster say farewell to the squirrels. The road ahead, however, does not go smoothly: an afternoon of unusual weather culminates in an evening storm, and they must find shelter. When they do, under an old bridge they meet Dirty Rat himself, and sleep next to him. Because of Dirty Rat—"king of the Underworld
" as he is known—Lapitch wakes up shocked to see his boots gone.
As he looks for the shiny pair, he meets Lisa (Gita)—another orphan mouse—and her parrot
Pico (Amadeus); both came from a circus
whose ringmaster
treated them badly and left them behind. During their journey, the two mice and their pets meet Melvin's hardworking mother and help her chop wood. Worried about her son's bad deeds, Melvin's mother gives Lapitch a silver coin
for luck before they go off. The mouse later gives it to the raccoon, after he falls off Dirty Rat's wagon.
Soon, the group team up with some villagers to extinguish a fire, but the villagers make Melvin a suspect in the area's recent robbery sting. In addition, the group encounters a poor woman named Yana (Jana), whose magic powers give Lapitch the courage to face the evil Dirty Rat.
After the gang comes to a circus, Lisa entertains the patrons of an under-used merry-go-round. As night falls, she reunites with her horse, Blanka (Zorka), after hearing its neigh. But a nasty surprise awaits everyone: Dirty Rat makes a deal with Lisa's ringmaster in which he vows to reach Marco's house with a fast horse, and steal the family chest. Lapitch and friends plan to stop him for good when they hear this.
Later on, they meet Master Scowler, whom Melvin has just rescued. Scowler tells them he was robbed and tied up in a tree for two days. They all set forth to put an end to Dirty Rat; Melvin gives them a hand, but his boss ties him and swings him out of the way.
A determined Lapitch, guided by Yana and her wise advice, comes to terms with the villain's schemes. Dirty Rat is so enraged that his horse charges straight at the little mouse, about to trample him. At the last moment, a bolt of lightning
splits the harness; the Rat and his cart fall down a cliff, encased in huge boulders.
The clouds clear as soon as everyone celebrates. Then, Lisa tames Dirty Rat's black horse, and gives it to Melvin, who promises to live a good life after what he has gone through.
The next day, Lapitch, Lisa and the rest arrive at Marco's house, where his mother shows them the family's valuable treasure; she also receives Melvin's coin. When they leave, they meet Marco's father, gone for a long time after working in a faraway land.
Back home, a worried Mistress Scowler is delighted to see everyone back again—Brewster, Master Scowler, Lapitch and Lisa. By then, she and her husband finally recognise Lisa, the orphan circus star, as their lone child Susanna. The Scowlers have their happiest moment ever due to this; afterwards, Master plays a pleasant tune on his violin
, and everybody dances to it. Eventually, the Scowlers rekindle their relationship, and the town dwellers celebrate along with them. In time, Lapitch becomes the most respected shoemaker they have ever known.
. During production, the crew used cel cameras dating as far back as 1938. They also made Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić's title character a mouse, amid a roster of anthropomorphic animals.
Director Milan Blažeković had previously worked on several animated shorts and Professor Balthazar
episodes for Zagreb Film, before heading on to direct 1986's The Elm-Chanted Forest and its 1990 sequel The Magician's Hat for the Croatia Film studio. For Lapitch, he also served as a screenplay writer and layout artist. The film featured a roster of well-known Croatian actors, among them Relja Bašić, Emil Glad, Tarik Filipović and Ivana Bakarić. Child actors Ivan Gudeljević and Maja Rožman played the title character and his girlfriend respectively.
Early in 1997, Croatia Film teamed up with two German entities—HaffaDiebold, a subsidiary of EM.TV & Merchandising AG, and the television station ProSieben—to create a new version of the film for the international market. With several altered scenes, and a reworked ending, this version was first dubbed for the German-speaking market, before being sold to over 70 territories worldwide. Sweden's TV1000
was among the first stations to air the HaffaDiebold edit on television, under the title Lapitch den lilla skomakaren.
The film's English-language dub was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Koko Productions and Airwaves Sound Design; Rainmaker Digital Pictures handled post-production. In this version, Canadian voice actress Cathy Weseluck provided the voice of Lapitch.
For the international version, Germany's Hermann Weindorf worked on a new set of songs and music, replacing Mandić's contributions. "Take My Hand", performed by Jane Bogart, took the place of "Ljubav sve pozlati". A German soundtrack of this version was released on CD and cassette by the Ariola label
on 6 October 1997.
's Princess Mononoke
from Japan. Neither film, however, made it to the final list of nominations.
Lapitch went on to become the most successful theatrical release of Croatia's film industry (with over 355,000 viewers). In France, it has sold over 300,000 copies since TF1
Video released it in 1999. The German dub, from ProSieben Home Entertainment, sold up to 50,000 tapes by the end of 1999.
In North America, it was the first film to be released in Sony Wonder's "Movie Matinee" series. Originally planned for 12 October 1999, it was not available until 8 February 2000. This version runs 75 minutes, edited down from the original 83-minute European cut. Coupons for the Commodore Cruise Line
were included with all copies of the tape. Arthur Taussig wrote of Lapitch in 2002: "The rather conservative animation in this Croatian production is spiked with interludes of brilliance, beauty, and outstanding imagination. It isn't Disney, but it is charming, entertaining, and full of good ideas for young kids." The movie received a seal of approval from the Dove Foundation
, which gave it three stars out of five.
The German television channel ProSieben first aired Lapitch on 6 June 1998. On 27 February 2000, it received its U.S. television premiere on the Disney Channel
.
The Croatian subsidiary of Egmont Publishing
released a book adaptation of the film in 2001. Three years later, it saw its premiere on DVD, both in Croatia and the United States.
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker was followed by a spin-off television series
of 26 episodes, entitled Hlapićeve nove zgode in its native Croatia. The 26-episode series was a co-production of Croatia Film and EM.TV/HaffaDiebold, with animation by Barcelona's Neptuno Films.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
for children that was originally released in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n theatres in 1997 by Croatia Film
Croatia Film
Croatia Film d.o.o. is a film production and distribution company based in Zagreb, Croatia. It began operations in 1946, when Croatia was part of the former nation of Yugoslavia....
. Produced on vintage cel
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
equipment during the early 1990s, this was the third feature from Croatia Film's animation unit and director Milan Blažeković
Milan Blažekovic
Milan Blažeković is a Croatian animator.Blažeković began his career at the Zagreb Film studio with short films such as Gorilla Dance , The Man Who Had to Sing and Man: The Polluter...
, after The Elm-Chanted Forest
The Elm-Chanted Forest
The Elm-Chanted Forest is a 1986 U.S./Yugoslavian animated musical movie; in the U.S., it is also known as Fantasy Forest. It was the first full-length film directed by Milan Blažeković, and also the first animated feature produced in what is now Croatia...
(1986) and The Magician's Hat
The Magician's Hat (film)
The Magician's Hat is a 1989 animated film produced by the Croatia Film company and directed by Milan Blažeković. It is the sequel to 1986's The Elm-Chanted Forest.-Story:...
(1990).
It is based on The Brave Adventures of Lapitch
The Brave Adventures of Lapitch
The Brave Adventures of Lapitch , also known as The Marvellous Adventures of Hlapić the Apprentice, is a 1913 novel by Croatia children's author Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić....
, a 1913 novel by Croatian author Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
Ivana Brlic-Mažuranic
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was a Croatian writer. Within her native land, as well as internationally, she has been praised as the best Croatian writer for children.-Life:She was born on April 18, 1874 in Ogulin into a well-known Croatian family of Mažuranić...
. In this adaptation, all of the characters are animals, and the title character is a mouse, rather than the human character of the original work. As with the book, the film is about a shoemaker's apprentice who leaves the confines of his ill-tempered master, and sets off on an adventure. During his journey, he befriends a circus performer named Lisa, and fights against the evil Dirty Rat.
Lapitch remains Croatia's most successful production in terms of viewership, and became that country's official selection for the 1997 Academy Awards
70th Academy Awards
The 70th Academy Awards were noted for their high ratings and the 11 wins obtained by the Best Picture Titanic. Billy Crystal hosted the ceremony for the sixth time, and received an Emmy award for his performance....
(in the Best Foreign Language Film category). Its popularity led to the production of a 26-episode television series, also called Lapitch the Little Shoemaker
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker (TV series)
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker is an animated television series from Croatia Film and EM.TV/HaffaDiebold, with animation by Neptuno Films of Barcelona, Spain. It is a spin-off from the 1997 film of the same name....
, at the end of the 1990s.
In February 2000, it first appeared in North America as the initial entry in Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder is a children and family's music and home video arm of Sony Music Entertainment, founded in 1991. The division once distributed material from Sesame Workshop and Classic Media...
's short-lived "Movie Matinee" video series. The Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
also premiered it on U.S. cable television later that same month.
Plot
- Original Croatian character names are in parentheses.
Lapitch (Šegrt Hlapić), a small orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, works in a small town as the apprentice of the Scowlers—a mean-mannered shoemaker (Majstor Mrkonja), and his kind-hearted wife (Majstorica). His dog, Brewster (Bundaš), keeps him company when he is alone.
One day, Master Scowler awaits a visit from the Mayor (Gradonačelnik) and his son (both pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s); Lapitch has to make sure the pigs' boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s are the right size. When the piglet tries to put them on, things do not go well, and the two patrons leave for good. Lapitch tries to tell the Master it was not his fault, yet he still blames his young apprentice for the mistake.
After Lapitch gets scolded, Mistress Scowler apologises for her husband's bad behaviour. While he tidies up, she tells the young mouse that she and her husband used to be happier ages ago. Lapitch wants to know why, but the Mistress vows only to tell him when he is older.
That night, Lapitch writes a letter to the Scowlers, and goes off into the village streets, wearing the piglet's boots. Although Lapitch has said good-bye to Brewster, the dog joins him the following morning. Eventually, the two of them visit a young squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
named Marco (Marko), who lives in a house with a blue star on its walls, and help him round up some geese that went astray while he was tending to the flock.
At evening, Marco's mother thanks them by serving a luscious supper. An awkward raccoon, Melvin (Grga), eavesdrops on the group's conversation. Hearing of a valuable treasure stored inside their house, he runs off to tell his boss, the evil Dirty Rat (Crni Štakor), about the goods.
When morning comes, Lapitch and Brewster say farewell to the squirrels. The road ahead, however, does not go smoothly: an afternoon of unusual weather culminates in an evening storm, and they must find shelter. When they do, under an old bridge they meet Dirty Rat himself, and sleep next to him. Because of Dirty Rat—"king of the Underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
" as he is known—Lapitch wakes up shocked to see his boots gone.
As he looks for the shiny pair, he meets Lisa (Gita)—another orphan mouse—and her parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
Pico (Amadeus); both came from a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
whose ringmaster
Ringmaster (circus)
The ringmaster is the most visible performer in the modern circus, and among the most important, since he stage-manages the performance, introduces the various acts, and guides the audience through the entertainment experience. In smaller circuses, the ringmaster is often the owner and artistic...
treated them badly and left them behind. During their journey, the two mice and their pets meet Melvin's hardworking mother and help her chop wood. Worried about her son's bad deeds, Melvin's mother gives Lapitch a silver coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
for luck before they go off. The mouse later gives it to the raccoon, after he falls off Dirty Rat's wagon.
Soon, the group team up with some villagers to extinguish a fire, but the villagers make Melvin a suspect in the area's recent robbery sting. In addition, the group encounters a poor woman named Yana (Jana), whose magic powers give Lapitch the courage to face the evil Dirty Rat.
After the gang comes to a circus, Lisa entertains the patrons of an under-used merry-go-round. As night falls, she reunites with her horse, Blanka (Zorka), after hearing its neigh. But a nasty surprise awaits everyone: Dirty Rat makes a deal with Lisa's ringmaster in which he vows to reach Marco's house with a fast horse, and steal the family chest. Lapitch and friends plan to stop him for good when they hear this.
Later on, they meet Master Scowler, whom Melvin has just rescued. Scowler tells them he was robbed and tied up in a tree for two days. They all set forth to put an end to Dirty Rat; Melvin gives them a hand, but his boss ties him and swings him out of the way.
A determined Lapitch, guided by Yana and her wise advice, comes to terms with the villain's schemes. Dirty Rat is so enraged that his horse charges straight at the little mouse, about to trample him. At the last moment, a bolt of lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
splits the harness; the Rat and his cart fall down a cliff, encased in huge boulders.
The clouds clear as soon as everyone celebrates. Then, Lisa tames Dirty Rat's black horse, and gives it to Melvin, who promises to live a good life after what he has gone through.
The next day, Lapitch, Lisa and the rest arrive at Marco's house, where his mother shows them the family's valuable treasure; she also receives Melvin's coin. When they leave, they meet Marco's father, gone for a long time after working in a faraway land.
Back home, a worried Mistress Scowler is delighted to see everyone back again—Brewster, Master Scowler, Lapitch and Lisa. By then, she and her husband finally recognise Lisa, the orphan circus star, as their lone child Susanna. The Scowlers have their happiest moment ever due to this; afterwards, Master plays a pleasant tune on his violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and everybody dances to it. Eventually, the Scowlers rekindle their relationship, and the town dwellers celebrate along with them. In time, Lapitch becomes the most respected shoemaker they have ever known.
Cast
| Croatian version | ||
|---|---|---|
| Actor | Role | |
| Croatian name | English name | |
| Ivan Gudeljević | Šegrt Hlapić | Lapitch |
| Maja Rožman | Gita | Lisa |
| Tarik Filipović Tarik Filipovic Tarik Filipović is a Bosnian actor who lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.Tarik Filipović has appeared in over 800 theatre plays with his debut being in 1985.... |
Amadeus | Pico |
| Vlasnik vrtuljka | Merry-go-round owner | |
| Pero Juričić | Bundaš | Brewster |
| Vlasnik cirkusa | Circus owner | |
| Relja Bašić Relja Bašic Relja Bašić is a Croatian actor.A native of Zagreb , Bašić is one of the most prolific and versatile Croatian actors with a career which lasts for more than half a century. He first appeared on screen in 1954 classic film Koncert... |
Crni Štakor | Dirty Rat |
| Vlado Kovačević | Majstor Mrkonja | Master Scowler |
| Marina Nemet Brankov | Majstorica | Mistress Scowler |
| Hrvoje Zalar | Grga | Melvin |
| Ljiljana Gener | Jana | Yana |
| Zorko Sirotić | Marko | Marco |
| Ivana Bakarić | Markova majka | Marco's Mother |
| Božidarka Frajt | Grgina majka | Melvin's Mother |
| Emil Glad | Medo | Bear |
| Ivica Vidović Ivica Vidovic Ivica Vidović was a Croatian and Yugoslav actor who appeared in many classic films in the cinematic output of the former Yugoslavia.... |
Markov otac | Marco's Father |
| Mate Ergović | Gostioničar | Innkeeper |
| Mladen Crnobrnja | Ptica Štef | Bird |
| Slavko Brankov Slavko Brankov Slavko Brankov was a Croatian theatre, television and film actor.He graduated at the Drama and Art Academy of Zagreb in 1976. In 1971, he started his acting career in one of Zagreb's most popular theaters, "Gavella". As result of his good acting career, in 1992 he was awarded the Vladimir Nazor... |
Jazavac | Badger |
| Sven Šestak | Lisac | Fox |
| Marinko Prga | Zec | Rabbit |
| Ivo Rogulja | Gradonačelnik | The Mayor |
| Barbara Rocco | Praščić | The Mayor's Son |
| Zlatko Crnković | Pripovjedač | Narrator |
| English version | |
|---|---|
| Actor | Role |
| Cathy Weseluck Cathy Weseluck Cathy Weseluck is a Canadian voice actress who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known with providing the voice for characters in various anime series such as Mirai Yashima , Dorothy Catalonia and Catherine Bloom , Near , Shampoo , Kagome's mother , Misa... |
Lapitch |
| Janyse Jaud Janyse Jaud Janyse Aldis Jaud is a Canadian actress, dancer and singer/songwriter. She is of Icelandic-French descent.... |
Yana, Marco and Marco's mother |
| Jay Brazeau | Additional Voices |
| Ian James Corlett Ian James Corlett Ian James Corlett is a Canadian animation voice artist, writer, and musician. He is the creator of Studio B Productions' animated series Being Ian and Yvon of the Yukon.... |
Additional Voices |
| Michael Dobson | Additional Voices |
| Terry Klassen Terry Klassen Terry Klassen is a Canadian voice actor and voice director in Vancouver, British Columbia. He co-created Yvon of the Yukon. He is the voice director for shows including Martha Speaks, "Johnny Test", "George of the Jungle", "Ed, Edd n Eddy", several "Barbie" movies, "Transformers", "CardCaptors",... |
Additional Voices |
| Andrea Libman Andrea Libman Andrea Eva Libman is a Canadian actress, television writer, and singer, whose most popular on-screen appearances are on the Little Women movie, Andre and a guest-role on The X-Files... |
Additional Voices |
| Maxine Miller Maxine Miller Maxine Miller is a Canadian actress who first appeared in the first three seasons of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In the 1980s, she voiced True Heart Bear in The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation and appeared on the animated series My Pet Monster.More recently, she guest starred in Showtime's... |
Additional Voices |
| Gerard Plunkett | Additional Voices |
| Robert O. Smith Robert O. Smith Robert O. Smith was a voice actor whose roles include Kaijinbo in InuYasha and Genma Saotome in Ranma ½.-Roles:* Hulk - soldiers and guards* InuYasha - Kaijinbo... |
Additional Voices |
| German version | |
|---|---|
| Actor | Role |
| Manuel Straube | Lapitch |
| Julia Kaufmann Julia Kaufmann Julia Kaufmann is a German voice actress. She has dubbed over a number of actresses, including Scarlett Johansson, Mischa Barton, and Elisha Cuthbert.-Television animation:... |
Lisa |
| Michael Walke | Melvin |
Production
The Croatia Film company worked on Lapitch the Little Shoemaker from 1991 until 1997, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. The film was produced at a time when Croatia faced a slump in its animation industry, and had just begun to undergo its War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. During production, the crew used cel cameras dating as far back as 1938. They also made Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić's title character a mouse, amid a roster of anthropomorphic animals.
Director Milan Blažeković had previously worked on several animated shorts and Professor Balthazar
Professor Balthazar
-History:It was created for television by the Croatian animator Zlatko Grgić at the Zagreb Film studio, Croatia. 59 episodes of the cartoon were made between 1967 and 1974....
episodes for Zagreb Film, before heading on to direct 1986's The Elm-Chanted Forest and its 1990 sequel The Magician's Hat for the Croatia Film studio. For Lapitch, he also served as a screenplay writer and layout artist. The film featured a roster of well-known Croatian actors, among them Relja Bašić, Emil Glad, Tarik Filipović and Ivana Bakarić. Child actors Ivan Gudeljević and Maja Rožman played the title character and his girlfriend respectively.
Early in 1997, Croatia Film teamed up with two German entities—HaffaDiebold, a subsidiary of EM.TV & Merchandising AG, and the television station ProSieben—to create a new version of the film for the international market. With several altered scenes, and a reworked ending, this version was first dubbed for the German-speaking market, before being sold to over 70 territories worldwide. Sweden's TV1000
TV1000
TV1000 is a group of cable and satellite movie channels broadcasting to the Nordic countries and owned by Modern Times Group . It is also the name of the flagship channel.-History:...
was among the first stations to air the HaffaDiebold edit on television, under the title Lapitch den lilla skomakaren.
The film's English-language dub was recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Koko Productions and Airwaves Sound Design; Rainmaker Digital Pictures handled post-production. In this version, Canadian voice actress Cathy Weseluck provided the voice of Lapitch.
Music
The music for the original version was composed by Duško Mandić, with songs written by crew member Pajo Kanižaj. Croatian musician Petar Grašo contributed to the production with the uncredited "Ljubav sve pozlati", part of which was heard in the end credits. Željko Zima, the film's producer, directed its music video. The song also appeared as the last track of Grašo's 1997 debut album, Mjesec iznad oblaka, published by Orfej and Tonika.For the international version, Germany's Hermann Weindorf worked on a new set of songs and music, replacing Mandić's contributions. "Take My Hand", performed by Jane Bogart, took the place of "Ljubav sve pozlati". A German soundtrack of this version was released on CD and cassette by the Ariola label
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
on 6 October 1997.
| English song | Performed by | Original Croatian track |
|---|---|---|
| "Shoe Song" | Munich All-Stars Choir | "Pjesma cipelica" |
| "Dirty Rat" | Eric Brodka | "Pjesma Crnog Štakora" |
| "Farmers and Friends Forever" | Munich All-Stars Choir | "Pjesma žetelaca" |
| "Take My Hand (Pop Version)"Not featured in the 2000 U.S. version. | Manuel Straube | "Pjesma prognanika" |
| "Take My Hand" | Jane Bogart | "Ljubav sve pozlati" |
Release and reception
In its revised form, Lapitch the Little Shoemaker was Croatia's sole competing entry in the 1997 edition of Portugal's Cinanima, a film festival focusing on animation. It was also Croatia's contender to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1997, and was one of two animated submissions in that category, along with Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
's Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke
is a 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy feature film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. is not a name, but a general term in the Japanese language for a spirit or monster...
from Japan. Neither film, however, made it to the final list of nominations.
Lapitch went on to become the most successful theatrical release of Croatia's film industry (with over 355,000 viewers). In France, it has sold over 300,000 copies since TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
Video released it in 1999. The German dub, from ProSieben Home Entertainment, sold up to 50,000 tapes by the end of 1999.
In North America, it was the first film to be released in Sony Wonder's "Movie Matinee" series. Originally planned for 12 October 1999, it was not available until 8 February 2000. This version runs 75 minutes, edited down from the original 83-minute European cut. Coupons for the Commodore Cruise Line
Commodore Cruise Line
Commodore Cruise Line was a United States -based cruise line that was in operation from 1968 until 2001. It was founded in 1966 by Sanford Chobol and Edwin Stephan. Following multiple changes in ownership, the company declared bankruptcy in 2001 due to raising fuel costs and increased competition...
were included with all copies of the tape. Arthur Taussig wrote of Lapitch in 2002: "The rather conservative animation in this Croatian production is spiked with interludes of brilliance, beauty, and outstanding imagination. It isn't Disney, but it is charming, entertaining, and full of good ideas for young kids." The movie received a seal of approval from the Dove Foundation
Dove Foundation
rightThe Dove Foundation is a registered United States tax deductible non-profit organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan known among other programs for its activities of rating, reviewing and endorsing films and for campaigning against the portrayal of sexual activity and violence in Hollywood...
, which gave it three stars out of five.
The German television channel ProSieben first aired Lapitch on 6 June 1998. On 27 February 2000, it received its U.S. television premiere on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
.
The Croatian subsidiary of Egmont Publishing
Egmont Publishing
The Egmont Group is a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally....
released a book adaptation of the film in 2001. Three years later, it saw its premiere on DVD, both in Croatia and the United States.
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker was followed by a spin-off television series
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker (TV series)
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker is an animated television series from Croatia Film and EM.TV/HaffaDiebold, with animation by Neptuno Films of Barcelona, Spain. It is a spin-off from the 1997 film of the same name....
of 26 episodes, entitled Hlapićeve nove zgode in its native Croatia. The 26-episode series was a co-production of Croatia Film and EM.TV/HaffaDiebold, with animation by Barcelona's Neptuno Films.
See also
- List of animated feature-length films
- Cinema of CroatiaCinema of CroatiaThe cinema of Croatia has a somewhat shorter tradition than what is common for other Central European countries: the serious beginning of Croatian cinema starts with the rise of the Yugoslavian film industry in the 1940s...
- List of Croatian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film