Pete's Dragon
Encyclopedia
Pete's Dragon is a 1977 live-action/animated
musical film
from Walt Disney Productions and the first Disney film to be recorded in the Dolby Stereo
sound system. It is a live-action film but its title character, a dragon
named Elliott, is animated.
The story is about a young orphan named Pete who enters the fictional town of Passamaquoddy
a small fishing community in Northeastern Maine
in the early 20th century. His only friend is a dragon named Elliott, who also acts as his protector. Elliott can make himself invisible and is generally visible only to Pete, which occasionally lands Pete in trouble with the locals. Also featured in the film are Helen Reddy
, Mickey Rooney
, Jim Dale
, Red Buttons, Jeff Conaway
, and Shelley Winters
. The film was directed by Don Chaffey
, and the songs are by Al Kasha
and Joel Hirschhorn
.
The song "Candle on the Water
" received an Academy Award
nomination, but lost to "You Light Up My Life
" from the film of the same title. Reddy's recording (with a different arrangement than the one her character sings in the film) was released as a single by Capitol Records
, reaching #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The movie also received a nomination for Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score, losing to A Little Night Music.
named Pete is fleeing his abusive adoptive hillbilly
family, the Gogans. As Lena Gogan and company pursue him ("The Happiest Home in These Hills"), an unseen force, which Pete calls Elliott, knocks the Gogans into a mud pit. Lena, her husband Merle, and their sons Grover and Willie are determined to find Pete because, in Lena's own words, "We paid $50 for that kid
, and we ain't got fifty more." The lazy, inept and constantly-bickering Grover and Willie are told by their equally-lazy parents that if they don't get Pete back, the boys will have to work the farm.
The next morning, Pete and Elliott, revealed to be a green and purple animated
dragon
who also has the power of invisibility, share breakfast ("Boo Bop Bop Bop Bop (I Love You, Too)") and decide to visit Passamaquoddy
, a nearby village where the unseen Elliott, performing clumsy antics, causes Pete to be labeled a source of ill luck and must flee.
Lampie, the drunken old lighthouse keeper, stumbles out of a tavern and encounters Pete. A mischievous Elliott makes himself visible to him and a terrified Lampie runs into the bar to warn the townsfolk ("I Saw a Dragon"). His capable daughter, Nora takes him back to their home, the local lighthouse, settles him down, and puts him to bed. Meanwhile, in a seaside cave, Pete scolds Elliott for causing trouble. Just as the two make up, Nora appears, having spotted Pete earlier. She offers Pete shelter and they talk ("It's Not Easy"). Pete is inquisitive and soon learns the story of Nora's fiancé, Paul, whose ship was reported lost at sea the previous year. Pete promises to ask Elliott about Paul and Nora accepts, believing Elliott to be an imaginary friend
.
The next morning, Doc Terminus, a medicine show
man, and his shill
, Hoagie, haphazardly arrive and manage to win over the gullible townspeople, who are initially angered by their return ("Passamaquoddy"). That evening Pete visits Elliot and Nora thanks her father for pretending that the dragon exists. Lampie insists he actually saw a dragon and Nora tells him to be realistic, to which her father retorts that her hoping for Paul’s return is just as ridiculous. Lampie apologizes for his outburst and excuses himself, giving Nora time to think ("Candle on the Water"). At the tavern, Lampie tells Terminus and Hoagie about the dragon. Terminus dismisses the tale, but Hoagie agrees to go to the cave. After an encounter with Elliott (in which all three, including Elliott, become frightened) Hoagie offers the dragon some liquor as a gesture of peace, which triggers a fiery belch that chases the pair away.
The local fishermen complain about the recent scarcity of fish and believe Pete is the cause. Nora reminds them the fishing grounds shift, and that ("There's Room for Everyone") in town. Nora takes Pete to school, where Pete is punished unfairly by the strict teacher as a result of Elliott's antics. An enraged Elliott smashes into the building. Terminus, now convinced of Elliot's existence and having learned that dragon anatomy has many medicinal uses ("Every Little Piece"), makes Pete an offer for Elliott, which Pete refuses. Pete gladly accepts Nora and Lampie's offer to stay with them permanently ("Brazzle Dazzle Day"). The Gogans arrive in town and confront them ("Bill of Sale"), only to be firmly defied by Nora and thwarted by Elliot. Terminus makes a deal with the Gogans and convinces the superstitious locals that helping him capture the dragon will solve their problems.
That evening, a storm
begins to blow. Pete tries to tell Nora the good news that Elliott has located Paul. However Nora, still believing that Pete has imagined Elliott, replies that Pete has no more need to believe in him. Even Lampie begins to doubt that he saw a dragon. Undeterred, Pete helps Nora prepare the lighthouse for the storm. Out at sea, a sailing ship is approaching Passamaquoddy, its captain assisted by Paul. Terminus lures Pete to the town's boathouse, while Hoagie does the same to Elliott. At the boathouse, the invisible Elliott discovers Pete, but is caught in an immense net. Elliott frees himself and rescues Pete from the Gogans before they can escape. He incinerates their "Bill of Sale" (their only piece of evidence that shows that they own Pete), then douses them all with a barrel of tar before chasing them off. As Pete and Elliott celebrate, Terminus aims a harpoon gun at the distracted dragon, but the harpoon's rope is looped around his ankle and he is sent flying through the ceiling.
After rebuking Terminus and Hoagie, Elliott saves the mayor and other dignitaries from a falling utility pole, revealing himself to the grateful townsfolk. Back at the lighthouse, the lamp has been extinguished by a storm-driven wave. Elliott returns and tries to light the lamp with his own fire. As he is doing so, Nora finally sees that Elliott is real. After several failures, due to the damp wick
and the fact that Elliot's esophagus
is squeezed into the lighthouse steps, the light is finally ignited and the ship is saved. The next morning the townsfolk praise Elliott for his help and Nora is reunited with Paul who, it turns out, was the sole survivor of a shipwreck at Cape Hatteras
. However, he suffered total amnesia due to his ordeal. Then, one day recently, his bed suddenly tipped over (courtesy of an invisible Elliot); Paul bumped his head and regained his memory.
Sadly, now that Pete is safe and has a loving family of his own, Elliott reveals that he must move on to help other children, and can never see him again. Pete and Elliott say their goodbyes and Elliott flies off. Before he goes, Pete reminds Elliott to "stay invisible".
Al Checco, Henry Slate, and Jack Collins
appear in the film as local fishermen. Robert Easton
plays a store proprietor in Passamaquoddy, and Roger Price
is seen as a man with a visor. Robert Foulk plays an old sea captain. Ben Wrigley is the egg man and Joe Ross
plays the cement man. Dinah Anne Rogers has an uncredited role as one of the townspeople, as does Dennis Stewart, who plays a fisherman, and Debbie Fresh is also uncredited as a "Child / Dancer / Singer".
, in what remains his biggest undertaking to date. The production was directed by British filmmaker Don Chaffey
, who had helmed two smaller films for Disney in the early 1960s in between larger fantasy adventures (Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C.
) for others.
, substituting for Maine. It was equipped with such a large beacon that Disney had to get special permission from the Coast Guard to operate it, since operating it during filming would have confused passing ships.
, who created Elliott, explained that he thought it would be appropriate to make Elliott "a little paunchy" and not always particularly graceful when it comes to flying. Don Hahn
, who was assistant director to Don Bluth on this film, gained some experience working with a combination of live-action and animation before later going on to work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
.
s hit list. Thomas J. Harris, in Children’s Live-Action Musical Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography, heavily criticizes the story as well as the compositing of the animated Elliott; he also found the "Mary Poppinsish ending" to be "thoroughly unmotivated", because Pete's life before meeting Elliott is never fleshed out. In 2006, Elliott was ranked no. 5 on a top 10 list of movie dragons by Karl Heitmueller for MTV
Movie News.
Critic Leonard Maltin
observed that Disney Studios made several attempts to recreate the appeal and success of Mary Poppins
(1964), and that this was one of their least successful endeavors. However, he added that it might please children.
Pete's Dragon currently has a Rotten Tomatoes
approval rating of 50%.
Pete's Dragon was nominated for two Academy Awards:
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Awards
The film was nominated for four Saturn Award
s:
Golden Globes
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association
nominated Pete's Dragon for one Golden Globe Award
:
Live-action/animated film
A live-action/animated film is a motion picture that features a combination of real actors or elements: live-action and animated elements, typically interacting.-History:...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
from Walt Disney Productions and the first Disney film to be recorded in the Dolby Stereo
Dolby Stereo
Dolby Stereo, is the trade mark that Dolby Laboratories used for the various analogue stereo cinema sound formats that they produced.Two basic systems used this name. The first was the 'Dolby SVA' system used with optical soundtracks on 35mm film...
sound system. It is a live-action film but its title character, a dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
named Elliott, is animated.
The story is about a young orphan named Pete who enters the fictional town of Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
a small fishing community in Northeastern Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in the early 20th century. His only friend is a dragon named Elliott, who also acts as his protector. Elliott can make himself invisible and is generally visible only to Pete, which occasionally lands Pete in trouble with the locals. Also featured in the film are Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
, Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, Jim Dale
Jim Dale
Jim Dale, MBE is an English actor, voice artist, singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United Kingdom for his many appearances in the Carry On series of films and in the US for narrating the Harry Potter audiobook series, for which he received two Grammy Awards, and the ABC series Pushing...
, Red Buttons, Jeff Conaway
Jeff Conaway
Jeffrey Charles William Michael "Jeff" Conaway was an American actor best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the US television series Taxi and Babylon 5. Conaway was featured on the first season of reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew...
, and Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
. The film was directed by Don Chaffey
Don Chaffey
Donald Chaffey was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director.Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the industry until his death in 1990 from heart failure...
, and the songs are by Al Kasha
Al Kasha
Al Kasha is a Brooklyn–born composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. He is most noted for his years of collaboration with songwriter Joel Hirschhorn...
and Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn, , was an American songwriter. During a successful career, he won the Academy Award for Best Song on two occasions...
.
The song "Candle on the Water
Candle on the Water
"Candle on the Water" is a song written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn from Walt Disney Picture's live action/animation film Pete's Dragon...
" received an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination, but lost to "You Light Up My Life
You Light Up My Life (song)
Many artists have covered "You Light Up My Life" since 1977. The following year, Johnny Mathis recorded and named his album after the song. LeAnn Rimes released her version as a single in 1997, 20 years after Boone's version was released and on the same record label . Her version fared modestly...
" from the film of the same title. Reddy's recording (with a different arrangement than the one her character sings in the film) was released as a single by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, reaching #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The movie also received a nomination for Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score, losing to A Little Night Music.
Plot
A young dusty-haired orphanOrphan
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...
named Pete is fleeing his abusive adoptive hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
family, the Gogans. As Lena Gogan and company pursue him ("The Happiest Home in These Hills"), an unseen force, which Pete calls Elliott, knocks the Gogans into a mud pit. Lena, her husband Merle, and their sons Grover and Willie are determined to find Pete because, in Lena's own words, "We paid $50 for that kid
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, and we ain't got fifty more." The lazy, inept and constantly-bickering Grover and Willie are told by their equally-lazy parents that if they don't get Pete back, the boys will have to work the farm.
The next morning, Pete and Elliott, revealed to be a green and purple animated
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...
dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
who also has the power of invisibility, share breakfast ("Boo Bop Bop Bop Bop (I Love You, Too)") and decide to visit Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
, a nearby village where the unseen Elliott, performing clumsy antics, causes Pete to be labeled a source of ill luck and must flee.
Lampie, the drunken old lighthouse keeper, stumbles out of a tavern and encounters Pete. A mischievous Elliott makes himself visible to him and a terrified Lampie runs into the bar to warn the townsfolk ("I Saw a Dragon"). His capable daughter, Nora takes him back to their home, the local lighthouse, settles him down, and puts him to bed. Meanwhile, in a seaside cave, Pete scolds Elliott for causing trouble. Just as the two make up, Nora appears, having spotted Pete earlier. She offers Pete shelter and they talk ("It's Not Easy"). Pete is inquisitive and soon learns the story of Nora's fiancé, Paul, whose ship was reported lost at sea the previous year. Pete promises to ask Elliott about Paul and Nora accepts, believing Elliott to be an imaginary friend
Imaginary friend
Imaginary friends and imaginary companions are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than external physical reality. Imaginary friends are fictional characters created for improvisational role-playing. They...
.
The next morning, Doc Terminus, a medicine show
Medicine show
Medicine shows were traveling horse and wagon teams which peddled "miracle cure" medications and other products between various entertainment acts. Their precise origins unknown, medicine shows were common in the 19th century United States...
man, and his shill
Shill
A shill, plant or stooge is a person who helps a person or organization without disclosing that he or she has a close relationship with that person or organization...
, Hoagie, haphazardly arrive and manage to win over the gullible townspeople, who are initially angered by their return ("Passamaquoddy"). That evening Pete visits Elliot and Nora thanks her father for pretending that the dragon exists. Lampie insists he actually saw a dragon and Nora tells him to be realistic, to which her father retorts that her hoping for Paul’s return is just as ridiculous. Lampie apologizes for his outburst and excuses himself, giving Nora time to think ("Candle on the Water"). At the tavern, Lampie tells Terminus and Hoagie about the dragon. Terminus dismisses the tale, but Hoagie agrees to go to the cave. After an encounter with Elliott (in which all three, including Elliott, become frightened) Hoagie offers the dragon some liquor as a gesture of peace, which triggers a fiery belch that chases the pair away.
The local fishermen complain about the recent scarcity of fish and believe Pete is the cause. Nora reminds them the fishing grounds shift, and that ("There's Room for Everyone") in town. Nora takes Pete to school, where Pete is punished unfairly by the strict teacher as a result of Elliott's antics. An enraged Elliott smashes into the building. Terminus, now convinced of Elliot's existence and having learned that dragon anatomy has many medicinal uses ("Every Little Piece"), makes Pete an offer for Elliott, which Pete refuses. Pete gladly accepts Nora and Lampie's offer to stay with them permanently ("Brazzle Dazzle Day"). The Gogans arrive in town and confront them ("Bill of Sale"), only to be firmly defied by Nora and thwarted by Elliot. Terminus makes a deal with the Gogans and convinces the superstitious locals that helping him capture the dragon will solve their problems.
That evening, a storm
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
begins to blow. Pete tries to tell Nora the good news that Elliott has located Paul. However Nora, still believing that Pete has imagined Elliott, replies that Pete has no more need to believe in him. Even Lampie begins to doubt that he saw a dragon. Undeterred, Pete helps Nora prepare the lighthouse for the storm. Out at sea, a sailing ship is approaching Passamaquoddy, its captain assisted by Paul. Terminus lures Pete to the town's boathouse, while Hoagie does the same to Elliott. At the boathouse, the invisible Elliott discovers Pete, but is caught in an immense net. Elliott frees himself and rescues Pete from the Gogans before they can escape. He incinerates their "Bill of Sale" (their only piece of evidence that shows that they own Pete), then douses them all with a barrel of tar before chasing them off. As Pete and Elliott celebrate, Terminus aims a harpoon gun at the distracted dragon, but the harpoon's rope is looped around his ankle and he is sent flying through the ceiling.
After rebuking Terminus and Hoagie, Elliott saves the mayor and other dignitaries from a falling utility pole, revealing himself to the grateful townsfolk. Back at the lighthouse, the lamp has been extinguished by a storm-driven wave. Elliott returns and tries to light the lamp with his own fire. As he is doing so, Nora finally sees that Elliott is real. After several failures, due to the damp wick
Candle wick
A candle wick is a string, cord, or wooden object that holds the flame of a candle. A candle wick works by capillary action, drawing the fuel to the flame. When the liquid fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame it then vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the...
and the fact that Elliot's esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
is squeezed into the lighthouse steps, the light is finally ignited and the ship is saved. The next morning the townsfolk praise Elliott for his help and Nora is reunited with Paul who, it turns out, was the sole survivor of a shipwreck at Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
. However, he suffered total amnesia due to his ordeal. Then, one day recently, his bed suddenly tipped over (courtesy of an invisible Elliot); Paul bumped his head and regained his memory.
Sadly, now that Pete is safe and has a loving family of his own, Elliott reveals that he must move on to help other children, and can never see him again. Pete and Elliott say their goodbyes and Elliott flies off. Before he goes, Pete reminds Elliott to "stay invisible".
Cast
- Charlie CallasCharlie CallasCharlie Callas was an American comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s...
as the voice of Elliott the dragon, the eponymous character - Sean MarshallSean Marshall (actor)Sean Marshall is an American actor and singer who started acting in 1971 at the age of 6. He was in more than ten movies including "The Deadly Trackers", "The New Adventures of Heidi", "Jimmy Valentines Second Chance", and the Disney animated film "The Small One", but he is most commonly known...
as Pete, the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
; an orphan boy whom the Gogans treat like a slave - Helen ReddyHelen ReddyHelen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
as Nora, Lampie's determined, headstrong, but kind daughter - Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
as Lampie, Passamaquoddy's lighthouse keeper and Nora's father - Jim DaleJim DaleJim Dale, MBE is an English actor, voice artist, singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United Kingdom for his many appearances in the Carry On series of films and in the US for narrating the Harry Potter audiobook series, for which he received two Grammy Awards, and the ABC series Pushing...
as Dr. Terminus, a scheming quackQuackA quack is a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess.Quack may also refer to:* Quack , an independent-comics series published by Star Reach in the 1970s...
and the film's antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend... - Red Buttons as Hoagy, Terminus' sidekick
- Shelley WintersShelley WintersShelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
as Lena Gogan, the matriarch of the Gogans & the secondary antagonist on the film - Charles Tyner as Merle Gogan, Lena's husband
- Gary Morgan and Jeff ConawayJeff ConawayJeffrey Charles William Michael "Jeff" Conaway was an American actor best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the US television series Taxi and Babylon 5. Conaway was featured on the first season of reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew...
as Grover and Willie Gogan, Lena and Merle's adult sons - Cal Bartlett as Paul, Nora's fiancé; a sailor who has disappeared at sea
- Walter Barnes as the Captain of the ship on which Paul returning home
- Jane KeanJane KeanJane Kean is an American actress.-Career:Jane Kean and her older sister, , formed a comedy duo that worked the nightclub circuit throughout the 1940s and '50s, and the two appeared on Broadway as sisters in the short-lived 1955 musical Ankles Aweigh.She studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the...
as Miss Taylor, a cruel schoolteacher, who reluctantly takes Pete as a student - Jim BackusJim BackusJames Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
as the mayor of Passamaquoddy
Al Checco, Henry Slate, and Jack Collins
Jack Collins
Jack Collins may refer to:In Australia:* Jack A. Collins , Australian rules footballer for Melbourne* Jack L. Collins , Australian rules footballer for Geelong* Jack C...
appear in the film as local fishermen. Robert Easton
Robert Easton (actor)
Robert Easton is an American actor whose career in film and television spans more than 60 years. His mastery of English dialect has earned him the epithet "The Man of a Thousand Voices", For decades he has been a leading Hollywood dialogue or accent coach.Easton was born Robert Easton Burke in...
plays a store proprietor in Passamaquoddy, and Roger Price
Roger Price (comedy)
Roger Price was an American humorist, author and publisher, who created Droodles in the 1950s, followed by his collaborations with Leonard Stern on the Mad Libs series...
is seen as a man with a visor. Robert Foulk plays an old sea captain. Ben Wrigley is the egg man and Joe Ross
Joe Ross
Joe Ross may refer to:* Joe E. Ross , American actor born in New York City* Joe Ross , referee in the Football League* Joe Ross , trader, trading educator, and author of several books on trading...
plays the cement man. Dinah Anne Rogers has an uncredited role as one of the townspeople, as does Dennis Stewart, who plays a fisherman, and Debbie Fresh is also uncredited as a "Child / Dancer / Singer".
Musical numbers
- "Main Title"
- "The Happiest Home in These Hills" - Lena, Merle, Grover, Willie
- "Boo Bop Bop Bop Bop (I Love You, Too)" - Pete, Elliott
- "I Saw a Dragon" - Lampie, Nora, Townsmen
- "It's Not Easy" - Nora, Pete
- "Passamaquoddy" - Terminus, Hoagy, Townsfolk
- "Candle on the Water" - Nora
- "There's Room for Everyone" - Nora, Pete, Children
- "Every Little Piece" - Hoagy, Terminus
- "Brazzle Dazzle Day" - Nora, Lampie, Pete
- "Bill of Sale" - Nora, Lena, Merle, Grover, Willie
- "I Saw a Dragon (Reprise)" - Townsmen
- "Brazzle Dazzle Day (Reprise)" - Nora, Lampie, Paul
History
At the core of Pete's Dragon was an unpublished short story by Hollywood Golden Age writer Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field. The Disney studio acquired the rights to the story in the 1950s with the intent of using it on the Disneyland anthology program. Instead, it was given the full feature film treatment by writer Malcolm MarmorsteinMalcolm Marmorstein
Malcolm Marmorstein is a British television writer.-Positions held:Peyton Place, Love Bites, Dead Men Don't Die, ABC Weekend Specials, The Witching of Ben Wagner, Konrad, Rose Petal Place: Real Friends, Poochie, Return from Witch Mountain, Pete's Dragon, Whiffs, Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary, S*P*Y*S,...
, in what remains his biggest undertaking to date. The production was directed by British filmmaker Don Chaffey
Don Chaffey
Donald Chaffey was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director.Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the industry until his death in 1990 from heart failure...
, who had helmed two smaller films for Disney in the early 1960s in between larger fantasy adventures (Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C.
One Million Years B.C.
One Million Years B.C. is a 1966 British adventure/fantasy film starring Raquel Welch, set - loosely - in the time of cavemen. The film was made by Hammer Film Productions, and was a remake of the 1940 Hollywood film One Million B.C., and it recreates many of the scenes of that film...
) for others.
Locations
The lighthouse for Pete's Dragon was built on a point above Morro Bay, CaliforniaMorro Bay, California
Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, substituting for Maine. It was equipped with such a large beacon that Disney had to get special permission from the Coast Guard to operate it, since operating it during filming would have confused passing ships.
Animation
The animators of Pete's Dragon opted to make Elliott look more like an oriental, rather than occidental, dragon because oriental dragons are usually associated with good. The film is the first involving animation in which none of the Nine Old Men — Disney's original team of animators — were involved. One technique used in the movie involved compositing, whereby up to three scenes might be composited together — for example, a live foreground, a live background, and an animated middle ground containing Elliott. Ken AndersonKen Anderson (animator)
Ken "Kenneth B." Anderson was an art director, writer, and animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for 44 years.Anderson studied architecture at the University of Washington, graduating with a B.Arch. in 1934...
, who created Elliott, explained that he thought it would be appropriate to make Elliott "a little paunchy" and not always particularly graceful when it comes to flying. Don Hahn
Don Hahn
Don Hahn is an American film producer who has produced some of the most successful Walt Disney animated films of the past 20 years. He currently owns his own film production company called Stone Circle Pictures.-Early life:...
, who was assistant director to Don Bluth on this film, gained some experience working with a combination of live-action and animation before later going on to work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
.
Reception
The film was successful to some degree; in 1978, Pete's Dragon was ranked at seventeen on VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
s hit list. Thomas J. Harris, in Children’s Live-Action Musical Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography, heavily criticizes the story as well as the compositing of the animated Elliott; he also found the "Mary Poppinsish ending" to be "thoroughly unmotivated", because Pete's life before meeting Elliott is never fleshed out. In 2006, Elliott was ranked no. 5 on a top 10 list of movie dragons by Karl Heitmueller for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Movie News.
Critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
observed that Disney Studios made several attempts to recreate the appeal and success of Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
(1964), and that this was one of their least successful endeavors. However, he added that it might please children.
Pete's Dragon currently has a Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
approval rating of 50%.
Awards and honors
Academy AwardsPete's Dragon was nominated for two Academy Awards:
- Academy Award for Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
- Al KashaAl KashaAl Kasha is a Brooklyn–born composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. He is most noted for his years of collaboration with songwriter Joel Hirschhorn...
and Joel HirschhornJoel HirschhornJoel Hirschhorn, , was an American songwriter. During a successful career, he won the Academy Award for Best Song on two occasions...
for "Candle on the Water" - Academy Award for Original Song ScoreAcademy Award for Original Music ScoreThe Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
- Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn and Irwin KostalIrwin KostalIrwin Kostal was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kostal opted not to attend college, instead teaching himself musical arranging by studying the symphonic scores available at his local library...
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Awards
The film was nominated for four Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s:
- Saturn Award for Best Fantasy FilmSaturn Award for Best Fantasy FilmThe following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Fantasy Film:...
- Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor - Red Buttons
- Saturn Award for Best Costume
- Saturn Award for Best Special EffectsSaturn Award for Best Special EffectsThe following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Special Effects:...
Golden Globes
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization composed of working journalists who cover the United States film industry for a variety of outlets, including newspapers and magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Today, the 90 members of the HFPA represent at least 55...
nominated Pete's Dragon for one Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
:
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original ScoreGolden Globe Award for Best Original ScoreThe Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947...
- Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Alternative versions
- In its original roadshow theatrical releaseRoadshow theatrical releaseA roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
, the film ran 134 minutes. Shortly after, the film was edited down to 121 minutes. The most notable change was an alternative version of the musical number "I Saw a Dragon". The version most watched today is different from the one that was seen in the premiere version. - In 1980, Pete's Dragon was the first Disney feature film to be released on VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and BetamaxBetamaxBetamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
with a running time of 121 minutes. It was only available for a very short timeLimited releaseLimited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
. - When the film was re-released to theaters in March 1984, it was cut again from 121 minutes to 104 minutes. When re-issued on home video in December 1985, the film was restored considerably to 128 minutes. However, there have been VHS copies spotted on eBay with the 1980 packaging and a run time of 128 minutes.
- When the film was shown on TV, it was severely edited and time-compressed to 92 minutes, eliminating the "Candle on the Water" number.
- A 129-minute version, just five minutes shorter than the original roadshow edition, was released on DVD in 2002, and again in 2009 in what Disney described as the "High-Flying Edition".