Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure
Encyclopedia
Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure is a 1977 American animated film directed by Richard Williams. It was produced by the Bobbs-Merrill Company
, and released by 20th Century Fox
. A 1941 short film
had previously featured the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters created by Johnny Gruelle
.
After Raggedy Ann and Andy hitch a ride on the Camel, he begins to follow hallucinations of a parade of camels ascending to heaven. While he's distracted, he runs over the edge of a cliff into a deep pit. In this pit they encounter the Greedy, a gluttonous, blob-like monster presumably made of sticky candy, who eats constantly and is never full. While singing about the plight of never being happy despite his unending consumption, he reveals that the only thing that could satisfy him is a sweetheart, presumably a romantic partner, but he decides that the candy heart Raggedy Ann has sewn up inside her would do just as well. The Raggedys and the Camel narrowly escape being consumed by the Greedy and continue their journey to find Babette. While travelling through the woods, they encounter Sir Leonard Looney, a purple knight with a penchant for humiliating gags. He tricks the trio and kidnaps them to Looney Land, where all the practical gags are. They are then introduced to the court of King Koo Koo, a near microscopic king who has a part of him expand every time he laughs at someone else. He finds that the curious little trio that has been brought to him do a good job of making him expand overall when they subjected to Sir Leonard Looney's gags. Before the King can find a better use for them, the Raggedys and the Camel escape out an exit, leaving King Koo Koo to shrink back down to his regular size. King Koo Koo then decides that the Raggedies are perfect and will be just what he needs to accomplish what he has been waiting for his entire life - his "Last Laugh." He calls up his cohort Gadzooks, a giant, green, inner tube-like sea creature with a massive array of arms and discusses his plans.
Meanwhile, the Raggedys and the Camel have found a getaway boat, and are getting away from Looney Land posthaste. Using a telescope aboard the bizarre little ship, they are able to spot the Captain's pirate vessel, and are able to zoom in toward the ship and haul themselves on board. When Babette is finally found, the Raggedys discover that she is no longer in need of rescue. She has in fact charmed the pirate crew, raised a mutiny against Captain Contagious, and has assumed command of the ship, in the ultimate hope of sailing back to Paris. Just then, King Koo Koo, with assistance from Gadzooks, arrives on the scene, and begins to snatch passengers and crew alike off the boat, notably most of the male pirate crew, Raggedy Andy, the Camel and Captain Contagious. Gadzooks begins his "tickle torture" causing King Koo Koo to expand completely, achieving his goal of being "the biggest king in the world." Raggedy Ann and Babette are hiding underneath the canopy of one of the escape boats, with Queasy, the Captain's faithful parrot, trying to figure out what to do when they (with the help of Raggedy Andy) decide that King Koo Koo should "blow - up!"
King Koo Koo, who had been eavesdropping on Raggedy Ann and Babette, has them quickly subjected to the same tickle-torture, while Queasy rockets towards the massive balloon that King Koo Koo has become. King Koo Koo, who now dominates the horizon, celebrates his enormous size and finally getting his last laugh while Queasy collides into King KooKoo beak-first, like a pin into a balloon, causing him to explode.
Raggedy Ann and Andy are seen spinning around in a wormhole, along with the Camel, before the screen goes dark. They are then discovered the next day, along with Babette, the Captain and the remains of his ship, in a small pond outside. Marcella brings her toys back in, missing the Camel in a pile of leaves. Later that evening the Camel crawls up to the window, where Raggedy Ann and her friends let him in, and he realizes he has finally found home. Marcella finds the Camel among her dear toy friends, and while she is at first puzzled by his appearance in her room, she embraces him and accepts him as her own.
was to direct the film and Williams was only an animation supervisor. However, when Levitow got sick and eventually died, Williams reluctantly became director. He clashed with the producers over many aspects of the film, including the multitude of musical numbers and weak character development. Despite his misgivings the producers forbade him to cut a single scene. Eventually, like many of his other projects, the movie went over time and budget , and Williams was removed at the end so the film could be released on time. His name remained on the finished product. Besides Richard Williams, who by this time had already received a BAFTA award, an Emmy Award
, and an Oscar for his work in animation, other talented animators also were enlisted. Hal Ambro and Art Babbitt
from Disney, and Looney Tunes
animator Gerry Chiniquy
also worked on the film. The music was done by Joe Raposo
, the long time musical director of Sesame Street
and The Electric Company
.
s when he first sees the character of Babette. Raggedy Ann and Andy have very little character development; they move from place to place meeting strange characters, but the focus is always on the new character, and they serve little purpose other than to move the plot forward. "[In this] attractive fully animated cartoon feature," wrote the staff of Halliwell's Film Guide, "[...] only the central story is lacking in pace and humor."
during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as on the Nickelodeon show "Special Delivery". The "Blue" song was featured on an episode of The Muppet Show
and the song sequence from the movie was also featured on an episode of The Big Blue Marble and the special, Sing! Sesame Street Remembers the Music of Joe Raposo. The song "Home" was also featured on an episode of Shining Time Station
in which Didi Conn co-starred later in her career. Nevertheless, the film has not been shown on television for many years. It was released on video
by CBS/Fox Video
(through their Playhouse Video imprint) in the late 1980s, and has never been released on DVD.
Currently, CBS Corporation
owns the rights to the film via its Simon and Schuster subsidiary, who owns the rights to the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters.
Bobbs-Merrill Company
The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bobbs-Merrill was known for publishing such authors as Richard Halliburton, David Markson, Ayn Rand, James Whitcomb Riley, Walter Dean Myers, and Irma S. Rombauer. Bobbs-Merrill also published the early works of...
, and released by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. A 1941 short film
Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy (1941 film)
Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy is a two-reel cartoon produced by Fleischer Studios and released on April 11, 1941.-Summary:The short begins with a little girl, who wanted to buy the "beautiful girl doll" but toyshop owner tells her that the two rag dolls must be sold together: the dolls' right hands...
had previously featured the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters created by Johnny Gruelle
Johnny Gruelle
Johnny Gruelle was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book author and illustrator . He is known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy...
.
Plot
In October 1975, Raggedy Ann is the beloved doll of Marcella, along with her brother Raggedy Andy and a whole nursery full of colorful toys. Whenever Marcella leaves the room, the dolls come to life. On Marcella's birthday, a new doll, Babette, arrives from Paris, France to the United States of America. Babette is a spoiled creature who is unaware she is a doll, but the friendly Raggedy Ann does everything she can to make Babette feel at home. Soon, however, the pirate Captain Contagious, who lives in Marcella's snow globe, becomes enamored of Babette and kidnaps her. Raggedy Ann and Andy set off to try to rescue her before Marcella discovers Babette is gone. Out in the world outside the nursery, the two meet the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees, a blue toy camel who has been cast off by past owners and is now heartbroken and lonely. Raggedy Ann assures him a home with Marcella, and he joins their rescue party.After Raggedy Ann and Andy hitch a ride on the Camel, he begins to follow hallucinations of a parade of camels ascending to heaven. While he's distracted, he runs over the edge of a cliff into a deep pit. In this pit they encounter the Greedy, a gluttonous, blob-like monster presumably made of sticky candy, who eats constantly and is never full. While singing about the plight of never being happy despite his unending consumption, he reveals that the only thing that could satisfy him is a sweetheart, presumably a romantic partner, but he decides that the candy heart Raggedy Ann has sewn up inside her would do just as well. The Raggedys and the Camel narrowly escape being consumed by the Greedy and continue their journey to find Babette. While travelling through the woods, they encounter Sir Leonard Looney, a purple knight with a penchant for humiliating gags. He tricks the trio and kidnaps them to Looney Land, where all the practical gags are. They are then introduced to the court of King Koo Koo, a near microscopic king who has a part of him expand every time he laughs at someone else. He finds that the curious little trio that has been brought to him do a good job of making him expand overall when they subjected to Sir Leonard Looney's gags. Before the King can find a better use for them, the Raggedys and the Camel escape out an exit, leaving King Koo Koo to shrink back down to his regular size. King Koo Koo then decides that the Raggedies are perfect and will be just what he needs to accomplish what he has been waiting for his entire life - his "Last Laugh." He calls up his cohort Gadzooks, a giant, green, inner tube-like sea creature with a massive array of arms and discusses his plans.
Meanwhile, the Raggedys and the Camel have found a getaway boat, and are getting away from Looney Land posthaste. Using a telescope aboard the bizarre little ship, they are able to spot the Captain's pirate vessel, and are able to zoom in toward the ship and haul themselves on board. When Babette is finally found, the Raggedys discover that she is no longer in need of rescue. She has in fact charmed the pirate crew, raised a mutiny against Captain Contagious, and has assumed command of the ship, in the ultimate hope of sailing back to Paris. Just then, King Koo Koo, with assistance from Gadzooks, arrives on the scene, and begins to snatch passengers and crew alike off the boat, notably most of the male pirate crew, Raggedy Andy, the Camel and Captain Contagious. Gadzooks begins his "tickle torture" causing King Koo Koo to expand completely, achieving his goal of being "the biggest king in the world." Raggedy Ann and Babette are hiding underneath the canopy of one of the escape boats, with Queasy, the Captain's faithful parrot, trying to figure out what to do when they (with the help of Raggedy Andy) decide that King Koo Koo should "blow - up!"
King Koo Koo, who had been eavesdropping on Raggedy Ann and Babette, has them quickly subjected to the same tickle-torture, while Queasy rockets towards the massive balloon that King Koo Koo has become. King Koo Koo, who now dominates the horizon, celebrates his enormous size and finally getting his last laugh while Queasy collides into King KooKoo beak-first, like a pin into a balloon, causing him to explode.
Raggedy Ann and Andy are seen spinning around in a wormhole, along with the Camel, before the screen goes dark. They are then discovered the next day, along with Babette, the Captain and the remains of his ship, in a small pond outside. Marcella brings her toys back in, missing the Camel in a pile of leaves. Later that evening the Camel crawls up to the window, where Raggedy Ann and her friends let him in, and he realizes he has finally found home. Marcella finds the Camel among her dear toy friends, and while she is at first puzzled by his appearance in her room, she embraces him and accepts him as her own.
Cast
- Didi ConnDidi ConnDidi Conn is an American film, stage and television actress.-Personal life:Conn was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a clinical psychologist. "Didi" was her childhood nickname...
- Raggedy Ann - Mark BakerMark Baker (actor)Mark Baker is an American stage and film actor. He made his Broadway debut in the original production of Via Galactica, one of the most expensive flops in Broadway history.- Biography :...
- Raggedy Andy
- Fred Stuthman - The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees
- Niki Flacks - Babette
- George S. IrvingGeorge S. IrvingGeorge S. Irving is an American actor, known primarily for his character roles on Broadway. Born George Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts, he made his debut in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, only to be drafted days later to serve in World War II...
- The Captain - Arnold StangArnold StangArnold Stang was an American comic actor who played a small and bespectacled, yet brash and knowing big-city type.-Career:...
- Queasy - Joe SilverJoe SilverJoe Silver was an American stage, television, film and radio actor. His distinctive deep voice was once described as "the lowest voice in show business; so low that when he speaks, he unties your shoelaces."Silver made his Broadway debut in 1942 in a revival of Tobacco Road...
- The Greedy - Alan SuesAlan SuesAlan Sues is a U.S. comic actor best known for his performances as part of the ensemble on the 1968–1973 television program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In...
- The Loony Knight - Marty BrillMarty BrillMartin Brill was a professional football coach with the Staten Island Stapletons of the National Football League during the 1931 season. He also coached college football at Columbia University as an assistant. However he later become a head coach at La Salle University and at Loyola Marymount...
- King Koo Koo - Paul DooleyPaul Dooley-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
as Gazooks - Mason AdamsMason AdamsMason Adams was an American character actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Adams was born in Brooklyn, New York. He earned an MA degree from the University of Michigan in Theatre Arts and Speech and also attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studying theater arts...
as Grandpa - Allen SwiftAllen SwiftIra Stadlen , known professionally as Allen Swift, was an American voice actor, known for playing characters including Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the Underdog cartoon show...
as Maxi-Fixit - Hetty Galen as Susie Pincushion
- Sheldon HarnickSheldon HarnickSheldon Harnick is an American lyricist best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof....
- Barney Beanbag / Socko - Ardyth Kaiser - Topsy
- Margery Gray / Lynne Stuart - the Twin Pennies
- Claire Williams - Marcella (live action sequence)
- Joe RaposoJoe RaposoJoseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
- Bus Driver (live action sequence, uncredited)
Songs
- I Look, and What do I see?
- No Girl's Toy
- I'm Just a Rag Dolly/Poor Babette/A Miracle
- The Pirate Song
- Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers
- Blue
- I Never Get Enough
- Because I Love You
- It's Not Easy Being King When You're Short
- Hooray for Me
- You're My Friend
- I'm Home
- Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers (Reprise)
Production
Originally Abe LevitowAbe Levitow
Abraham "Abe" Levitow was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ....
was to direct the film and Williams was only an animation supervisor. However, when Levitow got sick and eventually died, Williams reluctantly became director. He clashed with the producers over many aspects of the film, including the multitude of musical numbers and weak character development. Despite his misgivings the producers forbade him to cut a single scene. Eventually, like many of his other projects, the movie went over time and budget , and Williams was removed at the end so the film could be released on time. His name remained on the finished product. Besides Richard Williams, who by this time had already received a BAFTA award, an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, and an Oscar for his work in animation, other talented animators also were enlisted. Hal Ambro and Art Babbitt
Art Babbitt
Arthur Harold Babitsky , better known as Art Babbitt, was an American animator, best known for his work at The Walt Disney Company. He received over 80 awards as animation director and animator, but is most famous for creating Goofy...
from Disney, and Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
animator Gerry Chiniquy
Gerry Chiniquy
Germain Adolph "Gerry" Chiniquy was an American animator. He is best known for his work with Friz Freleng, at both Warner Bros. and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises....
also worked on the film. The music was done by Joe Raposo
Joe Raposo
Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
, the long time musical director of Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and The Electric Company
The Electric Company
The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977...
.
Reception
Despite this considerable amount of talent, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure was a critical and box office failure. Many critics found the movie hard to watch, complaining that the plot moved too slowly and was burdened by too many musical numbers. Many of the characters were considered too disturbing for children. There is also some adult humor and subtext, mainly in the Captain Contagious character whose moustache grows erect and who performs pelvic thrustPelvic thrust
The pelvic thrust is the thrusting motion of the pelvic region, which is occasionally used in sexual intercourse.-Dance:Pelvic thrusts can also be used as a dance move, often as part of bump and grind. It is explicitly referred to in the song "Time Warp" from the 1970s The Rocky Horror Picture Show...
s when he first sees the character of Babette. Raggedy Ann and Andy have very little character development; they move from place to place meeting strange characters, but the focus is always on the new character, and they serve little purpose other than to move the plot forward. "[In this] attractive fully animated cartoon feature," wrote the staff of Halliwell's Film Guide, "[...] only the central story is lacking in pace and humor."
Release
After its short initial box office run, the movie saw little to no distribution. It did receive a considerable amount of play on the Disney ChannelDisney 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...
during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as on the Nickelodeon show "Special Delivery". The "Blue" song was featured on an episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
and the song sequence from the movie was also featured on an episode of The Big Blue Marble and the special, Sing! Sesame Street Remembers the Music of Joe Raposo. The song "Home" was also featured on an episode of Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
in which Didi Conn co-starred later in her career. Nevertheless, the film has not been shown on television for many years. It was released on video
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video
CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises....
(through their Playhouse Video imprint) in the late 1980s, and has never been released on DVD.
Currently, CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
owns the rights to the film via its Simon and Schuster subsidiary, who owns the rights to the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters.
Sources
- Canemaker, JohnJohn CanemakerJohn Cannizzaro Jr. , better known as John Canemaker, is an independent animator, animation historian, author, teacher and lecturer. In 1980, he began teaching and developing the animation program at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts', Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Department...
(1977). The Animated Raggedy Ann & Andy. ISBN 0-672-52329-9. Indianapolis/New York City: Bobbs-Merrill. Accessed March 7, 2008.