The Little Mermaid (1992 film)
Encyclopedia
Originally released directly to video on May 27, 1992, The Little Mermaid is a 49-minute animated film based on the classic story, The Little Sea-Maid by Hans Christian Andersen
. Like all other Golden Films
productions, the film featured a single theme song, "The World Above", written and composed by Richard Hurwitz and John Arrias.
A young, carefree mermaid named Lena lives a happy life in her home under the sea until the very day when she, after disobeying her father, swims up the surface and meets the handsome Prince Stephan. After rescuing her prince from drowning, Lena runs to the aid of the wicked sea-witch Cassandra, who in exchange for her voice gives Lena legs to walk on land and the warning that if Prince Stephan were to marry someone else, Lena would then turn forever into seafoam.
The Little Mermaid was produced by Golden Films
and the American Film Investment Corporation, it was distributed to DVD
in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment, as part of their "Collectible Classics" line.
princess
living with her father, the Sea-King and her sisters in their grand underwater palace. Lena has a loyal companion, a dolphin named Vink, and it is him to whom she tells about her longing of finding the perfect prince, who will be the love of her life. Lena falls in such a deep love for Prince Stephan that she willingly sacrifices her beautiful voice.
Cassandra: Cassandra is the evil Sea-witch dreaded by the mermaids. The Sea-King has forbidden any of his daughters to have anything to do with her. When Cassandra finds out that Lena has fallen in love with a human prince, she tricks her into trading her beautiful voice for human legs, warning her that if Prince Stephan were to marry someone else, she would then turn into seafoam for all eternity.
Vink: A dolphin
, he is Lena's faithful royal pet. As much as he cares for Lena, he sometimes doesn't feel up to joining her in all of her wild adventures. When he finds out that Lena's life may be in danger, he quickly comes to her rescue and immediately notifies the Sea-King about Cassandra's doing.
Prince Stephan: The handsome human prince with whom Lena falls in love. He has a faithful servant and companion named Cosgrove. When they are shipwreck
ed, they are both safely brought to the beach by Lena, then pulled onto the sands by Princess Anna and her schoolmates, none of which ever know about Lena's existence.
Princess Anna: The daughter of the king
who fears an attack from Prince Stephan's father, the king of a land foreign to his own. After Prince Stephan believes that only Anna was involved in rescuing him and Cosgrove, he decides to marry her to show his gratitude. Although Princess Anna loves someone else, her father insists on Anna's marriage with Stephan, to prevent his father from attacking his kingdom
.
Other characters: Tris, Lena's loving sister; The Sea-King, Lena's strict, but caring father; Cosgrove Thackery, Prince Stephan's servant; Maxwell, Princess Anna's lover.
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
. Like all other Golden Films
Golden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
productions, the film featured a single theme song, "The World Above", written and composed by Richard Hurwitz and John Arrias.
A young, carefree mermaid named Lena lives a happy life in her home under the sea until the very day when she, after disobeying her father, swims up the surface and meets the handsome Prince Stephan. After rescuing her prince from drowning, Lena runs to the aid of the wicked sea-witch Cassandra, who in exchange for her voice gives Lena legs to walk on land and the warning that if Prince Stephan were to marry someone else, Lena would then turn forever into seafoam.
The Little Mermaid was produced by Golden Films
Golden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
and the American Film Investment Corporation, it was distributed to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment, as part of their "Collectible Classics" line.
Characters
Lena: The heroine of the story, Lena is a carefree, beautiful young mermaidMermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
living with her father, the Sea-King and her sisters in their grand underwater palace. Lena has a loyal companion, a dolphin named Vink, and it is him to whom she tells about her longing of finding the perfect prince, who will be the love of her life. Lena falls in such a deep love for Prince Stephan that she willingly sacrifices her beautiful voice.
Cassandra: Cassandra is the evil Sea-witch dreaded by the mermaids. The Sea-King has forbidden any of his daughters to have anything to do with her. When Cassandra finds out that Lena has fallen in love with a human prince, she tricks her into trading her beautiful voice for human legs, warning her that if Prince Stephan were to marry someone else, she would then turn into seafoam for all eternity.
Vink: A dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
, he is Lena's faithful royal pet. As much as he cares for Lena, he sometimes doesn't feel up to joining her in all of her wild adventures. When he finds out that Lena's life may be in danger, he quickly comes to her rescue and immediately notifies the Sea-King about Cassandra's doing.
Prince Stephan: The handsome human prince with whom Lena falls in love. He has a faithful servant and companion named Cosgrove. When they are shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed, they are both safely brought to the beach by Lena, then pulled onto the sands by Princess Anna and her schoolmates, none of which ever know about Lena's existence.
Princess Anna: The daughter of the king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
who fears an attack from Prince Stephan's father, the king of a land foreign to his own. After Prince Stephan believes that only Anna was involved in rescuing him and Cosgrove, he decides to marry her to show his gratitude. Although Princess Anna loves someone else, her father insists on Anna's marriage with Stephan, to prevent his father from attacking his kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
.
Other characters: Tris, Lena's loving sister; The Sea-King, Lena's strict, but caring father; Cosgrove Thackery, Prince Stephan's servant; Maxwell, Princess Anna's lover.
Music
- Theme: "The World Above", written and composed by Richard Hurwitz and John Arrias.
Classical pieces
(incomplete)- "Pictures at an Exhibition: GnomusPictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
" - Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period... - "Te Deum: PreludeTe Deum (Charpentier)Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed his grand polyphonic motet Te Deum in D major probably between 1688 and 1698, during his stay at the Jesuit Church of Saint-Louis in Paris, where he held the position of musical director...
" - Marc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres... - "Night on Bald MountainNight on Bald MountainNight on Bald Mountain is a composition by Modest Mussorgsky that exists in, at least, two versions—a seldom performed 1867 version or a later and very popular "fantasy for orchestra" arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the Bare Mountain , based on the vocal score of the "Dream Vision...
" - Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period... - "L'arlesienne: Suite No. 2: FarandoleL'Arlésienne SuitesThe incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne was composed by Georges Bizet for the first performance of the play on 1 October 1872 at the Vaudeville Theatre...
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" - Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
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