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Pete's Dragon (1977 film)

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Pete's Dragon
Directed byDon Chaffey
Don Bluth (animation)
Written byShort Story Author:
S.S. Field
Seton Miller
Screenwriter:
Malcolm Marmorstein
Produced byJerome Courtland
Ron W. Miller
StarringHelen Reddy
Jim Dale
Mickey Rooney
Red Buttons
Shelley Winters
CinematographyFrank Phillips
Edited byGordon D. Brenner
Music byJoel Hirschhorn
Al Kasha
Irwin Kostal
Release dates
November 3, 1977
Running time
134 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Pete's Dragon was acquired by the Disney studio in the 1950s and was originally intended for the Walt Disney anthology series on TV. The movie (first released on November 3, 1977) is a live-action/animated musical feature 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. It is about a young orphan named Pete (played by Sean Marshall) who enters a small fishing community in Maine in the early 20th century. His only friend is a dragon, Elliott (voiced by Charlie Callas and animated by Don Bluth), 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. Helen 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.

Cast

Plot summary

Pete, a young orphan, is fleeing his adoptive family, the Gogans, who abuse him as a slave. As family matriarch Lena Gogan and company pursue him ("The Happiest Home in These Hills"), an unseen force, which Pete calls Elliott, distracts the Gogans. The next morning, Pete and Elliott, who is revealed to be a green and purple dragon, share breakfast ("Boo Bop BopBop Bop") and decide to visit a nearby village called Passamaquoddy.

The unseen Elliott makes his presence known by knocking over things and making footprints in wet cement. Pete is immediately labeled a source of ill luck and is forced to flee. Nearby, an old man called Lampie stumbles out of a tavern and encounters Pete. Elliott makes himself visible to playfully scare Lampie, who runs into the bar to warn the townsfolk ("I Saw a Dragon"). Nora, Lampie's headstrong daughter, takes him back to their home, the local lighthouse, settles him down and puts him to bed. Nora then sees Pete walking along the beach and decides to investigate.

In a seaside cave, Pete rebukes Elliott for causing trouble. The two make up just as Pete is discovered by Nora, who invites him into the lighthouse for the night. As they talk ("It's Not Easy"), Pete sees a picture of a sailor. Nora tells him it's her fiancé Paul, whose ship was reported lost at sea. Pete promises to ask Elliott about Paul, because “he has a way of knowing things”. Nora, still believing Elliott is merely an imaginary friend, accepts Pete’s offer.

The next morning, Doc Terminus, a medicine showman, and his shill Hoagie, fleeing from pursuers, arrive in Passamaquoddy. The town's population is initially angered by his return, but Terminus is able to calm the mob ("Passamashloddy"). That evening, Pete asks Nora and Lampie to allow him to visit Elliott in the cave. Both agree, and Nora thanks her father for pretending that the dragon exists, but Lampie insists he actually saw a dragon. Nora tells him to be realistic, to which Lampie retorts that her hoping for Paul’s return is just as unrealistic. 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. In the cave, they frighten themselves with exaggerated descriptions of the dragon. Not realizing they are describing him, a now-frightened Elliott follows behind them. After all three face each other, Hoagie offers Elliott some liquor as a gesture of peace, but the alcohol triggers a fiery belch from his mouth that chases the pair away.

As Nora escorts Pete to school, 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. At the schoolhouse, Miss Taylor is wary of accepting Pete as a new student, but relents. During the lessons, the invisible Elliott begins ringing the school bell, but when Pete attempts to stop Elliott, it appears he himself is ringing it. Miss Taylor punishes Pete for lying, which enrages Elliott, who smashes into the building. Doc Terminus sees the damage and realizes the dragon is real. After learning that dragon anatomy has many uses ("Every Little Piece"), Terminus makes Pete an offer for Elliott, which Pete refuses.

Later, Nora tells Pete that she and Lampie would like for Pete to stay with them, an offer Pete gladly accepts ("Brazzle Dazzle Day"). The Gogans arrive in town, and they find Pete with Nora and Lampie by the wharf ("Bill of Sale"), but are again defeated by Elliott. Terminus later visits the Gogans, telling them that he will give them Pete if they help him capture Elliott. He then convinces the superstitious locals that helping him capture the dragon will solve their problems.

That evening, a storm starts to blow into the area. Elliott tells Pete he has located Paul, whereupon Pete tries to tell Nora the good news; 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. Pete, however, is largely undeterred, and he 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, Elliott discovers Pete, but is caught in an immense net. Elliott frees himself and rescues Pete from the Gogans before they can escape. As Pete and Elliott celebrate, Terminus aims a harpoon gun at the distracted dragon, but then realizes the harpoon's rope is looped around his ankle. He diverts the cannon, but is unable to stop it from shooting him through the ceiling. Before returning to the lighthouse, Elliott sees a utility pole falling towards the town hall as the mayor and other dignitaries are exiting. Elliott, now visible, catches the pole and saves 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, the light is ignited and the ship is saved.

The next morning, the townsfolk praise Elliott for his help, and Paul and Nora are reunited. Now that Pete is safe and has a loving family of his own, Elliott must move on to help other children. Pete and Elliott say their goodbyes.

Alternate versions

In its original roadshow theatrical release, the film ran 134 minutes. Shortly after, the film was re-edited to 121 minutes. What is the most notable change being an alternate 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 October 1980 Pete's Dragon was the first Disney feature to be released on VHS with a 121 minute version came to home video. It was only available for a very short time. When it was re-released to movie theaters in March 1984 it was cut again from 121 minutes to 104 minutes. When re-issued on home video in October of 1985, the film was restored considerably to 128 minutes. When it aired on TV it was severely edited and time-compressed, to 94 minutes, eliminating the "Candle On The Water" number.

It is not known whether or not the original 134-minute cut still exists in the Disney archives or, if not, whether Disney would spend money on a reconstruction.

Songs

  • "Main Title" - Instrumental
  • "The Happiest Home in These Hills" - Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan & Jeff Conaway
  • "Boo Bop BopBop Bop (I Love You, Too)" - Sean Marshall & Charlie Callas
  • "I Saw a Dragon" - Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney & The Townsmen
  • "It's Not Easy" - Helen Reddy & Sean Marshall
  • "Passamashloddy" - Jim Dale, Red Buttons & Townsfolk
  • "Candle on the Water" - Helen Reddy
  • "There's Room for Everyone" - Helen Reddy, Sean Marshall & Children
  • "Every Little Piece" - Red Buttons & Jim Dale
  • "Brazzle Dazzle Day" - Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney & Sean Marshall
  • "Bill of Sale" - Helen Reddy, Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan & Jeff Conaway
  • "Candle on the Water (Reprise)" - Helen Reddy

Trivia


  • The lighthouse for Pete's Dragon was built on a point above Morro Bay, California, 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.[1]
  • Jeff Conaway, who played Willie (one of the two thug-like "Gogan" sons), is better known for his role as Kenickie in the film version of Grease, as Bobby Wheeler from the TV show Taxi, and more recently as Zack Allan in the science fiction show Babylon 5.
  • Animators opted to make Elliott more of an oriental, rather than occidental, dragon because oriental dragons are usually associated with good.
  • Singer Helen Reddy, famous for the feminist anthem "I Am Woman", made her second big-screen appearance as Nora, while screen veteran Mickey Rooney played her father, Lampie.
  • The song "Candle On The Water" by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, along with a tune from another Disney film – The Rescuers. The Oscar went to "You Light Up My Life," from the film of the same name.
  • The film is the first involving animation in which none of the Nine Old Men — Disney's original team of animators — were involved.
  • One of the movie's special effects 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.
  • Third wave ska band Reel Big Fish recorded a cover version of the song "It's Not Easy" from the film for their "Duet All Night Long" split EP with Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer.
  • In an apparent nod to the film, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has at times adopted the name dragonspete to chat in online rooms.
  • Elliott the dragon and Pete appear in the Main Street Electrical Parade in the Disney theme parks.
  • A parody of Pete's Dragon can be seen in the season 5 Family Guy episode "No Meals on Wheels", with Ben Stiller (with oversized ears as wings) taking the title role.
  • Elliott made a few appearances in House of Mouse and made a cameo in the Who Framed Roger Rabbit DVD.
  • On Mad TV, Coach Hines (played by Keegan-Michael Key) says "I'm a Coach for Pete's Dragon"
  • This was the last feature film to be included in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show.
  • The Pushing Daisies episode "The Legend of Merle McQuoddy" is an homage to this film. In the episode many references can be found. A lighthouse keeper named Nora loses her lover to a storm at sea, and continues watching for him from her lighthouse. Her son is named Elliott, her husband named Merle and their last name is McQuoddy. At one point, two characters seek refuge in a cave by the sea. At one point a vocal group comes to the lighthouse and sings Candle on the Water, a song from Pete's Dragon. Also, the show was always narrated by Jim Dale, who starred as Doc Terminus in Pete's Dragon.

References

  1. ^ "Where is the lighthouse from Pete's Dragon located?" http://psc.disney.go.com/guestservices/8740.html#history_archives44
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