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Sunday, November 02, 2008

My Top Disney Films #13

#13 Peter Pan

"All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.

Wendy Darling (Beaumont) is a storyteller. She often tells her brothers, the studious John (Collins) and the young Michael (Luske), stories about a boy who never grew up, Peter Pan (Driscoll). But her stories (and use of their fathers good cuff links and shirt front) frustrate their father (Conried), and she will be moved out of the nursery so she can grow up. Their parents leave for the evening, and Peter Pan appears and decides to take the children to Never Land with him. With a little help from his fairy friend, Tinkerbell, sprinkles them with pixie dust and teaches them how to fly.

In Never Land they are attacked by the pirate, Captain Hook (also Conried), and then by the Lost Boys (see below).

Yes, I am an animal lover...
Peter banishes Tinkerbell (who is jealous of Wendy), and takes Wendy to meet the mermaids, while Michael and John go hunting for Indians with the Lost Boys, while Captain Hook and his first mate Mr. Smee (Thompson) plot.

Reason I chose this film:
There have been many versions of J.M. Barrie's story...and many different film versions (2003's live action Peter Pan, and 1991's Hook). Having never read the book, I can't say how close this is to the story (according to imdb.com, this is the farthest from the original story), but it has a certain charm. No it is not politically correct (there is a song "What Makes the Red Man Red"), but if you can overlook that, you will witness the charm of the story. Never Land is beautiful and without this film Disney wouldn't have Tinkerbell, their mascot (who opens all of their films...well, she used to). Captain Hook is mostly played for laughs, as is the crocodile, but overall it is very entertaining.

Peter Pan (1953) 77 minutes
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Starring: Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan
Kathryn Beaumont as Wendy Darling
Hans Conried as Captain Hook / Mr. Darling
Bill Thompson as Mr. Smee / Other Pirates
Heather Angel as Mrs. Darling
Paul Collins as John Darling
Tommy Luske as Michael Darling
Candy Candido as Indian Chief
Tom Conway as Narrator

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