Year Released:1953
Michael's Movie Grade:A+
History
Peter Pan was a film that was long in the making. Walt Disney had first tried to obtain the rights to the source material in 1935. In 1939, he would get the rights. Walt Disney had an int rest in this story for most of his life. He even played Peter Pan in a school play. Peter Pan was one of the first ideas for a Disney feature, however due to many revisions, and the financial trouble for Disney during World War 2 (which would lead to the package features), it would become Disney's 20th feature. However you can see early work for the film in the background of The Reluctant Dragon, a Disney film released 12 years earlier.
The original idea was to start the film with a detailed retelling of Peter's backstory, but at a story meeting in 1940, Walt stated that he felt that they should get rid of this and start the story with Peter meeting the Darling children. This was done both to get the movie going and because much of Peter's backstory is unimportant to the story of the film. Another early story idea was to have Peter kidnap Wendy. Walt again decided against this as he felt it was too dark and made Peter unlikable. The early story ideas were in fact much darker in general involving Captain Hook's death, Mr. and Mrs. Darling mourning over their children which they presumed were lost and a very creepy scene involving the children finding the pirate's treasure.
After Disney fell into financial trouble around 1941 Peter Pan was put on hold and work on the film would not resume until 1947. Part of this long break was also due to Roy Disney not thinking this film could do well at the box office. In 1949 a live-action reference film was shot. Posing for Tinkerbell in this reference film was Marget Kelly, and some sources even state that her design goes back to 1943. Either way it is near impossible for the character to actually be modeled after Marilyn Monroe as has been a persistent rumor. In 1943, Marilyn had not yet appeared in a single film, and by 1949 she had only appeared in very small roles.
An important role film holds is that this is the last Disney film for both animator Fred Moore and actor Bobby Driscoll. Fred Moore was one of the great Disney animators. He had redesigned Mickey to make him fit better into the more elaborate Disney animation of the 1930's and 40's, was the principal animator on the classic short The Three Little Pigs, the supervising animator on the Dwarfs in Snow White and Timothy in Dumbo, and animated the terrifying scene of Lampwick turning into a donkey in Pinocchio. In Peter Pan, he provided animation for the mermaids. He would die in a car crash before the film was finished. Bobby Driscoll was along with Luana Patten, one of the first two actors to have an exclusive contract with Disney, and the two were beginning of Disney's long stream of child actors. Driscoll was a live action actor for Disney with Peter Pan being the only time he would voice an animated character for the studio. Here he would voice the title character, Peter Pan himself. Bobby was also the live action reference for the character.
This film broke most of the set rules for doing an adaption of Peter Pan. Peter was not played by a girl. Tinkerbell was not presented as a flash of light. The audience was not told to shout that they believe in Fairies. However the played by one rule. That was that Mr. Darling and Captain Hook had to be played by the same person. They were both voiced by Hans Conried here.
The film's directors would include the same three who directed Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. The three are Hamilton Luske, Clyde Germonimi, and Wilfred Jackson. Also directing is Jack Kinney. As a director of shorts Kinney had proven himself great at fast paced slapstick humor, making him a perfect director for Peter Pan.
All of Disney's Nine Old Men would animate on this film. Again they would be cast by character. Frank Thomas and Wolie Reitherman for Captain Hook, Ollie Johnson for Smee (a self-caricature), Marc Davis for Tinkerbell, Milt Kahl for Peter and the Darling Children, Ward Kimball for the Indians, EiLason on M. Darling and so forth.
Peter Pan was the highest grossing film of 1953. Although some felt it strayed too far from the source material, it for the most part loved by the critics as well.
Review
Excellent adventure film, stands out as one of the funnest Disney movies.
Peter Pan has what is possibly the best slapstick humor in any Disney feature. Everything with Hook, Smee and the crocodile is priceless. These jokes are fast well animated and most importantly very funny. The facial expressions during these scenes are just as funny as the jokes are.
Past that this is just a very likable film. Wendy is a great lead character, and again Kathrine Beaumont helps add more likability to this character, though this character is better written than Alice. The rest of the Darling family is also very likable. Hook is a great villain, both very funny and threatening. Smee is a very funny character due both to Ollie Johnson's animation and Bill Thompson's voice work. many have brought up that Peter himself can be a bit of a jerk at times, however I think this works to the film's advantage. As it gives Wendy both a message about keeping her childish side, and knowing when it's important to be grown up. Both these sides are very important and I think this film through Peter shows that perfectly. Also adding to the likability is how well the musical numbers fit into the film. There is not one musical number that is not part of the plot. They all advance the plot rather than interrupting it. Also again those familiar with Mary Blair's art will see it all over this film and love it.
Overall this is an excellent film that is simply very fun.
Film Credits
Directors: Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney
Writers: Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright, William Cottrell
Based on the play Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Voice Cast: Bobby Driscoll (Peter Pan), Kathryn Beaumont (Wendy), Hans Conried (Hook, George Darling), Bill Thompson (Mr. Smee, other Pirates), Heather Angel (Mary Darling), Paul Collins (John), Tommy Luske (Michael), Candy Candido (Indian Chief), June Foray (Mermaid, Squaw), Connie Hilton (Mermaid), Margaret Kerry (Mermaid), Johnny McGovern (Lost Boy), Jeffrey Silver (Lost Boy), Stuffy Singer (Lost Boy), Robert Ellis (Lost Boy), Tony Butala (Lost Boy), Tom Conway (Narrator)
Producer: Walt Disney
Music: Oliver Wallace
Songwriters: Sammy Fain, Sammy Cahn, Oliver Wallace, Ted Sears Winston Hibler, Erdman Penner
Sound Department: Robert O. Cook, C.O. Slyfield, Harold J. Steck
Editor: Donald Halliday
Color Styling: Mary Blair, John Hench, Claude Coats, Don Da Grad
Effects Animators: George Rowley, Joshua Meador, Dan MacManus, Blaine Gibson
Other Special Effects: Ub Iwerks
Layout Artists: Charles Philippi, McLaren Stewart, Tom Codrick, A. Kendall O'Connor, Hugh Hennesy, Ken Anderson, Don Griffith, Al Zinnen, Thor Putnam, Lance Nolley
Background Artists: Ralph Hulett, Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Thelma Witmer, Al Dempster, Dick Anthony, Dick Anthony, Eyvind Earle, Brice Mack, Art Landy
Supervising Animators:Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Wolfgang Reitherman, Ward Kimball, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Les Clark, Norm Ferguson
Animators: Hal Ambro, Bob Carlson, Eric Cleworth, Hugh Fraser, Jerry Hathcock, Bill Justice, Hal King, Don Lusk, Fred Moore, Cliff Nordberg, Ken O'Brien, Art Stevens, Harvey Toombs, Clair Weeks, Judge Whitaker, Marvin Woodward
Resources Used
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Peter%20Pan
http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon-characters/30-Peter-Pan
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046183/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
The Animated Movie Guide by Jerry Beck (contrubiting writer Martian Goodman)
-Michael J. Ruhland
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