Family Fun Saturday - Pete's Dragon (1977)

Disney, 1977
Starring Sean Marshall, Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, and Jim Dale
Directed by Don Chaffey
Music by Al Kasha; Lyrics by Joel Hirschhorn

Before we get into this year's horror musical reviews for Halloween, I thought we'd try something a tad lighter. This is an old childhood favorite of mine. A re-release was one of the first movies I ever saw in a theater. How well does the unusual story of a boy and his dragon who help out a New England town look today? Let's take to the road with Pete (Marshall) and his buddy Elliott and find out...

The Story: Pete (Marshall) is on the run from the Grogans, the combative hillbilly family who bought him from the orphanage and treat him like a slave. His only friend is Elliott (voice of Charlie Callas), a friendly green dragon who becomes invisible when anyone but Pete is around. They flee to the New England coastal town of Passamaquaddy, but Elliot's size wrecks havoc on the people of the town. They hide in a cave, where Pete is found by Nora (Reddy), the kindly daughter of the lighthouse keeper Lampy (Rooney). Nora and Lampy take Pete in, and even let him go to school. Not only are the Grogans still on Pete's trail, though, but the snake-oil salesman Dr. Terminus (Dale) and his assistant Hoagy (Red Buttons) are determined to get their hands on Elliott to use him to make their bogus remedies.

The Animation: Par for the course in this time period. Elliot moves relatively well, but his "invisible" spells are obviously moving wires, and you can pretty much see the green screen around him when he's with actual people.

The Song and Dance: It's the supporting cast who shine here. Dale and Buttons have a blast as the con men who think dragon parts will make them rich, while Rooney's having his own fun as eternally inebriated Lampy. Sean Marshall's actually not bad as Pete. He really does make you believe his best friend is a dragon (even when the special effects don't). Reddy is a warm and witty Nora (and gets to introduce this movie's sole standard, "Candle On the Water"). They're abetted by a cast of favorite TV hams, including Jim Backus as the mayor and Jane Kean as the strict school teacher.

The other plus here, along with the music, is gorgeous cinematography. That may be California substituting for New England (complete with a specially-built lighthouse), but it still looks great. "Razzle Dazzle Day," filmed on top of the lighthouse, takes full advantage of the widescreen process as the trio get a load of the stunning views.

Favorite Number: "Candle On the Water" is Nora's big ballad about mid-way through, as she hopes that her own love will be like the lighthouse and find his way home. It's a really lovely song that deserved its Oscar nomination. Nora also gets a sweet duet with Pete as they discuss Elliott and their odd friendship, "It's Not Easy."

Dale throws himself wholeheartedly into the flourishing villain song, "Every Little Piece," as he and Buttons reveal what they intend to do with Elliot. Nora explains to the kids of Passamaquaddy why Pete's so close to his friend - and why they should let all kinds of people (and dragons) into their lives - as they turn the docks into a playground in "There's Room for Everyone." There's also that widescreen view in "Brazzle Dazzle Day" as Nora, Lampy, and Pete clean and paint the lighthouse.

What I Don't Like: Yeah, the story isn't the strongest in the universe. It doesn't match either of Disney's earlier ventures into live action/animation, Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The special effects look almost annoyingly dated now, and even then weren't great compared to the big sci-fi fantasy movies of the time. You can easily see the wires and green screen, especially in the big action finale. There's also the Grogans, who come off as ridiculous hillbilly stereotypes and aren't nearly as much fun as Dale and Buttons. Frankly, the whole thing comes off as more than a little cheesy.

The Big Finale: Too goofy for older kids, but for youngsters and those who grew up watching this on cable or video, the music and cast alone is worth giving this this one a look.

Home Media: The "High Flying Edition" is easily found in all formats.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime