Charlotte's Web (1973)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Directors:

Charles A. Nichols
Iwao Takamoto

Writers:

E.B. White (book)
Earl Hamner Jr. (story)

Release Date:

1 March 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Musical

Tagline:

That humble radiant terrific book is now a humble radiant terrific movie.

Plot:

A spider with a flair for promotion pledges to save a young pig from slaughter.

Plot Keywords:

Pig | Spider | Farm | Runt | Barn

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Debbie Reynolds	...	Charlotte A. Cavatica (voice)
Paul Lynde	...	Templeton (voice)
Henry Gibson	...	Wilbur (voice)
Rex Allen	...	Narrator (voice)
Martha Scott	...	Mrs. Arable (voice)
Dave Madden	...	Ram (voice)
Danny Bonaduce	...	Avery Arable (voice)
Don Messick	...	Jeffrey (voice)
Herb Vigran	...	Lurvy (voice)
Agnes Moorehead	...	The Goose (voice)
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Fern Arable (voice) (as Pam Ferdin)
Joan Gerber	...	Mrs. Zuckerman / Mrs. Fussy (voice)
Bob Holt	...	Homer Zuckerman (voice) (as Robert Holt)
John Stephenson	...	Farmer Arable (voice)
William B. White	...	Henry Fussy (voice)
Joann Albert	...	Singer (voice) (as Joann Alberts)
John Richard Bolks	...	Singer (voice) (as Dick Bolks)
Fred Frank	...	Singer (voice)
Ida Sue McCune	...	Singer (voice) (as Susie McCune)
Jay Meyer	...	Singer (voice)
Robert Tebow	...	Singer (voice) (as Bob Tebow)
Jackie Allen	...	Singer (voice)
Paul DeKorte	...	Singer (voice)
Bill Lee	...	Singer (voice)
Gene Merlino	...	Singer (voice)
Paul Sandberg	...	Singer (voice)
Jackie Ward	...	Singer (voice)

Directed by
Charles A. Nichols		(as Charles Nichols)
Iwao Takamoto

Writing credits
E.B. White		(book)
Earl Hamner Jr.		(story)

Produced by
Joseph Barbera	....	producer
Edgar M. Bronfman	....	executive producer (as Edgar Bronfman)
William Hanna	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman

Film Editing by
Pat Foley

Art Direction by
Ray Aragon
Paul Julian
Bob Singer

Production Management
Victor O. Schipek	....	production supervisor

Art Department
Jan Strejan	....	story sketches

Sound Department
Richard C. Allen	....	sound effects editor
Earl Bennett	....	sound effects editor
Joseph D. Citarella	....	sound director (as Joe Citarella)
Bill Getty	....	sound director
Richard Olson	....	sound director (as Dick Olson)
Joe Sandusky	....	sound effects editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Blundell	....	camera operator
George Epperson	....	camera operator
Ralph Migliori	....	camera operator
Roy Wade	....	camera operator
Dennis Weaver	....	camera operator
Cliff Shirpser	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Edwin Aardal	....	animator (as Ed Aardal)
John Ahern	....	layout artist
Hal Ambro	....	key animator
Fernando Arce	....	background artist
Mike Arens	....	layout artist
Jayne Barbera	....	ink and paint supervisor
Ed Barge	....	key animator
Lyle Beddes	....	background artist
Oliver Callahan	....	animator (as O.E. Callahan)
Lars Calonius	....	key animator
Pat Combs	....	key assistant animator
Lee Dyer	....	animator
Jerry Eisenberg	....	layout artist
Venetia Epler	....	background artist
Ronald Erickson	....	background artist
Lillian Evans	....	key assistant animator
Martin Forte	....	background artist
Hugh Fraser	....	animator
Robert Gentle	....	background artist (as Bob Gentle)
Gino Giudice	....	background artist
Al Gmuer	....	background artist
Bob Goe	....	animator
Moe Gollub	....	layout artist (as Mo Gollub)
Ric Gonzales	....	layout artist (as Ric Gonzalez)
Joe Griffith	....	background artist (as Joseph Griffith Jr.)
Bob Hathcock	....	key assistant animator
Jerry Hathcock	....	animation coordinator
David High	....	layout artist
Gary Hoffman	....	layout artist
Jack Huber	....	layout artist
Charlotte Huffine	....	key assistant animator
Alex Ignatiev	....	layout artist
Volus Jones	....	animator
Bill Keil	....	animation coordinator
Richard Khim	....	background artist
Tom Knowles	....	background artist
George Kreisl	....	animator
Dick Lundy	....	key animator
Lorraine Marue	....	background artist (as Lorraine Andrina)
Takashi Masunaga	....	animation stylist: song sequences
Rae McSpadden	....	key assistant animator
Fernando Montealegre	....	background supervisor (as F. Montealegre)
Don Morgan	....	layout artist
Gary Niblett	....	background artist
Margaret Nichols	....	key assistant animator
Rolando Oliva	....	background artist
Joan Orbison	....	key assistant animator
Lew Ott	....	layout artist
Ed Parks	....	animator
Don Patterson	....	animator
Ray Patterson	....	animator
Bill Perez	....	animation stylist: song sequences
Jay Sarbry	....	key assistant animator
Eric Semones	....	background artist
Irven Spence	....	key animator (as Irv Spence)
Leo Swenson	....	layout artist
Jeannette Toews	....	background artist
Peter Van Elk	....	background artist
Carlo Vinci	....	animator
Robert 'Tiger' West	....	xerographer
George Wheeler	....	layout artist
Xenia	....	animator
Madlyn O'Neill	....	painter (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Larry C. Cowan	....	editorial supervisor (as Larry Cowan)
William E. DeBoer	....	negative consultant
Joed Eaton	....	post-production

Music Department
Paul DeKorte	....	music coordinator
Irwin Kostal	....	conductor
Irwin Kostal	....	music arranger
Irwin Kostal	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Alex Lovy	....	dialogue director
Lewis Marshall	....	story editor (as Lew Marshall)
Frank Paiker	....	technical supervisor
Robert Schaefer	....	title typography

Production Companies

• Hanna-Barbera Productions
• Paramount Pictures
• Sagittarius Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Scotia-Barber (197?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Missing in Action (MIA)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Tec Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

E.B. White's Charlotte's Web (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Germany:o.Al. (VHS rating) | Australia:G | Canada:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Trivia:

Originally Tony Randall was hired to do the voice of Templeton the rat. When Randall tried to use his usual cultured, sophisticated voice for the character, the director told him that he wanted something more "nasal". Randall told him that if he wanted a nasal voice, they should have hired Paul Lynde, who ultimately replaced Randall in the role.

Goofs:

Continuity: The positioning of the words on the sign of Wilbur's stall changes between shots.

Quotes:

Narrator: Wilbur's stomach was empty and his mind was full, and when your stomach is empty and your mind is full, It's hard to fall asleep. But eventually, sleep and Wilbur found each other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Horrors of Spider Island (#11.11)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Chin Up

Terrific!

This film didn't completely capture the magic of the beloved E.B. White book I remembered from childhood, but it's head and shoulders above most of the animated fare of its time. The beautiful and poignant book suffers a little under the ham-handed treatment of Earl Hamner Jr. and the obligatory songs, fine as far as songs go, should mostly be gone.

All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film, overflowing with the voices of some of the best talent of its time, some of the best animation Hanna Barbera ever did, and a story that never gets old.