Pete's Dragon (1977)

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

Malcolm Marmorstein (screenplay)
Seton I. Miller (story) ...

Release Date:

3 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Brazzle Dazzle Brilliance!

Plot:

An orphan boy and his magical dragon come to town with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.

Plot Keywords:

Dragon | Orphan | Lighthouse | New England | Lighthouse Keeper

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Helen Reddy	...	Nora
Jim Dale	...	Dr. Terminus
Mickey Rooney	...	Lampie
Red Buttons	...	Hoagy
Shelley Winters	...	Lena Gogan
Sean Marshall	...	Pete
Jane Kean	...	Miss Taylor
Jim Backus	...	The Mayor
Charles Tyner	...	Merle
Gary Morgan	...	Grover
Jeff Conaway	...	Willie
Cal Bartlett	...	Paul
Charlie Callas	...	Elliott (voice)
Walter Barnes	...	Captain
Al Checco	...	Fisherman #1

Also Known As:

Pete y Elliot el Dragon (USA: Spanish title)

Runtime:

128 min | Argentina:130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | Netherlands:6 (2009) (DVD) | Netherlands:AL (2007) (DVD) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Norway:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Golden Oak Ranch - 19802 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

This was the first Disney film to be recorded in the then new Dolby Stereo system.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the "Money" song, there is a close up on Doc Terminus and Hoagy. When Doc sings the phrase "Can't you hear that jingle-jangle sound", you can see Hoagy start to sing along with him and then catch himself and stop, since the audio only has Doc singing the line.

Quotes:

Grover: Hey Ma, w-why don't we get ourselves another orphan, huh?
Lena Gogan: Because I done paid our last $50 for Pete, plus $.50 legal fees, and we ain't got another $50 plus legal, that's why. Ya understand?
[Willie and Grover look at each other then shake their heads]
Lena Gogan: Well, here's somethin' you *will* understand: you're gonna have to start workin' the farm with your own two hands, less'n you spot that little twerp!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Pushing Daisies: The Legend of Merle McQuoddy (#2.9)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Brazzle Dazzle Day

Weirdly Compelling

I rewatched this for the first time in almost 2 decades, and found it still holds up in many ways despite some technical glitches and weak jokes. I credit the film's watchabl-ness to the following; 1) Leisurely pace. The narrative is pulled off onto tangents by the wealth of talented actors in supporting roles. The director seems happy to allow them to do this, and it benefits the film. 30-40 minutes could easily be cut, and 3 minute scenes could easily be reduced to a single line of dialog - but where's the fun in that? Viewer's who commit the time will get to see pretty much every actor interact, whether the scene is necessary or not (Buttons and Rooney, Dale and Reddy, etc.) 2) Catchy Songs. With a few exceptions, the songs in Pete's Dragon mostly reflect the quasi-lounge feel of Burt Bacharach numbers. Each number is mounted as a "showstopper," with dance and dialog breakdowns that contribute to the running time. However, unlike most modern musicals, the songs are integral to the plot.

3)Solid Ham in supporting roles. The veteran performers chew scenery like James Bond villains without ever failing to take the proceedings seriously. Winters especially gave me the creeps.