Pete's Dragon (1977)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

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

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 7 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
Henry Slate	...	Fisherman #2
Jack Collins	...	Fisherman #3
Robert Easton	...	Store Proprietor
Roger Price	...	Man with Visor
Robert Foulk	...	Old Sea Captain
Ben Wrigley	...	Egg Man
Joe Ross	...	Cement Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Debbie Fresh	...	Child / Dancer / Singer (uncredited)
Dinah Anne Rogers	...	Townsperson (uncredited)
Dennis Stewart	...	Fisherman (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Chaffey

Writing credits
Malcolm Marmorstein		(screenplay)
Seton I. Miller		(story) and
S.S. Field		(story)

Produced by
Jerome Courtland	....	producer
Ron Miller	....	producer

Cinematography by
Frank V. Phillips		(director of photography) (as Frank Phillips)

Film Editing by
Gordon D. Brenner

Production Design by
John B. Mansbridge		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
John B. Mansbridge
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Lucien Hafley		(as Lucien M. Hafley)

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas
William Ware Theiss		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
La Rue Matheron	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John D. Bloss	....	production manager (as John Bloss)
Christopher N. Seiter	....	unit production manager (as Christopher Seiter)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald R. Grow	....	assistant director
John M. Poer	....	second assistant director
Gary LaPoten	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Kate Tilley	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Anderson	....	animation art director
Kurt V. Hulett	....	property master (uncredited)
Peter Young	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Raymond Craddock	....	sound editor
Frank Regula	....	sound mixer (as Frank C. Regula)
Herb Taylor	....	sound supervisor
Barney Cabral	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Ronald R. Cooper	....	boom operator (uncredited)
George Fredrick	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Ben Hendricks	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Bill Wylie	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Art Cruickshank	....	special effects
Danny Lee	....	special effects
Eustace Lycett	....	special effects
David Domeyer	....	special effects (uncredited)
Hans Metz	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (as P.S. Ellenshaw)
Dorse A. Lanpher	....	effects animator
Art Cruickshank	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
John Emerson	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Ted Kierscey	....	effects animator (uncredited)
Eustace Lycett	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
John Moio	....	stunt coordinator
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Mickey Rooney (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Boles	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Don Bluth	....	animation director
Randy Cartwright	....	character animator
Ron Clements	....	character animator
Gary Goldman	....	character animator
Bill Hajee	....	character animator
Joe Hale	....	layout artist
Chuck Harvey	....	character animator
Glen Keane	....	character animator
James Melton	....	animation editor
Cliff Nordberg	....	character animator
John Pomeroy	....	character animator
Chuck Williams	....	assistant animation supervisor
Ken Anderson	....	character designer (uncredited)
Dale Baer	....	animator (uncredited)
Don Hahn	....	assistant animator (uncredited)
Herbert Ryman	....	background artist: main titles (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chuck Keehne	....	costumes
Emily Sundby	....	costumes

Music Department
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor
Irwin Kostal	....	conductor
Irwin Kostal	....	music arranger
Irwin Kostal	....	music supervisor
Irwin Kostal	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mario Simon	....	transportation co-captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Martin Allen	....	associate choreographer
Ken Anderson	....	creator: "Elliott"
David Baker	....	dance arranger
Onna White	....	choreographer
Bill Hutchinson	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
John Wagner	....	craft service (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions (presents)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

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:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | 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:

GOOFY HOLLER: When Doc Terminus is tied to the harpoon shot from a cannon and flies out the building roof with it.

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:

Willie: [after being knocked in the mud by Elliott] Somethin' hit me!
Grover: What somethin'?
Willie: If I knowed what somethin', I wouldn't call it somethin'! I'd call it by its name!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Finale: I Saw a Dragon / Brazzle Dazzle Day

One of the best underrated live-action Disney films

"Pete's Dragon" is an enchanting Disney tale that combines live-action and animation. The dragon is the only animated character, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a perfect combination of live-action and animation. This is definitely one of the best live-action movies produced by Disney. One of my favorites. It's a happy, cute and charming motion picture.

Like "Mary Poppins", it looks dated today, but that's not a major flaw. Plus, its charm is timeless. There are plenty of beautiful vistas: a lighthouse, mountains, green places, the endless sea and more. Passamaquoddy is a strange name, but the village is nice. The story is heartwarming. There are enjoyable characters, a wonderful soundtrack, classic humor and magic.

The dragon Elliott is cute and lovable. He almost resembles Puff the Magic Dragon and has a funny way to communicate: his sounds are cute to listen. Elliott is a good and innocent dragon, but so big and clumsy that he puts Pete in trouble some times in the beginning (although without really meaning to). By the way, I love dragons. Pete is a cute and lovable kid. I enjoy his friendship with the animated dragon.

There is a nice cast in the film. Sean Marshall is excellent as Pete. In fact, Sean Marshall was one of the great child actors of all time, in the same line of many other great ones. Helen Reddy is great as Nora. Mickey Rooney is funny as the silly but comical Lampie. Jim Dale is hilarious as Doc Terminus. Red Buttons is every bit as hilarious as Jim Dale in the role he plays (Hoagy, Doc Terminus's sidekick). Shelley Winters plays well her role (the wicked Lena Gogan, the leader of the Gogans).

Sadly, like many other Disney films, this is underrated. Yet, it's a nice old-fashioned film (and nostalgic too). There are a few cheesy moments, but nothing too serious or enough to ruin the movie. One of the few things I don't like about this movie is Pete's teacher. She is so mean, even more when she does that corporal punishment thing to Pete. In my first years of school I had this teacher who used to do us that sometimes. That used to hurt so much!

About the songs, I like most of them very much. My personal favorites are "Brazzle Dazzle Day", "It's not easy", "Candle on the Water", "Boo Bop Bopbop Bop (I love you, too)" and "There's Room for Everyone". These songs are so beautiful and so pleasant to listen. They are timeless classics.

Curiously (and hilariously), Doc Terminus utters a Goofy holler in his final scene: that "yaaaaaaa-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!!" is priceless!

This should definitely be on Top 250.