The Last Unicorn (1982)

Directors:

Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writers:

Peter S. Beagle (novel)
Peter S. Beagle (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Fantasy

Tagline:

A Treasured Fantasy Classic of Incomparable Charm!

Plot:

A brave unicorn and a magician fight an evil king who is obsessed with attempting to capture the world's unicorns.

Plot Keywords:

Unicorn | Evil King | King | Magician | Prince

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Alan Arkin	...	Schmendrick (voice)
Jeff Bridges	...	Prince Lir (voice)
Mia Farrow	...	Unicorn / Amalthea (voice)
Tammy Grimes	...	Molly Grue (voice)
Robert Klein	...	The Butterfly (voice)
Angela Lansbury	...	Mommy Fortuna (voice)
Christopher Lee	...	King Haggard (voice: English version) (voice: German version)
Keenan Wynn	...	Captain Cully / Harpy (voice)
Paul Frees	...	Mabruk (voice)
Rene Auberjonois	...	The Skull (voice)
Brother Theodore	...	Ruhk (voice)
Don Messick	...	The Cat (voice)
Jack Lester	...	Hunter #1 / Old Farmer / Cully's Men (voice)
Nellie Bellflower	...	The Tree (voice)
Ed Peck	...	Jack Jingley / Cully's Men (voice) (as Edward Peck)
Kenneth Jennings	...	Hunter #2 / Cully's Men (voice)
America	...	The Balladeers / Chorus (voice)
Gerry Beckley	...	The Balladeer (voice) (as America)
Dewey Bunnell	...	The 2nd Balladeer (voice) (as America)
Michael 'Woodzy' Woods	...	The Balladeers' Lead Guitarist / Chorus (voice) (as America)
Brad Palmer	...	The Balladeers' Bassist / Chorus (voice) (as America)
Will Leacox	...	The Balladeers' Drummer & Pecussionist (as America)

Directed by
Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writing credits
Peter S. Beagle		(novel)
Peter S. Beagle		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jules Bass	....	producer
Arthur Rankin Jr.	....	producer
Martin Starger	....	executive producer
Michael Chase Walker	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jimmy Webb

Film Editing by
Tomoko Kida

Production Design by
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Production Management
Masaki Îzuka	....	in charge of production (as Masaki Iisuka)

Art Department
Don Duga	....	additional storyboard sequences

Sound Department
Tom Clack	....	sound effects
John Curcio	....	sound recording engineer
Dave Iveland	....	sound recording engineer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Richards	....	sound recording engineer
Kiyoshi Ôhira	....	sound effects (as Noriyoshi Ohira)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hiroyasu Omoto	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Lester Abrams	....	character designer
Toru Hara	....	animation coordinator (as Toru Kara)
Mitsuo Iwasaki	....	background artist
Kazuyuki Kobayashi	....	key animator
Kubo	....	continuity animation
Hidemi Kubo	....	key animator
Minoru Nishida	....	background artist
Kiyoshi Sakai	....	assistant animation coordinator
Kayoko Sakano	....	animator
Yoshiko Sasaki	....	animator
Fukuo Suzuki	....	animator
Katsuhisa Yamada	....	animation director
Masahiro Yoshida	....	animator
Tadakatsu Yoshida	....	key animator
Kazusuke Yoshihara	....	background artist

Music Department
Matthew McCauley	....	orchestrator
William McCauley	....	orchestrator
Elton Moser	....	additional orchestrations
Jimmy Webb	....	additional orchestrations
America	....	band accompaniment (uncredited)
America	....	chorus (uncredited)
America	....	music performers (uncredited)
America	....	musician (uncredited)
America	....	scoring band (uncredited)
America	....	vocal accompaniment (uncredited)
Gerry Beckley	....	chorus (uncredited)
Gerry Beckley	....	musician: piano & guitar (uncredited)
Gerry Beckley	....	singer (uncredited)
Jeff Bridges	....	featured vocalist (uncredited)
Dewey Bunnell	....	chorus (uncredited)
Dewey Bunnell	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Dewey Bunnell	....	singer (uncredited)
Katie Irving	....	featured vocalist (uncredited)
Katie Irving	....	singing voice: Mia Farrow (uncredited)
Will Leacox	....	musician: drums & percussions (uncredited)
Brad Palmer	....	chorus (uncredited)
Brad Palmer	....	musician: bass guitar (uncredited)
Michael 'Woodzy' Woods	....	chorus (uncredited)
Michael 'Woodzy' Woods	....	musician: lead guitar (uncredited)

Other crew
Lee Dannacher	....	production coordinator (as Lee Dannacker)
Irra Duga	....	tapestry design
Lew Grade	....	presenter (as Lord Grade)
Katsuhisa Yamada	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Rankin/Bass Productions
• Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Distributors

• Jensen Farley Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Maple Pictures (2007) (Canada) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA | UK | Japan | West Germany

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl (TV rating) | Australia:G | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6 (original rating) | Germany:o.Al. (re-rating)

Company:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Trivia:

When negotiating for the making of the film, Peter S. Beagle told his associate producer Michael Chase Walker that he specifically didn't want to work with the Rankin/Brass company. When Walker told Beagle that they had signed a deal, he was horrified and threatened to pull out of the project. However, he met with Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., and liked their ideas, so he agreed to work with them.

Quotes:

Prince Lir:Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: The Black Cauldron (#2.9)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Last Unicorn

A cildhood dream that sticks with you

Whether it's a combination of the soundtrack by America, or the super-dramatic vocal talents of the actors, this is one movie that sticks with you for... oh, about 20 years. I can recall lines (and sometimes cry) even when I haven't seen the movie in ages. I was lucky enough to get the (slightly poor) DVD release this week and watched it three times in a night.

Any line that Molly Grue says makes the hairs on my neck stand up. Not being a big anime or fantasy film buff, I still list this as a top child-hood movie to watch over and over (and over again much to the chagrin of my husband). Mia Farrow sounds like an angel. Alan Arkin is just lovable. Jeff Bridges "sounds" handsome (which is about all his character has to be). I'm almost afraid to see the new live version coming out in 2006. I don't want to lose the fantasy of this film.