Charlotte's Web (1973)

A gentle and wise grey spider with a flair for promotion pledges to save a young pig from slaughter for dinner food.

Directors:

Charles A. Nichols (as Charles Nichols), Iwao Takamoto

Writers:

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

Stars:

Debbie Reynolds, Henry Gibson, Paul Lynde

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Debbie Reynolds	...	Charlotte (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	...	Edith Zuckerman / Mrs. Fussy (voice)
Bob Holt	...	Homer Zuckerman (voice) (as Robert Holt)
John Stephenson	...	Mr. Arable / Parking Officer (voice)
William B. White	...	Henry Fussy (voice)

Storyline

Based on the beloved children's novel by E.B. White, this is the story of a little pig named Wilbur who was born a runt. Mr. Arable decides to kill him for dinner food but his daughter Fern begs him to let him live. On greater maturity, Wilbur is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer L. Zuckerman, in whose barnyard he's left yearning for friendship, but is snubbed by other barn animals. Wilbur is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a gentle and wise grey spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen.

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Plot Keywords:

pig | spider | runt | children | barn | 

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Taglines:

The all-time best selling novel is now a captivating motion picture.

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

E.B. White's Charlotte's Web

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,232,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Sagittarius Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording) Mono (1939 re-release) Mono (1935 re-release) Mono (MovieTone) Mono Mono (Mono)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the film's animators also worked for Hanna-Barbera on its television productions.

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Goofs

Near the end when Wilbur is giving names to three of Charlotte's children, Wilbur's medal hanging over the doorway disappears and reappears between shots.

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Quotes

Narrator: [we hear a rooster crow and a cow moo]
[first lines]
Narrator: This old world is filled with wonders, but to me there is no place more wonderful than a farm in springtime, when the sun is just lifting from the sky line. The air is so sweet and everywhere you look, little miracles are happening. Buds swell into blossoms, eggs hatch, young are born.
[shows duck and ducklings swimming in puddle]
Narrator: Everything's off to a fresh start, and life is good and busy and brand new.
[hen and chicks pass by]
Narrator: Around the ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits feature concept art sketches for the film, displayed against multi-colored backgrounds.

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Alternate Versions

The Swedish dub on VHS cuts out several scenes, including: Fern and Henry visiting Wilbur at the farm where a fly wrecks the "Some Pig" lettering on the web, John, Lurvy and Homer trying to get Wilbur into the crate while Avery pretends to be a pig, Fern and Henry riding the Ferris Wheel, Wilbur and Charlotte's conversation before Templeton's feast at the Fair, the entire barbershop quartet performance of "Zuckerman's Famous Pig", the scene after Charlotte dies where the people return to find Wilbur in tears and assume he's homesick, and Wilbur naming Charlotte's daughters and his speech about Charlotte.

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Connections

Referenced in Destination Truth: Ri/Iguanodon (2007)

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Soundtracks

Mother Earth and Father Time
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Performed by Debbie Reynolds

User Reviews

great kids' movie; not obnoxious for adults

I just rented this for my kids (ages 4 & 6) and had completely forgotten that adults can enjoy it, too. I'm quite weary of the obnoxious Disney-fication of most kids movies these days. (Spare me any more simpering princess stories.) The story of the clever spider who tries to save a pig from becoming breakfast meat is a familiar one and can be appreciated by many. The voice talent here is so superb that the movie doesn't make you rue the day they decided to animate the book. The songs aren't overly saccharine and are actually quite catchy. The movie is worth it alone for Templeton's trip to the fair and "a fair is a veritable smorgasbord-orgasbord-orgasbord" song. Debbie Reynolds' Charlotte is warm and wise, Wilber is naive and friendly, and Templeton provides the perfect foil as a spoiled rat who's just in it for himself. Agnes Moorehead as the goose became a sort of comedic extra to make the little ones laugh in the face of the rather adult plot about life and death. Overall, it's a movie for the whole family.