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IMDbPro

Pete's Dragon

  • 1977
  • G
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
26K
YOUR RATING
Charlie Callas and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
An orphan boy and his magical dragon come to town with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.
Play trailer1:52
4 Videos
75 Photos
AnimationAdventureComedy

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

  • Directors
    • Don Chaffey
    • Don Bluth
  • Writers
    • Malcolm Marmorstein
    • Seton I. Miller
    • S.S. Field
  • Stars
    • Sean Marshall
    • Helen Reddy
    • Jim Dale
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    26K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Don Chaffey
      • Don Bluth
    • Writers
      • Malcolm Marmorstein
      • Seton I. Miller
      • S.S. Field
    • Stars
      • Sean Marshall
      • Helen Reddy
      • Jim Dale
    • 106User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 6 nominations total

    Videos4

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:52
    Watch Official Trailer
    Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition
    Clip 1:29
    Watch Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition
    Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition
    Clip 1:33
    Watch Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition
    Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition
    Clip 1:34
    Watch Pete's Dragon: 35th Anniversary Edition

    Photos75

    Mickey Rooney, Charlie Callas, and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Charlie Callas and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Sean Marshall and Helen Reddy in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Mickey Rooney and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Mickey Rooney, Sean Marshall, and Helen Reddy in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, Charlie Callas, Jim Dale, Debbie Fresh, Rusty Gilligan, George Golden, and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    1 sheet movie poster
    14 x 22 movie poster
    A1
    insert
    Charlie Callas and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)
    Charlie Callas and Sean Marshall in Pete's Dragon (1977)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sean Marshall
    • Pete
    Helen Reddy
    Helen Reddy
    • Nora
    Jim Dale
    Jim Dale
    • Dr. Terminus
    Mickey Rooney
    Mickey Rooney
    • Lampie
    Red Buttons
    Red Buttons
    • Hoagy
    Shelley Winters
    Shelley Winters
    • Lena Gogan
    Jane Kean
    Jane Kean
    • Miss Taylor
    Jim Backus
    Jim Backus
    • The Mayor
    Charles Tyner
    Charles Tyner
    • Merle
    Gary Morgan
    Gary Morgan
    • Grover
    Jeff Conaway
    Jeff Conaway
    • Willie
    Cal Bartlett
    Cal Bartlett
    • Paul
    Charlie Callas
    Charlie Callas
    • Elliott
    • (voice)
    Walter Barnes
    Walter Barnes
    • Captain
    Al Checco
    Al Checco
    • Fisherman #1
    Henry Slate
    • Fisherman #2
    Jack Collins
    Jack Collins
    • Fisherman #3
    Robert Easton
    Robert Easton
    • Store Proprietor
    • Directors
      • Don Chaffey
      • Don Bluth(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Malcolm Marmorstein
      • Seton I. Miller
      • S.S. Field
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Originally, Elliott the dragon was not to be seen at all in the film and remain invisible throughout. However, members of the studio animation department gradually lobbied studio heads to increase the amount of visible screen time. At first it was decided he would be only seen at the end of the film, but ultimately the character's screen time was increased to 22 minutes.
    • Goofs
      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

      Nora: Well, if there's enough room for a chowder-head like you, then there's *more* than enough room for a dragon.

    • Alternate versions
      This Disney film has a troubled history as far as the many different versions released over the years. It originally ran 134 minutes. After its premiere engagement in Hollywood, it was cut down to 121 minutes before it premiered in New York. When it was released in Europe, it ran 105 minutes, with the following edits:
      • "Candle on the Water" (which survived only as an instrumental passage over the credits replacing the original overture) and "The Happiest Home in These Hills" were eliminated entirely.
      • Verses from "I Saw A Dragon," "Passamashloddy," "There's Room For Everyone," and "Every Little Piece" were cut.
      • 21 scenes were shortened. This version was used for the original home video release in 1980, while every video since then has run 128 minutes, restoring the songs and the majority of dramatic material. However, when Disney re-released it in theaters, it was the European cut. Even further cuts were made for the TV version of the film, which premiered on "The Disney Sunday Movie" in 1986.
    • Connections
      Featured in Fun with Mr. Future (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      The Happiest Home in These Hills
      (uncredited)

      Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

      Sung by Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan, and Jeff Conaway

    User reviews106

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Live-action Disney flick with a splash of animation. Well-made, entertaining, but slightly overlong.
    You can be fairly sure with the animated Disney films that you're going to get something good. But with the studio's live-action films there are no guarantees. On the one hand, you might get something like Mary Poppins or 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - in which case you'd be plenty satisfied. On the other hand you could get something as terrible as Popeye, in which case you'd need a great deal of willpower to make it to the end. Pete's Dragon is one of Disney's live-action ventures (though it features one animated character in Elliot, the dragon of the title). Though a little overlong and rambling, it is on the whole a well-made and entertaining film, and it is certainly a gulf ahead of the likes of Condorman, Popeye and Herbie Goes Bananas.

    Scruffy young orphan Pete (Sean Marshall) is on the run in the woodland of Maine from the Gogan family, a bunch of abusive rednecks led by Lena Gogan (Shelly Winters), who claims that she owns Pete because she bought him at a market. Pete escapes from them, and sets off for Passamaquoddy, a nearby coastal town where he hopes to find safety. Accompanying Pete is an animated dragon named Elliot, who can make himself invisible and who has come to look after Pete until the kid has got his life sorted out. Once in Passamaquoddy, Pete and Elliot inadvertently cause havoc, including scaring the wits out of lighthouse-keeper Lampie (Mickey Rooney). They hide out in some nearby caves, but Pete is found by Lampie's daughter Nora (Helen Reddy), who decides to take him in. Elliot's job seems done (Pete is now safe and wanted, after all) but then con-man Dr. Terminus (Jim Dale) arrives in town.... and soon he's got his mind set on capturing the dragon.

    Like I said, the film is rambling, and from this synopsis it's clear that the plot wanders around a lot, introducing probably more events and characters than necessary. Nonetheless, Pete's Dragon is still entertaining. Jim Dale as the unscrupulous Dr Terminus, and Red Buttons as his dim side-kick, are genuinely funny villains. The blending together of animated Elliot and the living, breathing actors is very good - especially for 1977 - though in a shipwreck sequence near the end the special effects are utterly dreadful. Kids will find a lot to like in Pete's Dragon as long as they can sit still for over 2 hours, and adults too will find pleasures along the way. It's certainly one of the better live-action offerings to come from the Disney studio at a time when their output was quite indifferent in quality.
    helpful•17
    7
    • barnabyrudge
    • Jan 11, 2005

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 3, 1977 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pete y Elliot el Dragon
    • Filming locations
      • Point Buchon, California, USA(Lighthouse scenes)
    • Production company
      • Walt Disney Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $39,588,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $39,588,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.75 : 1

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