Peter Pan (Disney)

The first video, and that’s includes non-Disney videos, that my parents bought for me as a very young boy was “Peter Pan”. As a result, it was one of the first animated films that I was acquainted with in my life and it is currently my favorite movie from in 1953. My taste in villains and comedy were very much based off this film, as I would watch it over and over. The film both honors the original story and Americanizes it, as Disney did with most of his animated adaptations. “Peter Pan” also has very good characters and amazing animation. This film was released at the time when Walt Disney was finally making progress after the troublesome decade of the 40’s at the studio. It was another success for him in the 50’s.

The story of Peter Pan was the 2^nd favorite childhood story of Walt Disney after “Snow White”. The desire to create the story as an animated feature was always on his mind and evidence of this can be seen on “Pinocchio” in the first animated shot. Jiminy Cricket is singing and behind him is a book of Peter Pan. After the success of “Cinderella”, Walt gave the green light on “Peter Pan” after years of development and after World War II had put the project on hold. The original tale appealed to Walt as a child because he had a hard upbringing. His father was much like Mr. Darling. The journey to Never Land represents Walt going to Hollywood. Disney and his story team stayed true to much of the play version in the end but they did depart from it in some ways. For example, Peter Pan was shown as a boy for the first time on screen and if that wasn’t enough, Peter is American. This is evident as Wendy begins to tell Peter her full name and he interrupts her with “Wendy’s enough”. The age of Wendy and Peter are older than previous versions also. Before Disney’s version, Peter was portrayed as 10 years old or younger. In the Disney version, Peter appears to be older than that but no more than 13 or 14 years old. This allows the romance in the film to feel more realistic as well as the fight sequences between Peter and Captain Hook. The plot is more lighthearted than the original story also. One thing I noticed as a child was that it took awhile for the film to get to the Never Land scenes and then we have a lengthy scene with the pirates before Peter & the other children reappear in the movie. As an adult I now know why. The film takes some time to introduce characters and relationships. It appears that Disney wanted the audience to be used to his version of the characters before the story events unfolded. I support this decision. One part of the film’s beginning that I like among many is the talk that Mr. Darling has with Nana. It shows that he is a father and not an antagonist. I also like the musical theme we hear when we first see Peter Pan. It introduces magic and adventure. “You Can Fly” is so well orchestrated to take the film past the introduction of our main characters. I love how as the song progresses, our characters make their way across London and higher in the sky. The medium of animation and the talent at the Disney studio allowed for Peter, Wendy and the others to fly realistically on screen in a way that couldn’t be done in live action or on stage at the time. Also for the first time, the character of Tinker Bell was not limited by special effects.

I like the introduction of the pirates, especially the gag where they are playing darts with daggers. I like the one pirate that can throw with his foot. Then Smee almost gets hit. Another great gag is the pirate playing the accordion. When you see the film for the second time, you can tell that he is destined to die. The lyrics he sings are ironic too. The comedy concerning Hook and the crocodile is very funny for me. First off, I love Smee’s line: “They’ll be no handouts today.” The physical gags are wonderful, as the Disney studio appears to be competing with the work of other studios such as Warner Bros. This lengthened subplot with the croc and Hook is another departure from the original version. You couldn’t do anything like it on a stage or in a book. The field of animation made this alteration possible. Another part of the movie I laugh at is how the pirates are also saddened by Wendy’s song. This however is followed by a surprise turn of events that the audience should have seen coming. We know that the Pirates are outside the hideout but the filmmakers for a brief moment cause us to forget and thus you are surprised that you are surprised when the pirates capture Wendy & the others. It is wonderful storytelling. Peter throughout the movie reacts to love & relationships with girls in a vary naïve and boyish way. He has relationships with Tink, Wendy, Tiger Lilly & the Mermaids and he handles them very childishly. Because of this, Tink’s sacrifice for Peter in saving his life has dramatic subtext. Peter comes to realize how he has taken Tink for granted and that Wendy & her brothers must go home. The insertion of drama adds to the entertainment of the film. I also like the dramatic turn that the climax takes once Peter promises not to fly. For the first time, you are afraid for Peter as he fights Captain Hook. The movie therefore has a genuine climax when Peter wins. I chuckle at Mr. Darling’s line, “Mary, I’m going to bed” but then we get a wonderful moment when he recognizes the ship in the clouds. At that moment, everything in the movie is resolved very sweetly.

As mentioned, I love the characters in this movie. Actor Bobby Driscoll was a studio favorite by this time. He battled pirates in Disney’s “Treasure Island” and he does it again as the voice of Peter Pan. Kathryn Beaumont was also in a past Disney film as the voice of Alice in “Alice in Wonderland”. I love her accent by the way. We now come to a favorite Disney villain of mine. For me, there is only one pirate in all of storytelling that is still more famous than Captain Jack Sparrow: Captain Hook. Hook in this movie is very entertaining both as a villain and as a source of comedy. He, along with Gaston and Jafar, formed my taste in movie villains as a child. I love bad guys that generate humor and have style but are menacing also. Animator Frank Thomas and voice actor Hans Conried have created a memorable animated antagonist, the best performance in this movie. One part of Hook’s character that I like is his manipulative side as seen when he deceives Tink. I love his piano playing as animated by Thomas, who is a piano player himself. I especially love how his music coincides the conversation he is having with Tink such as when he plays the bass keys. Another interesting part of that scene is when Tink suspects Hook’s true reason for finding Peter’s hideout. She also sees that Hook’s promise has a loophole and get him to include the “clause” that he can’t lay a hook as well as the finger on Peter. Later however, Hook reveals that by keeping his promise literally, he still can kill Peter with a bomb. I love Hook’s face at the end of the movie when he has to shout that is he is codfish. It is very funny to see him painfully yell out in defeat. One Peter Pan tradition that was maintained in this film is that the same actor plays Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. I have heard Bill Thompson’s voice in other Disney animated shorts and features but my favorite Disney character of his is Smee. The contrast between Hook and Smee is well crafted. I also like Candy Candido as the Indian Chief (he is also on “The Wizard of Oz” as an apple tree). The Chief has some wicked dance moves by the way.

We live in a “Disnified Society” as my high school English teacher called it. In other words when a popular story is mentioned, the Disney version (if any) usually comes to mind. In the case of “Peter Pan” that is partially true. It may not be as quintessential as other Disney animated movies due to the many versions of this particular story but without the Disney version, “Peter Pan” would not be as conscious in the public’s mind. The animation and characters in this movie are very memorable and the film has a lasting legacy on the Walt Disney Company. There are four major images that represent Disney for the general public: Walt Disney’s signature, Mickey Mouse, a fairytale castle and Tinker Bell. For nearly 60 years, she has been seen constantly on television, home video and DVD’s. Another lasting impact that “Peter Pan” has had recently on the company is the image of a “second star to the right”. It has been seen at the very start of every Disney film (live-action or animated) since “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” in 2006. Also, it appears as part of the story of “The Princess and the Frog”. As classic as “Peter Pan” is today, it may have helped Walt Disney understand the dangers of complacency in his animated films, which led to how “Sleeping Beauty” was adapted and created for the screen.

4.5 Stars