Peter Pan (1953)

Peter Pan
Directed by Clyde Geronomi, Wilfred Jackson, et al
Written by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner et al from a play by J.M. Barrie
1953/USA
Walt Disney Studio
Repeat viewing/Netflix Rental

[box] Peter Pan: Second star to the right and straight on till morning. [/box]

This classic Disney cartoon falls flat in comparison to my beloved Mary Martin TV musical.

Everyone probably knows the story.  Peter Pan is a boy with magical powers largely fueled by pixie dust contributed by his friend Tinkerbell, a fairy.  He regularly visits the children of the Darling family, Wendy, John and Michael.  Wendy regales her brothers about his adventures in the interim.  Wendy managed to steal Peter’s shadow and he arrives to retrieve it.  Wendy’s father has threatened to take her out of the nursery and make her grow up.  So Peter teaches the children to fly and they go off to his home in Neverland.

There the children get involved in all Peter’s battles with the evil pirate Captain Hook.  They also visit an Indian village and a mermaid lagoon.  Peter lives with a number of Lost Boys who want Wendy as their Mother, though this aspect is not stressed much in the cartoon.  Al of Peter’s advenures are complicated by Tinkerbell’s jealousy of Wendy.  With Hans Conreid as the voice of Mr. Darling and Captain Hook.

One of the things that keeps this in the second tier of classic Disney cartoons, in my opinion, is the lack of memorable songs.  I am spoiled by having watched the Mary Martin musical on TV every year during my youth.  That version has great songs.

If you have never read J.M. Barrie’s book I would highly recommend it.  I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tim Curry and it was wonderful. Only an adult could really get all the wry hiumor properly.

Trailer