Review #1,308: 'Peter Pan' (1953)

For their fourteenth entry into the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the kid-friendly studio adapted the hugely popular 1904 play and 1911 novel by J.M. Barrie Peter Pan; or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Barrie's story was a huge success, and continues to delight children and adults alike even today. There have been many adaptations both on film and television (the first was a 1924 silent movie), but none quite as popular as this 1953 version, which is now considered the definitive imagining of Neverland, Tinker Bell and the titular hero himself. Despite some glaring problems that will no doubt make many modern viewers watching it for the first time rather uncomfortable, Disney's Peter Pan still looks absolutely gorgeous and delivers a pretty fun ride.

You already know the story, but I'll regurgitate it anyway. Wendy Darling (Kathryn Beaumont) is on the eve of 'growing up', but enjoys discussing and acting out the adventures of Peter Pan so much with her younger brothers John (Paul Collins) and Michael (Tommy Luske) that she wishes she could stay a child just a little bit longer. That night, as the children's parents head out for the night, they are visited by the flying Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll), who appears to have lost his shadow, and his fairy friend Tinker Bell. With a sprinkling of fairy dust, the Darlings fly off with Pan back to Neverland where they meet The Lost Boys, a feral group of boys dressed as animals who obey Pan's every command. But anchored just off the coast is evil pirate Captain Hook (Hans Conried), who wants to finally put an end to Pan's hijinks. Along with his confidant Mr. Smee (Bill Thompson), he plans to use Tinker Bell's jealousy of Wendy to manipulate her into luring the gang into a trap.

I must admit that I didn't love Peter Pan as I was expecting, but I certainly enjoyed it. Fans who have grow up watching the film hold it in incredibly high regard, and I can understand why, but I feel I would be more on their wavelength had I seen it as a child. This is, after all, a story about staying young forever, and all the selfishness and carelessness that comes with it. Disney's famed Nine Old Men don't disappoint, carefully and magically bringing this world to life with some incredible backdrops. Say what you will about modern-day advancements, but the characters in Peter Pan feel just as alive as any computer-animated film today. Hook is also a highlight, sneering with relish at the bumbling Smee when he isn't curling up like a baby at the sight of the crocodile that took his hand. My main issue is that Pan is rather grating. He is certainly a true reflection of the care-free cockiness of many children, but deep down I was hoping that Hook would at least land a slap of two. And the less said about the portrayal of Native Americans (who sing a song called "What Made the Red Man Red?") the better.


Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Voices: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #330: 'The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T' (1953)

Bart Collins (Tommy Rettig) hates playing the piano. His egotistical piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker (Hans Conried) insists he perfects his art for an upcoming performance that will prove Terwilliker the greatest teacher. Bart drifts off into a sleep, where he dreams of an alternative world where he is imprisoned in Terwilliker's castle, who also has Bart's mother Heloise (Mary Healy) under his control in a trance-like state. Terwilliker forces Bart to practice on his giant piano where he plans to capture 500 children to perform all at once. The only person that Bart can turn to is plumber August Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes), who Terwilliker plans to execute once he has finished his sink installations.

Children's author and illustrator Dr. Seuss is a national treasure in his native U.S., yet here in the UK, his work is less known and loved. Works like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat have been made popular by recent Jim Carrey and Mike Myers movie vehicles, but I went into this film not really knowing what to expect, with this being Dr. Seuss' sole movie writing credit. Dr. T. plays out like The Wizard of Oz (1939) with less colour, campness, and much more imagination. The songs that Seuss wrote for the film are instantly forgettable, so the film works less as a musical, and better as a rather strange and twisted children's fantasy.

The sets are the film's main strength. From the start, which has Bart fleeing from a group of men with different coloured nets in a barren, futuristic and industrial landscape, to Terwilliker's gigantic piano hall, the film is rich with imagination. I can only assume the set designers were influenced by German expressionism, as it immediately brought Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920) to mind, all jagged angles and exaggerated features. Dr. T is occasionally ridiculous, but the film's heart and playfulness make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and features a surprisingly annoying-light central performance by young Rettig.


Directed by: Roy Rowland
Starring: Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried, Tommy Rettig
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie