Let’s explore the Peter Pan Disney Movie that was released in 1953 and is still as popular today as it was yesteryear. During the first theatrical run, the Peter Pan Disney Movie grossed six million in distributor rentals from the United States and Canada, and the film has earned a lifetime domestic gross of over four hundred and twenty-seven million dollars.
The Peter Pan Disney Movie
At the time of release, the Peter Pan Disney Movie got mostly positive reviews in all the newspapers with one of the few negative reviews mentioning its lack of faithfulness to the original play. More recently Peter Pan has been criticized for its broadly stereotypical treatment of the Indians. This is because in the song ‘What Made The Red Man Red?’ the Native Americans are called Injuns and Redskins.
Here is a glimpse of the Peter Pan Disney Movie in the form of a trailer.
The Peter Pan Disney Movie is an animated adventure fantasy film produce by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1904 play Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up by J M Barrie. This film was the final Disney film released through RKO before Walt Disney founded his own distribution company. It was also the final film in which all nine members of Disney’s Nine Old Men worked together as directing animators.
A sequel titled Return To Never Land was released in 2002 and a series of DVD prequels were produced by Disneytoon Studios focusing on Tinker Bell began in 2008.
Peter Pan was Disneys 14th animated feature film and starred the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Boby Driscoll, Hans Conried, Heather Angel, and Bill Thompson.
The plot involves a group of kids who meet Peter Pan and travel to the island of Never Land to stay young forever. There is also the sinister element whom Peter tries to evade in the form of Captain Hook.
Peter Pan Story Line
The film starts off in London in 1900, where George and Mary Darling’s preparations to attend a party are disrupted by the antics of their sons, Michael and John. They are acting out a story about Peter Pan.
Wendy, who is their older sister tells them stories of Peter Pan each night.
That night Wendy and the boys are visited in the nursery by Peter Pan himself who teaches them to fly with the reluctant help of his pixie friend Tinker Bell. He takes them to the island of Never Land.
A ship of pirates is anchored off of Never Land led by Captain Hook and his first mate Mr. Smee. Hook wants to take revenge against Peter Pan whom he blames for losing his hand, but he is scared of the crocodile who consumed the hand, knowing it is eager to eat the rest of him.
As Peter and the Darlings arrive they are shot at with a cannon. After getting the Darlings off to safety he baits the pirates.
Tinker Bell is jealous of Wendy and persuades the Lost Boys that Pan has ordered them to shoot down Wendy. Peter Pan banishes her and the boys set out to find the island’s Indians. The Indians capture the group as they believe them responsible for the kidnapping of Tiger Lily, who is the Chief’s daughter.
In the meantime, Peter takes Wendy to see the mermaids who flee when Hook arrives. Peter and Wendy see that Hook and Smee have captured Tiger Lily and are trying to force her to disclose Peter’s hideout. Peter frees Tiger Lily and returns her to the chief. The tribe then honors Peter.
Hook takes advantage of Tinker Bell’s jealousy of Wendy and tricks the pixie into revealing Peter’s secret hideout.
Eventually, Wendy and her brothers grow homesick and plan to return to London. They invite Peter and the Lost Boys to join them and be adopted by the Darlings. The Lost Boys agree, but Peter doesn’t want to grow up and refuses.
The Pirates capture the Lost Boys and the Darlings as they exit the lair, leaving behind a time bomb to kill Peter.
Tinker Bell comes to the rescue just in time.
Together Peter and Tinker Bell confront the pirates, releasing the children just before they have to walk the plank. Peter engages Hook in combat as the children fight off the crew. Peter defeats Hook who falls into the water and swims away pursued by the crocodile.
Peter commandeers the deserted ship and assisted by Tinker Bell’s pixie dust flies it back to London with the children abroad.
In the end, the Lost Boys choose to return with Peter Pan to Never Land.
George and Mary Darling return home from the party and find Wendy sleeping at the nursery’s open window. She tells them of the adventure they have just had and they look out of the window to see a pirate ship in the clouds. George recognizes the ship from his own childhood.
If you would like a Peter Pan bedroom, see some great ideas for decor here.
Original Songs From Peter Pan include:
- The Second Star To The Right
- You Can Fly!
- A Pirate’s Life
- Following The Leader
- What Made The Red Man Red
- Your Mother And Mine
- The Elegant Captain Hook
- You Can Fly!
- Never Smile At A Crocodile
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