Happy 60th Anniversary to Walt Disney's Peter Pan!

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 11:38am

60 years ago on this day, Walt Disney released his full length animated version of 'Peter Pan'. In honor of the film's anniversary, Disney released a Diamond Edition Blu-Ray today.



I'm a little surprised that they advertised Michael's pajamas as blue in this Blu-Ray case.

Also, here is some footage of the film's opening night at the El Capitan Theatre this year with Kathryn Beaumont (the voice of Wendy and Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland'), Margaret Kerry (live-action reference model for Tinker Bell), and Ted Thomas (documentarian and son of Frank Thomas who animated Captain Hook).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKCMpR7Hu4


ETA: Here is an alternate opening to the film.

http://family-room.ew.com/2013/02/01/peter-pan-alternate-opening-exclusive/

Updated On: 2/5/13 at 11:38 AM

[zepka102]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 1:08pm

One of my favorites (although truly most are). When I was a kid, I always wanted to fly and would practice jumping off of my bed, hoping I'd go farther than 2 feet. Neverland always seemed like a great escape.

My only problem with all of these releases is that I just got the last one. Do I REALLY want to spend the money to upgrade to the Blu Ray now??

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 1:56pm

Also, here is a clip of Michelle Kwan and Phillipe Candeloro skating to the film's greatest musical highlights in 1994.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-sz_Ut7xbw

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 8:51pm

As a young boy, Walter Elias Disney was introduced to the Peter Pan story when the tour of the stage production, starring Maude Adams (the first Pan in the U.S.), came through the town he was living.

Walt's attempt to be granted the rights to do the animated feature took some convincing. He visited the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London in person to get the deal done. He got them in the 1940's.

Then World War II came, and production was halted.

Oddly, after the war, he sidelined Peter Pan and instead did Alice In Wonderland.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 9:33pm

Without the voice of Bobby Driscoll, the film wouldn't have been made. He died in 1968 at the age of 31.



I'm not sure how old he is here, but he was turning into a good lookin' young man.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 9:51pm

Bobby's story is so sad. I only wish he knew how many people he has entertained (and will continue to entertain) for generations to come.

The idea that this beloved "Peter Pan" died a penniless drug addict in an abandoned East Village tenement, and his body wasn't discovered for weeks (by two children, no less), breaks my heart. He was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island.

May he rest in peace.

As for the film itself, it's one of my favorites from Disney. I used to have flying dreams when I was a kid. I would picture myself soaring over London.

[zepka102]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 10:10pm

I didn't know his story. That's so sad!

I actually still have those flying dreams every so often, like it's something that comes natural, just involves jumping and thrusting forward. I still blame it all on Peter Pan.

Updated On: 2/5/13 at 10:10 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 10:30pm

Hook, to be fair Walt had been working on doing an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland even longer than Pan (at least since the early 30s, if you count the plan to do one with I think Shirley Temple and the rest animated, longer ifyou count the silent Alice cartoons).

Bobby's story is really sad...

I admit, the 50s (and later) animated features don't hold up for me as much as the great pre-war ones, but I'll have to get this--animation just always looks so much better, IMHO, on Blu-Ray that it's worth the upgrade. I have always had a soft spot for Peter Pan (and am not embarassed to say I love Peter Pan's Flight at Disneyland).

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 11:41pm

Here's one more little secret about the film. In this featurette, Kathryn Beaumont talks about how a delted song from 'Alice in Wonderland' called "Beyond the Laughing Sky" became "The Second Star to the Right".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYGcD4_srpA

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 2/5/13 at 11:43pm

The other film I've seen Bobby in is THE WINDOW, a 70 minute film noir about a boy who witnesses a murder.

via IMDb

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/6/13 at 1:50am

"Hook, to be fair Walt had been working on doing an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland even longer than Pan (at least since the early 30s, if you count the plan to do one with I think Shirley Temple and the rest animated, longer ifyou count the silent Alice cartoons)."

There were plenty of young women considered for the role of Alice in a live action/animated version including Ginger Rogers accoring to 'Walt Disney: The Triumph of American Imagination', Lisa Davis Waltz (who would later voice Anita Radcliffe in Disney 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians') and Luana Patten ('Song of the South'). However, Walt ultimately decided it was best to do an all animated version. It was not until many years later that I realized that Kathryn Beaumont was the voice of both Alice and Wendy Darling. Heather Angel and Bill Thompson who played Alice's Sister and the White Rabbit respectively also played Mrs. Darling and Mr. Smee in 'Peter Pan' respectively as well.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/8/13 at 12:40pm

Sorry for double posting, but today the Sun Sentinel did an interview with Paul Collins, the voice of John Darling.


Voice of John Darling: 'Peter Pan' is a 'fairy tale for the ages'

[mikey2573]

Posted: 2/8/13 at 1:19pm

Driscoll won a special Oscar for his performance in THE WINDOW. He is also in the classic SONG OF THE SOUTH which the Disney company is still too nervous to release in this PC world we live in. Apparently, Disney was quite smitten with him as Driscoll was the first actor ever signed to the Disney Studio. He was also in SO DEAR TO MY HEART and TREASURE ISLAND (both for Disney). Driscoll has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sadly, when he entered his teens, he had a horrible bout of acne which made him almost impossible to film. Disney cancelled his contract shortly after PP was released. And it was downhill from there. As is often the case with Disney, once they've milked all the money out of a property, they toss it to the trash bin.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/8/13 at 1:39pm

Not so. Annette Funicello and Hayley Mills beg to differ.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/13/13 at 11:34pm

If anyone lives in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, or Utah. 'Peter Pan' will be playing in select Cinemark Theaters on the weekend lasting from February 16-18 along with 'Lady and the Tramp' and 'Cinderella'.

http://www.cinemark.com/disney-diamond-classic-series

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/02/13/cinemark-announces-the-return-of-favorite-disney-c/

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 2/14/13 at 12:00am

Peter Pan was one of my favorite Disney movies when I was little; I think I actually liked it more than the Mary Martin tv movie back then. Now I love both. I'll have to get this at some point in the future.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/15/13 at 1:14pm

"I think I actually liked it more than the Mary Martin tv movie back then. Now I love both."

I think both versions are great in their own ways. They are also different. In the Disney version, the children know who Peter Pan is and Mr. Darling finds Wendy's stories hard to believe rather than Mrs. Darling's. Also, when he children return home from Neverland not much time has gone by. When I saw the Mary Martin version for the first time I was surprised that many days had gone by since the children left the house.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 3:08pm

Wendy used not to appear very often at the Disney Parks, she confirmed this herself last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eqZmuydcoc

However, At 4:38 of this video, it was revealed that Wendy now appears at the parks on a regular basis. This began happening this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQTUwIMzxF4&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL2395F3534D2AFF0E

I guess with this big anniversary and new generation of children seeing this film, the people who run Disney Parks decided to include her more often, which is good because she's a wonderful character. She was also very sweet when I met her at Magic Kingdom in 2004.



Updated On: 7/21/13 at 03:08 PM

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 12/3/13 at 1:08pm

I just wanted to share something before 2013 and the 60th Anniversary was over. Here is Disney Files Magazine Editor Ryan March looking at some drawings and photographs from the film with Kathryn Beaumont.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xftYhD-_TzQ