Pete's Dragon
Directed by	Don Chaffey
Produced by	Jerome Courtland Ron Miller
Written by	Short Story Author: S.S. Field Seton Miller Screenwriter: Malcolm Marmorstein
Starring	Helen Reddy Jim Dale Mickey Rooney Red Buttons Shelley Winters
Music by	Joel Hirschhorn Al Kasha Irwin Kostal
Cinematography	Frank Phillips
Editing by	Gordon D. Brenner
Release date(s)	November 3, 1977
Running time	134 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Pete's Dragon (first released on November 3, 1977) is a live-action/animated musical feature film from Walt Disney Productions. It is a live-action film but its title character, a dragon named Elliott, is animated. It is about a young orphan named Pete (played by Sean Marshall) who enters a small fishing community in Maine in the early 20th century. His only friend is a dragon, Elliott (voiced by Charlie Callas and animated by Don Bluth), who also acts as his sentinel. Elliott can make himself invisible and is generally visible only to Pete, which occasionally lands Pete in trouble with the locals. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (496x755, 95 KB) movie poster for the American theatrical release of the film Petes Dragon (1977) Source URL: http://www. ... Jerome Courtland (born 27 December 1926) is an American actor, director and producer. ... Ron Miller can refer to three different people: Ron W. Miller is the son-in-law of Walt Disney and was CEO and president of Walt Disney Productions in the 1970s and 80s. ... Malcolm Marmorstein is a television writer for shows like Dark Shadows and The Doctors. ... 2003 Greatest Hits compilation Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian pop singer and actor. ... Jim Dale and Glenn Close in 2006 performing Busker Alley. ... Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... Red Buttons (February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was the stage name of American comedian and actor Aaron Chwatt. ... Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Joel Hirschhorn, (December 18, 1938 – September 18, 2005), was a Jewish-American songwriter. ... Al Kasha (b 22 January 1937) is a Brooklyn–born multi-talented composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. ... Irwin Kostal (October 1, 1911-November 23, 1994) is the Academy Award winning musical arranger of films including: West Side Story (one of several orchestrators under musical director Johnny Green), Mary Poppins The Sound of Music Half a Sixpence Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Bedknobs and Broomsticks Charlottes Web The... Frank Phillips (November 28, 1873 – August 23, 1950) founded Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma (marketed as Phillips 66) in 1917, along with his brother, Lee Eldas L.E. Phillips, Sr. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... A live-action/animated film is a motion picture that features a combination of real actors or elements (live action) and animated elements, typically interacting. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Walt Disney Productions is the former name of The Walt Disney Company, which it held from 1929 to 1986. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... The title role is the role (or position) of the character after whom a literary work (e. ... Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Sean Marshall (born June 19, 1965) is an American actor most commonly known for playing the protagonist Pete in the 1977 Disney movie Petes Dragon. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto; French is also an administrative language) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Charlie Callas (born December 20, 1924) is a comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Also featured in the film are Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, Jim Dale, Red Buttons, Jeff Conaway and Shelley Winters. The film was directed by Don Chaffey, and the songs are by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. The song "Candle on the Water" received an Academy Award nomination, and Helen Reddy's recording (with a different arrangement than the one her character sings in the film) was released as a single by Capitol Records, reaching #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts. 2003 Greatest Hits compilation Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian pop singer and actor. ... Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... Jim Dale and Glenn Close in 2006 performing Busker Alley. ... Red Buttons (February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was the stage name of American comedian and actor Aaron Chwatt. ... Jeff Conaway (born October 5, 1950, New York, New York) is an American actor best known for his roles as Kenicke in the 1978 musical Grease (and Danny Zucko in the original Broadway production), and as Bobby Wheeler on the 1980s television series Taxi. ... Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Al Kasha (b 22 January 1937) is a Brooklyn–born multi-talented composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. ... Joel Hirschhorn, (December 18, 1938 – September 18, 2005), was a Jewish-American songwriter. ... Candle on the Water is a song from Walt Disney Pictures live action/animation film Petes Dragon. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ...

Plot outline

In early 20th century Maine, a boy named Pete runs away from his adoptive family, the Gogans, who mistreat him and use him as a slave. As they are looking for him, they are confronted by a dragon named Elliott, who knocks them into the mud while he is invisible. Lena Gogan (Shelley Winters) tells her boys that unless they find the “little twerp”, they will have to start working the farm by themselves, because they can’t afford another orphan. Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

The next morning, Pete thanks Elliott for everything he has ever done for him. They arrive at Passamaquoddy, a small fishing town. Pete tells Elliott that he needs to be invisible so as not to frighten the people. Elliott reluctantly agrees. Even so, Elliott makes his presence known by knocking over things, making footprints in wet cement, breaking fences and eggs, etc. Pete is immediately labeled bad news and is forced to hide while the town looks for him. Passamaquoddy Territory The Passamaquoddy (Peskotomuhkati or Pestomuhkati in the Passamaquoddy language) are a Native American/First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick. ...

A man named Lampie (Mickey Rooney) drunkenly comes out of the bar and sees Pete and Elliott (who has since turned visible again). When Lampie realizes he is seeing a dragon, he runs back into the bar to warn the townsfolk. No one believes that Lampie saw a dragon, especially his daughter, Nora (Helen Reddy). That night Lampie and Nora return to their home, the Passamaquoddy lighthouse, and Lampie tells Nora exactly what he thought he saw. Nora tells him to go to sleep. She goes outside and sees Pete go into the cave right next to the water. Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... 2003 Greatest Hits compilation Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian pop singer and actor. ... A HDR image of a traditional lighthouse For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). ...

Pete is really scared and upset with Elliott. He doesn’t know what to do or where to go. Nora comes into the cave and asks him if he wants to spend the night in the lighthouse. He agrees and tells Elliott to wait for him in the cave.

Nora brings Pete up to the lighthouse, and he tells her about how he is running away from the Gogans. She promises that he will be safe in the lighthouse. Pete sees a picture of a man and asks who he is. Nora answers that it is her fiancé Paul, a sailor whose ship has gone missing for a long time. Pete tells her that he’ll ask Elliott about Paul since “he [Elliott] has a way of knowing things”. He explains that Elliott is his dragon. Nora believes Elliott to be some kind of imaginary friend, and that Pete is trying to cheer her up, so she pretends to think that Elliott will help her.

The next morning a con man and failed medical student by the name of Doc Terminus (Jim Dale) and his sidekick Hoagie (Red Buttons) come into Passamaquoddy. The town is immediately upset by his appearance, and he tries to sway them back into buying his phony medicines for a dollar apiece (while repeatedly mispronouncing the name of the town, saying things such as "Passamashloddy"). Jim Dale and Glenn Close in 2006 performing Busker Alley. ... Don Quixote and Sancho Panza unsuccessfully confront windmills. ... Red Buttons (February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was the stage name of American comedian and actor Aaron Chwatt. ...

Nora buys Pete a new suit. That night he wants to show Elliott his suit and Paul's picture, so that Elliott can help look for Paul. After Pete goes down to the cave, Nora thanks her dad for pretending about Elliott with Pete. Lampie, however, is still convinced he saw a dragon, and Nora tells him to be realistic. He snaps back that she isn’t the one to talk about being realistic, when she's been waiting a year for a man who will never come back. Lampie apologizes and goes to the hardware store, while Nora climbs to the top of the lighthouse to sing "Candle on the Water," a haunting and romantic song metaphorically linking her love to the light. Candle on the Water is a song from Walt Disney Pictures live action/animation film Petes Dragon. ...

Instead of going to the hardware store, Lampie goes to the bar and asks Doc Terminus what he knows about dragons. The Doc takes him for a deluded drunk, but Lampie says he can prove that there is a dragon. Hoagie says he wants to see it, so Lampie takes him.

However accepting Nora is of Pete, the town is not, and the next morning when Pete goes to school for the first time (not at all fond of the idea), he is shunned by nearly everyone except the kids. Noticing that the fishermen are overly superstitious and consider Pete a jinx, Nora tells them to calm down and that there is no connection between Pete and Elliott and the fishing grounds.

The teacher thinks Pete has a distracting imagination and she punishes him for it. To save Pete from corporal punishment, the invisible Elliott runs right through a wall of the school, to the amazement of the whole town. Seeing this, and anxious to make a profit, Terminus is hopeful that Pete will sell him Elliott. He plans to kill the dragon and cut him up for use in patent medicines.

Doc Terminus goes to the lighthouse the next morning to find Pete and Nora giving the lighthouse a fresh coat of paint. He makes Pete an offer, but Pete responds that Elliott isn’t his to sell. They are chased away by Nora's foghorn. Nora and Lampie tell Pete that they want him to live with them. He agrees, and they continue to clean the lighthouse.

The Gogans are still looking for Pete, and they come into Passamaquoddy. When they mention the dragon to some townsfolk, several people are scared, and the Gogans know they’ve come to the right place. Hoagie overhears the inquiries about Pete, and informs Terminus of these new developments. While Pete, Nora and Lampie are out fishing, the Gogans find them. They try to convince Nora that Pete is theirs by virtue of a bill of sale. Nora, a passionate, outspoken woman, refuses to hand Pete over. Elliott, invisible, knocks the Gogans into the water.

Terminus later visits the Gogans, convincing them that he will give them Pete if they help him capture Elliott. He gathers allies among the superstitious who take the dragon as a sign of misfortune, and prepares a trap.

Elliott, meanwhile, has located Paul and informs Pete of this. Nora, however, has received news to the contrary and refuses to co-operate with Pete's belief in Elliott any longer. Even Lampie begins to doubt he saw a dragon, but Pete is undeterred.

Terminus lures Pete to the town's boathouse, while the frightened Hoagie does the same to Elliott. When the dragon arrives, invisible, he finds that Hoagie's story is true; the Gogans have seized Pete and are holding him painfully. Elliott advances, but is caught in a net. In the fight that follows, Elliott throws away both his invisibility and his bonds, scatters the volunteer roustabouts, and searches for Pete. In a last effort, Lena Gogan shows Elliott the bill of sale that declares her Pete's legal guardian. Showing her what he thinks of that, Elliott sets the paper on fire, tips Lena Gogan into a barrel of creosote, and chases off her horse. Creosote is the name used for a variety of products: wood creosote, coal tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, and coal tar pitch volatiles. ...

Terminus, desperate, brings his harpoon gun to bear. He is just about to fire when he realizes that a rope connected to the spear is looped around his ankle. He diverts the cannon, but is unable to stop it from shooting him through the ceiling. The harpoon lands embedded in a pole, leaving Terminus dangling. Elliott destroys Terminus's special vardo, with which the cheat had traveled. Officers quarters at Vardøhus Festning. ...

Just as Elliott turns to go, an electric wire-pole falls, threatening to shock the mayor and the schoolteacher. Elliott, now visible, stops it from doing so, provoking the famous line "There really is a dragon!".

Off the coast, a ship is headed for the jagged rocks of a reef. The Passamaquoddy lighthouse has been hit by a monstrous wave that shattered the upper windows, drenching the oil-burning lamp, and Lampie cannot find a dry wick. Elliott arrives just in time to light the lamp with his own fire. As he is trying to do so, Nora comes in and is astonished by his presence. The light blazes, and the ship is saved.

In time, Elliott becomes accepted by the townspeople as a heroic figure or guardian. The economy prospers, and the mayor is humbled. Nora's love Paul returns, the sole survivor of the wreck Nora was informed of earlier. Paul was one of the sailors on the ship tossing about off Passamaquoddy, that was saved by Elliott relighting the lighthouse's lamp.

Elliott, however, has sad news. Since Pete is now safe and has a loving family of his own, the dragon must move on to help other children. Pete and Elliott say their goodbyes, and Elliott flies off to his next assignment.

Box office

The film did not do as well as hoped at the box office, and could not help bring Walt Disney Pictures out of its financial problems. Walt Disney Pictures logo (2006-present) Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: // Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was established as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of...

Alternate versions

This film has had a difficult release history. In its original roadshow theatrical release, the film ran 134 minutes. Shortly after, the film was re-edited to 121 minutes. When it was first issued on home video as a rental title, the movie was cut again to 104 minutes, severely edited and time-compressed, eliminating the "Candle On The Water" number. When it was made available for sale in October 1980, the film was restored considerably to 128 minutes—the most notable change being an alternate version of the musical number "I Saw A Dragon", different from the one that was seen in the premiere version—this has become the version most widely seen today on video and DVD. For its 1984 theatrical re-release, the film was further cut to 101 minutes, and finally the network television version was cut down to just 94 minutes. It is not known whether or not the original 134-minute cut still exists in the Disney archives or if the complete version could be reconstructed. Roadshow theatrical release (also commonly known as reserved seat engagement and limited release) is a practice whereas a film opens in a limited number of theatres in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before it spreads to nationwide release (also... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ...

Songs

• "Main Title" - Instrumental
• "The Happiest Home in These Hills" - Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan & Jeff Conaway
• "Boo Bop BopBop Bop (I Love You, Too)" - Sean Marshall & Charlie Callas
• "I Swear I Saw a Dragon" - Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney & The Townsmen
• "It's Not Easy" - Helen Reddy & Sean Marshall
• "Passamashloddy" - Jim Dale, Red Buttons & Townsfolk
• "Candle on the Water" - Helen Reddy
• "There's Room for Everyone" - Helen Reddy, Sean Marshall & Children
• "Every Little Piece" - Red Buttons & Jim Dale
• "Brazzle Dazzle Day" - Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney & Sean Marshall
• "Bill of Sale" - Helen Reddy, Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan & Jeff Conaway
• "Candle on the Water (Reprise)" - Helen Reddy

Trivia

• The story was acquired by the Disney studio in the 1950s, originally intended for the Walt Disney anthology series on TV.
• Pete's Dragon was the first Disney film to be recorded in the Dolby Stereo sound system.
• The movie features an instance of the "Goofy holler," heard when Doc Terminus gets caught in a harpoon line.
• Pete's Dragon was the first Disney feature film to be released on VHS home video, in October 1980.
• The lighthouse for Pete's Dragon was built on a point above Morro Bay, California, substituting for Maine. It was equipped with a such a large beacon that Disney had to get special permission from the Coast Guard to operate it, since operating it during filming would have confused passing ships. ^[1]
• Jeff Conaway, who played Pete's "brother" Willie, is better known for his role as Kenickie in the film version of Grease and as Zack Allan in the science fiction television show Babylon 5.
• Animators opted to make Elliott more of an oriental, rather than occidental, dragon because oriental dragons are usually associated with good.
• Singer Helen Reddy, famous for the feminist anthem, "I Am Woman," made her second big-screen appearance as Nora, while screen veteran Mickey Rooney played her father, Lampie.
• The song "Candle On The Water" by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Song, along with tunes from two other Disney films – The Rescuers and The Slipper and the Rose: The Story Of Cinderella. The Oscar went to "You Light Up My Life," from the film of the same name.
• The original story called for Elliott the dragon to remain invisible throughout the entire film.
• The film is the first involving animation in which none of the Nine Old Men -– Disney's original team of animators –- were involved.
• One of the movie's special effects involved compositing, whereby up to three scenes might be composited together -– for example, a live foreground, a live background, and an animated middle ground containing Elliott.
• Third wave ska band Reel Big Fish recorded a cover version of the song "It's Not Easy" from the film for their "Duet All Night Long" split EP with Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer.
• In an apparent nod to the film, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has at times adopted the name dragonspete to chat in online rooms.
• Elliot the dragon and Pete appear in the Main Street Electrical Parade in the Disney theme parks.
• A parody of Pete's Dragon can be seen in the season 5 Family Guy episode "No Meals on Wheels", with Ben Stiller (with oversized ears as wings) taking the title role.

This does not cite any references or sources. ... The first incarnation of the Walt Disney anthology series, commonly called The Wonderful World of Disney, premiered on ABC on October 27, 1954 under the name Disneyland. ... Sign for Dolby Stereo Dolby Stereo (or Dolby Analog) was the original analog optical technology developed by Dolby Laboratories for 35 mm prints in 1976. ... The Goofy Holler is a stock sound effect that turns up frequently in Disney cartoons and films. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched... Morro Bay is a waterfront city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Jeff Conaway (born October 5, 1950, New York, New York) is an American actor best known for his roles as Kenicke in the 1978 musical Grease (and Danny Zucko in the original Broadway production), and as Bobby Wheeler on the 1980s television series Taxi. ... Grease (1978) is a film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Jim Jacobs and Warren Caseys musical, Grease. ... Zack Allan, played by Jeff Conaway, is a character in the universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... The Rescuers is a 1977 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on June 22, 1977. ... Disneys Nine Old Men were the core animators (some of whom later became directors) that created the Disney studios most famous work, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs onward to Snow White and the Seven DwarfsThe Rescuers. ... Third wave ska is a musical genre derived from the fusion of Jamaican ska with various American and British styles of music, such as 2 Tone, rock music, punk rock, hardcore and jazz. ... Reel Big Fish is an American third wave ska band, best known for the 1997 hit Sell Out. ... In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Duet All Night Long is a forthcoming split EP release by Reel Big Fish and Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer. ... EP can stand for: EP is the IATA code for Iran Aseman Airlines Extended play, a music recording (usually consisting of several tracks, but shorter than a typical album) European Parliament, the parliamentary body of the European Union Evolutionary psychology, a belief that psychology can be better understood in light... Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer is an indie rock band that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania through core members Vince Ratti and Rachel Minton alongside a young Anthony Green. ... The Main Street Electrical Parade is a regularly-scheduled parade, created by Bob Jani, that is most famous for its long run at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort most summers between 1972-1975, 1977-1982, and 1984-1996. ... Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... “No Meals on Wheels” is a season five episode of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ...

External links

• Pete's Dragon at the Internet Movie Database
• Pete's Dragon at UltimateDisney.com
• Detailed info on Pete's Dragon including Don Bluth's involvement