Peter Pan

Disney's animated classic has become timeless, whereas Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard made it alive for the stage and captured for the small screen (kudos for Sandy Duncan and Charlotte d'Amboise too!). Those were the idyllic fifties, before cynicism and nihilism took over our dreams and souls.

Yet in the middle of the seventies, a particularly depressing time, British television through Hallmark delivered a gem unwisely and unfairly overlooked. Innocent, charming, delightfully entertaining and astonishingly creative, this retelling of the unsurprising tale of the boy that didn't grow up made it new and unique in its own way due to a remarkable combination of talents and teamwork.

Sure, Mia Farrow looks annoying and stubborn, but isn't it the way a proud tween usually behaves? Alas, Barrie's stagings are as good as their Captain Hook/Mr. Darling provide the necessary counterpoint of the story, and here we have the legendary Danny Kaye delivering not only a blissfully larger than life characterization but also enough warmth, malice and gusto to make the role his own and host a compelling ride. Additionally, this special presentation comes along with the serene and ethereal presence of Virginia McKenna in the critical and essential part of Mrs. Darling, and the alluring and breathtaking dancing of Paula Kelly as Tiger Kelly. Damn! Even John Gielgud lends its mellifluous diction to serve as narrator, and last, but certainly not least, our adored and venerated Julie Andrews returns home to familiar ground to gracefully illuminate the show enchanting the audience with the title song.

And this last feature is unquestionably the most enduring and endearing contribution of this TV movie. I mean, this original song score was composed by none others than Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse! Each one of the carefully crafted creations cradled by the genius of this extraordinary pair wrap the audience with a silky and sparkly cadence filled with echoes that range from The roar..., Stop the world..., and even Doctor Dolittle, but overflowing with originality, masterfully arranged and allowing them to glow not only to be sung but performed as they enhance the storytelling.

Fortunately, the video is available in YouTube (although somewhat tarnished by what must have been countless videocassette transfers and re-recordings); so we can enjoy it as often as we ought to. And maybe, someday perhaps the remastered soundtrack will be released to call for a permanent salute to the joyful and thrilling legacy of Bricusse, and to revere, bow, praise, celebrate and acknowledge the outstanding gifts bestowed upon Anthony Newley, a multidimensional artist, fascinating celebrity, misunderstood person and renaissance character.

I grew up with this movie. Some of the happiest times I remember on hols at my grandparents after a fay at the beach and watch this before bed. A wonderful adaptation of a wonderful story

A variation on the same stage-bound television performance first done by Mary Martin 26 years earlier. It was presented as a HALLMARK HALL OF FAME TV special (apparently with new songs), but never really caught on with viewers or Nielsens. In the continuing tradition of women in the Pan role, Mia Farrow does a perfectly capable job (sporting the boyish, Twiggy hair cut at the time). Danny Kaye was also fine as Captain Hook. But the real surprise was the casting of Paula Kelly- a striking, long-legged African-American dancer- as Tiger Lily. Her memorable entrance in the show is in a scantily-clad costume of loincloths (with an equally scantily clad male chorus) and was probably sexier than absolutely necessary- but I supremely didn't care.

This TV movie of "Peter Pan" as a musical should also be listed as a comedy. It's a very good Hallmark production that stars Mia Farrow as Peter, Danny Kay as the father, George Darling, and as Captain Hook, and Briony McRoberts as Wendy as the girl. The rest of the cast are very good as well. Besides the musical aspects of this fable rendition, it's obvious that the producers and writers intended it to have a definite comical edge. And, with Danny Kaye in the role as Captain Hook, they could be assured of getting that. I couldn't help but wonder if a couple of instances weren't ad libs by Kaye and they liked them so much that they kept them in.

I've seen videos and DVDs made from TV airing of made-for TV movies, and that's what I watched of this production. While the commercials are cut out, the quality is still quite choppy and rough. This is a movie that I think is good enough to be produced on DVD. The scenes with the children and Peter flying around the room are so well done, with no apparent use of wires or anything. The tricks of the trade in filming those scenes make them appear real and natural.

The main characters of J. M. Barrie's fable are here, and Nana, the nurse for the Darling children in a big furry dog (played by Peter O'Farrell). One of the songs that Kaye's Captain Hook sings is about his place in the Villain's Hall of Fame. This is worth seeing if it should ever be broadcast again on TV, or from a DVD. Here are some sample lines from this film.

Mr. Darling, "You know, Mary, I sometimes question the wisdom of engaging a dog for a nurse."

Captain Hook, "Infamy, infamy, everybody's got it inn for me."

Captain Hook, "By the way, Smee, what is a lubber?" Smee (played by Tony Sympson), Oh, it's sea talk, sir." Hook, "I know that - I'm not a fool."

Peter Pan is such a timeless story, and I have yet to see a Peter Pan adaptation that was bad. This underrated musical production is no exception. A couple of scenes with the Lost Boys are under-rehearsed somewhat and the Marauders Rock sequence could have been more foreboding(Mia Farrow doesn't really convince either as someone pretending to be Hook/a spirit, she doesn't even disguise her voice), but on the most part the drama and staging is a lot of fun and has a good amount of energy and nostalgia. The rustic colours in the sets are appealing, the sets take you into the story and the costumes are fitting for the characters. The songs are not as good as those from the Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby versions or as memorable, but it is still a pleasant and very well-orchestrated score and the best songs Growing Up, Who Needs a Mother, the children's prayers and Hook's song in the Marauders' Rock scene are fun. The song on the Jolly Roger is a little overlong, but has some very clever references and lyrics and Danny Kaye sings the heck out of it, his top A flat at the end was pretty good. The writing flows really well with some nice bits of humour(who can't help love Smee and Starkey's reactions to Peter calling Hook a codfish?), and people will appreciate the general faithfulness that this version has to the book. Some of the dialogue is almost lifted straight out of the pages of the book. The performances are very good. John Gielgud's narration is very distinguished and eloquent, and Julie Andrews' singing over the credits still sounded angelic then. Virginia McKenna is lovely as the mother, the Lost Boys are spirited(look out for a young Nicholas Lyndhurst), the Darling children(especially Briony McRoberts' Wendy) bring a great deal of charm and the pirates are fun to watch generally. Paula Kelly is the sexiest Tiger Lily you'll probably see and her and the Indians' dancing is impeccable. Mia Farrow is suitably boyish and athletic as Peter and brings out his complexities well, she is a capable singer too. The Captain Hook of Danny Kaye was the one that stood out,- maybe there's bias as Kaye was a talented performer and Hook is the book's most interesting character- he is in good voice and he brings menace and gusto to the role, not exactly complex but more subtle than the (still excellent) Hooks in the Rigby and Martin- that use a different score- versions. All in all, very good and deserves a DVD release in the future, it is really nice to see that people remember it and are fond of it, on IMDb and on Youtube. 8/10 Bethany Cox