IMDb RATING
6.3/10
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YOUR RATING
An orphaned boy and his magical dragon come to the New England town of Passamaquoddy with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.An orphaned boy and his magical dragon come to the New England town of Passamaquoddy with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.An orphaned boy and his magical dragon come to the New England town of Passamaquoddy with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.
- Directors
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 6 nominations total
Charlie Callas
- Elliott
- (voice)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
With the release of the newly updated version out this past Friday, I wanted to write about the original Disney masterpiece, Petes Dragon. It was a great memory as a child, watching this magical film and singing the songs. I realize that not everyone is a fan of musicals or Disney films in general, but this was one of the last true musicals, up there with Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Mary Poppins.
I like the original, it has depth and feeling. Remakes just make me feel like I'm paying for a story I already know. Some remakes can be good, but the original Petes Dragon isn't even that old of a film. And I know Disney has a history of remaking a lot of their own films, but Petes Dragon? It's a classic.
This film has so many memorable moments, from the characters to the sets to the music. Mickey Rooney as Lampie was great, probably his most remembered role ever. And Helen Reddy as Nora was excellent, and her song Candle on the Water is beautiful. And Doc Terminus, played by Jim Dale was hilarious and charming. He is a real treat to watch in any Disney film.
If you love Disney films, watch the classic and give it credit where it's due.
I like the original, it has depth and feeling. Remakes just make me feel like I'm paying for a story I already know. Some remakes can be good, but the original Petes Dragon isn't even that old of a film. And I know Disney has a history of remaking a lot of their own films, but Petes Dragon? It's a classic.
This film has so many memorable moments, from the characters to the sets to the music. Mickey Rooney as Lampie was great, probably his most remembered role ever. And Helen Reddy as Nora was excellent, and her song Candle on the Water is beautiful. And Doc Terminus, played by Jim Dale was hilarious and charming. He is a real treat to watch in any Disney film.
If you love Disney films, watch the classic and give it credit where it's due.
This is a very well done film. It isn't quite as memorable as Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, but it so deserves to be up there. The protagonist was very well portrayed by Sean Marshall,(despite the lack of singing ability) but my favourite was the animated dragon Elliot. The scene in the schoolroom was priceless. I absolutely loved Helen Reddy as Nora, the way she sang "Candle in the Water"(about her lover) was beautiful. Jim Dale was great and very funny as the quack Dr Terminus, but he has been better in the Carry on franchise. The most entertaining were Red Buttons and Mickey Rooney, and I mustn't forget the Gogans Shelley Winters must have had a ball making this film. The film has two minor drawbacks. It is a little too long, but also the songs while very pleasant to hear aren't as memorable as later Disney efforts, though Candle On the Water and There's Room for Everyone are classics. But I agree it is underrated. This film is an 8/10. Bethany Cox
Pete's Dragon may be a little slow, but this memorable movie was one of my favorites when I was a child. What kid doesn't like to imagine having a magical dragon as a best friend? Plus, the songs are catchy, whimsical, and even touching. This is a Disney classic that should be revisited every so often.
The best Disney Dragon, this movie is fantastic in many ways. It is good at the level of special effects, has good actors, good story and good bad guys. Highly recommend.
Endearing animated monster movie about a lively dragon and his little friend . The story takes place in Maine circa 1908 , the starring are an orphaned 9-years-old boy named Pete (Sean Marshall) and his sympathetic dragon Elliot . Freckly Pete flee the overbearing foster Gogan family (Shelley Winters , Charles Tyner), who all utilize him as a slave instead of a kind child. When Pete can successfully escape from them with his protective dragon , his only friend , that only can see , then they stumble into the town of Passamaquaddy- an ocean front dock town plenty of fishermen, drunks and rare people . Pete's arrival does not fit well with the townsfolk , as his pale green dragon Elliott accidentally causes town destruction and rioting among the school teacher , the Mayor (Jim Backus) , the citizens , among others . Expecting to be an outcast yet again, Pete is cared by the loved Nora (Helen Reddy) who lives in a lighthouse with her daddy Lampy (Mickey Rooney ). And when a phony con disguising as a Dr. Terminus (Jim Dale) and his pal (Red Buttons) arrive in the little town , they see Elliott the Dragon as the ultimate profit to his fortune and money.
Enjoyable story that mingles animation with live action . This is a likable sort of a kiddies' adaptation of ¨Harvey¨ and another attempt for repeat the Mary Poppins magic . The dragon Elliott steals the show , as itself grins, grunts and botchers around.The primitive but efficient animation is by Don Bluth who subsequently would direct successes as Nimh , Anastasia and Titan A.E. .Colorful and evocative cinematography by cameraman Frank Philips . Agreeable choreography and beautiful songs and musical score by Irwin Kostal. The motion picture is professionally directed by Don Chaffey (Jason and the Argonauts, Lassie , million years B.C ).The children will get a kick out of this Disney musical . Rating : Acceptable and passable.
Enjoyable story that mingles animation with live action . This is a likable sort of a kiddies' adaptation of ¨Harvey¨ and another attempt for repeat the Mary Poppins magic . The dragon Elliott steals the show , as itself grins, grunts and botchers around.The primitive but efficient animation is by Don Bluth who subsequently would direct successes as Nimh , Anastasia and Titan A.E. .Colorful and evocative cinematography by cameraman Frank Philips . Agreeable choreography and beautiful songs and musical score by Irwin Kostal. The motion picture is professionally directed by Don Chaffey (Jason and the Argonauts, Lassie , million years B.C ).The children will get a kick out of this Disney musical . Rating : Acceptable and passable.
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally, Elliot the dragon was not to be seen at all in the film and remain invisible throughout. However, members of the studio animation department gradually lobbied studio heads to increase the amount of visible screen time. At first it was decided he would be only seen at the end of the film, but ultimately the character's screen time was increased to 22 minutes.
- GoofsDuring the "Money" song, there is a close up on Doc Terminus and Hoagy. When Doc sings the phrase "Can't you hear that jingle-jangle sound", you can see Hoagy start to sing along with him and then catch himself and stop, since the audio only has Doc singing the line.
- Alternate versionsThis Disney film has a troubled history as far as the many different versions released over the years. It originally ran 134 minutes. After its premiere engagement in Hollywood, it was cut down to 121 minutes before it premiered in New York. When it was released in Europe, it ran 105 minutes, with the following edits:
- "Candle on the Water" (which survived only as an instrumental passage over the credits replacing the original overture) and "The Happiest Home in These Hills" were eliminated entirely.
- Verses from "I Saw A Dragon," "Passamashloddy," "There's Room For Everyone," and "Every Little Piece" were cut.
- 21 scenes were shortened. This version was used for the original home video release in 1980, while every video since then has run 128 minutes, restoring the songs and the majority of dramatic material. However, when Disney re-released it in theaters, it was the European cut. Even further cuts were made for the TV version of the film, which premiered on "The Disney Sunday Movie" in 1986.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Fun with Mr. Future (1982)
- SoundtracksThe Happiest Home in These Hills
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Sung by Shelley Winters, Charles Tyner, Gary Morgan, and Jeff Conaway
- How long is Pete's Dragon?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Pete y Elliot el Dragon
- Filming locations
- Point Buchon, California, USA(Lighthouse scenes)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $39,588,000
- Gross worldwide
- $39,588,000
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Peter et Elliott le dragon (1977) officially released in Japan in Japanese?
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