Disney’s Peter Pan (1953) (Movie Review)

   When it comes to stories of magical excursions into fantasy worlds, the tale of “Peter Pan”, or “The Boy who Wouldn’t Grow-Up”, has always been a very special one to me. It began with the stage play by J. M. Barrie in 1904, revolving around the titular Peter Pan, who invites a trio of siblings to the magical island of Neverland, where if they choose to stay, they’ll never grow-up. 

When I was I kid, I was fortunate to see a live stage production of the play, which I remember being a great experience. However, it’s Disney’s 1953 animated picture “Peter Pan” that I look back on with the most fondness. This marked Disney’s 14^th animated picture, and was actually one of his earliest planed film adaptions, but like so many of his projects, was postponed due to World War 2. Never the less, when the film saw the light of day, it was a success, and has been preserved as a classic. There was a time, during my childhood of the 90’s, that I viewed “Peter Pan” as my favorite Disney movie, up until the release of 1997’s “Hercules”, which became my other childhood favorite. Looking back as an adult, I wouldn’t place “Peter Pan” quiet as high on the Disney totem pole as when I was a kid, but I do still have a great deal of fondness for it, and I think it’s all-around one of the best to come out during Walt Disney’s life-time. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that “Peter Pan” is my favorite Disney production from their animated silver age of the 1950’s and 60’s. 

  Our story is about the Darling Family, specifically three children who are obsessed with the adventures of Peter Pan. The eldest sister named Wendy, is the instigator of these tales, which her parents dismiss as fantasy’s she created. Wendy however, is insistent that her tales are real, much to the irritation of her father, who being a practical man, believes it’s time for her to grow-up, and leave these fantasies behind. The thought of changes and growing up alarms Wendy, as she questions if she’s really ready to put these fantasies to bed. 

One magical night, she and her two younger brothers are visited by none-other then Peter Pan himself, and true to the source material, invites the kids to his magical island paradise of Neverland, where they’ll never have to worry about growing-up. At first, it’s an enchanted dream come true … up until they become the target of a ruthless band of pirates, led by the nefarious Captain Hook, who’s out for revenge against Peter Pan, as his mischievous antics continue to fuel the pirate’s wrath. The more adventures they go on, the more Wendy finds herself displeased with Pans cocky attitude, and becomes a titular mother figure, acting as the voice of reason amongst all the boys.

  It’s kind of ironic, Wendy initially went to Neverland to never grow-up, yet through the experience, finds herself maturing in both mind and attitude … while still maintaining her youthful heart at the center. The over-arching theme of growing in mind, yet still staying young at heart is what makes this story so special and personal to me. Over the years, I do my best to maintain my own youthful spirit, while still properly maturing into adulthood. 

While certainly a tight rope to walk on, this tale has always been a healthy little reminder that you can have both, as long as you have proper focus on where you mature, and where you still maintain that youthful spark. Going back to the Disney movie, this marked the very first time that Peter Pan would be played by a male actor, as opposed to all previous stage and movie productions, in which Pan was traditionally played by a female actor. 

The young Bobby Driscoll was already a long-standing presence in Disney productions, staring in Disney’s first live-action 1946 production of “Song of the South”, as well the live-action segments of Disney’s 1948 animated feature “Melody Time”, along with his award-winning performance in Disney’s 1948 movie “So Dear to My Heart”, and eventually the leading role of Jim Hawkins in Disney’s 1950 picture “Treasure Island”. As for the character of Pan himself … his name may be the title, and he's front and center of the cover … but I never really viewed Pet Pan as the main lead of the story. He’s more like the catalyst to put events in place, whether it be taking the kids to Neverland, or instigating conflicts with the pirates … but it’s not really his story.

  For me, the real lead character of this story is Wendy, as her arc is at the heart of the films theme, and she’s the one who goes through the biggest change by the end of the film. 

Honestly, I always felt Wendy deserved to be on the same pedestal as any of the classic Disney Princess that came out during Walt Disney’s time … her signature blue nightgown already gives her a dress look. However, while I’d describe someone like Snow White, as akin to a child in young adults body, Wendy by contrast always felt like a young adult in a child's body. Despite her reasonably mature nature, Wendy is still a kid, and the film does a great job balancing her two personas. She does get curious, excited, and when she act’s cute, she’s genuinely cute. Huge props to voice actress Kathryn Beaumont, who took the role of an innocent child, and made her sound both mature and intelligent, yet still maintaining a sense of whimsical enchantment. Of course, Kathryn Beaumont was just coming off voicing Alice in “Alice in Wonderland”, and showcased once again how to make for an above average, entertaining child-character. 

  Of course, the other big character who steals the show is Captain Hook, who was one of my childhood favorite Disney villains. With his signature sharp hand piece and red suit, he always stood out to me as one of the most iconic movie pirates. 

While he’s a little threatening, he’s mainly played for laughs, and it makes him a lot of fun to watch. Hans Conried delivers an equally theatrical vocal performance as Captain Hook, and just like in the stage play, he also provides the voice of Wendy’s father. As a side note, I always loved how this version spotlighted a connection of sorts between Captain Hook and the father, as at the end, the dad comments that the silhouette of Hook’s pirate ship in the sky looks familiar … like something from a long-forgotten past. The animation on Captain Hook is especially great, with a lot of theatrics on display, both in how the character moves and reacts. 

Animators Frank Thomas and Wolfgang Reitherman brought him to life through the animation, and Hook’s slapstick encounters with Tic Toc Crocodile make for some of the best scenes in the whole film, in which the animation on Hook really pops. When it comes to evil henchmen, I feel most Disney villains can stand on their own, but in the case of Captain Hook … he is not complete without Mr. Smee. I think they have the best relationship of any Disney villain and henchman, as Hook is usually dominate of Mr. Smee, but he’s also dependent on him, and would go to peace’s without his support. It makes for a fun dynamic, and leads to a number of funny arguments.  

  As for Wendy’s two younger siblings, John Darling and Michael Darling, they play their parts just fine, and even the dog Nana, despite being a silent animal, still manages to convey a lot of personality. Although … the big one in this regard is Tinkerbell, who’s an icon in the realms of silent characters in cinema. 

She’s a stuck-up, yet passionate little fairy, who speaks through a variety of body movements, facial expressions, and a surprisingly heated temper. It’s actually her stuck-up pride contrasting with her bubbly persona that make her so likable. Tinkerbelle’s attitude and personality actually helped pave the way for many of Disney’s later princesses in the vein of Jasmine. Margaret Kerry was the live-action reference model for Tinkerbell, and really helped give this silent character a voice of her own. Actually, Tinkerbell is one of those rare cases, in which a supporting character took on a life of their own outside of the movie, and is arguably Disney’s second biggest mascot behind Mickey Mouse. 

It always amused me that most of the marketing with Tinkerbell features her with a magic wand … which she never had in the movie, yet it’s become a staple of the character. Another thing I didn’t really notice as a kid is that she’s absent through a good chunk of the film, either banished or captured by hook, and when she comes back, I feel like there should have been a little more with her. While I’m glad the Disney film omitted the irritating “I believe in fairies” moment from the play, I still feel the aftermath of Hooks bombing, and Pan trying to keep her light on could have been a little longer. Lastly, I feel Tinkerbell should have had a heart-to-heart moment with Wendy during the epilogue … after trying to kill her and all, there should have been some kind of meaningful resolution to her jealousy. It didn’t have to be long, just something to show that Wendy and Tinkerbell are on good terms. 

 

  One common criticism aimed at the film is that it glances over the darker elements of the source material, and is mainly appealing for little kids, with less for older viewers. 

I’ll admit that Disney is at it’s best when it offers something for both kids and adults, but with that said, I feel the lighter tone was warranted for “Peter Pan”. Following after the darker elements of “Alice in Wonderland”, this was a nice return to form, and the film isn’t without its qualities that make it an above average children’s film of its time. The pacing of the film is great, as it moves from one memorable set-piece to another, and there’s a decent amount of energy and action on display. The big climactic showdown at the end of the film on Captain Hooks ship always got me excited, and the final sword fight between Peter Pan and Hook was a great warm-up to the duels I’d see in live action-adventure films down the road. The staging is great, and there’s some really cool shots that I feel were quite cinematic for its time. Unlike in the play, Captain Hook doesn’t die at the end, as Walt Disney insisted he was just too fun a character to kill off. While I usually prefer the villains killed off, this is one case in which I'm glad the bad guy lived. 

  The animation is wonderful, with a variety of colorful backdrops, and all kinds of iconography on display. The kids silhouetted against Big Ben, flying through the clouds, Hook’s ship lifting up into the sky, and even Skull rock is a memorable, original location. The details of Tinkerbells Pixie dust was another impressive feat for the time, as well as costly, as there was no CGI back then, and all those little flakes had to be drawn-in, but the effect still looks great. 

Another one of my favorite little animated details is near the end, when we transition from Neverland to Big Ben, and then cross-dissolve into a grandfather clock in the Darling house … it’s hard to explain, but there’s something magical and atmospheric about that moment. Neverland itself feels like a character, a while not quite as fantastical as Wonderland, it still has a lot of personality, and feels like a place I’d want to explore. It’s an island in the sky, and runs the gambit of colorful inhabitance, including fairies, lost boys, pirates, Indians and mermaids. I will say, I always wanted more from the mermaids, like maybe they could have been nicer to Wendy, or at the very least had a song number. I absolutely would have preferred a musical number with the mermaids over the boys singing “Following the Leader”.

  The catchiest song of all is “What Made the Red Man Red?”, which has a lot of energy, and an engaging beat.  

Of course, this song, as well as the Indians in general have become the subject of much controversy … which is a fair criticism, although, even when I was a kid, I never took them seriously as a proper portrayal of Native American Indians. As a side note, I wish there could have been more of Tiger Lily in the film. Despite not being on screen for very long, she once again conveyed a lot of personality through her animation, and I always loved her little dance during the song. The remaining songs are okay, but I like them more for there sequences as opposed to the songs on their own. The big “You Can Fly!” song is definitely more of a memorable sequence, then it is a great musical number. The opening song “The Second Star to the Right” is fine, but I like it more for the still images that highlight what we’re about to see in the film. Wendy’s song “Your Mother and Mine” is kind of boring on its own, but in the film, it makes for a decent calm before the storm. I remember as a kid, I loved “The Elegant Captain Hook” song, and viewed it as one of the great, catchy Disney villain musical numbers, but looking back, it’s nothing too special, at least when compared to other great villain songs.       

  In the end, I have nothing but nostalgic fondness for Disney’s “Peter Pan”, and still consider it a bright spot from Walt Disney’s time. I wouldn’t call it the definitive version of J. M. Barrie’s play, but it is the version that has stuck with me the most. The storytelling is simple, but charming, with a brisk pace, memorable characters, funny slapstick, and magical atmosphere. More than anything, it’s the themes of growing up, while still retaining your youthful spirit that makes it special. For whatever it’s worth, Michael Jackson even cited Disney’s “Peter Pan” as his favorite movie, even naming his estate, Neverland Ranch after the setting of the film. While I can’t argue that the film has any demanding for adults, it is still a novelty for those of us who grew-up with it to look back on. Sometimes, just a delightful little animated offering is all I need, and I feel this film deserves to be called a classic just like any other early animated Disney offering. 

Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s 1953 classic “Peter Pan” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!