Pete's Dragon (Full Frame, Clamshell)

VHS, G, 134 minutes, DISNEY

A heartwarming musical adventure about the friendship between a young boy and his invisible pet, "Pete's Dragon" casts a magical spell with thrilling plot twists and a delightful blend of live action and enchanting Disney animation! Pete, a young orphan, flees from his cruel guardians to a Maine fishing town with a lovable but mischievous dragon named Elliott - his one true friend! Fortunately for Pete, they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father. But Elliott's flair for flying and disappearing at will continually get Pete into trouble. The adventure heats up when the townsfolk try to capture Elliott for their own again - only to discover that a fire-breathing dragon may be the only solution to an unexpected problem!. 1. The original story called for Elliott the dragon to remain invisible throughout the entire film. 2. Animators opted for an oriental, rather than occidental, dragon, because oriental dragons are usually associated with good. 3. 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. 4. The film is the first involving animation in which none of the Nine Old Men -? Disney's original team of animators ?- was involved. 5. The town square and wharf area for the film's setting of Passamaquoddy, a Maine fishing village, were constructed on the Disney Burbank Studio lot partly from an old western set. 6. The lighthouse the studio built for the film in Morro Bay, California, had such a powerful beacon, they had to get special permission from the Coast Guard to operate it. Sadly, it was torn down at the conclusion of filming. 7. The song, "Candle On The Water," by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn, received an Academy Awardﾮ 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. 8. Singer Helen Reddy, famous for the feminist anthem, "I Am Woman," makes her second big-screen appearance as Nora, while screen veteran Mickey Rooney plays her father, Lampie. NTSC.