Pete's Dragon different edits.....

[disneyfella]

I sent an email to Dave Smith out of sheer hope that someone would take a look into my Disney question, and I couldn't believe it...he did! It was such a pleasant and wonderful suprise I've always enjoyed reading Dave Smiths columns in The Disney Magazine, and The Disney Channel Magazine, and bought several of his books. He is pretty much holding all of our dream jobs. He gets to work in preserving and investigating Disney history....and he is one truly swell guy.

Anyway, I asked him about "Pete's Dragon" and here was the response:

An excerpt from my email to Dave Smith:

"What is missing on the current DVD and VHS releases of Pete's Dragon? I've read about a road-show release of the film that was later edited and is currently the only available version of the film. Was there an overture? Were there extended song numbers? I know the soundtrack to the film has some extra verses of "I Saw a Dragon", my guess is that the musical number was probably much longer in the vain of "Step in Time" and "Let's Have a Drink On It" but that it probably got trimmed because it was too early in the movie for a show-stopping number. Do you know for sure what's in those 5 missing minutes?"

Here is an excerpt of the response I got back from Mr. Smith (and I got it rather quickly, too):

Pete’s Dragon supposedly started out at 135 (or 134) minutes, and everything around here has said it was cut to 129 minutes during its first release. I wonder if the cuts were made before the premiere, however. The official cutting continuity is 129 (actually 128 minutes and 42 seconds) minutes, and is dated October 1977, which is before the November 3 premiere. I find nothing which says what was cut from the longer version. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety note a 134 minute running time in their reviews (Variety saw the film on November 4). The DVD is the 129 minute version. A 106 minute version was released in 1984. From the 129 minute version were cut portions of 21 scenes, including the entire songs “Candle on the Water” and “The Happiest Home in These Hills,” and verses from “I Saw a Dragon,” “Passamaquoddy,” “There’s Room for Everyone,” and “Every Little Piece.” The “Candle on the Water” track was used over the opening credits instead of the orchestral overture.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Thanks for the info Dave/Disneyfella. I've always wondered what that 5 minutes of footage was but ti sounds like it was intended to be cut anyway (unlike the edits to Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Happiest Millionaire. The upcoming DVD will supposedly have a "deleted scene" of 2.5 minutes in length so I wonder could that be part of it.

With this new information I'm glad the current DVD (aside from some slight under mating) presents the original premier version.

[carolinakid]

Pete's Dragon is one of my faves and I think the score is underrated. I'm looking forward to the new DVD release! Dave Smith is a gem and I so miss his column!

Jon

[goofystitch]

Dave is a really cool guy. I got the opportunity to meet him over the summer and got to visit the Archives. He is really passionate about Disney.

[Papa Bear]

Dave is a really cool guy. I got the opportunity to meet him over the summer and got to visit the Archives. He is really passionate about Disney.

How did you get the oppurtunity to go th the archives?

[goofystitch]

My significant other knows Dave Smith.

[nunval]

Hi, here in Italy since the first showing in 1978 we had only the 106 minutes version, that apparently was the only one distributed in Europe.

[marlan]

In U.K., the shorter cut was shown in theatres in 1978 and also released on video in 1986 and 1988. The longer cut was released on video & DVD in 1998.

In Finland, only the shorter cut has ever been released.

[Will Barks]

In Germany they also only released the short version, like they did with Bedknops and Broomsticks.

[marlan]

Actually, in Germany, Bedknobs and Broomsticks was released in a doubly shortened version (89 min): "During the dubbing process for the German version in the early '70s, it was decided to remove all scenes featuring Nazis. This version was also released on DVD and video."

The "normally shortened" cut runs 117 minutes (1972) or 99 minutes (1980) and uncut version 139 minutes.

[feedmelinguini]

"During the dubbing process for the German version in the early '70s, it was decided to remove all scenes featuring Nazis."

Does the story even make sense that way? Wouldn't that be like removing the dwarfs from Snow White?

-Lon

[Heil Donald Duck]

"During the dubbing process for the German version in the early '70s, it was decided to remove all scenes featuring Nazis."

Does the story even make sense that way? Wouldn't that be like removing the dwarfs from Snow White?

-Lon

Remove the dwarfs and put in sted seven *** slaves then the movie would be more intrested

[carolinakid]

RE:Pete's Dragon
There were 2 versions of Candle on the Water by Helen Reddy that were released. One is the movie ST version; the other was a "radio single" version that had a more "pop" feel

Which do you prefer?

[Flanger-Hanger]

Movie version, I think the radio version was on Classic Disney Volume 2 and I find the faster tempo in the radio version to be a little more annoying than the slower one. Still a great song though, sung either way by Reddy.

[carolinakid]

Thanks FH! I love them both and sometimes the only way I can tell which one is which is by noting the time....the ST version is around 30 seconds longer....

I also love It's Not Easy and the much maligned Brazzle Dazzle Day.

The Happiest Home in These Hills is catchy too!

Jon