Returning to this article, as I just did, I’d like to point out, that Billy De Wolfe as the Jane Kean teacher would be hilarious…if he only hadn’t passed away in 1974l.
Several cover versions were made and still pop up on various easy listening music services. Though it was an Oscar nominee, along with “Someone’s Waiting for You” from The Rescuers, it did not walk off with the statuette.

Unfortunately, several songs were omitted and the remaining ones were either edited or faded out after a verse or two. The Pete’s Dragon Storyteller LP and book package was produced during the “second golden age” of Disneyland Records, with producer Jymn Magon at the creative helm. Producer: Jymn Magon. It was about a Professor and his aides (a toad, a lizard, a bee and a mouse) who go through comical adventures thru time and space ala Mr Peabody and Sherman while fighting a crazy villain named Ecoloco who was about to pollute the world. Songs and Dialogue from the Original Motion Picture It was included on other CD collections, though, including Rhino’s Chicken Soup for the Soul series and this Reddy retrospective. Indeed, if “Candle” existed before “The Morning After” and “We May Never Love Like This Again,” it very likely would have been a much bigger hit. Pete: He has the head of a camel, the neck of a crocodile Nora: It sounds rather strange Pete: He's both a fish and a mammal And I hope he'll never change 'Cause it's not easy To find someone who cares Nora: It's not easy to find magic in pairs Pete: I'm glad I found him I love him, I won't let him get away 'Cause it's not easy. Running Time: 39 minutes. It's true!Old Lampie's in a stewA dragon! Thanks for sharing about this remarkable film–which is much better than most people remember. His numerous books include Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records (with Tim Hollis). Disneyland Records Storyteller Series 3815 (12” 33 1/3 RPM / Mono With Book) The dragon was the only thing animated but if the animation looks familiar to you, then it should because the animator later helped animate the hit "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" I swear I saw a dragon A green and seething fire-breathing monster is in sight With eyes of red, a lion's head and wings as dark as night Oh, he has a jaw of gleaming teeth He's 50 feet in height It's true! I have actually sung it in church, prefacing it with the verse “I am the Light of the World”. Moi, j'entends autre chose. PETE’S DRAGON

Esquivel also composed the (very!) Fun fact: screenwriter Malcolm Marmorstein (who received a story credit in the 2016 remake) was a writer on the classic horror/fantasy serial Dark Shadows, which also took place in Maine. When I did finally see it, I found it thoroughly delightful. As he had done with The Rescuers storyteller, Magon included background music and sound effects as well as dialogue on the Pete’s Dragon story album. GIVE A LITTLE LISTEN GIVE A LITTLE LISTEN When she watched the film with me, my mother (who is from Maine) informed me that Passamaquoddy was a real town in Maine, but it existed in a different era from the film. Instrumental: Overture. Lyrics from Pete's DragonComposed by Al Kasha and Joel HirschhornSung by Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy and Ensemble, A Dragon! I decided to put the year in the title so it would not be confused with the 2016 remake version which is NOT a musical. One of the biggest draw backs with this movie was lots of booze consumptions. I’m not familiar with the series, or how much music he either composed himself or borrowed from other sources, but the musical director on ODISEA BURBUJAS was Juan Garcia Esquivel; the 50’s-60’s lounge-music maestro whose RCA LPS (billed by his last name only) are highly prized by collectors today. However, quite a bit of delightful dialogue was included. Songs: “I Saw a Dragon,” “It’s Not Easy,” “Passamashloddy,” “Every Little Piece,” “Candle on the Water” by Al Kasha, Joel Hirschorn. This was true of Pete’s Dragon. Lyrics from Pete's Dragon Composed by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn Sung by Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy and Ensemble . Walt Disney Productions’ Let go of me!And mend your wicked waysWhat makes you think there ever wasThere never wasThere, never, never, ever was a dragon, dragon.....Lyrics transcribed by Disneyclips.com. The records made it possible to know all the songs and the story by heart long before seeing the movie (as your humble author did). Released in 1977. The book was formatted as a script so listeners could follow along—another prevalent feature of this era. Producer/Music Supervisor/Arranger/Conductor: Irwin Kostal. Another break from Poppins and Bedknobs was the intention to give Pete’s Dragon a pop music boost by casting million-selling singer Helen Reddy in the lead and creating two versions of the signature song—a common component of many latter-day Disney features like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Also similar is the way that the “Brazzle Dazzle Day” melody fades out into the first scene of the film, while the album’s overture ends with a big finish. “Pete’s Dragon” was released during my college years, when I simply could not keep up with the new Disney releases, so I didn’t come to appreciate this film until a few years later. Kasha, Hirschorn and McGovern repeated their success with the Oscar-winning “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno. Also Released as 7” 33 1/3 RPM Read-Along Book & Record #369 with Studio Cast. The books and read-along of recent Disney and Pixar films like Moana and Finding Dory hit store shelves in advance. By the time “Candle on the Water’ came along in Pete’s Dragon, it may have been asking a little too much to make lightning strike three times. Released in 1977. “Pete’s Dragon” Storyteller ... Pete's Dragon Soundtrack (1977) (buy at amazon.com) - Main Title Helen Reddy - Candle on the Water Helen Reddy - I Saw a Dragon Sean Marshall - It's Not Easy ... Soundtracks / Top Hits / One Hit Wonders / TV Themes / Song Quotes / Miscellaneous © A Dragon! movie. Performers: Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney, Jim Dale, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Sean Marshall, Charlie Callas, Jeff Conaway, Gary Morgan, Charles Tyner. It's true!Oh, what are we to do?It's true! Pete's Dragon (1977) Soundtracks (11) The 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; Boo Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You, Too) (uncredited) Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn One scene that always sparked speculation was the one between Helen Reddy and Jane Kean, whose three-time repetition of words makes one wonder if the wonderful Billy DeWolfe (“Busy, busy, busy!”) was intended to play the schoolteacher but passed away before filming. Nevertheless, both the Pete’s Dragon score and the song were nominated and “Candle on the Water” received frequent airplay, reaching #32 on the Adult Contemporary charts. One of the pieces of incidental music in Odisea Burbujas – used when the team enters a time machine type transporter – was in fact a segment from the Pete’s Dragon Overture. The difference between this film and its two predecessors, Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, was that the listener could hear some of the soundtrack dialogue early as well. Pete's Dragon is a 1977 American live-action/animated musical fantasy comedy film directed by Don Chaffey, produced by Jerome Courtland and Ron Miller, and written by Malcolm Marmorstein.It is based on the unpublished short story "Pete's Dragon and the USA (Forever After)" by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field. Buena Vista Records issued a 7” 33 1/3 RPM record with demo versions of several songs from the score, including this one (these songs were part of the bonus features on a DVD release of the film several years ago). Distributing merchandise in stores before a film premiere was a frequent practice throughout the Walt Disney Studios history. Even today, it’s not unusual to find books, recordings and such that allow the public to become familiar with the stories—and the endings—before they see the movie (a notable exception was Dick Tracy, the audio book of which simply left out the “surprise” ending). A dragon!I swear I saw a dragonHis tail lashing, he'll be smashing every shop in townWith scaly feet he'll crack the street and tear the steeple downIt's not some loony dreamI heard a scream from Sheriff BrownIt's true! PETE’S DRAGON Lyrics from Pete's Dragon Composed by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn Sung by Jim Dale and Red Buttons. Note that Bob Holt (who also narrated The Rescuers Storyteller LP) uses a Maine fisherman’s dialect.
At the time this Disney movie came out, Disney was hoping to have another hit like with Mary Poppins but it was considered a box office flop and barely made back the money that was used to make the film. In 1940, CBS Radio’s Lux Radio Theater actually presented a live broadcast of the story and songs of Pinocchio a few days before the film’s premiere date. Greg has worked on content for such studios as Disney, Warner and Universal, with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Released by Walt Disney Records in 2002 (60760-7) containing music from Pete's Dragon (1977). Your email address will not be published. Songs: “I Saw a Dragon,” “It’s Not Easy,” “Every Little Piece,” “The Happiest Home in These Hills,” “Brazzle Dazzle Day,” “Bo Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You, Too),” “There’s Room for Everyone,” “Passamashloddy,” “Bill of Sale,” “Candle on the Water” by Al Kasha, Joel Hirschorn. A dragon!I swear I saw a dragonA green and seething fire-breathing monster is in sightWith eyes of red, a lion's head and wings as dark as nightOh, he has a jaw of gleaming teethHe's 50 feet in heightIt's true! “Pete’s Dragon” Overture, Note that Irwin Kostal starts this arrangement exactly as he had done in the Mary Poppins overture—with a single, rising note on the strings, though it doesn’t hold as long as it did in Poppins. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aba47055121845ab3ec9e3af260485db" );document.getElementById("de4f0a0393").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); GREG EHRBAR is a freelance writer/producer for television, advertising, books, theme parks and stage. Songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn enjoyed immense success with the pop version of the Oscar winning “The Morning After,” sung off-screen for Carol Lynley in The Poseidon Adventure by Renee Armand, and performed on the pop single by Maureen McGovern. A dragon! It was a company town that came into existence some time in the 20’s or 30’s, and by the mid-50’s or so the company that had formed it went out of business and the town dissolved. Both Disney songs were beautifully performed as a medley by Gloria Loring (best known as Liz Chandler on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives) on the Academy Awards telecast. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published.