For a movie made for television in the 1957, I would say that it is VERY well done, considering what they had to work with at the time. I will admit, being a musician myself, that the usage of harp during the "Hall of the Mountain King," which was used for the luring of the rats, was a bit over the top. But considering the poor quality of most modern made-for-TV movies, it was very good for the standards of the day. To say that Claude Rains was ever a bad actor, in my opinion, is a disgrace to the man's memory and his legacy as an actor. Also, to say that the acting in the film was bad compared to anything we have now would be like comparing the acting style of, say, Humphrey Bogart to that of Colin Firth. It is like two completely different worlds. For anyone at that point in time to get the emotion of a scene, it mostly had to be overdone. But, that gets into the psychology of film-making, and there just isn't time for that in this post. One other thing that a lot of people who have seen this film and dislike it for its musical numbers is that it IS a children's film, and that children like songs that border on the absurd. The film keeps to the child-like aspect of the Pied Piper story, and takes away some of the original tale's darker elements, such as the children not coming back. In the film, the children come back when the town's parents realize the error of their ways. But, as the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was originally a sort of fable for those with vast amounts of avarice, and a warning to children not to become such people, the original story had the children live in a land of plenty where they could frolic well away from the greed of their parents. And their parents paid the price for their greed. One last thing: the film, because it was intended for children, is meant to be FUN!! It gives lots of music, allows the children to see suspense that they can understand (most times it has to be very obvious for younger audiences), and teaches a lesson through repetition of the ultimate maxim of the film--All that glitters is not gold.
I submit that this film, while not in line for any hall of fame, stands on its own two feet for what it was in its time: a simple example of a musical made for television and an audience composed of young children. But most of all, it is entertaining. And in the end, that is what really matters.
By the way, this was a favorite film of mine as a child.
That is my rant for the day.
I submit that this film, while not in line for any hall of fame, stands on its own two feet for what it was in its time: a simple example of a musical made for television and an audience composed of young children. But most of all, it is entertaining. And in the end, that is what really matters.
By the way, this was a favorite film of mine as a child.
That is my rant for the day.