Post by Zone Fighter on Dec 3, 2005 20:09:52 GMT -8
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)
Van Johnson - Pied Piper/Truson
Claude Rains - Mayor of Hamelin
Lori Nelson - Mara
Jim Backus - King's Emissary
Kay Starr - John's Mother
Music by Edvard Grieg (from "Peer Gynt")
This is a musical version of the Brothers Grimm tale, with a happy ending. Most of the dialogue is in rhyme. The music is better than the lyrics set to it.
The corrupt Mayor of Hamlin is obsessed with winning the King's Banner and forces the people of Hamelin, including the children, to work on building the best clock tower in the land. He plans to melt down the town treasury to make golden chimes. School master Truson objects to the mayor's taking the children from school and not allowing them any time to play and also to the folly of wasting the town's money. Truson and the mayor's daughter love each other but the of course the mayor won't approve of their marriage.
When the Pied Piper plays music just to entertain the children of Hamelin the only adult to hear it is Truson. When the Piper plays the music which leads the rats away the children cannot hear it and neither can Truson. When the mayor reneges on paying the Piper's fee Truson tries to stir the people to force the mayor to keep his word but is thrown in prison. When the Piper plays the tune which leads the children away Truson is again the only adult who can hear it but being locked up he cannot do anything to save the children.
A fun little fantasy film from the early days of color television. People tend to think of Fairy Tales as being for children, but thiss a morality tale for adults warning of the evils of greed. The Hamelin city councils song about prestige would probably mean little to most children.
Available on a $1 DVD. It's been on my shelf for so long I can't recall which store I got it from, Dollar Tree, Target or Walmart.