Customer Reviews

Peter Pan

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first thing you notice in the film is the credits. Among them is George Ali as Nana the dog. Then there is a reminder that this film is for the kid in all of us and that even the pirates are kids at heart.

As the scene opens up we see that this film is more of a stage play captured on film. Nana takes center stage and is so well portrayed that you have to remember it is a George in a fur suit. For people that do not know the story it is well played out and you find yourself actually anticipating the next sentence. For those that do know the story you are in for a few surprises. There are a few scenes of Neverland that look a tad like the California coast. The crocodile is cute.

Several things stand out in this film that you can not help but notice; among them are that it is Americanized to the point that when the pirate ship is taken the "Jolly Roger" is replaced with "Old Glory" instead of the "Union Jack". There seems to be lots of medicine handed out. And surprise, a brief request for audience (this means you) participation. Peter Pan traditionally is portrayed by a woman however Betty Bronson is a tad over developed for the part. Bronson is very convincing.

This is the story if a young lad that decides never to grow up. He is snooping around the Darling house and being spotted escapes with the exception of his shadow that got caught. On a return trip he convinces the Darling siblings to fly of to Neverland where they have many adventures with pirates, Indians and fairies. Will they also never grow up and what will the parents do?

All in all the film follows the story and you may find this to be one of if not your favorite version.

I recently bought this movie because I'm a huge fan of Peter Pan and I was curious to see this 20s rendition of the lovely story. Though I wasn't expecting much, it was very accurate to the story. A very good movie, but I was a little disappointed at how they made the Darling children into patriotic Americans. Sure that would have been fine had they really been American..but no... Yeah the patriotism was borderline cheesy. But I guess we can't win all the time. If you can get past that, it's an amazing movie. Betty Bronson did a good job at the boy who never grows up, very cute. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes Peter Pan or old movies (or both for that matter).

Overall this was an okay version of Peter Pan. Betty Bronson showed she had charisma, although to me she is not the ultimate Peter Pan, (Mary Martin was, but then I haven't seen it since I was eight so...) I was disappointed mostly. I was looking forward to seeing Anna May Wong on screen and she was in the movie less than a minute. Also I didn't like the ending with the lost boys, that did not happen in the book. The real highlight of this movie was the man dressed in the dog suit, so adorable and yet so cheap.

Here is yet another video/DVD version of PETER PAN (others include the "Disney" version, the Mary Martin TV version, Cathy Rigby's A & E Broadcast, Speilberg's HOOK, and soon Disney's RETURN TO NEVERLAND) that should be of interest to both fans of Peter Pan and classic film buffs. It is fully restored from the archival 35mm hand-tinted elements (thought to be lost forever) of the 1924 silent film. This "first" film version based on the Sir James M. Barrie's extremely popular play stars Betty Bronson, who was hand-picked by the author himself. Both the video and the DVD include a fully-orchestrated score, and the DVD has some very interesting bonuses for Peter Pan enthusiasts, i.e. publicity photos and art, cast member interview, etc.. Probably closest to the original New York stage production starring Maude Adams, the film goes above and beyond with cinematic effects that were, and still are, a marvel to behold for a film produced in '20s. This is a Peter Pan of both literary and historical importance. With a new $100 million Sony Pictures/Disney joint production (P J Hogan directing) to begin soon, this classic gem should add to the "Pan-demonium"! Incidentally the original written work by Sir James M. Barrie will be celebrating it's centennial soon, and his life will be commemorated with yet another film starring Johnny Depp as the author.

When I showed this to my friends, (none of whom are silent-movie addicts) the comment was unanimous: LOVELY! These are guys who normally watch Men in Black and Armageddon for kicks.

But how true it is: Peter Pan is a lovely picture. Or rather, a picture-play, with the stress on play. There are rather few set-ups: The children's bedroom, the forest, the underground cave and the pirate boat. The linking sequences are very short. You can imagine this has been lifted more or less intact from the theatre, with a few extras, such as the mermaids on the beach and the flying-sequences.

Herbert Brenon's direction is OK, though not very impressive. No matter. Once you get into the J.M. Barrie story, you are transported anyway. Like the foreword says: Every character in this play is a child, and you have to become a child to understand it.
Betty Bronsons balletic pantomime as Peter is enchanting, the Lost Boys are genuinely charming and the villains are deliciously stupid. When the end comes, you've had an experience worth having.
Technically, the film holds up well, the photography and lighting is sensitive and first-rate. The grey tones are velvety, and there are very few scratches. Excellent! The DVD-copy is struck from a marvellous print.

The new music score is in character and just right for a 1920's movie. The extras include a 35 minute interview with Esther Ralston, where she talks about her career and her part as Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan. There is some juicy stuff about Louis B. Mayer here!

This 1924 silent film version of James M. Barrie's timeless story is an exquisite little film. Barrie himself selected Betty Bronson to be the screen's first Peter Pan. The performances by Bronson and Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook are both excellent and much better than we have come to expect from the silent era. However, it is the photography which stand out more than anything else, which turns out not to be surprising because "Peter Pan" was one of the early film shot by the great cinematographer James Wong Howe. The film is directed by Herbert Brenon, who made the silent version of "Beau Geste" two years later. This 102 minute version is fully restored from the original nitrate materials, with authentic color tints and a new musical score. I doubt I am alone in thinking that this version is even more charming that the television specials and cartoon versions most of us watched growing up.

I know that Betty Bronson is playing a boy in this film, but she is still as beautiful a silent actress as I have seen. It's a wonder that she did not really go on to greater things. All the more reason then to enjoy her performance in this film. It is delighful, subtle and strangely sexy especially with regard to her somewhat reluctant romance with Wendy. One has to accept from the beginning the conventions of this film. It is theatrical and thus a dog is obviously a man in a costume, a crododile is obviously fake etc. That is not to say however, that the special effects are primitive. The scenes of Peter and the children flying are as realistic as anything done with 'blue screen.' It is worthy of note that J.M. Barrie did not much care for this adaptation of his work. It is hard to see why, but perhaps one can conjecture that he did not much care for some of the added americanisms. Maybe he had a point. It does seem a little strange to see the lost boys running up the Stars and Stripes on the pirate flag pole. Nothing against Old Glory of course, but it's rather like seeing the Union Jack run up a flag pole in Little Women. Still this is a very minor point. Whatever Barrie may have thought, this is clearly the best adaptation of his play on film. The print, on the DVD, is as good as any silent film I have seen, it is clear and tinted in a subtle manner. The score is amusing and fits in well with the action. The DVD extras are welcome, especially a large photo gallery mainly featuring Bronson. In conclusion I would say that this is one of the very best silent films I have seen. It is hard to imagine that it could dissapoint silent film fans.

This film is the unsung masterpiece of cinema, along with Harold Lloyd's KID BROTHER and a couple of others. Enchanting and ravishing in the most deepest meaning of these words. Though I cry easily, this one got me crying all along - tears of joy. And there are no words to describe that kind of tears. Kino's edition is a must and it should be in every collection. It would even be better if this film was to be the first element of a new collection - it has everything to make you want to see more things like this. But I believe it's one of a kind.

The DVD review of this silent masterpiece gives all the details necessary about the film. Sufficeth to say that the VHS edition is every bit as good although it does not contain the interviews and other extra "goodies". Considering that for years, we have had nothing but terrible bootleg copies of this film to judge it by, this is a wonderful treat. Thanks to KINO for making this film available. The special effects are pretty nice, too. Try to remember when you watch it that it was made way back in 1924.......and enjoy.....

I watched the Kino DVD of PETER PAN last night and was delighted to have this most charming of silent films finally available in a quality video release.

The picture quality, which was subtly tinted, will disappoint no one, although it looked more like a really good 16mm print than a 35mm to me. Perhaps I'm spoiled because I've never seen the film in any gauge but 35mm. A great deal of the magic in PETER PAN was supplied by cinematographer James Wong Howe. Scenes that could have been foolish in other hands became enchantment in his.

Phil Carli's score works perfectly: It had that "turn of the century, concert in the park on Sunday afternoon" feel to it. It wouldn't have worked with many silent films, but for PETER PAN it was marvelous------a tribute to Carli's ability to match a narrative theme with it's programmatic musical compliment.

PETER PAN is filled with magical touches that never seem to go too far or become foolish. Peter's heart to heart talk with the crocodile when they conspire to "get" Captain Hook was one of my favorites, as were the mermaids on the beach. The only point that has ever bothered me is at the end when Peter actually stabs and kills two of the pirates. Somehow I thought this was out of place and brought too much realism to a light hearted fairy tale. But this is very minor nit-picking of an otherwise flawless silent film.

The "value ads" are production stills from the film along with a poster and lobby card. There are also interviews with Esther Ralston (one video and three audio), who plays Mrs. Darling. The things she has to say about Louis B. Mayer are more than just interesting.

A title card at the very beginning tells the audience that the acting may seem whimsical to an adult but that "all the characters are seen with a child's outlook on life.....even to the adults in the story. Pull the beard on a pirate and you would find the face of a child." So for 102 minutes, clap your hands and pretend you believe in fairies.

Jay F.