Walt Disney's Peter Pan is one of the shining gems of Disney royalty. Any time anyone nowadays hears the name Peter Pan, this is the version they think of. Since its debut in 1953, it has been Disney's perfect kids' flick. There's just something about it that captures the magic of childhood.
Though Peter still flies with the magic of Neverland today, bringing the movie to life certainly certainly wasn't easy. Writers pulled from different adaptations of the play, artists went back and forth on the designs for the film, and decisions were made along the way that might well surprise you. Here are ten instances of that strange magic that went into Peter Pan.
The Play's the Thing
When people think of the source material of the enchanting tale of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, they often think of either the book or the play, both written by J.M. Barrie. As surprising as it might be, though, the film actually pulls more from the play than the novel, including certain casting practices and story elements.
The original novel was a darker fantasy than Disney would likely produce. Pulling more from the play allowed for a more flexible adaptation, as well as being arguably more familiar to certain audiences.
Ms. Monroe?
A common urban legend regarding everyone's favorite fairy is that 50s actress and bombshell Marilyn Monroe was the inspiration for Tink's curvaceous figure. Though Tinkerbell does have a more buxom design than some of the other Disney heroines, Marilyn was not the one responsible for her design.
In actuality, Tinkerbell's build and design were inspired by her character model, Margaret Kerry. Kerry, dressed in pixie attire and assisted by giant props, helped the Disney artists create the character by tracing her figure onto paper. After seeing her performance, we can all certainly believe in fairies.
He Could Fly
Walt Disney always had a special relationship with Peter Pan. It was one of his favorite projects that the studio ever undertook. Next to Fantasia, it was one of the film-maker's more personal undertakings. From the very beginning, Walt dearly wanted to bring this to the big screen, but his love for the story goes deeper than that.
According to Disney legends, Walt was said to have starred in a school play version of Peter Pan, as the titular boy who never grew up. Perhaps this was one of the sparks that inspired Disney on his path to creating his magical empire dedicated to preserving childhood? We'd certainly like to see a photo of him in the cast.
Come On, Nana!
In one of the earlier drafts of the script, Nana, the Darling children's faithful dog/nursemaid was to have been freed from her rope to accompany the children and Peter to Neverland. There are even storyboards and stills where Nana can be seen flying with the children, and even posing on Marooner's Rock. Why did she get left behind?
It's unclear what the specific reason was for Nana's departure, though it might have been her lacking presence in the book, or simply the change in direction during production. Either way, we can't help but picture what an adventure with her might have looked like.
The Darling Captain Hook
Remember what we said about the film taking inspiration from the original Peter Pan play? One of the traditions with almost every production of Pan is that the actor playing Captain Hook also plays Mr. Darling, the father of Wendy, Michael, and John. Disney, staying faithful to the theatrical practice, did the same.
Hans Conried, voice actor and partial inspiration for Disney's take on the terrible Captain Hook, also assumed the role of the short-tempered Darling father. Conried's performance is certainly one of the best in the film. There's a laundry list of reasons this effect is still practiced, but we'll just accept it for more Conrield.
Child Star
Bobby Driscoll was once one of Disney's best and brightest. Not only was Peter his most famous and most successful role, but he was one of the few male actors to first assume the role. With Driscoll's impish features and mischievous demeanor, he not only served as the model for the character but appeared as his animated alter ego for promotional events.
Unfortunately, after a falling-out with the studio, Driscoll went into a downward spiral and practically vanished off the grid. There are buckets of urban legends regarding the actor's death, but it's just so jarring to think that this happened to Peter Pan after he grew up.
Sounds Familiar
Anyone familiar with Disney or Peter Pan knows the name Kathryn Beaumont. Of course, they can identify her charming voice as Wendy Darling, but she's also famous for another Disney heroine... only, instead of Neverland, she resides somewhere a little further south.
You might know her as Wendy, but before she slipped on the nightgown and flew away with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, she was tumbling down the rabbit hole as Alice in Alice in Wonderland. It was actually through Alice she became Wendy, having wowed the animators and studio staff. After having shown her acting chops in front of Walt Disney, getting the part was a cinch.
From Wonderland
Peter Pan inherited more from Wonderland, too. As the film opens, the audience is treated to the dreamy melody "Second Star to the Right." It's charming, sweet, and easy to listen to, but what viewers might not know is that it was originally not intended for the film.
Before we were humming the tune to "Second Star to the Right" as the credits rolled, the music for this song was originally used for the discarded song "Beyond the Laughing Sky" from Alice in Wonderland. If you can find this track on YouTube, give it a listen. The melody is familiar, but the lyrics are definitely Wonderland-worthy.
Dark Night in Neverland
Similarly to a handful of other Disney fairytales, some of the original plots for Peter Pan were dark and a little strange. One plot included Peter Pan kidnapping Wendy before coming back for her brothers. Another involved much more murderous pirates and a crueler Captain Hook. The strangest, but perhaps most interesting, involved the entire story being told from Nana's point of view.
Yes, you can make the argument that the source material could be dark, but so could a lot of fairytales. The fact that these ideas came from Disney is what puts it on the list. So much for pixie dust, right?
A More Modern Fairytale
If we were to describe a character who wears green tights, doesn't age, and hangs out with fairies, who do you think we'd be describing? Possibly one of two characters come to mind, the obvious Peter Pan, or Link from The Legend of Zelda. The two have more in common than one would think.
Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the famous Nintendo franchise, revealed that Walt Disney's Peter Pan was a heavy influence on Link's appearance. Inspired by the exploration of his childhood home, Miyamoto created an adventure with fairies, swords, and magic. Certainly sounds familiar to us, and there's no denying the resemblance.