Charlotte's Web (1973 film)
Charlotte's Web is a 1973 American animated musical film produced by Paramount Pictures, Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions and based upon the 1952 children's book of the same name by E. B. White. The film, like the book, is about a pig named Wilbur who befriends an intelligent spider named Charlotte who saves him from being slaughtered.
- Directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto. Written by E.B. White (book) and Earl Hamner Jr. (story).
That humble, radiant, terrific book is now a humble, radiant, terrific movie. taglines
Narrator
[edit]- This old world is filled with wonders, but to me there's no place more wonderful than a farm in springtime, when the sun is just lifting on the skyline. The air is so sweet, and everywhere you look, little miracles are happening. Buds swell into blossoms, eggs hatch, young are born. Everything's off to a fresh start, and life is good and busy and brand-new. Around a barnyard, big families are a blessing. The more, the merrier. Root and grunt, push and shove, room for everybody. Well, everybody except the runt. John Arable had been up since daybreak. He'd seen the size of the pig, and he wasn't looking forward to what had to be done.
- Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend, and a good writer. Charlotte was both.
Wilbur
[edit]- Then, write this in your webs when, you learn. This hallowed doorway was once the home of Charlotte. She was brilliant, beautiful, and loyal to the end.
The Goose
[edit]- [after Wilbur asks the Goose if she would like to play with him] I'm no flibberty-ibberty-gibbit! I'm staying here and hatching my goslings!
- [to Templeton] You'll worry alright when winter comes! If Wilbur is killed, and his trough stands empty, then you'll grow so thin we can look right through your stomach and see objects on the other side!
Templeton
[edit]- The goose was right! This fair is a rat's paradise! Bye-bye, my "humble" Wilbur! Fare thee well, Charlotte, you old schemer! This will be a night to remember!
Dialogue
[edit]- Avery Arable: Can I have a pig too, Pop?
- John Arable: [put the jacket on his hook] No, I only distribute pigs to early risers. Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of injustice. [Avery's frog escapes his jacket and jumps all over the breakfast table] Seems to me you've already got more wildlife than you can take care of, Avery.
- Wilbur: [singing] Isn't it great, that I articulate?/Isn't it grand, that you can understand?/I don't grunt/I don't oink/I don't even squeak or squawk/When I wanna say a-somethin', I open up and talk! I can talk! I can talk, talk, talk, I can...
- Old Sheep: Why don't you keep it down?
- Wilbur: I can talk!
- Wilbur: [to a lamb] Wanna play?
- Baby Lamb: [to an old sheep] May I, Papa?
- Old Sheep: Certainly not. In the first place, you can't get out of your pen. In the second place, sheep do not play with pigs.
- Wilbur: Why not?
- Old Sheep: Oh, it's a matter of status. Sheep, for instance, are highly regarded by Zuckerman, because we furnish him with good quality wool. With pigs, on the other hand, it's just a matter of time.
- Wilbur: Time till what?
- Old Sheep: Till you're fat enough to kill.
- Wilbur: [incredulously] What did you say?!
- Old Sheep: Oh, everybody knows it. In the fall, you'll be turned into smoked bacon and ham. Just as soon as cold weather sets in, they'll kill you.
- Wilbur: Ohh! [faints]
- Goose: Templeton.
- Templeton: Hmm?
- Goose: Templeton! Would you do something-umthing - umthing about Wilbur, please?
- Wilbur: Is it true what the old sheep says? Is that awful thing true?!
- Goose: It's a dirty-irty trick, but it's true.
- Wilbur: I don't want to die! I want to stay here in my warm manure pile! I want to breathe the beautiful air, and lie in the beautiful sun!
- Old Sheep: [sarcastic] You're certainly making a beautiful noise.
- Wilbur: [breaking into tears] I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
- Charlotte: [unseen] Quiet, Wilbur! Now chin up!
- Wilbur: Who said that?
- Charlotte: Do you want a friend?
- Wilbur: Yes, I want a friend. But I want to live, too!
- Charlotte: Well, chin up. I'll be your friend, and I'll try to save your life. I've been watching you, and I like you.
- Wilbur: I can't see you. What do you mean "chin up"?
- Charlotte: Now go to sleep. You'll see me in the morning, and I'll explain everything then.
- Narrator: Wilbur's stomach was empty, and his mind was full. And when your stomach is empty and your mind is full, it's always hard to sleep. But sleep and Wilbur finally found each other.
- Charlotte: Salutations.
- Wilbur: Salu-what?
- Charlotte: Salutations.
- Wilbur: What are they? And where are you?
- Charlotte: Salutations are greetings. It's my fancy way of saying hello. Look up here in the doorway.
- [After the goose's eggs have hatched]
- Wilbur: Congratulations! How many are there?
- Goose: There are seven.
- Charlotte: Seven is a lucky number.
- Goose: [proudly] Luck had absolutely nothing to do with it! It was really good management and hard work.
- Templeton: [looking at a solitary unhatched egg] Why didn't, uh, this one hatch?
- The Goose: [gloomily] It's a dud, I guess.
- Templeton: What are you going to do with it?
- The Goose: [sternly] You can have it! Roll it away and add it to that nasty collection of yours! Be careful! A rotten egg can be a regular stink bomb!
- Templeton: [patting the egg] I know what I'm doing. I handle stuff like this all the time. [rolls the egg away.]
- Avery: Why isn't that gosling with his mother?
- [Jeffrey runs to Wilbur]
- Fern: Because he likes Wilbur.
- Avery: Shrimpy little thing. [Jeffrey oinks like a pig at Avery] Sounds more like a pig than a gosling.
- [Jeffrey oinks like a pig again and looks proud of himself]
- Avery: [noticing Charlotte] Wow! Look at that big spider! I'm gonna catch it for my collection!
- Fern: Avery, you leave that spider alone!
- Avery: That's a fine spider and I'm catching it! What's the matter with you, Wilbur?
- Fern: He doesn't like you in there. Now, get out! [as Wilbur bursts Avery down, the egg cracks under the pig pen] What did you do, Avery?!
- Avery: [disgusted] Uhhh... Good night! What a stink!
- Narrator: Getting to be famous didn't change Wilbur one bit. Through all the crowds and publicity and glamour, he stayed the same old Wilbur. He was glad when the crowds stopped coming and he could be with his real friends again. Even Mrs. Fussy fell for the message in the web, and let Henry come over to see the famous pig.
- [Wilbur notices Fern and Henry, they petted him; suddenly a hornet almost stung Fern!]
- Henry: A hornet! Duck!
- [Henry pushes Fern duck down as a hornet lands to wreck Charlotte's web. Wilbur discovered the web was wrecked in dismay]
- Wilbur: Ohh...
- [Charlotte climbs up to the web, she wraps the hornet up]
- Fern: It's all right, Wilbur. Everybody knows you're some pig.
- [Charlotte is looking for a new message to write in her web]
- Jeffrey: How about, "Wilbur's nice"?
- Charlotte: Well, he is nice, but I need something a little more exciting.
- Baby Lamb: How about "Pig Supreme"?
- Charlotte: No good. It sounds like a rich dessert.
- Goose: How about "terrific, terrific, terrific"?
- Charlotte: Cut that down to one "terrific" and it will do very nicely. I think "Terrific" might impress Zuckerman.
- Wilbur: But Charlotte, I'm not terrific.
- Charlotte: You're terrific as far as I am concerned. [Templeton hits Wilbur in the face with his tail as he walks by; Charlotte glares at him] Does anybody know how to spell it?
- Goose: I think it's T, double-E double-R, double-R, double-I, double-F, double-I, double-C-C-C.
- Charlotte: What kind of an acrobat do you think I am? It would take me all night to write that.
- Old Sheep: I'd advise you not to consult geese in matters of spelling. The word is spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C.
- The Goose: [firmly] I still think it's prettier spelled: T, double-E, double-R, double-R, double-I-
- Charlotte: Please! Let me spell it my way.
- Edith Zuckerman: Homer, I'm gonna give that pig a buttermilk bath.
- Homer Zuckerman: A what?
- Edith Zuckerman: Well, my gran'mother always used to bathe her pig with buttermilk when it got dirty.
- Homer Zuckerman: Wilbur's not dirty.
- Edith Zuckerman: Oh, he's filthy! An' I'm gonna clean him with buttermilk!
- Homer Zuckerman: Edith, you're crazy.
- [later:]
- Homer Zuckerman: Edith, I've got to hand it to you; that pig looks a hundred percent better.
- Edith Zuckerman: You just wait 'til he's dry.
- Drum Major: Mr. Homer Zuckerman?
- Homer Zuckerman: That's me.
- Drum Major: We've come to escort you and your Famous Pig to the grandstand.
- Homer Zuckerman: What for?
- Drum Major: I don' know, but we'd better get going.
- Edith Zuckerman: Oh my goodness! Go up in front of all those people? Does my hair look all right, Homer?
- Homer Zuckerman: It looks fine.
- Edith Zuckerman: He didn't even look at my hair!
- Mrs. Arable: It's all right, Edith, now just keep calm.
- Edith Zuckerman: Aren't you gonna crate the pig, Homer?
- Homer Zuckerman: No. Let 'im walk! So everybody can see!
- [Templeton successfully retrieves Charlotte's egg sack and places it in Wilbur's crate]
- Wilbur: Charlotte, your children are safe. [pauses] Charlotte?
- Charlotte: [last words] I'm thinking of your life, Wilbur. Nothing can harm you now.
- [sings:] The autumn days grow short and cold; It's Christmas time again.
- Then snows of winter slowly melt. The day grows short, and then...
- He turns the seasons around,
- And so she changes... her gown.
- Mother Earth... and Father Time.
- [Words are slowly being reduced to a whisper]
- How very special are we......
- For just a moment... to be......
- Part of life's........
- Eternal............
- Rhyme.
- [Charlotte finally passes away; silence]
- Wilbur: Charlotte?... Charlotte...?! CHARLOTTE!
- [Wilbur breaks down in tears, mourning Charlotte's death]
Cast
[edit]- Henry Gibson - Wilbur
- Debbie Reynolds - Charlotte A. Cavatica
- Paul Lynde - Templeton
- Agnes Moorehead - The Goose
- Pamelyn Ferdin - Fern Arable
- Bob Holt - Homer Zuckerman
- Joan Gerber - Edith Zuckerman
- John Stephenson - John Arable
- Danny Bonaduce - Avery Arable
- Don Messick - Jeffrey
- William B. White - Henry Fussy
- Martha Scott - Jane Arable
- Herb Vigran - Lurvy
- Dave Madden - Ram
- Rex Allen - the Narrator
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]
- Charlotte's Web at Rotten Tomatoes
- Charlotte's Web quotes at the Internet Movie Database
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Categories:
- 1973 films
- 1970s American animated films
- Traditionally animated films
- American children's animated drama films
- American children's animated fantasy films
- American children's animated musical films
- Animated films based on novels
- Films about webs
- Films about spiders
- Animated films about pigs
- Animated films about death
- Animated films about friendship
- Musical films