The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The Pied Piper of Hamelin


Hal Stanley, 1957, Color, 89 minutes, ***

First aired November 26, 1957



Based on the Brothers Grimm tale, this made-for-TV movie tells the well-known tale of Hamelin, a village plagued by rats. In order to deal with the problem, the village Mayor hires a Piper to lure the rodents away and agrees to a handsome fee as payment. The rats are led away, only to have the mayor renege on his promise. The Piper takes revenge by luring all the children of the village to his mountain lair. Don't worry, the film offers a happy ending. Most of the film dialogue is spoken in rhyme (borrowed from Robert Browning's poem) over an excellent Edvard Grieg music score.



Produced by: Hal Stanley

Production Supervisor: Richard A. Larson

Directed by: Bretaigne Windust

Assistant Director: Maurice Vaccarino

Book and Lyrics by: Irving Taylor and Hal Stanley

[Some dialogue from the Poem by Robert Browning]

Based on the music of Edvard Grieg (Peer Gynt)

Musical Conductor: Pete King

Choreography by: Ward Ellis

Production Designed by: Arthur Lonergan

Set Decoration: G. W. Berntsen

Wardrobe by: Berman

Sound Effects: Walter Elliott

Music Editor: Kenneth Wilhoit

Director of Photography: William E. Snyder

Special Photographic Effects: Jack Rabin, Louis DeWitt, Irving Block

Filmed in Technicolor

Color Supervisor: Alex Quiroga

Supervising Film Editor: Floyd Knudtson

Film Editor: Norman A. Cerf



Cast: Van Johnson [Pied Piper / Truson], Claude Rains [Mayor of Hamelin], Lori Nelson [Mara], Jim Backus [King's Emissary], Kay Starr [John's Mother], Rene Kroper [Paul], Oliver Blake [Leading Citizen], Amzie Strickland [Leading Townswoman], Doodles Weaver [First Counselor], Stanley Adams [Second Counselor], Carl Benton Reid [Mayor of Hamelout]



Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (contains elements of Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King, played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:02] In the Hall of the Mountain King (adaptation danced by Van Johnson); [0:03] The Work Song (sung by Townspeople); [0:09] How Can I Tell You (sung by Van Johnson to Lori Nelson); [0:16] Prestige (sung and danced by Mayor and Council); [0:29] Feats of the Piper (sung by Van Johnson and Townspeople); [0:36] In the Hall of the Mountain King (played by Orchestra with Chorus as the Piper chases the rats out of town); [0:44] Flim Flam Floo (sung by Van Johnson to Children); [0:53] Fool's Gold (sung by Van Johnson); [0:56] How Can I Tell You (reprise sung by Lori Nelson accompanied by music box); [0:59] The Emmisary's Song (sung by Townspeople); [1:05] How Can I Tell You (sung by Lori Nelson and Van Johnson); [1:12] A Mother's Lament (sung by Kay Starr)