Pete's Dragon is a 1977 American live-action/animated musical fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey, produced by Jerome Courtland and Ron Miller, and written by Malcolm Marmorstein. Based on the unpublished short story "Pete's Dragon and the USA (Forever After)" by Seton I. Miller and S. S. Field, the film stars Sean Marshall, Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons, Jeff Conaway, Shelley Winters, and the voice of Charlie Callas as Elliott.
The project was initially conceived in 1957 as a two-part episode of the Disneyland television series, but it was shelved until it was revived as a musical film in 1975. The film was released on November 3, 1977 to mixed reviews from critics, though some praised the animation. It was a moderate financial success, grossing $18 million over a $10 million budget.
The film received two nominations at the 50th Academy Awards, for musical scoring and original song. Capitol Records released a single of Reddy performing "Candle on the Water" (with a different arrangement from that in the film) that reached #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
The film spawned a live-action remake made by Walt Disney Pictures and released in 2016.
Plot
In New England in the early 1900s, an orphan named Pete flees the Gogans, his abusive foster family, with the assistance of an unseen force he calls Elliott. The family calls for Pete to return and promise they will treat him better, while contrastingly expressing their true intentions to punish him severely ("The Happiest Home in These Hills"). After they abandon their search, Pete falls asleep. The next morning, Pete awakens and Elliott is revealed to be a large cartoonish green dragon that can turn invisible ("I Love You, Too").
Pete and Elliott visit Passamaquoddy, where the unseen Elliott's clumsiness causes Pete to be labeled a source of bad luck. Lampie, the lighthouse keeper, stumbles out of a tavern and encounters Pete. Elliott makes himself visible and Lampie, terrified, runs to the townsfolk ("I Saw a Dragon"). They dismiss Lampie's claims as a drunken rant. In a seaside cave, Pete reprimands Elliott for causing trouble. As they reconcile, Lampie's daughter Nora appears, warning that Pete is not safe there because of the incoming tide. When she realizes he is orphaned and not from the area, she offers him shelter at the lighthouse, and the two bond (“It’s Not Easy”). He learns the story of her fiancé Paul, whose ship was lost at sea the year before, and promises to ask Elliott to try to locate Paul.
Itinerant quack Dr. Terminus and his assistant Hoagy win over the gullible townspeople, who are angered by their return (“Passamaquoddy”). After Lampie takes Hoagy to the cave where Elliot resides to prove that he is real, their encounter with him goes awry and the two flee. Hoagy tries to tell Terminus of the dragon, but he does not believe him. The next day, the local fishermen complain about the scarcity of fish, believing it is Pete's fault. Nora tells them the fishing grounds shift from time to time and Pete should be welcomed into town ("There's Room for Everyone"). That night, Nora and Lampie argue over Lampie's claims of seeing a dragon and Nora's belief that Paul will return ("Candle on the Water").
Nora takes Pete to start school, where the teacher, Miss Taylor, punishes him for Elliott's antics. An enraged Elliott smashes into the schoolhouse, leaving his shape in the wall and frightening the townspeople. Terminus, now convinced the dragon is real, discovers from a book about dragons that any physical property from these creatures can be used for different remedies and tonics. He conspires with Hoagy to exploit Elliott for medical profit ("Every Little Piece"). Pete accepts Nora and Lampie's invitation to live with them ("Brazzle Dazzle Day"). When the Gogans arrive in town and demand Pete be returned, Nora refuses to surrender him. As the Gogans chase them in a small boat, Elliott sinks it, saving Pete ("Bill of Sale"). Dr. Terminus makes a deal with the Gogans to capture Pete and Elliott, even convincing the locals that capturing Elliott will solve their problems.