Synopsis[]
Peter Pan begins with opening credits set to the song “Second Star to the Right” sung by a chorus. There are beautiful drawings of Neverland in the background. A dedication is part of the credits and reads “Walt Disney Productions is grateful to the Hospital for Sick Children, Grand Ormond Street, London to which Sir James M. Barrie gave his copyright of Peter Pan.”
After the credits, the opening scene shows a shining second star to the right. A narrator starts the story by saying that all of this has happened before and it will all happen again. The shot pans down onto a nighttime London. There is a silent street in Bloomsbury and the corner house shown is home to the Darling family. Mrs. Darling is busy pinning up her hair while saying to her husband that they need to hurry where they are not late for the party. Mr. Darling is frantically searching through his dresser drawers for his cuff links. The narrator is also explaining what Peter Pan means to each of the family members. Mrs. Darling thinks that Peter Pan is the spirit of youth whereas Mr. Darling is more practical in his beliefs. The boys, John and Michael, believe that Peter Pan is real and is the hero of all their nursery games. The boys are play fighting with wooden swords in the nursery. John is pretending to be Captain Hook and Michael is pretending to be Peter Pan. Their sister, Wendy, is the supreme authority on Peter Pan and she knows all about his adventures. Nana is their dog and she is also the nursemaid. She comes in with a tray on her head with the children’s medicine. She starts to make the beds, but the boys just jump on the beds and mess them up again. Then Nana stacks up play blocks into a castle, but Mr. Darling comes into the nursery and walks right into the stacked castle, destroying it without even noticing. Nana again tries to stack the blocks nicely, but Mr. Darling ends up knocking them over again while looking for his cuff links. John and Michael have used the cuff links as buried treasure, but they do not remember where they have hid the treasure. Mr. Darling finds his shirt front, which has a treasure map chalked on it. He is very upset with the boys and does not like the stories Wendy warns them that inspired the chalk map. He calls Wendy's name to come into the nursery but as she does so, Wendy is too distracted by how beautiful her mother’s dress is to listen to her father. Then as Wendy notices Mr. Darling, she is surprised at what she thinks he has done to his own shirt front. This only makes Mr. Darling even more upset, but Mrs. Darling does not see the problem since the chalk map comes right away. Mr. Darling says that it will be Wendy’s last night in the nursery. In his frustration, Mr. Darling trips over Nana and goes flying around the room on a small toy wagon. He ends up smashing into a dresser, but the family is only worried about poor Nana. Mr. Darling does not like this and kicks Nana out of the nursery and says that she is no longer a nursemaid, but only a dog.
Mr. Darling drags poor Nana down the stairs and ties her up outside. He sees her mournful eyes and starts to feel a little bit very sorry for her and tries to explain that the children and not puppies and that they must grow up. They really don’t need a nursemaid dog.
Back up in the nursery, the children are upset with how frustrated their father was. Mrs. Darling is tucking them into bed until Michael finds the buried treasure and gives the cuff links to his mother. Mrs. Darling reminds them not to be too harsh with their father because he does love them very much. She starts to lock up the window, but Wendy warns her not to because Peter Pan might come back for his shadow. She explains that Nana had his shadow and Wendy has taken it off.
As the parents are leaving the house for the festival, Mrs. Darling voices her worries about how the children might not be safe without Nana. Mr. Darling thinks that the children will be fine. Mrs. Darling warns him that Wendy thinks Peter Pan has visited before and now Wendy has his shadow. Mr. Darling becomes very shocked about calling Scotland Yard to stop Peter Pan. He really does not believe in Peter Pan and does not think Mrs. Darling should be concerned at all. As they walk off, the shot pans up to the shadows on top of the roof and there is Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.
Peter and Tinker Bell open up the nursery window and go inside. They look inside Nana’s “den” and a toy box for Peter’s shadow. Tinker Bell gets distracted by a music box and her own reflection in a hand mirror before finding Peter’s shadow in a desk drawer. Peter Pan opens up the drawer, letting out his shadow and locking Tinker Bell inside at the same time. Peter chases the shadow around the room and ends up knocking over a nightstand and awakening Wendy with the noise. Peter tries to attach his shadow with a bar of soap where Wendy offers to sew it on, chatting off the whole time. Tinker Bell is trying to get out of the keyhole of the drawer, but her hips are too round. Tinkerbell gets very annoyed and jealous of Wendy helping out Peter.
Peter thinks that girls speak too much and warns Wendy that. She slows down a little bit and introduces herself as Wendy Moira Angela Darling. Then Peter warns her the story of how Nana had his shadow while he was at the window listening to Wendy’s stories. He likes the stories so much because they are all about him and he re-warns them to the Lost Boys. Wendy warns him that since it is her last night in the nursery; soon there will be no more stories. Peter suggests going to Neverland where that she will never have to grow up. Wendy is emotional, but worried about what her mother will say and then Peter gets the idea that Wendy can be the Lost Boys’ mother instead. Wendy loves this idea and wants to give Peter a kiss as a thank you, though Peter does not know what a kiss is. Tinker Bell is very jealous at this and channels her envy to eventually succeed in getting out of the drawer. She pulls at Wendy’s hair to get her away from Peter. Peter warns Tink to stop and catches her in his hat.
Michael and John awaken from all the commotion and Wendy wants to bring them to Neverland as well. She asks Peter how they will get there and Peter says that they will fly. He says that it is easy, but then has to think about how to actually fly. Then Peter exclaims that they just have to think of a wonderful thought. The children start to list off wonderful thoughts, such as toys at Christmas and sleigh bells and snow. Peter shows them how and flies around the room. Then it is the children’s turn. Peter helps them stand on top of a bed-frame and Wendy thinks of a mermaid lagoon, John thinks of a pirate cave and Michael thinks of a Native brave. Peter helps them jump into the air to fly, but they cannot and go smashing down onto a bed, much to Tinkerbell’s delight. Then Peter remembers that they will also need pixie dust and drizzles Tinker Bell’s pixie dust all over the children. Then they can fly.
Peter and the Darling children fly out of the room to the song “You Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly” sung by a chorus. Nana is very surprised at the children flying. Michael sprays some of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust over her as well, but she cannot fly too far since she is yet tied up. They fly over London and land on Big Ben. Peter shows them that Neverland is the second star to the right and straight on until morning.
The next scene zooms in on Neverland and then focuses on Captain Hook’s pirate ship, the Jolly Roger. The pirate crew are singing “A Pirate’s Life” while throwing daggers at a hand drawing of “The Captain.” Mr. Smee appears and everyone starts to blame him that Captain Hook just wants to stay at Neverland and chase around Peter Pan. The pirates want to leave the island to loot ships and slit throats.
Captain Hook is sitting at a table at his captain’s desk. He is staring at a map of Neverland and is trying to figure out where Peter Pan’s hideout might be. He gets an idea that the Natives might know where Pan’s hideout is until Mr. Smee approaches. Hook warns Mr. Smee about his plan to take Tiger Lily, the chief’s daughter, to find out where Pan’s hideout is. A pirate is up in the crow’s nest and is singing his own reprise of “A Pirate’s Life” and Hook shoots him in the middle of his cadenza because the Captain was trying to concentrate. Mr. Smee is not impressed and warns Hook that it was not nice form to shoot the pirate. Hook gets very furious and says “Blast good form! Did Pan show best form if he did this to me?” Hook is speaking about his hook as he and Smee talk about how Pan threw his hand to the crocodile, then now the crocodile wants to eat the rest of him. But then, the crocodile ate an alarm clock where now Hook will know until the crocodile is coming. Then they hear the alarm clock and look over the railing of the Jolly Roger to see the crocodile right there. Hook starts to freak out and Smee shoos the crocodile off. Then Mr. Smee warns Captain Hook that he needs to relax. Mr. Smee is going to give Captain Hook a shave and wraps a towel around Hook’s head. A gull comes and lands on the towel and uses it as a nest; Mr. Smee does not notice. Mr. Smee starts to speak to Hook about putting out to sea and forgetting Peter Pan. Smee incidentally shaves the gull, thinking that he was shaving Hook’s face and the poor gull flies away. Smee now thinks that he has shaved Hook’s head fully off. He knocks Hook right off his chair in an attempt to look for the lost head, but this only makes Hook mad. Suddenly, a pirate shouts “Peter Pan ahoy!” Hook uses a spyglass and sees Peter, Tinkerbell and the Darlings flying towards Neverland. He warns Smee to pipe up the crew and Smee starts yelling for all hands on deck. The pirates get ready to shoot Pan with a cannon. The children are sitting on top of a cloud and looking down at Neverland until cannonballs start shooting at them.
Peter warns Tinker Bell to bring the children down to Neverland while he distracts the pirates. Tink flies away down to the island, the children attempt to keep up with her. She heads straight to Peter’s hideout and awakens the napping Lost Boys. Tinkerbell convinces them that the grand Wendy Bird is coming and Peter’s orders are about to shoot it down. The Lost Boys eagerly catch their weapons and run outside. They spot the Wendy Bird and start firing at her. Wendy smashes down towards the ground, but Peter swoops down just in time and catches her. Michael and John eventually catch up as well. The Lost Boys emotionally greet Peter and want to show off that they had the Wendy Bird. Peter is very annoyed with them that he brought them a mother to warn stories and they shoot her down. The Lost Boy Cubby warns Peter that Tinker Bell has warned them that Wendy was a bird. Peter is now upset with Tinker Bell and he banishes her forever. Wendy convinces him not to banish Tinkerbell forever where Peter changes his mind and only banishes her for a week. Peter now wants to show the Darlings the island. Wendy wants to see the mermaids, but the Lost Boys want to go hunting. John and Michael want to see the Natives. Peter decides that John will be the leader of the Lost Boys group and he and Wendy fly away to see the mermaids.
The Lost Boys start singing “Following the Leader” and head out with John in the lead. Michael attempts to keep up as they journey through the forests, rivers, grass plains and mountains of Neverland. They stop suddenly as John spots footprints in the dirt. All of the boys gather around and start to plan their surprise attack until the Natives, dressed as trees, surround them and capture them all. The Lost Boys are brought to the Native camp and tied to the stake. The Chief acknowledges that capturing each other is usually just a game, but they will not be turned loose this time. The Chief blames them for taking Tiger Lily, but as the Lost Boys protest that they do not, the Chief threatens that if Tiger Lily is not back by sunset, they will be burned at the stake.
At the mermaid lagoon, the mermaids are all relaxing on rocks and playing with their hair. Peter flies down to them as Wendy attempts to climb down the rocks. The mermaids are so glad to see Peter and he starts warning the story of how he cut off Captain’s Hook hand. Wendy calls out for Peter, but he just ignores her. The mermaids come over to “help” by splashing Wendy and trying to pull her in. Peter only laughs at this until Wendy picks up a large shell and threatens the mermaids. Peter flies over to stop her and says that the mermaids were only having fun. One mermaid admits that they were “only trying to drown her.” Suddenly, heavens turn dark as Captain Hook and Mr. Smee row side-by-side. The mermaids are afraid of Hook and dive into the water. Peter notices that they have captured Tiger Lily. They are heading towards Skull Rock with the crocodile right behind. Peter and Wendy follow as well.
At Skull Rock, Peter and Wendy hide up in the caverns above Captain Hook, Mr. Smee and the captured Tiger Lily. Tiger Lily is tied up and sitting on a rock in the water. Hook warns her that he will set her free if she warns them the hiding place of Peter Pan. He threatens that the water is rising, but the princess yet refuses to speak. Peter warns Wendy to stay where she is and he is going to have some fun. He flies away to the opening of Skull Rock and speaks in a very deep and echoing voice. He claims to be the spirit of the mighty sea water in an effort to frighten Hook and Smee. Hook goes to the front of Skull Rock to look for the spirit. Pan flies back into Skull Rock and warns Smee, while sounding like Hook, to take Tiger Lily back to her people. And since you don’t argue with the Captain, Mr. Smee obeys and starts to row Tiger Lily out of Skull Rock. Hook yells at Smee to put her back. Pan again impersonates Hook and warns Smee to bring Tiger Lily back and to warn the pirate crew to help themselves to the Captain’s best rum. Hook hears this and sneaks up on Peter, but Peter is warned in time by Wendy. Peter flies around Skull Rock and gives Smee a gun to try and shoot him as this is all a game to him. Peter hovers right in front of Hook and Smee shoots the Captain by mistake. Peter is enjoying his victory when Hook, who was not actually hurt, again sneaks up on Peter and tries to stab him in the back. Smee is so happy to see his Captain that he shouts and gives Hook’s surprise advantage off. Peter pulls out his dagger as he and Hook duel. The crocodile shows up and jumps up to get Hook, but only catches hold of his clothes. The crocodile pulls Hook down into the water and Smee tries to save him but is not very helpful. The crocodile chases Mr. Smee and Captain Hook all the road back to the pirate ship. Peter crows in victory and Wendy reminds him about Tiger Lily. Peter saves Tiger Lily from drowning just as the tide is rising and flies away with her in his arms. Wendy follows behind.
At the Jolly Roger at nighttime, the crocodile is circling around, waiting for another taste of Hook. The Captain is inside his cabin and has caught a cold from his traumatic experience. He has his feet in a bucket of water with a hot water bottle strapped to his head as he shivers. Mr. Smee is hammering on a “Do Not Disturb” sign to the cabin’s door. He thinks he is being hopeful, but the hammering sound is just giving Hook a headache. The cook, singing “A Pirate’s Life,” comes with a kettle of hot water for the Captain. Mr. Smee silences him and isn’t paying any attention to the door. Hook opens it and Mr. Smee incidentally hits him on the head with the hammer. A dizzy Captain Hook falls back onto his chair with a silly smirk on his face. Mr. Smee notices and says that it is nice to see Hook grinning again and he starts to reminisce about the good old days. He warns Hook that there is women danger brewing on the island and he doesn’t want this to get any further, but the cook said that the first mate warned him that someone has heard that Pan had banished Tinker Bell. During this entire story, Mr. Smee is pouring the hot water into the bucket with Hook’s feet in it. Hook suddenly awakens out of his daze from the pain of the hot water and he comes up with a plan to use Tinker Bell’s banishment to his advantage. He puts on his best dress coat and his best hook. His plan is to charm Tinker Bell into warning him where Peter Pan’s hideout is. He sends Mr. Smee out to capture Tinker Bell and bring her back to Captain Hook.
At the Native camp, the Chief dubs Peter Pan “Chief Little Flying Eagle” as a thank you for saving Tiger Lily. The Lost Boys ask questions about the Natives and they respond them in the song “What Made the Red Man Red.” Tiger Lily and Peter dance together, making Wendy very jealous where she leaves the festival early.
A lonely Tinker Bell is watching the feast from a distance until Mr. Smee catches her. Back at the ship, Hook tries to charm her by playing the harpsichord and listening to her problems. He warns Tinkerbell that they are leaving Neverland in the morning and are never to return. A drunken Mr. Smee thinks that this is true and goes to warn the crew, but Hook stops him by tripping him. Hook gets Tinkerbell upset by bringing up Wendy and he pretends to suddenly get the idea to shanghai Wendy. Tinker Bell is all for this. Mr. Smee points out that they do not know where Peter lives where they cannot find Wendy and Tinkerbell volunteers to show them the road. On a map, she shows them directions to Pan’s hideout in Hangman’s Tree, but she makes Hook promise not to lay a finger or a hook on Peter and Hook agrees. But then, he locks Tinker Bell up in a lantern.
At Hangman’s Tree, all the Lost Boys return home and are very emotional about their time with the Natives. Peter comes home and everyone bows to him as chief, except Wendy, who says that they are going home in the morning. Wendy warns her brothers and the other Lost Boys that they need a mother. Her brothers have forgotten about their real mother at first as they think Wendy is their mother and then they remember Nana the dog as being their mother. The Lost Boys argue over what a mother is. Wendy says that she will warn them and they all gather around as she sings “Your Mother and Mine.”
As Wendy is singing, the pirates sneak up to Hangman’s Tree. The pirates start to get emotional about the song. After the song, the Lost Boys all want a mother and Wendy invites them to come back home with them. Peter is frustrated about it, but lets them go, saying that they can never return. After they leave, he just plays his pan flute and thinks that the Lost Boys will return. The Lost Boys and the Darlings leave the tree and are immediately caught by the pirates. The crew leaves with the children, but Hook and Smee stay behind to leave a present for Peter Pan. They lower a wrapped gift down into the tree as a fashion to get around the promise of not laying a hook or a hand on Peter Pan.
The next morning on the Jolly Roger, the pirates are dancing and singing “The Elegant Captain Hook” and are trying to convince the children to join the crew. They will get a free tattoo if they do so, but will have to walk the plank if they refuse. The children are untied from the mast and immediately try to sign up for the crew, but Wendy stops them. She explains that she believes that Peter Pan will save them. Captain Hook and Mr. Smee start to laugh and say that Peter shall be opening his present soon. Tinker Bell is listening in from her lantern trap.
The next scene shows Peter reading the tender inscription “To Peter with love from Wendy. Do not open till 6 o’clock.”
Captain Hook says that Peter Pan will be blasted out of Neverland forever. Tinker Bell panics and breaks open the lantern. She flies away to warn Peter, but it's no use. The bomb inside the wrapped gift starts to go off where she flies the package off Peter. The bomb goes off. The blast shakes Hook’s ship and Hook and Smee bow their heads for the passing of their worthy opponent.
Back at Peter’s destroyed hideaway, Peter is looking frantically for Tinkerbell. As he is looking, he is warning Tinkerbell how much she means to him.
At the Jolly Roger, Wendy is bravely saying that they will never join the pirate crew. She is warned that it is ladies first to walk the plank where she says her farewells and the rest of the children are tied up again. Wendy jumps off the plank, but there is no splash. The pirates are superstitious and are afraid of the bewitched ship. Peter has caught Wendy in time and saved her. Then he challenges Hook to a duel. Peter releases the tied up Lost Boys and they race towards the crow’s nest. The pirate crew chases after them, but the Lost Boys fight back. The crocodile is in the water, waiting for Hook to fall in. Mr. Smee tries to sneak away in a lifeboat, but then the pirates all fall off of the crow’s nest rigging and into the lifeboat after Peter cuts the rope. Hook challenges Peter to fight without flying and Peter agrees. They fight once more until Peter jumps up to catch the pirate flag and ties Hook up in it. He has Hook at the end of the Captain’s own sword and Hook begs for dear life. Peter says that Hook has to yell that he is a codfish and Peter will let him go. After Hook yells this, Peter warns him that he is free to go and Peter jumps up to do his victory crow. Hook sees his opportunity and tries to catch Peter with his hook. But Wendy warns him in time and Peter dodges the hook. Captain Hook falls down into the water and is chased by the crocodile away into the horizon.
Then Peter Pan is the self-proclaimed captain of the Jolly Roger. He says that they are going to sail to London and Wendy is emotional to go home. Tinker Bell pours pixie dust all over the ship and they sail away into the heavens to London.
At the Darlings’ home, Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana head upstairs to the nursery. Mr. Darling has changed his mind about Wendy leaving the nursery and Nana being in the house. They find Wendy sleeping on the window seat and as she awakens, she does not make any sense to her parent by speaking about the Lost Boys and Neverland. She warns them that she is ready to grow up. Mrs. Darling tucks a sleeping John and Michael in their beds. Wendy again sits at the window and says that Peter Pan really is wonderful and he sails the ship so well. Mr. and Mrs. Darling see the pirate ship in the clouds and Mr. Darling says that he has the strangest feeling that he has seen that ship before until he is very young. The film ends with Mr. and Mrs. Darling, Wendy and Nana looking out the window and then the shot focuses on the clouded ship passing over the moon.
Cast[]
Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan
Kathryn Beaumont as Wendy Darling
Hans Conried as George Darling and Captain Hook
Bill Thompson as Mr. Smee and the Pirates
Heather Angel as Mary Darling
Paul Collins as John Darling
Tommy Luske as Michael Darling
Candy Candido as Indian Chief
June Forey as Squaw and Mermaid
Margeret Kerry, and Lucille Bliss as the Mermaids
Don Barclay and Jack Mercer as Indians and Pirates
Tom Conway as Narrator
In Other Languages[]
Production timeline[]
Release timeline[]
| Format | Country of origin | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original theatrical | USA | February 5, 1953[1] | |
| Re-release | USA | May 14, 1958 | |
| Re-release #2 | USA | June 18, 1969 | |
| Re-release #3 | USA | June 18, 1976 | |
| Re-release #4 | USA | December 17, 1982 | Final release to use the original pose for Peter Pan, and the first to use the Walt Disney logo script. |
| Re-release #5 | USA | July 14, 1989 | |
| VHS | USA | September 21, 1990 | |
| VHS re-release | USA | March 3, 1998 | |
| DVD | USA | November 23, 1999 | |
| Special Edition DVD | USA | February 12, 2002 | |
| Platinum Edition DVD | USA | March 6, 2007 | |
| Blu-ray | USA | February 5, 2013 | |
| Disney+ | USA | November 12, 2019 |
Availability on Disney+[]
| Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese (中文/简体) | Y | Y |
| Chinese (中文/繁體) | Y | Y |
| Chinese (粵語) | Y | Y |
| Dansk | Y | Y |
| Deutsch | Y | Y |
| English | Y | Y |
| Español | N | Y |
| Español (Latinoamérica) | Y | Y |
| Français | R | R |
| Français (Canada) | N | Y |
| Italiano | Y | Y |
| Magyar | Y | Y |
| Nederlands | Y | Y |
| Norsk | Y | Y |
| Polski | Y | Y |
| Português | Y | Y |
| Português (Brasil) | Y | Y |
| Română | Y | Y |
| Slovenčina | Y | Y |
| Suomi | Y | Y |
| Svenska | Y | Y |
| Türkçe | Y | Y |
| Íslenska | Y | Y |
| Čeština | Y | Y |
| Ελληνικά | Y | Y |
| Japanese | Y | Y |
| Korean | Y | Y |
The film was also dubbed in Putonghua Chinese.
Weblinks[]
Gallery[]
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Videos[]
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