Hansel and Gretel (1954) - full transcript
With brilliant imagination and technical wizardry, this 1954 feature film used stop-action animation, and hand-sculpted dolls and sets to create a fantasy land of unearthly beauty. Set to Engelbert Humperdinck's classic 1892 opera, sung by some of the most acclaimed performers of the 1950's, this recording was nominated for a Grammy Award. This may be the definative production of one of the greatest fairy tales ever told, and it is now on DVD.
NARRATOR: Long ago,
in a little hut near a forest,
a
Each day they played happily in the garden.
But this day they wanted to go
and play in the fields outside.
Mother was worried, but at last she agreed.
She said they could go to the fields
but warned them that they must not go too far
or they might get lost.
They were so happy in the fields with
the birds and the flowers and the butterflies,
they quite forgot their mother's warning.
What was that? lt was a squirrel.
And he ran off into the forest.
And Hansel followed the squirrel,
and Gretel followed Hansel.
They were lost, deep in the forest.
And then suddenly they saw...
a wonderful little house.
The walls were made of gingerbread
and the windows were made of sugar
and the roof was made of marzipan cakes.
The gate opened by itself
and the children went in.
Hansel tasted and liked it and started to eat.
And Gretel tasted and liked it.
OLD WOMAN: Nibble, nibble, little mouse.
Who is nibbling up my house?
Oh, you dear children.
Who has brought you here?
Won't you stay with me?
Oh, please do stay with me.
Look what l've got for you.
Now you'll stay with me.
Your feet can't move and your eyes can't see.
And now you'll have to stay with me.
(CACKLlNG)
The wicked witch mounted on her broomstick
and flew away, deep into the forest.
Their poor mother and father
could not imagine
what had happened to Hansel and Gretel.
And although their father
searched and searched,
he could find no trace of them.
Father told mother not to cry.
Tomorrow he would search again.
Come, Gretel. You must work for me.
This was Hansel's chance
and he quietly crawled away from the witch.
Little mouse who crawls away,
come you back, with me to stay.
Sending Gretel off to work,
the wicked witch put Hansel
into a cage with a goose
that she was fattening up
for her Sunday dinner.
What was that? The squirrel again.
Gretel wept bitterly and told the squirrel
that it was all his fault
that they had got lost in the forest
and had been caught by the witch.
The squirrel was sorry
and said that he would do all he could
to try to help them to escape.
Hansel cried and tried to get out,
but he could do nothing
against the magic of the witch's stick.
Why are you standing there?
Lazy, idle, lazy girl.
On with your work, now. On with your work.
You must bite the witch's stick.
Let me out and l will help.
Scrub it out and make it white,
but first my broomstick handle bright.
(GOOSE HONKlNG)
Wicked bird, wicked goose.
What idle thing has turned you loose?
(WlTCH SCREECHlNG)
(WlTCH GASPlNG)
(WlTCH EXCLAlMlNG)
(SQUlRREL SQUEAKlNG)
Gretel quickly snatched up the witch's stick.
They had won. The witch was in their power.
Then she broke the stick.
And the witch's magic broke, too.
And the witch broke into tiny pieces.
And the gingerbread house faded away.
And Hansel and Gretel
and the goose were free.
They were so excited.
But they still didn't know the way home.
The goose didn't know, either.
But the squirrel said
he would lead them through the forest.
(SQUlRREL SQUEAKlNG)
The goose couldn't keep up with them
and wanted to stay behind.
But Gretel said he must come with them.
And the little deer, too.
Their parents could hardly believe their eyes
when they saw Hansel and Gretel
running towards them,
with the goose, the squirrel
and the little deer.
Their parents were overjoyed
to see them again,
and welcomed the goose and the squirrel
and they all lived with them
there in the hut ever after.
in a little hut near a forest,
a
Each day they played happily in the garden.
But this day they wanted to go
and play in the fields outside.
Mother was worried, but at last she agreed.
She said they could go to the fields
but warned them that they must not go too far
or they might get lost.
They were so happy in the fields with
the birds and the flowers and the butterflies,
they quite forgot their mother's warning.
What was that? lt was a squirrel.
And he ran off into the forest.
And Hansel followed the squirrel,
and Gretel followed Hansel.
They were lost, deep in the forest.
And then suddenly they saw...
a wonderful little house.
The walls were made of gingerbread
and the windows were made of sugar
and the roof was made of marzipan cakes.
The gate opened by itself
and the children went in.
Hansel tasted and liked it and started to eat.
And Gretel tasted and liked it.
OLD WOMAN: Nibble, nibble, little mouse.
Who is nibbling up my house?
Oh, you dear children.
Who has brought you here?
Won't you stay with me?
Oh, please do stay with me.
Look what l've got for you.
Now you'll stay with me.
Your feet can't move and your eyes can't see.
And now you'll have to stay with me.
(CACKLlNG)
The wicked witch mounted on her broomstick
and flew away, deep into the forest.
Their poor mother and father
could not imagine
what had happened to Hansel and Gretel.
And although their father
searched and searched,
he could find no trace of them.
Father told mother not to cry.
Tomorrow he would search again.
Come, Gretel. You must work for me.
This was Hansel's chance
and he quietly crawled away from the witch.
Little mouse who crawls away,
come you back, with me to stay.
Sending Gretel off to work,
the wicked witch put Hansel
into a cage with a goose
that she was fattening up
for her Sunday dinner.
What was that? The squirrel again.
Gretel wept bitterly and told the squirrel
that it was all his fault
that they had got lost in the forest
and had been caught by the witch.
The squirrel was sorry
and said that he would do all he could
to try to help them to escape.
Hansel cried and tried to get out,
but he could do nothing
against the magic of the witch's stick.
Why are you standing there?
Lazy, idle, lazy girl.
On with your work, now. On with your work.
You must bite the witch's stick.
Let me out and l will help.
Scrub it out and make it white,
but first my broomstick handle bright.
(GOOSE HONKlNG)
Wicked bird, wicked goose.
What idle thing has turned you loose?
(WlTCH SCREECHlNG)
(WlTCH GASPlNG)
(WlTCH EXCLAlMlNG)
(SQUlRREL SQUEAKlNG)
Gretel quickly snatched up the witch's stick.
They had won. The witch was in their power.
Then she broke the stick.
And the witch's magic broke, too.
And the witch broke into tiny pieces.
And the gingerbread house faded away.
And Hansel and Gretel
and the goose were free.
They were so excited.
But they still didn't know the way home.
The goose didn't know, either.
But the squirrel said
he would lead them through the forest.
(SQUlRREL SQUEAKlNG)
The goose couldn't keep up with them
and wanted to stay behind.
But Gretel said he must come with them.
And the little deer, too.
Their parents could hardly believe their eyes
when they saw Hansel and Gretel
running towards them,
with the goose, the squirrel
and the little deer.
Their parents were overjoyed
to see them again,
and welcomed the goose and the squirrel
and they all lived with them
there in the hut ever after.