musical film
produced by 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 who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte and was distributed to theatres by Paramount Pictures
on March 1, 1973. It is the first of only three Hanna-Barbera features not based upon one of their famous television
cartoon
s, Heidi's Song
(1982) and Once Upon a Forest
(1993) being the other two, and was a moderate critical and commercial success.
The song score of lyrics and music was written by the Sherman Brothers
, who had previously written music for family films like Mary Poppins
(1964), The Jungle Book
(1967), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
(1968).
The film has found a devoted following over the years due to television and VHS
; in 1994 it surprised the marketplace by becoming one of the best-selling titles of the year, 21 years after its first premiere.
[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!
The goose was right! This fair is rat's paradise! Bye, bye my "humble" Wilbur! Fair thee will, Charlotte, you old schemer! This will be a night to remember!
[after Charlotte is gone] Charlotte? Charlotte?! CHARLOTTE!! [bows down and begins to cry]
There must be something more to us than you and me It must be tangled up somehow with destiny I used to think the sum of one and one was two But we add up to more, me and you
Isn't it great That I articulate? Isn't it grand That you can understand?
Oh, we've got lots in common where it really counts Where it really counts we've got large amounts What we look like doesn't count an ounce We've got lots in common where it really counts
You're born to swim, and me to spin, but we both love this world we're in We share the sun, the earth, the sky, and that's the reason why
Fragile and magical shadows Silently start to appear Lovely and lyrical Silvery miracle Charlotte's web
Sometimes when somebody loves you Miracles somehow appear And there in the warp and the woof is the proof of it Charlotte's web