The Flight of Dragons
Encyclopedia
The Flight of Dragons is a 1982 animated
movie produced by Jules Bass
and Arthur Rankin, Jr.
and loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson
with the novel The Dragon and the George
(1976) by Gordon R. Dickson
. The film centres upon a quest undertaken to stop an evil wizard who plans to rule the world by dark magic. A major theme within the story is the question of whether science
and magic
can co-exist. This is told mostly through the experience of character Peter Dickinson, drawn from the 20th Century into the magical realm.
Released direct to video, it was aired as an ABC 'Movie of the Week' in 1986, and released by Warner Brothers as a made-to-order DVD in the US on 17 November 2009 as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".
The opening song is sung by Don McLean
.
) discovers magic failing as humanity emphasise science, and summons his colleagues Lo Tae Zhao (Don Messick
) the Golden Wizard; Solarius (Paul Frees
) the Blue Wizard; and Ommadon (James Earl Jones
) the Red Wizard, accompanied by their dragons Shen Tsu, Lunarian, and Bryagh (James Gregory
), to whom he explains that the world's magic
is dying and outlines a plan to save it by creating a 'Last Realm of Magic' wherein all magical beings can live, hidden from the rest of the world. Rather than join the others, Ommadon instead offers to take control of the world himself; whereupon the other wizards decide to seize and destroy Ommadon's crown, the source of his powers, and volunteer Carolinus's dragon Gorbash (Bob McFadden
when not Ritter-as-Peter) along with the knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (Bob McFadden
), to do so. Requiring a third protagonist
, Carolinus summons Peter Dickinson (John Ritter
), whom he finds in a pawnshop explaining a game he has created whose pieces resemble the wizards and Gorbash. Having arrived in the past, Peter becomes enamoured of Princess Melisande (Alexandra Stoddart), Carolinus's adopted daughter.
Ommadon, learning the others' plan, sends his dragon Bryagh to capture Peter; whereupon Carolinus casts a spell to save him, which mistakenly combines Peter's mind with the body of Gorbash. Knowing nothing about being a dragon
or about magic, Peter is mentored by an older dragon named Smrgol (James Gregory
). During their journey they are joined by the wolf Aragh (Victor Buono
); a woodland elf
named Giles; and the archer 'Danielle of the Woodlands' (Nellie Bellflower
). The dichotomy of magic and science appears when Smrgol teaches Peter how to be a dragon in magical terms, whilst Peter explains them with principles of science; and in later approaches of each character to similar subjects. In Carolinus's home Princess Melisande falls into a trance and views the protagonists magically from afar. At an inn
near Ommadon's realm, an Ogre
captures Sir Orrin and Danielle. Smrgol teaches how to defeat the Ogre; but must come to his rescue. After killing the Ogre, Smrgol dies of his injuries. When Ommadon sends an army of dragons against the protagonists, Giles plays a flute given to Carolinus by Lo Tae Zhao which puts them all to sleep, except Bryagh, who seems to kill Giles and Danielle but is slain by Sir Orrin. When Ommadon appears on the battlefield, Peter separates himself from Gorbash to confront him, and it is Peter's explanations of science against Ommadon's declarations of magic that destroy the latter; whereupon the others are restored to life and the 'Last Realm of Magic' takes shape.
Peter returns to his own time, taking the flute and a shield given by Solarius, which he sells to the pawn shop owner. He is then joined by Princess Melisande, who comes bearing Ommadon's crown, and the two embrace.
Other reviews were less positive: "I'm sure fans of The Flight of Dragons, sick of looking at crappy downloads or worn VHS copies, will be satisfied with what's here, but if you didn't grow up with this one, it's best left alone".
editions of the film have been released since its debut in 1982. There was also a LaserDisc
release from which some VHS copies were produced. The LaserDisc release was made by PolyGram Video,there was also a Betamax
release. A DVD was released (available only in the U.S.) under the Warner Archive brand on November 17, 2009.
. The film's theme song, also entitled "The Flight of Dragons", was written and composed by Jules Bass
and Maury Laws, and performed by Don McLean
. An official soundtrack was never released.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
movie produced by Jules Bass
Jules Bass
Jules Bass is an American director, producer, composer, and author.- Biography :Educated at New York University, he first worked at an advertising agency in New York until the early 1960s, when he founded the film production company Videocraft International with Arthur Rankin, Jr...
and Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Arthur Rankin, Jr. is an American-born, Bermudian director, producer and writer, mostly working in animation.The son of actor , in the early 1960s he founded the film production company Videocraft International with Jules Bass...
and loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson
Peter Dickinson
Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE is an English author and poet who has written a wide variety of books, notably children's books and detective stories, over a long and distinguished career.-Life and work:...
with the novel The Dragon and the George
The Dragon and the George
The Dragon and the George is a 1976 fantasy novel by Gordon R. Dickson, the first in his "Dragon Knight" series. A shorter form of the story was previously published as the short story, "St...
(1976) by Gordon R. Dickson
Gordon R. Dickson
Gordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author.- Biography :Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923. After the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1937...
. The film centres upon a quest undertaken to stop an evil wizard who plans to rule the world by dark magic. A major theme within the story is the question of whether science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
can co-exist. This is told mostly through the experience of character Peter Dickinson, drawn from the 20th Century into the magical realm.
Released direct to video, it was aired as an ABC 'Movie of the Week' in 1986, and released by Warner Brothers as a made-to-order DVD in the US on 17 November 2009 as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".
The opening song is sung by Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
.
Plot
The 'Green Wizard' Carolinus (Harry MorganHarry Morgan
Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
) discovers magic failing as humanity emphasise science, and summons his colleagues Lo Tae Zhao (Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
) the Golden Wizard; Solarius (Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
) the Blue Wizard; and Ommadon (James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
) the Red Wizard, accompanied by their dragons Shen Tsu, Lunarian, and Bryagh (James Gregory
James Gregory (actor)
James Gregory was an American character actor noted for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate , the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Luger in Barney Miller...
), to whom he explains that the world's magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
is dying and outlines a plan to save it by creating a 'Last Realm of Magic' wherein all magical beings can live, hidden from the rest of the world. Rather than join the others, Ommadon instead offers to take control of the world himself; whereupon the other wizards decide to seize and destroy Ommadon's crown, the source of his powers, and volunteer Carolinus's dragon Gorbash (Bob McFadden
Bob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
when not Ritter-as-Peter) along with the knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (Bob McFadden
Bob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
), to do so. Requiring a third protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Carolinus summons Peter Dickinson (John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
), whom he finds in a pawnshop explaining a game he has created whose pieces resemble the wizards and Gorbash. Having arrived in the past, Peter becomes enamoured of Princess Melisande (Alexandra Stoddart), Carolinus's adopted daughter.
Ommadon, learning the others' plan, sends his dragon Bryagh to capture Peter; whereupon Carolinus casts a spell to save him, which mistakenly combines Peter's mind with the body of Gorbash. Knowing nothing about being a dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
or about magic, Peter is mentored by an older dragon named Smrgol (James Gregory
James Gregory (actor)
James Gregory was an American character actor noted for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate , the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Luger in Barney Miller...
). During their journey they are joined by the wolf Aragh (Victor Buono
Victor Buono
Charles Victor Buono was an American actor and comic.-Early life and career:Buono was born in San Diego, California, the son of Myrtle Belle and Victor Francis Buono . His maternal grandmother, Myrtle Glied , was a Vaudeville performer on the Orpheum Circuit...
); a woodland elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
named Giles; and the archer 'Danielle of the Woodlands' (Nellie Bellflower
Nellie Bellflower
Nellie Bellflower is an American actress and voice artist. She is best remembered for providing the voice of Princess Ariel in the Ruby-Spears animated television series Thundarr the Barbarian...
). The dichotomy of magic and science appears when Smrgol teaches Peter how to be a dragon in magical terms, whilst Peter explains them with principles of science; and in later approaches of each character to similar subjects. In Carolinus's home Princess Melisande falls into a trance and views the protagonists magically from afar. At an inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
near Ommadon's realm, an Ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
captures Sir Orrin and Danielle. Smrgol teaches how to defeat the Ogre; but must come to his rescue. After killing the Ogre, Smrgol dies of his injuries. When Ommadon sends an army of dragons against the protagonists, Giles plays a flute given to Carolinus by Lo Tae Zhao which puts them all to sleep, except Bryagh, who seems to kill Giles and Danielle but is slain by Sir Orrin. When Ommadon appears on the battlefield, Peter separates himself from Gorbash to confront him, and it is Peter's explanations of science against Ommadon's declarations of magic that destroy the latter; whereupon the others are restored to life and the 'Last Realm of Magic' takes shape.
Peter returns to his own time, taking the flute and a shield given by Solarius, which he sells to the pawn shop owner. He is then joined by Princess Melisande, who comes bearing Ommadon's crown, and the two embrace.
Crew
| Producers | Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass Jules Bass Jules Bass is an American director, producer, composer, and author.- Biography :Educated at New York University, he first worked at an advertising agency in New York until the early 1960s, when he founded the film production company Videocraft International with Arthur Rankin, Jr... |
| Associate producers | Masaki Iizuka, Lee Dannacher |
| Screenplay by | Romeo Muller Romeo Muller Romeo Muller, Jr. was an American screenwriter and actor most remembered for his screenplays such as for the 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.-Early years:... |
| Based on The Flight of Dragons by | Peter Dickinson Peter Dickinson Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE is an English author and poet who has written a wide variety of books, notably children's books and detective stories, over a long and distinguished career.-Life and work:... |
| Additional story material from The Dragon and the George The Dragon and the George The Dragon and the George is a 1976 fantasy novel by Gordon R. Dickson, the first in his "Dragon Knight" series. A shorter form of the story was previously published as the short story, "St... by |
Gordon R. Dickson Gordon R. Dickson Gordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author.- Biography :Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923. After the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1937... |
| Design by | Wayne Anderson Wayne Anderson Wayne Anderson is an American late model race car driver. Anderson was born in Wildwood, Florida, and graduated high school in 1986. He has two championships in the NASCAR Pro-Series, which were in 1999 and 2001. Anderson also participated in the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series,... |
| Original score by | Maury Laws Maury Laws Maury Laws is an American television and film composer.In his teens, Laws performed in local country, jazz and dance bands as a singer and guitarist in his home state of North Carolina... |
| Title song by | Jules Bass, Maury Laws |
| Title song performed by | Don McLean Don McLean Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:... |
| Additional material written by | Jeffrey Walker Jeffrey Walker Jeffrey Walker is a bass guitarist and vocalist from Windle, St Helens, UK. He is best known for his work with the death metal / grindcore band Carcass for which he is also the main lyricist. Before Carcass, he played in the punk band the Electro Hippies. After the demise of Carcass, he went on to... |
| Animation coordinator | Toru Hara |
| Storyboard and Animation directors | Katsuhisa Yamada Katsuhisa Yamada is a Japanese animator. He is most noted for directing such memorable anime series as Genesis Climber Mospeada, Gatchaman, Mazinger Z, Devil Hunter Yohko and Record of Lodoss War.-External links:... , Fumihiko Takayama |
Reviews
Filmsy.com said of the film, "Animated fantasy films geared for family viewing just aren’t made like this anymore... The voice acting in this movie is excellent, to say the least... Though the animation might seem a bit “dated”, it remains beautiful by 1982 standards", "The dialogue is surprisingly intelligent and may confuse some children but it is nice to see an animated film that will stimulate adult minds a little... The voice cast are all great and I can’t find a single fault with any of them", whilst 'The Unknown Movies' said "There may not be a strong constant thread in The Flight Of Dragons, but all its moments of warmth, imagination, and interest combine to make magic".Other reviews were less positive: "I'm sure fans of The Flight of Dragons, sick of looking at crappy downloads or worn VHS copies, will be satisfied with what's here, but if you didn't grow up with this one, it's best left alone".
Distribution
Various VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
editions of the film have been released since its debut in 1982. There was also a LaserDisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
release from which some VHS copies were produced. The LaserDisc release was made by PolyGram Video,there was also a Betamax
Betamax
Betamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
release. A DVD was released (available only in the U.S.) under the Warner Archive brand on November 17, 2009.
Soundtrack
The original score was composed by Maury LawsMaury Laws
Maury Laws is an American television and film composer.In his teens, Laws performed in local country, jazz and dance bands as a singer and guitarist in his home state of North Carolina...
. The film's theme song, also entitled "The Flight of Dragons", was written and composed by Jules Bass
Jules Bass
Jules Bass is an American director, producer, composer, and author.- Biography :Educated at New York University, he first worked at an advertising agency in New York until the early 1960s, when he founded the film production company Videocraft International with Arthur Rankin, Jr...
and Maury Laws, and performed by Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
. An official soundtrack was never released.