An orphan boy and his magical dragon come to town with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.
Director: Don Chaffey
Stars: Sean Marshall, Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons, Shelley Winters.
Martin Allen ... associate choreographer
David Baker ... dance arranger
Onna White ... choreographer
Betsy Baytos ... choreographer: Elliot (uncredited)
Jerry Trent ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076538/
Watched online, good print, but runtime 1h 46m.
11 songs in the Soundtracks.
Kid stuff. Live action with animated dragon, drawn a little dumb-looking, but knows whom to fight and whom to protect. Orphan in danger, dragon is his friend.
I suppose this is good family stuff, with good values. But I found it tedious. Pete finds acceptance with the lighthouse keepers (father/daughter MR/HR), but he gets blowback from the schoolteacher, among others. SW and sons, who bought the orphan and began the film by chasing him, continue intermittently to chase him, until the dragon burns up their deed of sale.
HR had a beau missing at sea for a year, but the dragon, who can become invisible, finds him, but HR doesn't believe it. The lighthouse flame goes out, but the dragon relights it. The ship that is saved by that light lands safely and HR's beau returns.
The dragon leaves the orphan after the beau returns, because the orphan doesn't need him anymore, and there's some other kid out there who needs help.
Really didn't notice the songs at all, nor the dancing. It's a backwoods meets fishing village setting, but they probably didn't dance like Carousel ('56).
And, of course, I don't love MR, nor RB.
HR has a nice voice, and sang the anthem of 70's feminism, I am Woman, but not in this film.
Disney, dir. Chaffey; 5
