The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with an evil sea witch to become human and be with him. Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who also served as co-producer alongside John Musker), and art direction by Michael Peraza Jr.
Introduction
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen
what is the crew celebrating in the beginning of the little mermaid
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Prince Eric's birthday.
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what is the genre of the film?
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An animated musical fantasy.
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what is the plot about?
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The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric.
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who produced it?
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Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney.
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was the plot influenced by any story?
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It is based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name.
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who wrote this tale?
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"The Little Mermaid" () is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The tale was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending.
The Little Mermaid | Introduction
Katzenberg passed the project over, because at that time the studio was in development on a sequel to their live-action mermaid comedy "Splash" (1984) and felt "The Little Mermaid" would be too similar a project. The next day, however, Katzenberg approved of the idea for possible development, along with "Oliver & Company". While in production in the 1980s, the staff found, by chance, original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Andersen feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story was coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film tells the story of a mermaid Princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with an evil sea witch to become human and be with him. Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who also served as co-producer alongside John Musker), and art direction by Michael Peraza Jr.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
"The Little Mermaid" was written in 1836 and first published by C.A. Reitzel in Copenhagen on 7 April 1837 in the first collection of "Fairy Tales Told for Children." ("Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. Første Samling. Tredie Hefte. 1837"). The story was republished on 18 December 1849 as a part of "Fairy Tales. 1850" ("Eventyr. 1850") and again on 15 December 1862 as a part of the first volume of "Fairy Tales and Stories." ("Eventyr og Historier. Første Bind. 1862").
The Little Mermaid | Publication
"The Little Mermaid" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The Little Mermaid may also refer to:
The Little Mermaid (disambiguation) | Introduction
Eric recognizes the song immediately, and the incognito Ursula casts an enchantment on Eric, which causes him to forget Ariel.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" was published in 1837. The story was adapted into a Disney film with a bowdlerized plot. In the original version, The Little Mermaid is the youngest daughter of a sea king who lives at the bottom of the sea. To pursue a prince with whom she has fallen in love, the mermaid gets a sea witch to give her legs and agrees to give up her tongue in return. Though she is found on the beach by the prince, he marries another. Told she must stab the prince in the heart to return to her sisters, she can't do it out of love for him.
Sailors' superstitions | Mermaids and mermen
Deciding that she is ready to see the world above, she and Fritz sneak away to the surface with the help of Fritz's uncle, Duke the Whale. There, she sees the handsome young prince on a ship.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot
"The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales. Development started soon after "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the late 1930s, but was delayed due to various circumstances. In 1985, Ron Clements became interested in a film adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" while he was serving as a director on "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986) alongside John Musker. Clements discovered the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale while browsing through a bookstore. Believing the story provided an "ideal basis" for an animated feature film and keen on creating a film that took place underwater, Clements wrote and presented a two-page treatment of "The Little Mermaid" Walt Disney Studios to chief Jeffrey Katzenberg at a "gong show" idea suggestion meeting.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
While in production in the 1980s, the staff found by chance original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Andersen feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story were coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
The story was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of "The Little Mermaid" in which a mermaid loves a human, but Chow wanted to make it a modern interpretation: "I saw great creative space and development potential from the story". In another interview, Chow said: "I'm actually a big fairy-tale fan. All my previous titles can be understood as fairy tales. In the world of fairy tales, the evil are punished and the good see a happy ending. I buy that idea." Another inspiration comes from Chow's own childhood experiences. "I lived near the sea at a young age and I looked at the sea every day.
The Mermaid (2016 film) | Inspirations
At the same time, Katzenberg, Clements, Musker, and Ashman revised the story format to make "The Little Mermaid" a musical with a Broadway-style story structure, with the song sequences serving as the tentpoles of the film. Ashman and composer Alan Menken, both noted for their work as the writers of the successful Off-Broadway stage musical "Little Shop of Horrors", teamed up to compose the entire song score. In 1988, with "Oliver & Company" out of the way, "The Little Mermaid" was slated as the next major Disney release.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
That year Clements and Musker expanded the two-page idea into a 20-page rough script, eliminating the role of the mermaid's grandmother and expanding the roles of the Merman King and the sea witch. However, the film's plans were momentarily shelved as Disney focused its attention on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Oliver & Company" as more immediate releases. In 1987, songwriter Howard Ashman became involved with the writing and development of "The Little Mermaid" after he was asked to contribute a song to "Oliver & Company". He proposed changing the minor character Clarence, the English-butler crab, to a Jamaican crab and shifting the music style throughout the film to reflect this.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Development of Story
The Little Mermaid () is a 1968 Soviet animated film based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid".
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Introduction
As the story opens, a busful of tourists are touring Copenhagen. Their guide draws their attention to the beautiful statue at Langelinie. At that, the film's focus moves below the waterline, where several fish tell the story of. A galleon is foundering on the rough ocean. It's master, a young prince, is trying his best to keep the ship out of harm, but he fails, and eventually falls into the waves. Meanwhile, four mermaid princesses come from a magnificent alabaster underwater palace. The three older mermaids, clad in blue, give their younger sister a red cloak, indirectly indicating whom the protagonist is.
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Plot
The fairy-tale plot is based on "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen and the female main characters are played by Scandinavian actresses. The film takes a summery stroll through the Swiss landscape, with dreamy underwater shots of lakes and rivers standing out in particular.
I Was a Swiss Banker | Background
The movie opens in live-action Denmark. The narrator mentions Hans Christian Andersen and his authorship of the original story. After a brief shot of a live-action ocean and the opening title card (with a mermaid song in the background), the scene dissolves to 2-D hand-drawn anime. Princess Marina, who lives in the undersea kingdom with her father, grandmother and five older sisters, is playing with her best friend Fritz, a dolphin. On her way home, the Sea Witch conjures a powerful storm. Marina is scolded by her sisters for being late, reminding her that their grandmother will not give her the pearl hairpin that signifies adulthood unless she is responsible.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot
P. L. Travers, author of "Mary Poppins" and noted folklore commentator, wrote, "This final message is more frightening than any other presented in the tale. The story descends into the Victorian moral tales written for children to scare them into good behavior... Andersen, this is blackmail. And the children know it and say nothing. There's magnanimity for you." Andersen, however, felt that his revised conclusion in which the mermaid is empowered to attain an immortal soul through her own agency was a decided improvement over the original ending, which climaxed in the mermaid's dissolution. In 1837, Andersen wrote to a friend, "I have not, like de la Motte Fouqué in "Undine", allowed the mermaid's acquiring of an immortal soul to depend upon an alien creature, upon the love of a human being.
The Little Mermaid | Debate over ending
The tale inspired such works as the poem "Sadko" by Alexei Tolstoy (1817–75), the opera "Sadko" composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and the painting by Ilya Repin.
Mermaid | Eastern Europe
The Disney company's "The Little Mermaid" is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy romance film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the original tale, the 1989 Disney film tells the story of a mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human; after falling in love with a human prince named Eric. Written, produced, and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (who also served as a co-producer), the film features the voices of Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, and Pat Carroll among others. "The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
The Little Mermaid () is a 1976 Soviet fantasy film directed by Vladimir Bychkov based on the 1837 fairy tale of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Introduction
Controversy arose regarding the artwork for the film's original VHS release when consumers noticed an oddly shaped structure on the castle, closely resembling a human penis. Disney and the cover designer insist it was an accident, resulting from a late night rush job to finish the cover artwork. The object does not appear on the cover of the second release of the movie. Another allegation is that the clergyman presiding over the wedding between Eric and Ursula (the latter disguised as Vanessa) is seen to have an erection. The object in question is actually the short, stubby-legged man's knee. The combined incidents led an Arkansas woman to file suit against The Walt Disney Company in 1995, though she dropped the suit two months later.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Controversy
In adapting the film into a live stage musical, the following significant changes are made: Music by Alan Menken and All Lyrics by Glenn Slater, except as noted:
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Changes from the 1989 film
On the strength of the success of "Little Shop of Horrors", Menken and Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write the music for "The Little Mermaid" (1989). The challenge was to create an animated musical film of this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney films "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella". "The Little Mermaid" opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called the Disney Renaissance. The film gave them their first Oscar win: Best Song for the song "Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Oscar for Best Score.
Alan Menken | Disney Renaissance and later films
"The Little Mermaid" was considered by some as "the film that brought Broadway into cartoons". Alan Menken wrote the Oscar-winning score, and collaborated with Howard Ashman on the songs. One of the film's most prominent songs, "Part of Your World", was nearly cut from the film when it seemingly tested poorly with an audience of school children, who became rowdy during the scene. This caused Jeffrey Katzenberg to feel that the song needed to be cut, an idea that was resisted by Musker, Clements, and Keane. Both Musker and Clements cited the similar situation of the song "Over the Rainbow" nearly being cut from 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" when it was appealing to Katzenberg.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Music
This is a list of "The Little Mermaid" adaptations. It is restricted to direct adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid".
List of The Little Mermaid adaptations | Introduction
It has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre, anime, ballet, opera, and film. There is also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.
The Little Mermaid | Introduction
The Mermaid and the Boy is a Sámi fairy tale collected by Josef Calasanz Poestion in "Lapplandische Märchen" (Wein; 1886). Andrew Lang included an English-language version in "The Brown Fairy Book" (1904). It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include "Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful", "Corvetto", "King Fortunatus's Golden Wig", and "The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa". Another, literary variant is Madame d'Aulnoy's "La Belle aux cheveux d'or", or "The Story of Pretty Goldilocks".
The Mermaid and the Boy | Introduction
Ariel falls in love with the prince instantly. Soon a violent storm arrives, wrecking the ship. Ariel rescues Eric from drowning and brings him to shore. She sings to him but returns to the sea just as he regains consciousness to avoid being discovered. Fascinated by the memory of her mesmerizing voice, Eric vows to find and marry the girl who saved his life, and Ariel vows to find a way to join him as a human being. Noticing a sudden change in Ariel's behavior, Triton questions Sebastian, who accidentally exposes that Ariel has come in contact with humans and fallen in love with Prince Eric.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
At the behest of Disney executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, director and screenwriter Ron Clements was among several filmmakers instructed to research new story ideas that could potentially be adapted into the studio's next major animated film release. Clements first discovered Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" at a local bookstore, and began deliberating why Disney had never attempted to adapt the story before. Clements eventually learned that Walt Disney himself had actually attempted to adapt the fairy tale into a feature-length animated film as early as the 1930s, but the project was ultimately shelved due in part to its sad ending.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | Conception and writing
The film borrows elements from Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid". As part of the film's mythology, merpeople are said to live for hundreds of years, but do not have an immortal soul. There is also a legend that states that if a human loves a merperson, they will share half of their soul. June's subplot in the film is also derived from the Hans Christian Andersen story. June saves the life of her beloved when he is about to drown. When June drags him to shore, he is half-conscious, but only manages to see a vague shadow of her.
Mermaids (2003 film) | Influences
Director Agnieszka Smoczyńska called the film a "coming-of-age story", echoing her own youth. She recalled that her mother ran a nightclub, where she had her "first shot of vodka, first cigarette, first sexual disappointment and first important feeling for a boy." The mermaids were an abstraction that allowed her to tell her story without revealing too much of herself. The screenwriter Robert Bolesto sought to write a story based on two friends of his that frequented nightclubs in the 80s, which enthused Smoczyńska and resonated with her own childhood. Smoczyńska also wanted the film to be a retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, and developed her idea of mermaids from tales of the 14th–16th century that described them as the sisters of dragons, and hence made them part monstrous.
The Lure (2015 film) | Writing
Marina and her sisters are then summoned to their father and grandmother and are told to go to bed early because of the storm. The following day, Marina's sisters go to the surface. Marina is curious, but she is forbidden to go because she has not yet come of age. She then asks her grandmother if humans can live forever. She says that although mermaids can live up to 300 years, they do not have an immortal soul as humans do when they die; mermaids simply dissolve into sea foam and cease to exist. While exploring a sunken ship destroyed by the storm, she discovers a statue of a human prince.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Plot
The Japanese version can be viewed on several media websites, including Yahoo! Japan, but IP addresses not based in Japan are blocked from viewing it.
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975 film) | Internet release
The angry king confronts Ariel, uncovers her grotto, and destroys her beloved collection. After Triton leaves, two eels named Flotsam and Jetsam convince the devastated young princess to visit Ursula, the evil sea witch. Ursula makes a deal with Ariel to transform her form into a human for three days in exchange for Ariel's voice, which Ursula puts in a nautilus shell she keeps around her neck. Within these three days, Ariel must cause the prince to fall in love with her and give her the "kiss of true love." If Ariel gets Eric to kiss her, she will remain human permanently.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
I was frightened and curious. I was very nervous when I swam in the sea and felt there might be something hidden below. I’ve been fascinated with the (mermaid) story since then, and I felt I could do the film, creating the concept 6 years ago and beginning to write the script four or five years ago."
The Mermaid (2016 film) | Inspirations
It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Under the Sea"). The film's success lead to a stage adaptation with a book by Doug Wright and additional songs by Alan Menken and new lyricist Glenn Slater opened in Denver in July 2007 and began performances on Broadway January 10, 2008 starring Sierra Boggess. Other derived works and material inspired by the movie, include a live-action film adaptation, directed by Rob Marshall, currently in production, and a 2019 live musical presentation of the film airing on ABC as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney".
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Introduction
Keane, however, was assigned as one of the two lead artists on the petite Ariel and oversaw the "Part of Your World" musical number. He jokingly stated that his wife looks exactly like Ariel "without the fins." The character's body type and personality were based upon that of Alyssa Milano, then starring on TV's "Who's the Boss?" and the effect of her hair underwater was based on both footage of Sally Ride when she was in space, and scenes of Stoner in a pool for guidance in animating Ariel's swimming. The design of the villainous Ursula was based upon drag performer Divine.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
Keane pushed for the song to remain until the film was in a more finalized state. During a second test screening, the scene, now colorized and further developed, tested well with a separate child audience, and the musical number was kept.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Music
The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic 1837 story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (written for the film), with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Introduction
Unlike in the original story of "The Little Mermaid", in this adaptation (created by Toei's planning team and featuring Masaki Tsuji as head writer), the mermaid is still able to speak while in human form, and this adaptation also does not end in tragedy as the original story did. Toei made a more faithful adaptation of the story as a feature film in 1975, which used some of the same staff as this TV series, including animator Shingo Araki.
Mahō no Mako-chan | Plot
Several writers have drawn inspiration from the tale, such as Robert Coover in "The Gingerbread House" ("Pricks and Descants", 1970), Anne Sexton in "Transformations" (1971), Garrison Keillor in "My Grandmother, My Self in Happy to Be Here" (1982), and Emma Donoghue in "A Tale of the Cottage" ("Kissing the Witch", 1997).
Hansel and Gretel | Literature
J. Carr; "King Triton, Beware!", "The Haunted Palace" and "The Boyfriend Mix-Up" by Katherine Applegate; "The Practical-Joke War" by Stephanie St. Pierre; "The Dolphins of Coral Cove" by K. S. Rodriguez; and "Alana's Secret Friend" by Jess Christopher. Also published in 1994 is "Tales from Under the Sea", an illustrated book containing 22 stories and poems about the characters from the film. In 2009 Disney Press started a young adult novel series retelling various films of the animated Disney canon but set from the point of view of its villains. The novels are written by Serena Valentino, and the third entry in the series was "Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch", which was released in July 2016.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | Printed adaptations
These performances once again combined a screening of the film with live renditions of the film's songs, this time starring Lea Michele as Ariel, Harvey Fierstein as Ursula, Cheech Marin as Chef Louis, Ken Page as Sebastian, Peter Gallagher as King Triton, Leo Gallo as Prince Eric, and an uncredited actor as Scuttle. This presentation utilized the same four songs written for the stage adaptation.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live presentations
If she fails, Ariel will become a miserable polyp and belong to Ursula. Ariel accepts and is then given human legs and taken to the surface by Flounder and Sebastian. Eric finds Ariel alone on the beach and takes her to his castle, but is still unaware that she is the one who saved him before due to her muteness. Ariel spends time with Eric, and at the end of the second day, they almost kiss but are thwarted by Flotsam and Jetsam. That night, to ensure Ariel's failure, Ursula disguises herself as a beautiful young woman named Vanessa and appears on the shore in front of Eric's castle, singing with Ariel's voice.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
The Little Mermaid ("Malá mořská víla") is a 1976 Czech film directed by Karel Kachyňa based on the 1837 fairy tale of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The voice actor for the mermaid in German for East German release was Irina Wanka.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Czech film) | Introduction
Everyone abandons the prince now that he is dead. The mermaid begs the witch to revive the prince. The witch does so but warns her that if the prince does not marry the mermaid, she will die. The prince comes back alive but does not marry the mermaid. He marries the princess and the mermaid is destined to die on the same day. The traveling handyman challenges the prince to a fight and is killed. His sacrifice spares the mermaid from death and her soul becomes eternal.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Plot
Disney Theatrical had success with stage adaptations of its animated musical films "Beauty and the Beast" in 1994 and "The Lion King" in 1997. Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical, proposed another adaptation, this time of the 1989 film "The Little Mermaid", approaching songwriter Alan Menken, who had composed the music for the film, to be part of the production team. Schumacher initially brought on director/choreographer Matthew Bourne to helm the musical, but Bourne left when their visions on the project differed. Schumacher then approached Francesca Zambello, telling her that "We haven't found a way to do the water". Zambello's experience with the fantasy elements of opera made her open to the project, and the decision was made that there would be no water, wires or flying in the production.
The Little Mermaid (musical) | Development
The film is an adaptation of three fairy tales classics of children literature. "The Maiden of the Sea" tells the story of Coraline, a mermaid who wants to be human after she falls in love with a Sailor Prince. "The 3 hairs of the Devil" tells the story of Tomasin, a young man of humble background, which a seer had a presentiment that he would marry the daughter of the king, who must perform a series of tests to avoid death, and marriage the princess is accepted by the king. "The Wizard of Oz" tells the story of Sylvia, a girl who get lost in the woods with her dog Toto, and along with her friends The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, have been snatched the brain, heart and courage, respectively.
Fantasía... 3 | Plot
Development started in the late 1930s but was delayed due to various circumstances. In 1985, Ron Clements became interested in a film adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" while he was serving as a director on "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986). Clements discovered the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale while browsing through a bookstore. Believing the story provided an "ideal basis" for an animated feature film and keen on creating a film that took place underwater, Clements wrote and presented a two-page treatment of "Mermaid" to Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who approved of the idea for possible development the next day.
The Little Mermaid | Disney's animated film
See also List of The Little Mermaid Adaptations Andersen's stories laid the groundwork for other children's classics, such as "The Wind in the Willows" (1908) by Kenneth Grahame and "Winnie-the-Pooh" (1926) by A. A. Milne. The technique of making inanimate objects, such as toys, come to life ("Little Ida's Flowers") would later also be used by Lewis Carroll and Beatrix Potter.
Hans Christian Andersen | Literature
However, Katzenberg did not approve of Purdum's dark, somber version of the fairy tale, and ultimately ordered that it be restarted from scratch in favor of creating a Broadway-style musical film starring a strong heroine, more similar to "The Little Mermaid". Opting instead for a "feminist twist" on the original story, largely in response to critics' negative reception to Ariel regarding her pursuit of Eric being her overall character, Katzenberg hired television writer Linda Woolverton, who had never written an animated film before, to write the film's screenplay. Before "Beauty and the Beast", Disney's tradition of depicting female characters as victims had already long been established.
Belle (Beauty and the Beast) | Conception and writing
The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. Its book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (written for the film), with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Introduction
For opera and ballet see also List of The Little Mermaid Adaptations
Hans Christian Andersen | Stage productions
But when the mermaid recognizes the old monk as the man who had once jilted her, it may not be the young apprentice who is in mortal danger.
Rusalka (1996 film) | Plot
The story is set in the 13th century. The little mermaid sees a prince on a ship from a distance and falls in love with him. Other mermaids mesmerize the sailors into crashing their ship on to the rocks. The mermaid saves the prince from drowning and brings him to shore. A local princess notices the unconscious prince and rescues him. The mermaid wants to marry the prince and swims towards palace where the princess lives. One of the fishermen spots her and they all throw rocks at her. She hides for safety in the canal within the palace. A traveling handyman befriends her.
The Little Mermaid (1976 Russian film) | Plot
"The Little Mermaid" is the original film of the franchise. It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and was released to theaters on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman. The film was a critical and commercial success. "The Little Mermaid" is the 28th Disney animated feature film and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance. It is based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale of the same name.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | "The Little Mermaid"
Little from the Fish Shop () is a Czech animated film written and directed by Jan Balej. The film is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid". It uses puppets animated in stop motion.
Little from the Fish Shop | Introduction
A grandmother tells her two granddaughters a version of "The Little Mermaid" in which a mermaid princess is tricked by a wizard who steals her soul, and forced to live a life away from her ocean home enslaved to the wizard for eternity. When the girls say they do not believe the story is real, their grandmother begins a tale of a girl she knew who met a mermaid. Cam, a young reporter, writes a letter while his niece, Elle, plays outside. Elle has an undiagnosed condition with no cure. She starts coughing and Cam carries her inside before going to work.
The Little Mermaid (2018 film) | Plot
In 1987, songwriter Howard Ashman became involved with the writing and development of "Mermaid" after he was asked to contribute a song to "Oliver & Company". He proposed changing the minor character Clarence, the English-butler crab, to a Jamaican Rastafarian crab and shifting the music style throughout the film to reflect this. At the same time, Katzenberg, Clements, Musker, and Ashman revised the story format to make "Mermaid" a musical with a Broadway-style story structure, with the song sequences serving as the tentpoles of the film. Ashman and composer Alan Menken, both noted for their work as the writers of the successful Off-Broadway stage musical "Little Shop of Horrors", teamed up to compose the entire song score.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | Music
Basile has not allowed himself to make any alteration, scarcely even any addition of importance, and that gives his work a special value – Wilhelm Grimm Basile's writing inspired Matteo Garrone's 2015 film, "The Tale of Tales".
Pentamerone | Influence
The little mermaid heads toward the surface and sees the now-unconscious prince in the water. She carries him to the shore, where she sings a sweet mermaid song for him. Then a bell tolls from a nearby convent and several women come out. The little mermaid jumps into the sea, waiting to see what becomes of the prince. One of the ladies finds the prince and helps him to the convent.
The Little Mermaid (1968 film) | Plot
This 1976 Russian feature film was directed by Vladimir Bychkov and starred Viktoriya Novikova as the mermaid. The story is set in the 13th century. The mermaid saves the prince from drowning, after other mermaids mesmerize the sailors into crashing their ship on to the rocks. The prince is saved by a local princess under whose care he recovers. The mermaid seeks to marry the prince. A traveling handyman tries to help the mermaid in her love. He finds a local witch who changes her tail into legs in exchange for her hair. The prince marries the local princess and the mermaid is destined to die on the same day.
The Little Mermaid | Soviet feature film
The story is influenced by legends and folktales about trolls and nisses collected in Thomas Keightley’s ‘Fairy Mythology’, 1850, and William Craigie’s ‘Scandinavian Folklore’, 1896, as well as by Hans Christian Andersen’s story ‘The Elf Hill’, a satirical description of a troll wedding.
Troll Fell | Background
An additional early inspiration before Divine was Joan Collins in her role as Alexis Carrington in the television show "Dynasty", due to a suggestion from Howard Ashman, who was a fan of the series. Pat Carroll was not Clements and Musker's first choice to voice Ursula; the original script had been written with Bea Arthur of the Disney-owned TV series "The Golden Girls" in mind. After Arthur turned the part down, actresses such as Nancy Marchand, Nancy Wilson, Roseanne, Charlotte Rae, and Elaine Stritch were considered for the part. Stritch was eventually cast as Ursula, but clashed with Howard Ashman's style of music production and was replaced by Carroll.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
"The Little Mermaid" was originally planned as part of one of Walt Disney's earliest feature films, a proposed package film featuring vignettes of Hans Christian Andersen tales. Development started soon after "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the late 1930s, but was put on hold due to various circumstances. In 1985, "The Great Mouse Detective" co-director Ron Clements discovered a collection of Andersen's fairy tales while browsing a bookstore. He presented a two-page draft of a movie based on "The Little Mermaid" to CEO Michael Eisner and Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg at a "gong show" idea suggestion meeting.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | History
The concept of an animated film based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Rapunzel" originated from Disney animator Glen Keane in 1996. Veteran Disney composer Alan Menken had just recently completed scoring Walt Disney Pictures' "Enchanted" (2007) when he received a telephone call from Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2008, who invited him to compose the music for the studio's then-upcoming animated film "Tangled." Upon accepting, Menken invited frequent collaborator Glenn Slater, with whom he had previously worked on Disney's "Home on the Range" (2004) and the Broadway musical adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" (1989), to serve alongside him as his co-writing lyricist once again.
I See the Light | Background
By this time Gary's hotel is famous and the owner is certain of a big summer business."
The Mermaid (1910 film) | Plot
Andersen's story in turn appears to have influenced Oscar Wilde's "The Fisherman and His Soul".
The Shadow (fairy tale) | Precedent
In addition, Katzenberg asked songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who had written the song score for "The Little Mermaid", to turn "Beauty and the Beast" into a Broadway-style musical film in the same vein as "Mermaid". Ashman, who at the time had learned he was dying of complications from AIDS, had been working with Disney on a pet project of his, "Aladdin", and only reluctantly agreed to join the struggling production team. To accommodate Ashman's failing health, pre-production of "Beauty and the Beast" was moved from London to the Residence Inn in Fishkill, New York, close to Ashman's New York City home.
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film) | Script rewrite and musicalization
The Little Mermaid made her appearance in 1970, designed by Anton Pieck. She holds a fish that spouts water out of its mouth. The music is the "Allegro Briljante" by François-Adrien Boieldieu. The mermaid was renewed in 2001.
Fairytale Forest | The Little Mermaid
Both characters now have much smaller breasts and the mermaid is now wearing a seashell bra rather than just starfish pasties. Lasseter defended the changes by saying, "It wasn’t big bad Disney coming in and insisting we do this … it was our own choice. It was just crossing the line for me personally as a father. So I made the decision to reduce [these characters’] breast size." This updated version is preceded with the message ""In 1989, six years before Toy Story, Pixar Animation Studios made this short film."" This version was first made available with the "Finding Nemo" DVD.
Knick Knack | Release and later re-releases
In 1986, Ashman was brought in to write lyrics for a song in Disney's "Oliver & Company". While there, he was told about another project that they had been working on for a couple years. The film was "The Little Mermaid", Disney's first fairy tale in 30 years. Ashman, along with Alan Menken, wrote all of the songs for the film. Ashman became a driving force during the early years of the Disney Renaissance. He would hold story meetings and said the animation and musical styles were made for each other which is why Disney needed to continue making musical movies.
Howard Ashman | Career
In May 2016, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Disney was in early development for a live-action adaptation of the film. In August 2016, it was announced that Alan Menken would return as the film's composer and write new songs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will also co-produce the film with Marc Platt. Studio veterans Lindsay Lohan and Chris Evans expressed interest in starring in the adaptation.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Live-action film adaptation
The Mermaid of Zennor () is a popular Cornish folk tale that was first recorded by the Cornish folklorist William Bottrell in 1873. The legend has inspired works of poetry, literature and art.
Mermaid of Zennor | Introduction
Eisner and Katzenberg passed the project over, because at that time the studio was in development on a sequel to their live-action mermaid comedy "Splash" (1984) and felt "The Little Mermaid" would be too similar a project. The next day, however, Walt Disney Studios chairman Katzenberg greenlit the idea for possible development. While in production in the 1980s, the staff found, by chance, original story and visual development work done by Kay Nielsen for Disney's proposed 1930s Anderson feature. Many of the changes made by the staff in the 1930s to Hans Christian Andersen's original story were coincidentally the same as the changes made by Disney writers in the 1980s.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | History
In her analysis, Virginia Borges concludes that the story contains a message about love and self-sacrifice, and the dangers of accepting abuse or inconsiderate treatment in the name of love. Susan White interprets the story as the difficult liminal passage of the girl into the order of speech and social symbolism (power, politics, and agency) which is symbolically understood as masculine.
The Little Mermaid | Themes and interpretations
Ariel is a 16-year-old mermaid princess unsatisfied with underwater life in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. She is fascinated by the human world, wanting desperately to become a human and live on the land. With her best friend Flounder, Ariel collects and keeps random human artifacts in her grotto and consults a seagull named Scuttle for inaccurate knowledge about human culture and the items she finds. Ariel's father, King Triton, and a crab who serves as his advisor/court composer named Sebastian, constantly warn her against humans and tell her that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden. One night, Ariel, Flounder, and an unwilling Sebastian travel to the ocean surface to watch a celebration for Prince Eric's birthday on a ship.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Plot
Jasmine is based on the princess who appears in the Middle Eastern folk tale collection "One Thousand and One Nights", specifically the story "Aladdin and the Magical Lamp." Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken had first begun to develop "Aladdin" while they were still writing songs for "The Little Mermaid" (1989), but further development was abandoned in favor of working on "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) instead. However, "Aladdin" was finally resurrected as "Beauty and the Beast" neared completion. While the princess in the original tale is named Badroulbadour, the studio decided to rename the character the more familiar "Jasmine" after actress Jasmine Guy.
Jasmine (Disney character) | Conception and writing
Keightley had contributed to T. Crofton Croker's "Fairy Legend" (1825–1828), and Keightley being stimulated to write his own book was perhaps the most important consequence of Croker's publication. But it was an uneasy situation, as Keightley was clearly peeved at Croker for not properly acknowledging Keightley's aid, even though in the preface to the 1850 edition, Keightley explains the circumstances more cordially, addresses Croker as "one of my earliest literary friends in London". A selection in "Fairy Mythology" was an Irish mermaid story entitled "The Soul Cages," which turned out to be a hoax of sorts. The male merrow story was first printed in Croker's anthology, but Keightley came out with a later edition of the "Fairy Mythology" he added a footnote to this tale, proclaiming he "must here make an honest confession," and informed the reader that except for the kernel of the story adapted from the German story of "The Peasant and the Waterman", this Irish tale was entirely his invention.
Thomas Keightley | Conflict over credit
At the end of this episode, the character is inspired by the encounter to "write" the story of "The Little Mermaid". This encounter contradicts the idea that Ariel's first face to face contact with humans is with Prince Eric, and forces Ariel to confront her father with the fact that she, Triton, and all merfolk are half human when she appeals to Triton for help in saving Andersen's life.
List of The Little Mermaid characters | Hans Christian Andersen
The Tale of the Golden Cockerel () is the last fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin wrote the tale in 1834 and it was first published in literary magazine "Biblioteka dlya chteniya" ("Library for Reading") in 1835. While not officially based on any specific fairy tale, a number of similar stories were later revealed by scholars, most famously by Anna Akhmatova in her 1933 essay "Pushkin's Last Fairy Tale". Among the influences named were the "Legend of the Arabian Astrologer" from "Tales of the Alhambra" by Washington Irving, "Der goldene Hahn" (1785) by Friedrich Maximilian Klinger and "Kaib" (1792) by Ivan Krylov.
The Tale of the Golden Cockerel | Introduction
In Maria Tatar's "The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales", the transformation of the little mermaid from sea creature to mermaid in human form, and then to a creature of the air, is believed to reflect Andersen's constant engagement with mutability and changes in identity. Tatar also suggests that the Little Mermaid did not give up everything for love alone. Tatar's interpretation of the tale is one that presents a rare heroine with an investigative curiosity which is shown through the mermaid's fascination of the unknown, the forbidden, and her intent on broadening her horizons from the start. Even before she sees the prince, she displays an intense longing to visit the world above the sea through her actions such as: arranging the flowers in her garden into the shape of the sun, listening to her grandmother and sisters' stories of the surface, and peeking in through the window of the prince's cabin during his birthday celebrations.
The Little Mermaid | Themes and interpretations
In an attempt to replicate the unprecedented success of "The Little Mermaid "(1989), Walt Disney Animation Studios decided to adapt the traditional fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" into an animated feature film. Although originally conceived as an animated film with "no songs in it whatsoever" under the direction of Richard Purdum, Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg was unsatisfied with the dark and somber direction in which the film was headed, and ultimately ordered that it be re-written as a "Broadway-style musical with a strong heroine" instead, similar in concept to "The Little Mermaid". Disney then hired lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken to write the film's songs and assist in the "transform[ing of] "Beauty and the Beast" into a musical", the pair having just recently collaborated on scoring "The Little Mermaid".
Belle (Disney song) | History and writing
Various actors auditioned for additional roles in the film, including Jim Carrey for the role of Prince Eric, and comedians Bill Maher and Michael Richards for the role of Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Animation
In some later productions, however, the song is sung to try to stop Ariel from thinking about Eric like in the film. In the musical, the storm at sea sequence is simplified, and Eric merely falls overboard; his sheepdog, Max, is not included, and there is no gunpowder explosion. Ursula's alter ego, Vanessa, is also not included, thereby omitting the subplot of Eric's brainwashing, leading to "The Contest". In the film, Flotsam and Jetsam are killed when Ursula accidentally zaps them with the trident; in the musical they swim away after Ariel takes Ursula's nautilus shell.
The Little Mermaid Jr. | Changes from the 1989 film
However, their blood relationship is still vaguely alluded to when the character mentions a time during which she actually lived in Triton's palace. Clements and Musker had originally intended for Ursula to remain her original size at the end of the film. However, Katzenberg had just recently seen the film "Die Hard" (1988), which inspired him to request a "bigger" ending for "The Little Mermaid", and thus he instructed the writers to have Ursula grow much larger in size during her climactic fight with Ariel and Eric.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) | Conception and writing
I'm sure that's wrong! It would depend rather much on chance, wouldn't it? I won't accept that sort of thing in this world. I have permitted my mermaid to follow a more natural, more divine path." Other scholars like Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard notice the ending's shift away from tragedy as well. They point out that the events leading up to the mermaid's death should culminate in tragedy, but that the sudden twist allows the narrative to finish on a hopeful success. Bøggild and Heegaard argue that this disjointed ending was not the result of Anderson's sentimentality and religious beliefs, which have been attributed to his choice to stray from the tragic path he established in the rest of the narrative, but a conscious choice for ambiguity that stemmed from Andersen's skepticism towards idealized physical and religious symbols.
The Little Mermaid | Debate over ending
The film "Little Otik", directed by Jan Švankmajer, was released in 2000 and is greatly inspired by this fairy tale.
Otesánek | Film adaptation
After the success of Walt Disney Productions' first feature-length animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), filmmaker Walt Disney himself made several attempts to adapt the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont into one of the studio's earliest animated feature films during the 1930s and 1950s. However, the project was continuously abandoned due to the fairy tale's "static" plot and main characters. The filmmaker was also concerned about the "unnecessary intensity" required to depict Belle's imprisonment. Inspired by the unprecedented success of "The Little Mermaid "(1989), Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg green-lit another attempt at adapting "Beauty and the Beast" under the direction of Richard Purdum.
Belle (Beauty and the Beast) | Conception and writing
Its theme was used in "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish", an 1833 poem by Aleksandr Pushkin. Virginia Woolf has her character Mrs. Ramsey in "To the Lighthouse" read a version of the story to her son, James. Günter Grass's 1977 novel, "The Flounder," is loosely based on the fairy tale, as are Emanuele Luzzati's version, "Punch and the Magic Fish," and Ursula LeGuin's novel "The Lathe of Heaven". "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" by Alexander Pushkin is based on this tale. In 1977 the German writer Günter Grass published the novel, "The Flounder" (German: "Der Butt"), which is loosely based on this fairy tale.
The Fisherman and His Wife | Cultural legacy
"Part of Your World", which was referred to by songwriter Howard Ashman as the "I Want" song, was originally going to be cut from the final film, owing to Jeffrey Katzenberg's belief that it slowed the story down, but Ashman and Keane fought to keep it in. Ariel's original design was developed by animator Glen Keane. Her appearance was based on a number of inspirational sources, Alyssa Milano (who was 16 at the time in addition to hosting the making of the special on Disney Channel,) and model-comedian Sherri Stoner, who provided live-action references for the animators during the development of the film.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid) | Development
Realizing that Ariel was the girl who saved his life, Eric rushes to kiss her, but the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Ursula reverts to her true form and kidnaps Ariel.
The Little Mermaid (franchise) | Plot and themes
Mermaids is a 1990 American family comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin, and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling, and Christina Ricci in her film debut. Set in the early 1960s, its plot follows a neurotic teenage girl who moves with her wayward mother and young sister to a small town in Massachusetts. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Patty Dann. Originally planned as the American debut of Swedish director Lasse Hallström, the film was ultimately directed by Benjamin after both Hallström and Frank Oz abandoned the project. Filming of "Mermaids" took place in various locations in Massachusetts in the fall of 1989.
Mermaids (1990 film) | Introduction
In this case, the rhyme refers to "Ten Little Fat Boys". (The film's plot bears no resemblance to Arthur Conan Doyle's original story of the same name.) The author of the movie's screenplay, Robert Florey, "doubted that [Christie] had seen "A Study in Scarlet", but he regarded it as a compliment if it had helped inspire her".
And Then There Were None | Possible inspirations
The Little Mermaid is a 2018 American live-action fantasy-adventure film inspired by the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name. It is directed and written by Blake Harris, co-directed by Chris Bouchard, and produced by Armando Gutierrez and Robert Molloy. The film was released on August 17, 2018, by AMC Theatres. The film grossed $2.61 million USD on a budget of $5 million.
The Little Mermaid (2018 film) | Introduction
But because the editors felt Askefis to be too rustic, they favoured the name Akeladden (or altered it to Askepot) which seemed more refined. This adulteration was derided by P. A. Munch as overly prim and lacking courage. In Asbjørnsens's first edition (1843), the name appears as "", which in Norway is commonly associated with Cinderella. The name was changed to Askeladden in the second edition, but strangely enough, in the first tale ("About Askeladden who Stole from the Troll"), the name Askepot was still retained in the narrative itself.
Askeladden | Name
Love says she was inspired to write the book when she met her partner's older brother, who had recently transitioned, a couple years before beginning to write the book. According to Love, due to pushback from his family when younger, he was only able to transition after he was fifty years old, and talking to him inspired her to research the subject, including the literature available about it. The 1990 documentary "Paris Is Burning", which tells the story of drag queens that were rejected by their families and found acceptance in a different place, was another inspiration. Love said in an interview with the "Guardian" that she wanted to write a story "about what their lives would have been like if they’d received the kind of support from their birth families".
Julián is a Mermaid | Influences
Originally, "Beauty and the Beast", under the direction of Richard Purdum, was not intended to be a musical. Then-studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg made the decision to turn the film into a Broadway-style musical similar to "The Little Mermaid" (1989), Disney's previous animated film, after he, displeased with the film's initial story reel, ordered the film scrapped and restarted from scratch. As a result, Purdum resigned, and first-time feature film directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale replaced him. Following the Academy Award-winning success of "The Little Mermaid", Katzenberg asked "The Little Mermaid" songwriting duo of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken to write the songs for and score "Beauty and the Beast".
Be Our Guest | Background
Ariel is a fully realized female character who thinks and acts independently, even rebelliously, instead of hanging around passively while the fates decide her destiny." The staff of "TV Guide" wrote a positive review, praising the film's return to the traditional Disney musical as well as the film's animation. Yet they also wrote that the film is detracted from by the juvenile humor and the human characters' eyes. While still giving a positive review, they stated that the film "can't compare to the real Disney classics (which appealed equally to both kids and adults)." The staff of "Variety" praised the film for its cast of characters, Ursula in particular, as well as its animation, stating that the animation "proves lush and fluid, augmented by the use of shadow and light as elements like fire, sun and water illuminate the characters." They also praised the musical collaboration between Howard Ashman and Alan Menken "whose songs frequently begin slowly but build in cleverness and intensity." Todd Gilchrist of IGN wrote a positive review of the film, stating that the film is "an almost perfect achievement." Gilchrist also praised how the film revived interest in animation as it was released at a time when interest in animation was at a lull.
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) | Critical reception