The voice cast stars Irene Bedard and Mel Gibson as Pocahontas and Smith, respectively, with David Ogden Stiers, Russell Means, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly and Linda Hunt providing other voices. The score was written by Alan Menken, who also wrote the film's songs along with Stephen Schwartz. After making his directorial debut with "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990), Gabriel conceived the film during a Thanksgiving weekend. The project went into development concurrently with "The Lion King" (1994) and attracted most of Disney's top animators. Meanwhile, Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided the film should be a serious romantic epic in the vein of "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), in hope that, like "Beauty", it would also be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Introduction
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
Mel Gibson Irene Bedard Irene Bedard Mel Gibson
who plays the voice of john smith in pocahontas
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The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, titled "", released on August 25, 1998. Bedard and Kuhn reprised their roles as Pocahontas' speaking and singing voices, respectively, while John Smith was voiced by Donal Gibson.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Sequel
According to Bedard, she took a train to Buffalo, New York where she walked in wearing a sundress and a straw hat, and read for the part. Back on the set of "Lakota Woman", she learned that she was cast in the role. Michelle St. John had also auditioned for the role of Pocahontas, and was given the role of Nakoma after Bedard was cast. Mel Gibson was cast as English settler John Smith following a desire to make "something for my kids." In a notable contrast to previous voice actors for Disney animated features, Gibson provided the singing voice for his character, which the actor has described as the most difficult part of his role.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
For the villain, they chose John Ratcliffe, whose portrayal was based on actual English captains, including John Martin, Christopher Newport and Edward Maria Wingfield. In reality, it was Wingfield who despised John Smith, but the filmmakers preferred the sinister sound of "Ratcliffe". The writers would continue to adapt actual events into the film such as Pocahontas warning Smith that the Indians were after him so he could escape in the middle of the night, Powhatan ordering the captured Smith to make bead necklaces to humiliate him, and Pocahontas being captured by Ratcliffe instead of Samuel Argall, though none of them worked with the story.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Three actors in the film have been involved in other Pocahontas-related projects. Gordon Tootoosis acted as Chief Powhatan in "" (1995). Christian Bale and Irene Bedard would portray John Rolfe and Pocahontas's mother, respectively, in Terrence Malick's "The New World" (2005).
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Voice cast
The titular (but by no means central) character is Samuel Argall. He did not appear in Disney's 1995 animated film or its , but was played by Yorick van Wageningen in Terrence Malick's "The New World" (2005).
Argall: The True Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith | Introduction
Sito mentioned that Joe Grant contributed heavily towards the film, as he was the creator of Redfeather, Meeko, and Flit. Redfeather was a wise-cracking turkey who was intended to be voiced by John Candy, and Percy, who was to be voiced by Richard E. Grant, was revised to become mute. Following the death of John Candy in March 1994, co-screenwriter Susannah Grant decided the turkey was inappropriate for the script she co-wrote for "Pocahontas", and a more realistic approach would have the animals pantomime instead of talking. Joe Grant stated Redfeather "had comic potential–he thought he was handsome, a lady's man.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in "The Moving Picture World" from October 15, 1910. It states: "Captain John Smith comes to America as the head of a band of English colonists and settles in Jamestown, Virginia. While at the head of the colony Smith makes a trip of exploration into the interior and is captured there by King Powhatan, the acknowledged head of all of the red men in Virginia. Powhatan orders his prisoner's execution. Just as the fatal club is about to descend, Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of the King, throws herself before her father.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Plot
Christian Bale auditioned for the role of Thomas. As he explained in an interview with "Disney Adventures", "the directors played with Thomas being Irish and Scottish and younger than I am, so I had to raise my voice and do different accents. But the more we did it, the more he became like me--older and English." Richard White, the voice of Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast", was supposed to voice Ratcliffe, but the crew was worried he might sound too much like Gaston, so he was replaced by his co-star David Ogden Stiers, who also voices Ratcliffe's dimwitted assistant Wiggins.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
In September 1992, Disney began casting actors for "Pocahontas" telling talent agents that they were particularly interested in Native American actors for the project. For the role of Pocahontas, Broadway actress-singer Judy Kuhn was hired to provide the singing voice for the eponymous character before Irene Bedard was cast. Kuhn explained, "They said, 'You are going to do the dialogue unless we find a Native American actress whose singing voice matched yours.' I was cast before Irene, so it actually went backwards." Bedard herself was filming "" (1994) where she was informed by the casting director that they were looking for someone to voice the title role.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical romantic drama film loosely based on the life of the Native American woman Pocahontas. It portrays a fictionalized account of her historical encounter with Englishman John Smith and the Jamestown settlers that arrived from the Virginia Company. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 16, 1995. It is the 33rd Disney animated feature film and the sixth film produced and released during the period known as the Disney Renaissance. The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg (in Goldberg's feature directorial debut).
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
In Disney's "Pocahontas" (1995), Ratcliffe was portrayed as a greedy and ruthlessly ambitious man, and the film's main antagonist. His character believes that the Powhatan tribe is very barbaric in nature and have hidden gold near the outskirts of Virginia, and he wants to battle the Native Americans for them, despite the fact that there was never any gold in Virginia and that the tribe has their own type of society. Here, he was voiced by David Ogden Stiers. In this adaptation, he is accompanied by the pug Percy (this name derived from the English colonist George Percy) and by his servant Wiggins.
John Ratcliffe (governor) | In popular culture
Russell Means was cast as Chief Powhatan, though he initially expressed displeasure with the script in that Native Americans addressed each other using proper names rather than the traditional "my father" or "my friend". Aboriginal Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis was also cast as the tribal shaman Kekata. Throughout most of the production, the cast members performed their dialogue in separate recording sessions.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Casting
The film was issued on a double bill with "The Steel Lady".
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Release
Pocahontas's real name was Matoaka. "Pocahontas" was only a nickname, and it can variously be translated to "little wanton", "playful one", "little brat", or "the naughty one". In the film, Pocahontas is a young adult; in reality, she was around 10 or 11 at the time John Smith arrived with the Virginia Company in 1607, while Smith was 28. Smith is portrayed as an amiable man; in reality, he was described as having a harsh exterior and a very authoritarian personality by his fellow colonists. Historically, there is no evidence of a romantic relationship emerging between Pocahontas and John Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Historical accuracy
He voiced Captain John Smith's shipmate, Ben, in Disney's animated film, "Pocahontas". In 1996, he appeared in "Muppet Treasure Island" as Billy Bones. In 1997, he starred with Dame Judi Dench in "Mrs Brown", in which he played John Brown, the favoured Scottish servant of Queen Victoria. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
Billy Connolly | 1990s
Whether or not Pocahontas saved Smith's life is debated. A group of colonists led by Samuel Argall captured Pocahontas three years after John Smith departed for England; she converted to Christianity in Henricus and later married John Rolfe, who was known for introducing tobacco as a cash crop.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Historical accuracy
Due to the lower limit budget, the film proved to be unsuccessful both by critics and at the box office. Hal Erickson of AllMovie gave the film his lowest star rating.
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Reception
While working on the movie, Susannah Grant wrote to a specific story outline, and no scene was rewritten less than thirty-five times until she felt it was perfect. Story supervisor Tom Sito, who became the project's unofficial historical consultant, did extensive research into the early colonial era and the story of John Smith and Pocahontas, and was confronted over the historical inaccuracies from historians. Already knowing that in reality Pocahontas married John Rolfe, Gabriel explained it was felt that "the story of Pocahontas and Rolfe was too complicated and violent for a youthful audience" so instead, they would focus on Pocahontas's meeting with John Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Two actors in this film has been involved in other Pocahontas-related projects. Gordon Tootoosis previously voiced Kekata the shaman in Disney's 1995 animated film. Billy Merasty, who acted as Kocoum, would six years later portray a Kiskiack in "The New World".
Pocahontas: The Legend | Introduction
In 1607, the "Susan Constant" sails from London to the New World, carrying English settlers from the Virginia Company. Along the way, the "Susan Constant" is caught in a North Atlantic storm and Captain John Smith, who dreams about adventure, saves young, inexperienced crewmate Thomas from drowning. As they approach the New World, the settlers, including John, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting "Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land. In the Powhatan tribe in Tsenacommacah, North America, Pocahontas, the beautiful daughter of Chief Powhatan, fears being possibly wed to Kocoum, a brave warrior whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited personality.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
John Smith takes the blame for Kocoum's death, is arrested by Chief Powhatan's men, and sentenced to death by beheading at sunrise.
Pocahontas (character) | "Pocahontas"
The voice cast stars Irene Bedard and Mel Gibson as Pocahontas and Smith, respectively, with David Ogden Stiers, Russell Means, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly and Linda Hunt providing other voices. The score was written by Alan Menken, who also wrote the film's songs along with Stephen Schwartz. After making his directorial debut with "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990), Gabriel conceived the film during a Thanksgiving weekend. The project went into development concurrently with "The Lion King" (1994) and attracted most of Disney's top animators. Meanwhile, Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided the film should be a serious romantic epic in the vein of "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), in hope that, like "Beauty", it would also be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
Pocahontas: The Legend is a 1995 drama film that fictionalizes the young life of the historical figure of Chief Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas and her relationship with Captain John Smith. This film was directed by Danièle J. Suissa and stars Sandrine Holt as the titular heroine. It was entirely shot around Toronto and Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. This is the third live-action feature film based on the life of Pocahontas and John Smith, the others being "Pocahontas and John Smith" (1924) and "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" (1953). John Rolfe, the second husband of Pocahontas, does not appear in this motion picture.
Pocahontas: The Legend | Introduction
Screenwriters Carl Binder, Susannah Grant, and Philip LaZebnik took creative liberties with history in an attempt to make the film palatable to audiences.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Introduction
Powhatan gives Pocahontas her mother's necklace as a present. Pocahontas, along with her friends, the raccoon Meeko and hummingbird Flit, visit Grandmother Willow, a spiritual talking willow tree and speaks of a dream involving a spinning arrow and her confusion regarding what her path in life should be. Grandmother Willow then alerts Pocahontas to the arriving English. The voyage's greedy leader Governor Ratcliffe, who seeks gold as part of his plan to bring him wealth and status, has Jamestown built in a wooded clearing and immediately has the crewmen dig for gold. John departs to explore the wilderness and encounters Pocahontas.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
It does everything a children's film should do except send little viewers home humming its theme song."
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
Paul O'Connor voiced him in the Animated Hero Classics 1994 episode "Pocahontas". O' Connor also voiced Japazaws who lured the princess with a copper kettle to her abduction by Argall. He was voiced by Brad Garrett in Disney's 1998 direct-to-video film "". At the end, he remained in London with John Rolfe's maid, Mrs. Jenkins. In New Line Cinema's 2005 film "The New World", Tomocomo is played by Raoul Trujillo. However, in the film's depiction of Pocahontas sailing on her trip to England, she is accompanied by her uncle Opechancanough rather than Tomocomo.
Tomocomo | Media
Over time, the two get to know each other, asking all sorts of questions about each other's people, lives, and different worlds. However, the conversation goes sour when John Smith unintentionally reveals his prejudices towards Native Americans. Pocahontas explains to him the beauty and importance of nature and respecting the earth through the song, "Colors of the Wind". This causes John to see the ill of his thoughts and change his ways, and the two fall in love with each other. When Kocoum stumbles upon Pocahontas and John Smith kissing, he becomes enraged and attacks the white man. Pocahontas attempts to break them up, but Thomas, who had been sent to find John, shoots and kills Kocoum.
Pocahontas (character) | "Pocahontas"
Pocahontas is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The scenario was written by Lloyd Lonergan based on Lydia Sigourney's "Pocahontas" poem. The film is a retelling of the well-known story of Pocahontas, played by Anna Rosemond who saves the life of Captain John Smith, played by George Barnes. Pocahontas is captured and held hostage by the English. She is converted to Christianity and marries Rolfe, played by Frank H. Crane. Pocahontas then sickens and dies, spending her last hours wishing to return to her native home. Released on October 11, 1910, the film was met with praise by most reviewers.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Introduction
The role of the cameraman was uncredited in 1910 productions. Anna Rosemond, a leading lady of the company, played the key role of Pocahontas and Frank H. Crane, a leading male actor, played the role of John Rolfe. George Barnes was cast in the role of Captain John Smith and it marked his first known credited Thanhouser appearance. Barnes played the role of the bandit who shot Broncho Billy in Edwin S. Porters "The Great Train Robbery". The rest of the cast credits are unknown, but many 1910 Thanhouser productions are fragmentary listings. In late 1910, the Thanhouser company released a list of the important personalities in their films.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Production
They quickly bond, fascinated by each other's worlds and end up falling in love, despite Powhatan's orders to stay away from the Englishmen after Kocoum and the other warriors engage them in a fight. Meanwhile, Meeko meets Percy, Ratcliffe's pet pug and becomes the bane of his existence. When John tells Pocahontas that he and his men are here to find gold, she tells him that there is no gold. Pocahontas introduces John to Grandmother Willow and avoids two other crewmen, but Pocahontas's best friend Nakoma discovers her relationship with John and warns Kocoum. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters with Pocahontas and angrily warns John against sparing any natives he comes across on pain of death.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Plot
"If I Never Knew You" is a song by American recording artists Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, "Pocahontas". The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American singer Judy Kuhn in her film role as the singing voice of Pocahontas, and American actor Mel Gibson in his role as Captain John Smith. Shanice and Secada's version is heard during film's end credits, and was released on September 12, 1995 as the second single from the film's soundtrack, after Vanessa Williams' pop and R&B rendition of the Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind".
If I Never Knew You | Introduction
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas is a 1953 American historical film directed by Lew Landers. The distributor was United Artists. It stars Anthony Dexter, Jody Lawrance and Alan Hale. While most scenes were filmed in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains region, exteriors were shot around Bronson Canyon. It depicts the foundation of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia by English settlers and the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas. She married John Rolfe in real life. It is also known by the alternative title Burning Arrows. Regarded as a B movie, the film has gained a cult following.
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas | Introduction
Story supervisor Tom Sito, who became the project's unofficial historical consultant, did extensive research into the early colonial era and the story of John Smith and Pocahontas, and was confronted over the historical inaccuracies from historians. Already knowing that in reality Pocahontas married John Rolfe, Gabriel explained it was felt that "the story of Pocahontas and Rolfe was too complicated and violent for a youthful audience" so instead, they would focus on Pocahontas's meeting with John Smith. While the real Pocahontas was eleven or twelve years old upon meeting John Smith, she is depicted as being around eighteen or nineteen years of age in the film, according to her supervising animator Glen Keane.
Pocahontas (character) | Conception and writing
Keane explained that this change was made because a film wherein a thirty year-old Smith falls in love with a child would be "sleazy". Roy E. Disney felt that making the character older than the historical figure would make the film "more dramatic". Disney sought to consult Native American actors and a Native American organization in an attempt to accurately portray Indigenous culture onscreen. Elaine Dutka of the "Los Angeles Times" theorized that this decision was made due to the negative reception of "Aladdin" (1992) by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Disney denied Dutka's theory. Native American activist Russell Means who plays Pocahontas' father Powhatan in the film, suggested that Pocahontas say she was "honored" by a gift Powhatan gives in a scene of the film to reflect the ways that Native Americans talked; Disney changed the film's script in accordance with Means' suggestion.
Pocahontas (character) | Conception and writing
In London, John Smith is ambushed by a group of soldiers with a warrant for his arrest and presumed dead in the ensuing confrontation; Governor Ratcliffe has lied to King James (being a personal friend of the King) and framed Smith as the traitor from the first film in a plot to declare war against the Powhatan Nation and get hold of the gold he still believes them to possess, all while avoiding punishment for his own crimes. In order to prevent war, the King sends a young diplomat, John Rolfe, to bring Chief Powhatan to England for negotiations. In the New World, Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter, mourns John Smith's death but is eventually able to move on.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Plot
The song almost did not make it into the completed film when Disney executives doubted whether her song would have the kind of impact they wanted at that point. Schwartz however stated he and Menken "believed in it very strongly. Indeed, at one point we wrote a different song for that spot, but Alan and I were never as happy with the second song and ultimately everybody at Disney came to feel that way, too." The filmmakers had planned for a song for when Pocahontas and Smith met in the glade, just before Kocoum attacks his rival and one of the settlers stalking Smith kills Kocoum.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
Green appeared in the film in a non-speaking role; his son Jason Green also appeared as a Powhatan warrior. The Patawomecks provided the filmmakers with numerous wild turkey feathers and deer antlers to create authentic clothing for the Native American characters in the film. Green also portrayed Powhatan in the episode "Pocahontas Revealed" (2007) of PBS's "Nova".
Patawomeck | 20th century to present
As a fairy-tale confection, a kind of "West Side Story" in Jamestown, "Pocahontas" is pleasant to look at, and it will probably satisfy very small kiddies, but it's the first of the new-era Disney cartoons that feels less than animated." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" bemoaned that there were "no funny, fast-talking animals – Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird remain silent pals to Pocahontas and make you miss the verbal fun that Nathan Lane's wisecracking meerkat brought to "The Lion King"." Desson Howe, reviewing for "The Washington Post", likewise criticized the writing as recycling "elements from "Snow White" to "The Lion King," with a father-child clash, a heroine's saintly pureness that transforms an entire people, a forbidden love, consultations with an oracle/shaman (in this case a tree spirit, voiced by Linda Hunt) and the usual sideshow of funny, fuzzy animals." While calling the screenplay the "film's weakest element", Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" summarized that "Gloriously colorful, cleverly conceived and set in motion with the usual Disney vigor, "Pocahontas" is one more landmark feat of animation.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Critical response
The musical told the story of Pocahontas through the perspective of her Native American tribe. Storyteller, Werowance, and the Powhatan tribe tell the story of Pocahontas as they remember it. When Pocahontas is summoned, Werowance takes on the role of her father, Chief Powhatan. To represent the English settlers, members of the tribe don silver ceremonial masks. English adventurer, John Smith, materializes from a burning campfire. The puppet face of Grandmother Willow appears on a huge willow tree to offer guidance to Pocahontas and John Smith.
Pocahontas (franchise) | The Spirit of Pocahontas
The song was originally developed for the prison scene where Pocahontas visits Captain John Smith before he is sentenced to death for the alleged murder of Kocoum, Chief Powhatan's warrior whom Pocahontas was supposed to marry. The musical number, which was about 90% animated, was supposed to be a duet performed by the pair as they acknowledge their love for each other. During test screenings with child audiences their attention "seemed to wander from the film." Therefore, Alan Menken, the composer of the songs for Disney's "Pocahontas", decided it had to be cut because he felt that it slowed the pace of the movie.
If I Never Knew You | Introduction
He explained that he was captured and taken to the paramount chief where "two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could layd hands on him [Smith], dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beate out his braines, Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter, when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne upon his to save him from death." Karen Ordahl Kupperman suggests that Smith used such details to embroider his first account, thus producing a more dramatic second account of his encounter with Pocahontas as a heroine worthy of Queen Anne's audience.
Pocahontas | John Smith
When we decided he couldn't talk, and, having no hands, he couldn't mime ...". Joe Grant would later draw a concept sketch of a hair-braiding raccoon, in which Glen Keane animated and claimed the directors "loved the idea and got rid of the turkey character." Likewise, according to Sito, Meeko was created because they were "naturally enigmatic, because they have little hands and a little mask over their face like a thief." Gabriel described the inspiration for Flit the hummingbird where "I have hummingbirds all over my backyard, [and] I thought, 'That's a great animal to animate.'" According to the directors, Governor Ratcliffe's pampered pet, Percy, was based on history as the royalty of the time often carried small pugs wherever they went.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
He appeared in three episodes: "Hondo and the Ghost of Ed Dow", "Hondo and the War Cry", and "Hondo and the Eagle Claw.".
John Smith (actor) | Later acting career
The cartoon contains many historical distortions apart from the anachronisms normally expected in such a deliberate farce. The real Captain Smith, who arrived in present-day Virginia in 1607, was totally unconnected with the "Mayflower", which disembarked at Massachusetts Bay in 1620. No actual romance ever existed between him and Pocahontas, who married John Rolfe.
Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas | Historical accuracy
It begins with the arrival of white men led by John Smith, who says they are there to "ravage the land and steal gold". Smith and company raid the "Tuscarora Finishing School of Emancipated Maidens" and there meet Pocahontas. The remainder of the play revolves around the love triangle formed by Pocahontas, Smith, and John Rolfe, concluding with a card game between Smith and Rolfe for the hand of the Indian princess.
Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage | Introduction
The filmmakers discovered that Pocahontas was around twelve years old and Smith was "not a very likeable character", in which producer James Pentecost confessed that dramatic license was needed to be taken. Likewise, when searching for an appropriate age for Pocahontas to begin her relationship with Smith, Glen Keane explained, "We had the choice of being historically accurate or socially responsible, so we chose the socially responsible side" by increasing Pocahontas's age from a girl into a young woman. One of Gabriel's early ideas was for Pocahontas's mother to be embodied in a certain star in the sky that by the end of the film, she would help Pocahontas find her path to Smith.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Writing
Powhatan also asked him to discover whether Smith was still alive (the Powhatan natives had been told that Smith was dead, but, as Pocahontas told Smith "your countrymen will lie much").
Tomocomo | Introduction
Kuhn also sang as Pocahontas in the straight-to-video sequel "" and in "If You Can Dream", a Disney Princess song. Kuhn briefly appeared in the film "Long Time Since" (1998) and supplied the vocals for the movie's soundtrack, which includes a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
Judy Kuhn | Career outside theatre
The asterisk (*) means that some characters are either mentioned or made cameos.
Pocahontas (franchise) | Characters
Pocahontas is the titular character of Walt Disney Pictures 's 33rd animated feature film "Pocahontas" (1995), and its direct-to-video sequel "" (1998). The character and the events she goes through are loosely based on the actual historical figure Pocahontas. Pocahontas, as the daughter of a Native American paramount chief of the Powhatan paramountcy, is the first American Disney Princess. Pocahontas is also the first Disney Princess to have two love interests. In both films she is voiced by and physically modeled after Native American actress Irene Bedard, and her singing vocals were performed by Broadway singer Judy Kuhn. Pocahontas is the seventh member of the Disney Princess line-up.
Pocahontas (character) | Introduction
Composer Stephen Schwartz explains the concept in regard to the 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas":
&quot;I Want&quot; song | Purpose
After "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) was unprecedentedly nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture at the 64th Academy Awards, then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg opted to produce another animated romance film in the hopes of achieving a similar feat. While "Aladdin" (1992) and "The Lion King" (1994) were considered to be too far into development, Katzenberg deemed "Pocahontas" a promising candidate, and thus pushed for the heroine to be older, the romance between her and Smith to be more mature, and the animals to be mute. Head of Story Tom Sito went on the record stating he wanted to include "broader" jokes, but the "higher-ups wanted it more winsome, more gentle.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
Harold John Smith (August 24, 1916 – January 28, 1994) was an American actor and voice actor, who is credited in over 300 film and television productions. He was best known for his role as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on CBS's "The Andy Griffith Show" and for voicing Owl in the first four original "Winnie the Pooh" shorts (the first three of which were combined into the feature film "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh") and later "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh".
Hal Smith (actor) | Introduction
After being questioned, the captain is nearly executed but spared when Pocahontas intervenes. Living as the Native Americans’ prisoner, Smith is treated well, earning the tribe's friendship and respect. Coming to admire this new way of life, he falls deeply in love with Pocahontas, who is intrigued by the Englishman and his ways. The chief returns Smith to Jamestown with the understanding that the English are to leave the following spring, once their boats return.
The New World (2005 film) | Plot
On its theater release in 1995, the movie numbered 28 dubbings worldwide, to which 9 more were added in the following years, raising the number of official versions to 37. While Brazilian singer Maurício Luz sang Governor Ratcliffe's parts in the song "Mine, Mine, Mine" both in the Brazilian and European Portuguese versions, the song "Savages" was performed in the European version by Ratcliffe's speaking voice António Marques, and by Luz in the Brazilian version. Joachim Kemmer, Gerd Holtenau, and Alexandra Wilcke's German performance of "Savages", together with the whole German version of the movie, was awarded best foreign dubbing worldwide by Disney.
Savages (Pocahontas song) | International versions
This would mark the first time Menken had collaborated without Ashman for a Disney animated film. Menken commented that their work included moments of tension because Schwartz was also capable of writing music and Menken had experience with lyrics. Due to corporate interest in the film surrounding its theme of promoting understanding between different groups, and its inclusion of violence and threats of greater conflict, Schwartz became heavily involved in the storytelling. Bannerman estimated that he spent a week with one of the screenwriters and helped work out the overall themes of tolerance and cooperation. In June 1992, Schwartz researched Jamestown, Virginia where he absorbed the atmosphere and bought tapes of Native American music and English sea shanties, as well as other music from the early seventeenth century that helped inspire numbers in the film.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 American direct-to-video sequel to the 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas". While the first film dealt with her meeting with John Smith and the arrival of the British settlers in Jamestown, the sequel focuses on Pocahontas's journey to England with John Rolfe to negotiate for peace between the two nations, although her death is omitted from the film's ending.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Introduction
Most scholars agree that there was no romantic relationship between Pocahontas and Smith. She would have been 12 years old in 1608 when they were said to have first met.
The New World (2005 film) | Historical accuracy
She argues that its later revision and publication was Smith's attempt to raise his own stock and reputation, as he had fallen from favor with the London Company which had funded the Jamestown enterprise. Anthropologist Frederic W. Gleach suggests that Smith's second account was substantially accurate but represents his misunderstanding of a three-stage ritual intended to adopt him into the confederacy, but not all writers are convinced, some suggesting the absence of certain corroborating evidence.
Pocahontas | John Smith
It is believed that a replica of Hendrik Hudson's ship, "Halve Maen", was used for the opening scene to establish the Jamestown landing. Though minor costuming and historical accuracy errors were pointed out, the film was praised as being of the highest quality of any Independent company. The film is presumed lost.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Introduction
There were an estimated three to four songs at this point, including "In the Middle of the River", "First to Dance", which was deemed too silly as it took place before Kocoum's death, and "Powerful Magic", which was another attempt at a happy song. A love song, titled "If I Never Knew You", had been finished by the animators, but following a test screening where younger audiences were not interested in it and the teenagers felt giddy as it played, Menken suggested that the song be removed from the film. It was, although its melody remained in the orchestral underscoring.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Music
He has voiced characters in several animated films including "Anastasia" (1997), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), and "Pocahontas" (1995). He has been part of many productions on Broadway, including "The Who's Tommy", which earned five Tony Awards. He has also starred in several television programmes. He played Danny in the episode 'The Agony and the Ex-tacy' of 'Sex and the City'. He also played Barry Janis in the episode 'The Ultimatum' in The $treet.
Jonathan Dokuchitz | Featured productions
At the Powhatan River, Smith, Rolfe, Percy, Walter, Larry, Robin, and Alice disembark from a barge as the chorus of soldiers and adventurers sing about the joy of reaching the shore. Larry, Walter, Alice (Walter's wife), and Robin reminisce about love, and Robin admits to Larry his lustful feelings about Alice. Meanwhile, Nima is preparing a bridal gown for Pocahontas in the royal village of Werocomoco, but Pocahontas expresses displeasure about the arrangement her father made for her to marry Miami, a rival Indian prince. Smith is then attacked by a party of Indians, including Nantaquas, Pocahontas's brother. Due to his fighting prowess, Nantaquas thinks he is a god, but Smith explains he is only a trained warrior from across the sea.
The Indian Princess (play) | Act I
The Powhatan people are featured in MGM's live action film "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" (1953) and the Disney animated musical film "Pocahontas" (1995). They also appeared in the straight-to-video sequel "" (1998). Some of the current members of Powhatan-descended tribes complained about the Disney film. Roy Crazy Horse of the Powhatan Renape Nation said the Disney movie "distorts history beyond recognition". An attempt at a more historically accurate representation was the drama "The New World" (2005), directed by Terrence Malick, which had actors speaking a reconstructed Powhatan language devised by the linguist Blair Rudes. The Powhatan people generally criticize the film for continuing the myth of a romance between Pocahontas and John Smith.
Powhatan | Powhatan in film
John married Jane Pierce two years later. They soon had a daughter named Elizabeth. Perhaps John lost his life in the 1622 Native American massacre near Jamestown. The Rolfe family home, Heacham Hall, burned down in 1941.
Heacham | Pocahontas
In 1607, Pocahontas, the adventurous daughter of Chief Powhatan, and others from her tribe witness the arrival of three ships sent by English royal charter to found a colony in the New World. Aboard one ship is Captain John Smith, sentenced to death for mutinous remarks, but once ashore pardoned by Captain Christopher Newport, leader of the expedition. While the settlement's prospects are initially bright, disease, poor discipline, supply shortages, and tensions with local Native Americans, whom Newport calls "the naturals", jeopardize the expedition. Taking a small group upriver to seek trade while Newport returns to England for supplies, Smith is captured by Native Americans and brought before Chief Powhatan.
The New World (2005 film) | Plot
Disney officials estimated the crowd at 100,000. The premiere's attendees included then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Caroline Kennedy, Mariah Carey and Michael Eisner.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Marketing
According to an account Smith published in 1624, he was going to be put to death until the chief's daughter, Pocahontas, saved him. From this the legend of Pocahontas sprang forth, becoming part of American folklore, children's books, and movies.
Folklore of the United States | Jamestown
One reason for such doubt is that, despite having published two earlier books about Virginia, Smith's earliest surviving account of his rescue by Pocahontas dates from 1616, nearly 10 years later, in a letter entreating Queen Anne to treat Pocahontas with dignity. The time gap in publishing his story raises the possibility that Smith may have exaggerated or invented the event to enhance Pocahontas' image. However, professor Leo Lemay of the University of Delaware points out that Smith's earlier writing was primarily geographical and ethnographic in nature and did not dwell on his personal experiences; hence, there was no reason for him to write down the story until this point.
John Smith (explorer) | Encounter with the Powhatan tribe
He also appeared in the direct-to-video sequel "" (1998), where he plans to dupe King James I into allowing him into sending a large navy armada to initiate a genocide against the Powhatans by attempting to sabotage the diplomatic meetings between Pocahontas and the king. He is finally exposed for his incompetence and treachery and is imprisoned by King James.
John Ratcliffe (governor) | In popular culture
Executive interference would eventually grow so much that Goldberg himself decided to work for Chuck Jones Productions under the pseudonym "Claude Raynes" during production. It eventually reached a peak when Joe Grant drew Percy wearing an Indian feather, by which the animators took the concept one step further by placing a Spanish ruff on Meeko. One executive exclaimed, "Animals don't have the intelligence to switch their clothes! They don't even have opposing thumbs." The animators would retain their concept for the film. Under Katzenberg, Frank Wells, and Michael Eisner, the Disney studios had begun a correlation of hiring Broadway personnel to manage the Disney animation staff on their feature films that brought such producers as Amy Pell to "Aladdin" and Sarah McArthur and Thomas Schumacher to "The Lion King".
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
Some scholars have speculated that John Smith's story of being saved from death at the hands of Powhatan by his daughter Pocahontas was inspired by the story of Juan Ortiz being saved by the daughter of Chief Uzita. Richard Hakluyt's translation into English of "A Narrative of the Expedition of Ferdinand de Soto into Florida" by the Gentleman of Elvas was published in London in 1609, several years before John Smith published his account of being saved by Pocahontas.
Juan Ortiz (captive) | John Smith and Pocahontas
Knowing that Ratcliffe deliberately manipulated the King, Rolfe and his maid, Mrs. Jenkins, educate Pocahontas in the ways of British etiquette to prepare her. At the ball, Pocahontas wins over the King and Queen with flattery and almost manages to prevent war, but a bear-baiting arranged by Ratcliffe and greatly enjoyed by the snobbish nobility infuriates Pocahontas and she openly accuses the King of savage behaviour. With Ratcliffe whispering in his ear, James angrily orders Pocahontas and Uti imprisoned in the Tower of London, and declares war on the Powhatan tribe. At his home, a despondent Rolfe is approached by a hooded stranger who helps him break Pocahontas and Uti out of the tower and take them to an inn, where the man reveals himself to be John Smith.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Plot
John Rolfe soon arrives, greeted by English civilians (who by now have settled in Jamestown) and a curious Pocahontas. Rolfe eventually speaks with Powhatan, but he refuses to accompany him to England, so Pocahontas goes in her father's stead, believing that she can bring about peace between the two nations. Powhatan sends a bodyguard, Uttamatomakkin (Uti) to accompany Pocahontas. Rolfe and Pocahontas have a rocky start, but gradually warm up to each other. In England, Rolfe leaves Pocahontas at his mansion and meets with King James and Queen Anne, but James refuses to meet with Pocahontas despite Rolfe's pleas. Instead, per Ratcliffe's suggestion, James invites both Rolfe and Pocahontas to an upcoming ball and promises that if Pocahontas impresses him by acting "civilised", he will prevent the armada from sailing to Jamestown, but if she does not, he will declare war.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Plot
Additionally, another song, "Savages", occurred not more than five minutes after. Although it was cut from the movie itself, "If I Never Knew You" was still performed by Jon Secada and Shanice at the end credits and released as a single. It had a few different lyrics than the film's original lyrics. In 2005, Disney released the tenth anniversary edition of "Pocahontas", which had the song fully animated and integrated into the film, but was an optional feature that the viewer could choose or watch the original theatrical version instead, due to seamless branching. It was performed by Mel Gibson (Captain Smith) and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas) within the film's narrative.
If I Never Knew You | Introduction
Robert O. Smith (November 27, 1942 – May 30, 2010) was an American voice actor.
Robert O. Smith | Introduction
Pocahontas is most famously linked to colonist Captain John Smith, who arrived in Virginia with 100 other settlers in April 1607 where they built a fort on a marshy peninsula on the James River. The colonists had numerous encounters over the next several months with the people of Tsenacommacah—some of them friendly, some hostile. A hunting party led by Powhatan's close relative Opechancanough then captured Smith in December 1607 while he was exploring on the Chickahominy River and brought him to Powhatan's capital at Werowocomoco. In his 1608 account, Smith describes a great feast followed by a long talk with Powhatan.
Pocahontas | John Smith
In "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World", Pocahontas goes to London as a diplomat to stop a potential attack upon her people being ordered by King James in a plot by Ratcliffe. There, she is accompanied by John Rolfe and slowly develops a romance with him. In the end, she is reunited with John Smith but explains to him that they are "no longer following the same path that they went on years ago", and parts ways with him. Successfully exposing Ratcliffe, who is then arrested by order of the King, Pocahontas and John Rolfe get on a ship going back to Virginia together, and kiss as the ship sails off into the sunset.
Pocahontas (character) | "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World"
She had her own show entitled "Pocahontas and her Forest Friends" at Disney's Animal Kingdom, which ran from 1998 to 2008. Pocahontas appears in several stories of "Disney's 365 Bedtime Stories". Pocahontas, alongside other Disney Princesses, appeared in the 2018 film "Ralph Breaks the Internet", as was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo, with Bedard returning to voice her.
Pocahontas (character) | Other appearances
To that end, the voice cast sometimes consisted of actors from the films reprising their roles; for instance, "Toy Story Animated Storybook" featured Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Annie Potts as Bo Peep and Jim Varney as Slinky Dog. Kevin Kline, Demi Moore, Jason Alexander and Tom Hulce also reprised their roles in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame Animated Storybook." For "Pocahontas Animated Storybook", the developers secured basketball star Chris Webber alongside Pocahontas's voice actress Irene Bedard. In "The Little Mermaid", Jodi Benson and Samuel E. Wright reprise their roles as Ariel and Sebastian, respectively. Meanwhile, at other times different voice actors who sounded like the originals were used, such as Tom Hanks' brother Jim Hanks voicing Woody in the "Toy Story" game.
Disney's Animated Storybook | Media Station era (1994–1996)
Smith told a similar story in "True Travels" (1630) of having been rescued by the intervention of a young girl after being captured in 1602 by Turks in Hungary. Karen Kupperman suggests that he "presented those remembered events from decades earlier" when telling the story of Pocahontas. Whatever really happened, the encounter initiated a friendly relationship between the Native Americans and colonists near Jamestown. As the colonists expanded farther, some of the tribes felt that their lands were threatened, and conflicts arose again.
John Smith (explorer) | Encounter with the Powhatan tribe
Pocahontas sings counterpoint melodies during the song which are variations on "Colors of the Wind" and "Steady As The Beating Drum". She sings of peace and love to juxtapose their words. The song has two parts. This is a "war call that brings back fond memories of the ensemble layers of "Mob Song" in the 1991 film "Beauty and the Beast" and the ominous tone of "Hellfire" in the 1996 film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"".
Savages (Pocahontas song) | Composition
This occurs at the very beginning and gives the film a stamp of reality that seldom has been obtained in any historical subject." One flaw in the production was the scene in which Pocahontas appears in the court of King James and the setting draws attention over the action itself. The lack of a throne and unusual shaped windows, likened to those of a conservatory or enclosed veranda by the reviewer, diminishing the effect of the short scene.
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Production
It featured brand-new cover art, and, for the first time, a digital copy download of the film alongside the physical release.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Home media
Lauren Vino of MTV considers Pocahontas to be the best of all the Disney Princesses. The "San Francisco Chronicle" Peter Stack praised the romance between Pocahontas and Smith, writing that "the film's isolation of the lovers -- their secret meetings near a stream, their tentative but enchanted glances, their first kiss -- is nothing short of captivating." Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" stated the character and John Smith are "generic". Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" dubbed her "Poca-bore-me" and bemoaned that she "is so busy trying to teach John about protecting the spirit of the land, she hardly has time for romance."
Pocahontas (character) | Reception
That same year, he played the part of Willie McGill or the "Colfax Kid" in the episode "Paper Gunman" of NBC's anthology series "Frontier", hosted and narrated by Walter Coy.
John Smith (actor) | Acting career, 1950-1963
She begs so fervently that the white man's life be spared that Powhatan relents and orders his release. Captain Smith returns in safety to his friends. Later Pocahontas is taken prisoner by the English and held as hostage. While a prisoner, she is converted to Christianity, and falls in love with Rolfe, a handsome young Englishman. They are married in a rude little church at Jamestown, and the Indian princess sails away with her husband to England. There she is received with royal honors by King James I, but the foreign flower cannot stand transplanting. She soon sickens and dies, and in her last hours is visited by visions of the home in the wilderness that she would fly back to if she could."
Pocahontas (1910 film) | Plot
In the beginning of the film, Pocahontas learns that Kocoum, one of her father's bravest warriors, has asked to marry her. (In place of a wedding ring, Pocahontas is given her deceased mother's wedding necklace, and she wears it throughout most of the film.) However, Pocahontas does not feel that this is the right path for her. She is the first one to spot the ship carrying the Europeans, mistaking the ship's sails for clouds. Pocahontas later encounters one of the settlers, John Smith. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that her mother has died and that she lives with her father.
Pocahontas (character) | "Pocahontas"
Film Television Voice
Georges Poujouly | Selected credits
The film was released on a double bill with "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas".
The Steel Lady | Release
When King Powhatan is presented with the captured Smith, he decides, at the urging of the tribe's priest Grimosco, to execute him. Pocahontas, having been moved by Smith's nobility, says she will not allow Smith to be killed unless she herself dies with him. This persuades Powhatan to free Smith. Soon, Percy and Rolfe encounter Smith and his Indian allies on the way back to the settlement, and Rolfe is immediately struck by Pocahontas, whose manner suggests the attraction is mutual. They speak of love, but Rolfe must soon depart with Smith. Pocahontas confesses her love for Rolfe to Miami, who receives the news with anger, jealousy and rage.
The Indian Princess (play) | Act II
"Pocahontas" is a 1995 American animated musical romance-drama film and is the 33rd Disney animated feature film. It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and had a limited release to theaters on June 23, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures. It belongs to the era known as the Disney Renaissance, from 1989 to 1999
Pocahontas (franchise) | "Pocahontas"
Before making his producing debut on "Pocahontas", James Pentecost had earlier worked as a production stage manager on several Broadway productions including "La Cage aux Folles" and "Crimes of the Heart". In June 1992, the filmmakers embarked on a research trip to the Jamestown Settlement where Pentecost first met Shirley "Little Dove" Custalow-McGowan and Debbie "White Dove" Custalow, both descendants of the Powhatan Indians. The trip also included a visit to the Pamunkey Indian Reservation, and conducted interviews with historians at Old Dominion University. Following the research trip, Custalow-McGowan served as a consultant traveling to the Disney studios three times, and while Custalow-McGowan offered her services for free, Disney paid her a $500 daily consulting fee plus expenses.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Development
The Indian Princess; or, La Belle Sauvage, is a musical play with a libretto by James Nelson Barker and music by John Bray, based on the Pocahontas story as originally recorded in John Smith's "The Generall Historie of Virginia" (1624). The piece is structured in the style of a Ballad-opera, with songs and choruses, and also has music underlying dialogue, like a melodrama. Pocahontas persuades her father, King Powhatan, to free Smith and becomes attracted to John Rolfe, breaking off her arranged marriage with a neighboring tribal prince, an action that leads to war. Her tribe wins the war, but her father loses trust in the white settlers; Pocahontas warns the settlers who reconcile with Powhatan.
The Indian Princess (play) | Introduction
Other inspirations were Filipino model Dyna Taylor, Christy Turlington, Natalie Belcon, Naomi Campbell, Jamie Pillow, supermodel Kate Moss, Charmaine Craig, and Irene Bedard, who provided the character's speaking voice. Keane also looked to a 1620 depiction of Pocahontas from a history book, though Keane would state she was "not exactly a candidate for "People"s 'Most Beautiful' issue [so] I made a few adjustments to add an Asian feeling to her face." Due to the complexity of the color schemes, shapes, and expressions in the animation, a total of 55 animators worked on the animation of Pocahontas' character alone, including Mark Henn and Pres Romanillos.
Pocahontas (1995 film) | Design and animation
In 1995, Disney partnered with Pixar to create "Toy Story", the first fully computer-animated film. The next Disney animated film, 1995's "Pocahontas", opened to mixed reviews, though it still earned $346 million worldwide and garnered two Academy Awards for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for "Colors of the Wind". The following year, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), Disney's first animated film produced at a budget over $100 million, opened to better reviews than "Pocahontas", but a lower total box office of $325 million. Both films feature composer (now serving only as lyricist to Menken's music) Stephen Schwartz.
Disney Renaissance | 1995–97: "Pocahontas", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "Hercules"
He portrayed King Theseus of Rhodes in "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules" (1965) and later provided various voices for the cartoon series "The New 3 Stooges". In 1967, he played John Wilson in the 1967 episode "The Man Who Didn't Want Gold" of the syndicated Western series "Death Valley Days" and Mr. Weber in "The Lucy Show".
Hal Smith (actor) | Other performances
Junius Conyers Matthews (June 12, 1890 – January 18, 1978) was an American actor. He was the voice of Archimedes the Owl in Disney's "The Sword in the Stone" in 1963. He was also the original voice of Rabbit in the "Winnie the Pooh" franchise from 1966 to 1977.
Junius Matthews | Introduction
MTV's Lauren Vino noted that Pocahontas is not a damsel in distress, as she saves Smith's life rather than vice versa. Upon the twentieth anniversary of "Pocahontas", "The A.V. Club" Caroline Siede said that the film "remains probably the most high profile story of a Native American in pop culture." Tom Brook of the BBC said that the character's portrayal was impacted by how "[t]he rights of Native Americans were strengthened in the two decades from the mid-1970s by legislation protecting tribal rights and interests".
Pocahontas (character) | Themes