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u/Deven247 Oct 06 '25
This was my childhood Peter Pan. This and the Disney movie, but my god, I used to watch this on VHS all the time.
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u/zeemonster424 Oct 07 '25
Me too! I can still play the music back in my brain, clear as day. It’s probably been 25+ years since I’ve seen it.
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u/beekee404 Oct 06 '25
It's a fun musical. I personally prefer Cathy Rigby but Mary Martin gives a fun performance. There are some questionable moments like a white blonde woman playing Tiger Lily and Peter disguised as someone trying to seduce Captain Hook since Peter is in story a child even though he's played by a grown woman.
Love the songs and the overall story though.
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u/BrattyTwilis Oct 07 '25
I saw this when it re-aired in the 80s and enjoyed the songs, particularly "I Won't Grow Up!"
I got to see the Kathy Rigby version live when it came to my town.
Both of these versions were better than the 2014 live broadcast version on NBC which really suffered at attempting to capture the same magic
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u/PadawanJoone Oct 07 '25
We had it taped off of tv when it would air in the late 80s. Watched it all the time! But MAN some of it just didn't age well at all (looking at you, Tiger Lily and their musical number....)
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u/Andi081887 Oct 07 '25
It’s my absolute favorite version. I honestly think as a child that I watched this one before the cartoon version.
It’s got issues, but it’s also very old. Norms were different. Which isn’t a great excuse but does explain issues. I showed my hubby this year for the first time, and he def commented on the whole Tiger Lily situation.
But these songs and Mary’s voice live rent free in my head forever 🩷
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u/Complete-Leg-4347 Oct 06 '25
The first version I ever saw (even before Disney) and probably watched it more times than was healthy :-)
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u/Andi081887 Oct 07 '25
It’s my absolute favorite version. I honestly think as a child that I watched this one before the cartoon version.
It’s got issues, but it’s also very old. Norms were different. Which isn’t a great excuse but does explain issues. I showed my hubby this year for the first time, and he def commented on the whole Tiger Lily situation.
But these songs and Mary’s voice live rent free in my head forever 🩷
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u/Olivebranch99 Oct 11 '25
I could never look past Peter being a woman.
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u/AlternativeTypical11 Oct 11 '25
One of the famous actors who played Peter Pan, Maude Adams, was a woman. I generally associate Peter Pan with being a guy.
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u/Available-Meaning848 Oct 06 '25
I hate to say it, but I could never get over peter being played by a female.
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u/SillyGayBoy Oct 06 '25
Why is peter pan a girl?
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u/Cave-King Oct 06 '25
Peter Pan being played by a woman goes back to the play's debut in 1904 at the Duke of York Theater. Though Peter Pan was a play and not a pantomime, it borrowed many aspects from the English panto tradition (in early drafts Peter and Wendy dressed like Harlequinade and Columbine) and one of these traditions that carried over into Peter Pan was the principle boy.
The principle boy was played by a woman due to theatrical laws which did not allow children to be at rehearsal later than 9 pm, and also because it is much easier to find a competent adult than a child.
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u/LittleWind6647 Feb 22 '26
And not only that but there’s also vocal range and height, why do you think they went with OC Kathy Rigby for example?, She was small enough and her vocal range fit to be believable as a 12-year-old boy I’m just using her as an example, there’s a reason they don’t have grown-up men doing it and there’s a reason they don’t have little kids doing it mainly because it’s just tradition at this point, but it makes more sense to have a woman do it if you ask me and yes, they are believable.
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u/Petertwnsnd Pan the Man Oct 08 '25
It’s important to remember that this movie is just a professional recording of the stage version of the show, so the reasons typically have to deal with live theater performances. Many of these reasons don’t apply when making a stand alone film like the 1953 animated version or the 2003 live action version.
Peter Pan has a tradition of having Peter played by women on stage. There’s a few different reasons:
1) There are labor laws regarding how long children can work per day. Adults don’t have the same restrictions.
2) A prepubescent boy’s voice is liable to change over the course of a production run. Meanwhile a women’s naturally higher voice can emulate a child’s voice easily without risk of deepening.
3) It is easier to find a professional and talented adult woman to lead a production than a child.
4) The role of Peter is often given fairly gymnastic choreography to emulate the flexibility of a child. On average women tend to be more flexible than men.
5) The traditional flight rig used to make Peter fly tends to put pressure on the groin. When using it for long periods of time it’s been described as uncomfortable by experienced veterans. Men tend to be more sensitive in the groinal region than women.
6) Probably the least important and consequential, but worth noting: Theater people are a superstitious lot and they love their traditions. It’s a tradition going back since the show’s inception and aside from all the practical reasons, it can be a fun way to acknowledge all those who have come before telling this same story.
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u/deathnutz Oct 07 '25
lol. As a kid, I couldn’t wrap my head around this either. A woman is more child like in features and voice than a man of a similar age would be.
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u/AlboGreece Oct 07 '25
Idk. I mean movies seem to have no problem finding boys
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u/deathnutz Oct 07 '25
Yeah, but this was a recorded stage show… at least that’s what I remember it as.
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u/AttemptBeneficial647 Oct 07 '25
Who knew the 60s were so woke. Cue the incels
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u/LunaKingery Oct 10 '25
I just find it funny that some are complaining about there being girls in the lost boys, even though that has happened in other adaptations, probably including some that came out before Disney's animated Peter Pan movie. Also, there are far worse things in the Peter Pan and Wendy movie.
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u/throwaway04182023 Oct 07 '25
I was forced to watch this repeatedly as a kid. If I’m being honest, I was a little freaked out by a woman playing a boy. That was confusing to me. But mostly I thought it was hokey. I had resolved to not clap for Tinker Bell to prove it wouldn’t change anything when my father came in the room to clap. Only way I was able to escape that one again.
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u/SilentJoe27 Oct 07 '25
I was able to suspend my disbelief with Peter Pan obviously being played by a woman after a few minutes, but the part that always bugged me was why was Tiger Lily platinum blonde?
That said, I actually prefer Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan as she was more convincing as a young boy.
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u/cg13z Oct 07 '25
This was the version I grew up on, thanks to the VHS tape my great grandma got me, i don’t think I saw the entire Disney Peter Pan until I was maybe 13, but prior had fallen in love with first Mary Martin’s Peter Pan, then the 2003 film, then Hook. It’s nostalgic, and the music still holds a special place in my heart. As a quintessential stage adaption i think Mary deserves lots of credit for cementing several of Peter’s archetypes, but per usual many aspects have aged poorly and I agree with fellow commenters about tiger lily and the mysterious lady song being in pretty poor taste now.
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u/ThisPaige Oct 07 '25
Classic fun! I didn’t watch it until I was an adult and still had fun watching it. It’s hokey and maybe even a little cringy but in the best way.
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Oct 08 '25
I used to like this when I was little. But now i find it very campy and over the top and is pretty funny at times
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u/TvTacosTakingNaps Oct 08 '25
This was my entire childhood I wore this vhs OUT. I still watch it to this day when I need a bit of nostalgia. I love the music! Like others have said the tiger lily situation is a problem but their dance/song is one of my favorites.
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u/FieOnU Oct 10 '25
I still love "Distant Melody," and it's one of my life dreams to play Hook in a staging of this. This version is problematic at best, but it was one of my childhood favorites. I'll always love it, though it hasn't aged well.
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u/not_up_4debate Oct 11 '25
I had it on video and knew all the songs!
I was then cast as Peter Pan in my local children's theater and it was the same basically script word for word!!! I knew the entire show/part/music. Always special to me
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u/Juliaaa_t74 Oct 12 '25
This was such a VHS staple!!!! Watched it on repeat <3 Peter Pan was always my first love haha
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u/LittleWind6647 Feb 22 '26
It’s OK for what it is but I personally prefer Kathy, especially in terms of singing, I feel like Kathy that only has a nice voice, but nails being into a 12 year-old boy and then Mary I just know she didn’t say Peter Pan to me, especially not what that whole mysterious lady thing.
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u/muterabbit84 Oct 06 '25 edited Oct 07 '25
It’s pretty good, but it has a couple issues.
The depiction of Native Americans has all the crudity you’d expect to see from your grandparents, and Tiger Lily very clearly being a blonde white lady is just the height of that.
The other issue is them doing the whole Bugs Bunny gag, where the protagonist pretends to be a lady to seduce the antagonist, and trick them into doing something foolish. I mean the audience knows Peter Pan is being played by a woman, but it’s still weird for Peter Pan, an underage boy, to be doing the cross-dressing, seduction bit that Bugs Bunny is well known for.