Raggedy Ann and Andy:
A Musical Adventure
Released: April 1st, 1977. Rated G. 84 min.
Main Cast:
Claire Williams—Marcella
Didi Conn—Raggedy Ann (voice)
Mark Baker—Raggedy Andy (voice)
Fred Stuthman—The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees (voice)
Niki Flacks—Babette (voice)
Storyline:
In a storyline that may be a direct inspiration to Pixar's beloved Toy Story, we find Raggedy Ann and Andy in a playroom, an attic in a family's house. The owner of the toys in the playroom, a young girl, is celebrating her birthday. She received a new doll, named Babette, and brings her into the playroom for only a few minutes before returning down to her birthday party. As she leaves, we see the toys and dolls of the playroom come to life, instantly intrigued by the new arrival to the playroom. As the toys question the new doll, a pirate trapped in a globe tricks Andy into releasing him. He quickly falls in love with Babette, kidnaps her, and flees the playroom through an open window. Ann and Andy have no choice but to rescue Babette, and set off on an adventure of their own, outside the safety of the playroom.
What makes it special?
Originally released in 1977 and directed by Richard Williams, a famously skilled animator, this movie was considered a critical failure and flop at the box office. But something about this movie stayed with me after seeing it at age 5 or so. After 30 years of waiting for the kind people of The Internet to post the film in its entirety to Youtube, I had the opportunity to see why I distinctly remembered 'something' about this film. And after re-watching it, I can honestly say that it is one of the more disturbing films I can remember viewing as a child. The animation is at times both wonderful and creepy. There is a fluidity to the movements of the characters that does not sit well with the viewer. As Ann and Andy go off on a fantastic adventure, one that mimics Alice in Wonderland, we are introduced to a host of companions that join them on their quest. And through each encounter, the story becomes more and more surreal. But the main character that I remembered from childhood was "The Greedy", a monster made entirely out of a sea of sticky candy who constantly is hungry, and can never become full. The undulations of this monster melting into itself have to be seen to be believed, and looks as if the original animators had night terrors when drawing it. If a movie of this nature was released in theatres today, it would certainly be a frightful thing for little kids to comprehend. The rarity of this movie is reason enough to view it at least once in a lifetime.
