The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Released on October 31, 1979
Distributor
United Artists
Production Company
Danjaq/Williams
Directed by
Richard Purdum (UK)
Richard Fleischer (US)
Executive Producers
Albert R. Broccoli
Richard Williams
Leslie Alston [Ousted from D/W during production]
Story adaptation by
Ralph Wright
Leon Copeland [1]
Herb Wolfe [1]
Max Wilk
Patricia Thackray
Howard Ashman (debut)
Based on the book by
CS Lewis
Music by
Irwin Kostal
Animators
Tissa David
Cosmo Anzilotti
Emery Hawkins
Charlie Downs
Bud Luckey
Spencer Peel
Art Vitello
Corny Cole
Chrystal Russell
Michael Sporn
Gian-Franco Celestri
Tim Dillinger [1]
Daniel Abbott [1]
Eric Goldberg
Tom Sito
John Lasseter
John Kimball
Brad Bird
Andreas Deja
Steve Melendez
Karen Schultz
Lou Scarborough
[1] Fictional artists
Voice talents
Daniel Abbott as Peter Pevensie
Lena Zavaroni as Susan Pevensie
Simon Adams as Edmund Pevensie
Claire Williams as Lucy Pevensie
Michael Gough as Aslan
Julie Newmar as Jadis, the White Witch
Eric Idle as Mr. Tumnus
David Ogden Stiers as Mr. Beaver
Jeanette Nolan as Mrs. Beaver
Hans Conried as Ginarrbrik
Denholm Elliott as Professor Digory Kirke
Angela Lansbury as Ms. Macready
Paul Frees as Father Christmas
Jason Wingreen as Maugrim
Chad Stuart as Oreius
Kenneth Mars as General Otmin
Spike Milligan as the Train Guard
Julie Andrews as Helen Pevensie
Ben Wright as Mr. Fox
Freddie Starr as Philip, Edmund's talking horse
Reaction
"Will we finally have a viable competitor against Disney at the box office? UA seems to be on the right track with
Wardrobe."
-
The Denver Post
"UA's decision to move up
Wardrobe's release date to avoid going head to head with Disney's
Rapunzel is smart on paper, but I worry that it may have caused the former film's production to be rushed."
-
The New York Post
"I honestly thought the story of one of the animators punching his co-worker in the face and getting dragged out of the office by Liberace's bodyguard was a much more interesting story than what ended up on the screen."
-
Newsweek
"I can barely draw stick figures. Yet Daniel Abbott makes both animating AND providing the voice of Peter Pevensie look so goddamn easy!!!"
- The Rolling Stone
"It was sad to see an animation legend like Les Alston get the heave-ho, but
Wardrobe could very well be his swan-song."
- Roger Ebert; The Chicago Sun-Times
Trivia
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was UA's first film to feature a new logo designed by Sandy Dvore.
The previous UA logo prior to this film had been the classic hexagon, which Ted Turner deemed to be outdated.