Storyboards from the TV special
There’s been only one animated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and it was made by Bill Melendez of all people — who owned the same animation studio that made most of the Charlie Brown specials broadcast on American TV during the 1970s. If you were a child then, you probably have some familiarity with them, as the Peanuts gang pre-empted regular programming. I would never had guessed that until researching the cartoon’s history. I had always assumed the production company was Rankin-Bass. But in hindsight it’s easy to see the similarities. Both had the same minimalistic character design that was stiff and a little jerky, but well-chosen voice actors and effective music. Many Narnia fans continue to have a soft spot for it.
Unlike the Narnia movies, the Melendez version was more faithful to the book (no pun intended) with a few differences, the major one being the modern (1970s) setting for the framing story, where the lack of parental supervision for the kids was blamed on mom and dad being on an archaeological expedition. Which wasn’t such a big change that you’d think it was; after all, in the original book WWII is never mentioned again after the first chapter. But it did have a big effect stylistically. It was and still is jarring to see the kids in bell bottom pants, turtleneck sweaters, and Lucy in Cindy Brady pony tails. Fans have described it was both charming and embarrassing to watch. (It’s available in its entirety on YouTube.)
Mr. Tumness: His ancestors came to Narnia on a Yellow Submarine?
Certain of the other characters had a 1970s, or late 1960s, vibe to them as well, especially Mr. Tumness, who could have walked out of a Schoolhouse Rock episode of the time. So could Edmund, who is depicted with a chubby build, tousled blonde hair and round glasses, perhaps to suggest he is the “imperfect” one who betrays the others. Or, like Piggy in The Lord of the Flies, to denote a sacrifice.
Aslan was fine. The special being animated meant he could be more active in ways that were impossible in the movies, even with all their CGI.
Welsh music composer Michael J. Lewis did the soundtrack for the film for which he won an Emmy Award. Still living, he later released a series of albums of Welsh music which seems like the “right” soundtrack that the books might have had. Hmm, well I’ll guess I’ll have to rewatch it now.
The show was broadcast on CBS in 1979 over two nights: April 1 and 2. It won two Emmy Awards. In subsequent years it was released on VHS and later DVD with The Childrens Television Workshop (the same company that made Sesame Street) involved with the release.
As to why this particular version of LWW was made at that particular time? Well, it seems that the rights to create a television production were given by C. S. Lewis himself to the Episcopal Radio TV Foundation in the mid-1950s. Despite his grumping that it could never be adapted to film.
Last year I came across an assortment of press releases and other written material for this special, and I’ll be posting them here.
The following press release details Kraft’s (of Kraft macaroni and cheese fame) involvement in the project, for which is was the underwriter. The letters are hand-typed; this was before word processor days.
