FAQ

Live actors play the roles of Hansel (Hugh Pollard), Gretel (Nicola Stapleton), Grizelda the Witch (Cloris Leachman), etc., There are no animated characters.

Hansel and Gretel is a Cannon Movie Tale based on an opera, Hänsel und Gretel, by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck [1854-1921]. It follows the Grimm Brothers' tale fairly closely with only a few changes, several songs, and some elaborations. In the original story, for example, the woodcutter takes Hansel and Gretel into the forest and leaves them there. In this movie version, Hansel and Gretel wander into the forest in order to find berries, and the woodcutter (David Warner) and his wife (Emily Richard) are devastated by the disappearance of their children. It's a somewhat more child-friendly version of the tale.

Works by the Grimm Brothers (Jacob [1785-1863] and Wilhelm [1786-1859]) are in the public domain and can be downloaded free from Project Gutenburg.

Gretel uses the witches' magic staff to dip the witch into the gingerbread batter and then into the oven. Gretel and Hansel then escape from the gingerbread house, which starts to demolish under tons of red and green foam. The children in the gingerbread fence break out of their forms. Hansel, Gretel, and the children head up the road, meeting up with Father. Suddenly the witches' staff begins to glow and lots of coins are deposited on the ground. Father and children continue up the road where they are greeted by Mother. Hugs hugs and more hugs.

Cannon has put out a number of fairy tale movies including Snow White (1987) (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1987) (1987), Puss in Boots (1988) (1988), The Frog Prince (1986) (1986), Red Riding Hood (1987) (1989), Rumpelstiltskin (1987) (1987), Sleeping Beauty (1987) (1987), and The Emperor's New Clothes (1987) (1987).