Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile
| Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile | |
|---|---|
 TV Guide ad | |
| Written by | Chuck Jones |
| Directed by | Chuck Jones |
| Starring | Daws Butler June Foray Mrs. Hobart Donavan (June Foray) Steven Rosenberg Les Tremayne |
| Theme music composer | Earl Robinson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Chuck Jones |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Chuck Jones Enterprises The Bobbs-Merrill Company |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | October 31, 1979 |
Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile (a.k.a. simply The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile) is a 1979 animated Halloween television special featuring Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Produced, directed and written by Chuck Jones, it was first televised October 31, 1979 on CBS.[1] The special was a sequel to the 1978 Christmas special, Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper.[2]
Synopsis
[edit]Raggedy Ann (June Foray), Raggedy Andy (Daws Butler), and their dog, Raggedy Arthur, notice how cruel their neighbor Aunt Agatha (Foray) is and how sad her nephew Ralph (Steven Rosenberg) is on Halloween but realize that Aunt Agatha has a Scrooge-like attitude towards the holiday. At first, the Raggedeys seem upset with how Aunt Agatha treats her nephew and think that she's really mean to treat him in such a way by not allowing Ralph to go trick or treating with the rest of the children in the neighborhood. However, they come up with an idea on how to make Ralph happy. Raggedy Ann reasons that if there's an unhappy little boy where they live, then there must be an unhappy pumpkin somewhere out there waiting for a little boy. The Raggedeys set out to find the pumpkin who's just right for Ralph.
The abandoned pumpkin in the pumpkin patch (Les Tremayne) is very gloomy and emits pumpkin seeds as tears every time he weeps. The only way to cheer up the sad pumpkin is to bring it to Ralph as a gift and then convince Aunt Agatha to change her Scrooge-like ways on Halloween by recalling to her in her sleep that Agatha (or Aggie, as she was known as a child) and a witch costume that Agatha wore and loved as a child. Agatha wakes up realized that she was wrong on not allowing Ralph to go trick or treating and, discovering Ralph and the now smiling pumpkin in his room, greats the pumpkin. The movie ends with Aunt Agatha putting on a witches' hat and carrying a broom while Ralph wears a pirate's costume with the now smiling pumping in tow surprising the neighbors as both Aunt Agatha and Ralph merrily go trick or treating together and Aunt Agatha finding a newfound joy for the Halloween season.
Voice cast
[edit]- June Foray as Raggedy Ann/Aunt Agatha (credited as Mrs. Hobart Donavan)/Neighbor
- Daws Butler as Raggedy Andy
- Steven Rosenberg as Ralph
- Les Tremayne as The Pumpkin
Reception
[edit]The special brought in a 14.4/24 rating/share, ranking third in its timeslot, behind NBC's Real People (20.0/33) and ABC's Eight Is Enough (18.0/30).[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 328. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 313. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Programing" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. November 12, 1979. pp. 49–50.