Hansel and Gretel (1987 film)

Hansel and Gretel (alternatively: Cannon Movie Tales: Hansel and Gretel) is a 1987 American Israeli fantasy musical film, part of the 1980s film series Cannon Movie Tales. It is directed by Len Talan and stars David Warner, Cloris Leachman, Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton. It is a contemporary version of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel of the Brothers Grimm. Like the other Cannon Movie Tales, the film was filmed entirely in Israel.

Plot
Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapelton) are the offspring of an impoverished woodcutter (David Warner) and his wife (Emily Richard). After being told to leave their home by their mother, Hansel and Gretel wrongly walk into the 'North woods' where they discover a delicious gingerbread house. Unbeknown to them it's a witch named Griselda (Cloris Leachman) that lives there.

Cast

 * David Warner as Stefan, Hansel and Gretel's father and Maria's husband
 * Hugh Pollard as Hansel, Gretel's brother and Maria and Stefan's son
 * Nicola Stapleton as Gretel, Hansel's sister and Maria and Stefan's daughter
 * Emily Richard as Maria, Hansel and Gretel's mother and Stefan's wife
 * Cloris Leachman as Griselda the Witch
 * Susie Miller as Marta
 * Eugene Kline as Farmer
 * Warren Feigin as the Baker
 * Josh Buland as the Baker's Boy
 * Lutuf Nouasser as the Blacksmith
 * Beatrice Shimshoni as the Ribbon Lady
 * Daniel Dickman as the Gingerbread Boy
 * Assaf M : child dancer, singer and nose picker

Music

 * "Punch and Judy's Dance"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman and Nancy Weems
 * Performed by Punch, Judy, and Children


 * "Punch and Judy's Dance (Reprise)"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman and Nancy Weems
 * Performed by Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton


 * "The Fairy Song"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman
 * Performed by Nicola Stapleton


 * "Oh, What a Day"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman
 * Performed by David Warner


 * "Sugar and Spice"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman
 * Performed by Cloris Leachman


 * "The Witch is Dead"


 * Music by Engelbert Humperdinck
 * from opera "Hänsel und Gretel"
 * Music adaptation by Michael Cohen
 * Lyrics by Enid Futterman and Nancy Weems
 * Performed by Children

Production
The woodcutter's wife was changed into Hansel and Gretel's biological mother instead of their stepmother. Also, she is not evil, as she sends the children away in anger for (unintentionally) causing her trouble rather than just wanting them gone and shows regret for her actions when they don't return home, even offering to help her husband search for them.

Reception
Richard Scheib from Moria.co gave it one star and wrote: "Hansel and Gretel is so cheaply produced that you can clearly see the painted cardboard that is supposed to stand in for stone walls in the prefabricated village. The family in their pretty little woodland cottage never in any way look like they are starving or living in poverty – a sense of conviction that is even further done in by the casting of perfectly elocuted English David Warner as supposedly a simple-witted but kind-hearted Mittel-European hayseed farmer. As the witch, Cloris Leachman overacts hideously. The fairytale has been so sanitised and cleaned up that all she does is bake children into gingerbread suspended animation instead of attempting to eat them."

Renee Longstreet of Common Sense Media awarded the film two stars out of five.