Dennis the Menace (1993 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dennis the Menace |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Nick Castle |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | John Hughes |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Thomas E. Ackerman |
| Editing by | Alan Heim |
| Studio | Hughes Entertainment Hank Ketcham Enterprises |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | June 25, 1993 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Money made | $117.2 million |
Dennis the Menace is a funny family film from 1993. It's based on the popular Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. In the United Kingdom, it was simply called Dennis to avoid confusion with another comic strip.
The movie was directed by Nick Castle. John Hughes wrote and helped produce it. It was released by Warner Bros.. The story is about a very mischievous boy named Dennis (Mason Gamble). He often causes trouble for his next-door neighbor, George Wilson (Walter Matthau). Dennis usually hangs out with his friends, Joey McDonald and Margaret Wade, and his dog, Ruff.
Dennis the Menace came out on June 25, 1993. It made a lot of money, earning $117.2 million from a $35 million budget. Even though some critics didn't love it, it was a success. Later, two direct-to-video sequels were made: Dennis the Menace Strikes Again in 1998 and A Dennis the Menace Christmas in 2007. These sequels had different actors.
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What Happens in the Movie?
Five-year-old Dennis Mitchell is always getting into mischief. His main target is his retired next-door neighbor, George Wilson. One morning, George pretends to be asleep to avoid Dennis. But Dennis thinks George is sick and shoots an aspirin into his mouth with a slingshot!
Dennis's parents, Henry and Alice, try to teach him good behavior. They get ready for work and leave Dennis with his friend, Joey, at their classmate Margaret's house. Dennis and Joey don't really like Margaret. While the kids are fixing up an old treehouse in the woods, a traveling thief named Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd) arrives in town.
Dennis causes more trouble at home. He accidentally shoots paint onto George's barbecue grill while vacuuming. George tastes it and suspects Dennis. When Dennis's parents go on business trips, they can't find anyone to babysit him. George's wife, Martha, kindly agrees to let Dennis stay with them. She's happy to have a child around.
But George gets very annoyed. He slips in Dennis's spilled bathwater. He also finds that Dennis replaced his nasal spray with mouthwash, and the mouthwash with toilet cleaner! Dennis lets his dog, Ruff, into the Wilsons' house. George mistakes the dog for Martha in the dark living room. Later, in the attic, Dennis's messiness causes George to slip on mothballs and almost get hit by a canoe.
George is very proud of his garden. He's been growing a rare orchid for almost 40 years, and it's finally going to bloom that night. He's hosting a big garden party. During the party, Dennis presses the garage door button, thinking it's a doorbell. The garage door opens and knocks over the entire dessert table! George gets very angry and sends Dennis to his room.
While everyone waits for the flower to bloom, Switchblade Sam sneaks into the Wilsons' house. He steals George's valuable coin collection. Dennis hears the thief and finds the empty safe. He tells George, which distracts everyone from seeing the flower bloom. The orchid then dies. George is furious and doesn't realize he's been robbed. He scolds Dennis harshly.
Sad and upset, Dennis runs away into the woods. There, he is caught by Switchblade Sam. Henry and Alice come home and find Dennis is gone. The whole town starts looking for him. George feels guilty and also goes out to search.
Switchblade Sam plans to leave town with Dennis as his hostage. Dennis, being Dennis, shows Sam "the proper way" to tie him up. He accidentally handcuffs Sam, then loses the key. He also accidentally hits Sam and causes a small fire on Sam's clothes. Dennis then finds George's stolen coins and realizes Sam is the thief. Sam tries to hurt Dennis, but he gets caught in a rope that's snagged by a passing train.
The next morning, Dennis returns home with the captured Switchblade Sam and George's coins. Everyone in the neighborhood is relieved. Switchblade Sam is arrested. Dennis innocently tries to return Sam's knife. Sam tries to grab it and hurt Dennis again, but Chief Bennett quickly closes the police car door on Sam's hand. Sam drops the knife down a drain and is driven away.
Dennis and George finally make up. Alice mentions that her office now has a day care center, so she can take Dennis to work. But George insists that he would be happy to watch Dennis himself. Just then, Dennis accidentally flings a flaming marshmallow onto George's forehead! In the credits, Dennis gets Alice's coworker, Andrea, caught in the office copy machine.
Who Are the Characters?
- Mason Gamble as Dennis Mitchell
- Walter Matthau as George Wilson
- Joan Plowright as Martha Wilson
- Christopher Lloyd as Switchblade Sam
- Lea Thompson as Alice Mitchell
- Robert Stanton as Henry Mitchell
- Amy Sakasitz as Margaret Wade
- Kellen Hathaway as Joey McDonald
- Paul Winfield as Chief Bennett
- Natasha Lyonne as Polly
- Devin Ratray as Mickey
- Hank Johnston as Gunther Beckman
- Melinda Mullins as Andrea
- Billie Bird as Edith Butterwell
- Bill Erwin as Edward Little
- Arnold Stang as Photographer
- Ben Stein as Boss (a quick appearance at a meeting)
- Jeannie Russell as Neighbor
How the Movie Was Made
The head of production, Terry Semel, wanted Tim Burton to direct the film. But the executive producer, Ernest Chambers, chose John Hughes to write it instead. Mason Gamble won the role of Dennis Mitchell after about 20,000 other children tried out for the part!
The movie first came out on June 25, 1993. In the United Kingdom, it was called Dennis to avoid confusion with a different British comic strip also named "Dennis the Menace". Both comic strips actually started in the same year, 1951.
Music in the Film
The music for the movie was created by the famous composer Jerry Goldsmith. He was John Hughes's first and only choice for the music. An album of Goldsmith's music was released in July 1993. Later, in 2014, a more complete version of the music was released.
The film also featured three older pop songs: "Don't Hang Up" by The Orlons, "Whatcha Know Joe" by Jo Stafford, and "A String of Pearls" by Glenn Miller.
Video Game
A platform game based on the movie was also made. It was called Dennis the Menace and was available for the Amiga, Super NES, and Game Boy game systems. The game included levels set in Mr. Wilson's house, outside in nature, and even in a boiler room.
See also
In Spanish: Daniel el travieso (película de 1993) para niños
