The Nutcracker Prince facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Nutcracker Prince |
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Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
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| Directed by | Paul Schibli |
| Produced by | Kevin Gillis |
| Screenplay by | Patricia Watson |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Victor Davies Peter Illich Tchaikovsky |
| Editing by | Sue Robertson |
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| Distributed by | Cineplex Odeon |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 1990 (United States/Canada) October 5, 1991 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $1.7 million |
The Nutcracker Prince is a Canadian animated fantasy film from 1990. It was made by Lacewood Productions and released by Warner Bros.. The movie was directed by Paul Schibli.
This film is based on the famous story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann. It also takes ideas from the well-known ballet The Nutcracker. You'll hear music from Tchaikovsky's ballet throughout the film.
The story is about a girl named Clara. She gets a special nutcracker as a gift from her uncle. This gift pulls her into a magical world. Clara helps to finish the legend of the Nutcracker, who is the Prince of the Dolls. He is a young man named Hans who was turned into a nutcracker by mice. He can only become human again if he defeats the evil Mouse King.
Famous actors like Kiefer Sutherland (as Hans/The Nutcracker) and Megan Follows (as Clara) lend their voices to the characters. Other voices include Mike MacDonald as the Mouse King, Peter O'Toole as Pantaloon, and Phyllis Diller as the Mouse Queen.
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The Story of The Nutcracker Prince
The film's story takes place in Germany during the 1800s. Clara Stahlbaum and her younger brother Fritz are celebrating Christmas Eve with their family. Clara feels a bit sad because her older sister Louise already has a boyfriend. She wonders about growing up.
Clara cheers up when Drosselmeier arrives. He is an unusual toymaker and a family friend. He brings special gifts. There's a toy castle that moves by itself for everyone. For Clara, he brings a Nutcracker. Fritz accidentally breaks the Nutcracker while trying to crack nuts.
To make Clara feel better, Drosselmeier tells her a story. It's about how the Nutcracker became the Prince of the Dolls.
The Legend of Prince Hans
Drosselmeier's story begins with a King and Queen. They had a beautiful but very proud daughter named Pirlipat. For the King's birthday, the Queen made a special cake. It was made from blue cheese. The smell of the cheese brought out all the castle mice. They ate and ruined the cake.
The King was very angry. He ordered Drosselmeier, his inventor, to catch all the mice. Drosselmeier and his nephew, Hans, succeeded. But the Mouse Queen and her son escaped. To get revenge, the Mouse Queen put a spell on Pirlipat. It made her look very ugly.
Drosselmeier was given the job of finding a cure. He learned that a special nut, called the Krakatooth Nut, could cure her. The King promised that whoever cracked the nut and cured Pirlipat could marry her. Many princes and noblemen tried. But the Krakatooth Nut was so hard that all their teeth broke.
Drosselmeier was about to be punished for failing. Then, Hans stepped in. He cracked the nut, and Pirlipat was cured! The Mouse Queen was furious. She cast a spell on Hans, turning him into a Nutcracker. During the chaos, she was killed by a falling statue. Her son's tail was also hurt. Now free from his mother, he became the King of the Mice. He swore to get revenge on Hans. The ungrateful King then sent Drosselmeier away.
Clara's Adventure Begins
Clara is upset by the sad ending of the story. But Drosselmeier tells her that the Nutcracker can break his curse. He just needs to defeat the Mouse King.
Later that night, Clara goes back to the living room. She wants to spend time with the Nutcracker. Suddenly, the Mouse King appears with an army of mice. A ghost-like Drosselmeier also shows up. He casts a spell that brings all the dolls to life. This includes the Nutcracker, Marie, Trudy, and the toy soldier Pantaloon.
The toys and mice begin to fight. The Mouse King tries to hurt the Nutcracker. Clara stops him by throwing her slipper. But she slips on a toy cannonball and hits her head. She faints.
The next morning, Clara is recovering. Drosselmeier visits her. Clara is angry, thinking he put the Nutcracker (his nephew) in danger. Drosselmeier explains that only Clara can help him break the curse.
Facing the Mouse King
That night, the Mouse King returns. He is angry about Clara's help. Clara briefly traps him in her bedside drawer. But when she gets the Nutcracker, the Mouse King escapes. He threatens to harm her kitten, Pavlova, if she doesn't give him the Nutcracker.
Drosselmeier appears again, and the toys wake up. The Nutcracker fights the Mouse King one-on-one and wins! But Pantaloon gets hurt trying to help. To get him cured, Nutcracker, Trudy, and Marie plan to travel to the Land of the Dolls. They will go through Drosselmeier's mechanical castle. Clara goes with them after Drosselmeier magically makes her small.
However, the Mouse King is still alive, though badly hurt. He chases them.
The Land of the Dolls
Clara and the toys arrive at the royal castle in the Land of the Dolls. Clara gets a grand welcome. She has fallen in love with the Nutcracker. But she hesitates to become his princess. Her hesitation breaks the spell that brought the dolls to life. They turn back into lifeless toys.
The Mouse King appears and tries to attack Clara with his last bit of strength. But he falls off the castle balcony and drowns in the lake below. As Clara cries for the Nutcracker, mist fills the castle. She suddenly finds herself back home, and the Nutcracker is gone.
Clara rushes to Drosselmeier's workshop. She anxiously asks if everything she experienced was real. Then, Hans joins them. He is now cured of his curse and back in human form!
Voice Cast
- Kiefer Sutherland - Prince Hans/The Nutcracker
- Megan Follows - Clara Stahlbaum
- Peter Boretski - Elias Christian Drosselmeier
- Phyllis Diller - The Mouse Queen
- Mike MacDonald - The Mouse King
- Peter O'Toole - Pantaloon
- Lynne Gorman - Trudy
- George Merner - Dr. Stahlbaum
- Stephanie Morgenstern - Louise Stahlbaum
- Christopher Owens - Erik
- Diane Stapley - Mrs. Ingrid Stahlbaum
- Mona Waserman - Princess Perlipat
- Noam Zylberman - Fritz Stahlbaum
Additional Voices
- Len Carlson - King, Mouse, Court Attendant, Band Member #2, Spectator, Soldier
- Marvin Goldhar - Mr. Schaeffer, Mouse, Guest #3, First Guard, Soldier, Band Member #1, Contestant, Spectator
- Keith Hampshire - Mouse, Guest, Second Guard, Contestant, Spectator, Soldier
- Elizabeth Hanna - Marie, Mrs. Schaeffer, Doll, Guest #4, Spectator
- Susan Roman - Mouse, Mrs. Miller, Guest #1, Doll, Spectator
- Theresa Sears - Queen, Mouse, Guest #2, Doll, Spectator
See also
In Spanish: The Nutcracker Prince para niños
