Twice Upon a Time (1983 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Twice Upon a Time |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Korty Charles Swenson |
| Produced by | Bill Couturié |
| Written by | John Korty Charles Swenson Suella Kennedy Bill Couturié |
| Starring | Lorenzo Music Julie Payne James Cranna Hamilton Camp Marshall Efron Judith Kahan Kampmann |
| Music by | Ken Melville Dawn Atkinson |
| Editing by | Jennifer Gallagher |
| Studio | Korty Films Lucasfilm The Ladd Company |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | August 5, 1983 |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Twice Upon a Time is a 1983 American animated fantasy comedy film. It was directed by John Korty and Charles Swenson. This movie was the first animated film produced by George Lucas. The filmmakers used a special type of cutout animation called "Lumage." This method involved moving pre-made plastic cut-outs on a light table to create the animation.
The film also used improvised dialogue, meaning the actors made up their lines as they went along. It mixed different styles like live-action, traditional 2D animation, and stop motion to create its unique look.
Contents
Story of Twice Upon a Time
The movie takes place in a super busy city called Din. The people there, known as Rushers, are always rushing around. They only stop to sleep because their special Cosmic Clock is wound too tightly.
Din is located between two magical places that create dreams for the sleeping Rushers.
- One place is Frivoli, a bright and happy land. Here, Greensleeves and his Figmen of Imagination create sweet dreams.
- The other place is the Murkworks, a dark and gloomy factory. This is where vultures make and drop nightmare bombs.
The evil Synonamess Botch, who rules the Murkworks, wants to stop Greensleeves. He wants to make sure the Rushers only have waking nightmares. Botch uses his vultures to kidnap Greensleeves and the Figs. But before he's taken, Greensleeves sends out an S.O.S. message to Frivoli.
Heroes on a Mission
Meanwhile, we meet two characters who aren't very good at their jobs. There's Ralph, the All-Purpose Animal, who can change shapes but not always reliably. And there's Mumford, a quiet mime. They are trying to prove themselves when they meet Flora Fauna, Greensleeves's niece. Flora found her uncle's S.O.S. and wants to rescue him.
Botch watches the three heroes using his robot gorilla, Ibor. He decides to trick Ralph and Mumford by pretending to be Greensleeves's friend. Botch tells them that to save Greensleeves, they must go into Din and take the main spring from the Cosmic Clock. Flora stays behind, pretending to be a damsel in distress for Botch's nightmares.
The Nightmare Plan
Mumford and Ralph remove the spring, which causes time to freeze in Din. They chase the spring, but Botch's vultures steal it. The vultures then start planting nightmare bombs all over Din. A Fairy Godmother (FGM) appears and tells Mum and Ralph they've been tricked. She gives them three dimes to call her if they need help.
FGM also gets Rod Rescueman to help. Rod is strong but a bit silly. He's more interested in rescuing Flora and leaves the boys to find her. Ralph and Mum find nightmare bombs in an office. Mumford accidentally sets one off, trapping them in a nightmare where office supplies try to hurt them.
Fighting Back
After escaping the nightmare, the Fairy Godmother sends them back to Frivoli. She suggests they give up, but this only makes Ralph and Mum more determined. Meanwhile, Rod "rescues" Flora from the Murkworks. Flora tries to escape from Rod's floating apartment and falls. She lands on a mechanical snake that is trying to stop Ralph and Mum.
The three heroes, along with Rod, storm into the Murkworks. They get help from Scuzzbopper, Botch's former nightmare writer. Scuzzbopper decides to help them after Botch rudely throws away his new book.
Rod and Flora rescue Greensleeves and the Figs, but they have to fight Ibor. Rod tries to save Flora again but fails, so Flora destroys the robot herself. At the same time, Botch has his lead vulture, Rudy, fly the spring back to Din. This is the final part of his plan.
The Final Showdown
When Ralph, Mum, and Scuzzbopper enter Botch's office, his pet rat attacks them. But Scuzzbopper tricks the rat into chasing a bowling ball out a window. Botch runs to a control room with his main nightmare bomb button, "The Big Red One." Ralph and Mum chase him.
Ralph finally learns to control his shapeshifting. He flies through Botch's traps and into the control room. Mumford struggles through the traps and ends up in the barrel of Botch's cannon. Ralph, now a fly, tricks Botch into pressing "The Big Red One." This sets off all the nightmare bombs before Rudy can put the spring back in the Cosmic Clock. The Rushers, still frozen in time, are not affected.
Botch is furious and tries to kill Ralph. But then, one last nightmare bomb appears. Botch is terrified of his own nightmare and is knocked out the window. The "bomb" turns out to be Mumford, who had stretched his hat over himself and used a cigar to make smoke. Ralph and Mumford feel like heroes. Botch is saved by his vultures, who might not be very happy with him.
A Happy Ending
Scuzzbopper, Flora, and Rod take over the Murkworks. Flora gives Ralph and Mumford a thank-you kiss for saving Greensleeves. As the two heroes leave, the Fairy Godmother congratulates them. She lets them keep their last dime as a good luck charm. The spring returns to the Cosmic Clock on its own, and time restarts. But this time, the Rushers can enjoy their lives at a slower, happier pace.
Characters and Voice Actors
Here are the main characters and the actors who voiced them:
- Lorenzo Music as Ralph, the All-Purpose Animal
- Julie Payne as Flora Fauna
- Marshall Efron as Synonamess Botch
- Hamilton Camp as Greensleeves
- James Cranna as Rod Rescueman / Scuzzbopper / Frivoli Foreman
- Paul Frees as Narrator / Chef of State / Judges / Bailiff
- Judith Kahan as The Fairy Godmother (credited as Judith Kahan Kampmann)
Different Versions of the Movie
Twice Upon a Time had many different versions. This was partly because the filmmakers hired improv comedians for the voices. This meant the actors often made up their lines on the spot.
In one early version, Greensleeves was not kidnapped at the beginning. Instead, Ralph and Mumford met him later. He encouraged them to get the spring back.
Another version of the movie included some stronger language from the character Synonamess Botch. The director, John Korty, didn't want this language in the film. However, the actor, Marshall Efron, felt his lines were perfect. The producer, Bill Couturié, thought these lines might appeal to older audiences. Korty only found out about this on opening night and was upset. Most theaters showed the version with the stronger language instead of the family-friendly one. The version with the stronger language was given a PG rating.
Watching the Movie at Home
A few years after its release, Twice Upon a Time was shown on HBO. However, HBO received and showed the version with the stronger language. When Korty found out, he quickly contacted HBO. He said he would take legal action if that version was shown again. After three showings, HBO stopped broadcasting the film until Korty provided a new family-friendly version. This new version was then shown, which led to some complaints about "censored" movies on HBO. Because of these complaints, HBO decided not to show the film again.
Two months later, Showtime and another TV service called Spectrum got the rights to show the movie. They only showed the version approved by Korty. This version included a complete song scene called "Out on My Own" and the full ending, which were missing from later home video releases.
In 1991, the film was released on videocassette and laserdisc. This release had John Korty's intended family-friendly version. Some scenes were trimmed slightly to remove any remaining stronger language. Later, the film was briefly available to rent online through Amazon Unbox, but it is no longer there due to licensing issues.
The movie gained a "cult status" when it started being shared on viral video websites. Because there wasn't much official support for the film, many unofficial copies of the original, uncut version became available online. The film was also shown on the Disney Channel in 1997 and on Cartoon Network in 1998. It has also appeared on Turner Classic Movies a few times.
A special edition DVD of the film was released on September 29, 2015, by Warner Archive. This DVD included both the family-friendly and the original versions. It also had audio commentary from John Korty and other crew members, plus the original trailers and TV commercials.
Music from the Film
The soundtrack for Twice Upon a Time features several songs. Most of these songs were performed by Maureen McDonald and written by Tom Ferguson, Maureen McDonald, and her brother Michael. The soundtrack also includes a song by Bruce Hornsby (written by him and his brother John) and one song performed by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra.
