"The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (1957)

This classic drama, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (1957) stars Van Johnson, Claude Rains and Jim Backus.

From the pages of the immortal classics comes this famous story. The singing, rhyming citizens of Hamelin hope to win a competition with rival towns for royal recognition.

To this end, the mayor outlaws play (which is a bit hard on the children) and refuses to help a rival town when it's flooded. But rats (seen only as shadows), fleeing the flood, invade Hamelin in droves; a magical piper, whose music only children (and rats) can hear, strikes a bargain...which, once the rats are gone, the Mayor and council renege on, to their subsequent regret.

Runtime: 89 minutes

Written by Rod Crawford {puffinus@u.washington.edu}

Cast:
Van Johnson...Pied Piper / Truson
Claude Rains...Mayor of Hamelin
Lori Nelson...Mara
Jim Backus...King's Emissary
Kay Starr...John's Mother

Director: Bretaigne Windust
Writers: Robert Browning (poem), Hal Stanley (writer)
Release Date: 26 November 1957

Van Johnson, the popular Hollywood star in the '40s and '50s with films such as "30 Seconds over Tokyo," "A Guy Named Joe" and "The Caine Mutiny," died on Friday, December 12, 2008 of natural causes. He was 92 years old.

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