Saturday, November 3, 2012

AS SEEN ON TV: CAPTAIN JAMES HOOK


CAPTAIN JAMES HOOK

AS SEEN IN:
'Hallmark Hall Of Fame'
"Peter Pan"

CREATED BY:
J.M. Barrie

PORTRAYED BY:
Danny Kaye

TV STATUS:
Recastaway

TV DIMENSION:
Alternate Toobworld
Alternate Neverland
[One "infected" by Sweet The Demon]

From Wikipedia:
The novel was first published in 1911 by Hodder & Stoughton in the United Kingdom and Charles Scribner's Sons in the United States. The original book contains a frontispiece and 11 half-tone plates by artist F. D. Bedford (whose illustrations are still in copyright in the EU). The novel was first abridged by May Byron in 1915, with Barrie's permission, and published under the title "Peter Pan and Wendy", the first time this form was used. This version was later illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell in 1921. The novel is now usually published under that title or simply "Peter Pan". The script of the play, which Barrie had continued to revise since its first performance, was published in 1928. In 1929, Barrie gave the copyright of the "Peter Pan" works to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital in London.

Captain James Hook (his name sometimes shortened to 'Jas') is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play "Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" and its various adaptations. The character is a villainous pirate captain of the Jolly Roger brig, and lord of the pirate village/harbour in Neverland, where he is widely feared. Most importantly, he is the archenemy of Peter Pan. It is said that Hook was Blackbeard's boatswain, and that he was the only man Long John Silver ever feared. His only two fears are the sight of his own blood (which is supposedly an unnatural colour) and one fateful crocodile.

Hook wears a big iron hook in place of his right hand, which was cut off by Peter Pan and eaten by a saltwater crocodile, who liked the taste so much that he follows Hook around constantly, hoping for more. Luckily for Hook, the crocodile also swallowed a clock, so Hook can tell from the ticking when he is near. Hook hates Peter obsessively due to his cockiness (and the removing of his hand), as well as the way he always seems to have "good form" without trying or even realizing, which is the best "form" of all, and lives for the day he can make Peter and all his Lost Boys walk the plank.

In the novel "Peter and Wendy", Hook is described as "cadaverous" and "blackavized", with blue eyes and long dark curls which look like "black candles" at a distance. In most pantomime performances of Peter Pan, and in the film Hook, Hook's hair is simply a wig. He has a hook in place of his right hand (this is often switched to his left hand in film adaptations) and can use it as well as, or instead of, a sword when fighting. He is also described as having a "handsome countenance" and an "elegance of [...] diction" – "even when he [is] swearing".

Barrie states in the novel that "Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze." He relates the tale of how Peter Pan cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile, setting up the rivalry between them. Barrie explains that "he was Blackbeard's boatswain, and that he was the only man Long John Silver ever feared". It is implied that he attended Eton College and Balliol in the play; Hook's final words are "Floreat Etona", the College's motto. Barrie confirmed this in a speech delivered in 1927 to the first hundred at Eton College entitled "Captain Hook at Eton".

In Barrie's story, Hook captures Wendy Darling, the girl who loves Peter and whom Peter views as his surrogate mother, and challenges the boy to a final duel. When Hook is beaten, Peter Pan kicks him overboard to the open jaws of the waiting crocodile below. Just before his defeat, however, he takes a final jab at Peter by taunting him about his "bad form". Peter, with the callousness of youth, quickly forgets Hook and finds a new nemesis, but as Hook made a stronger impression on the public, most sequels brought him back one way or another.

O'BSERVATION:
Cyril Ritchard is the official Captain Hook for Toobworld, and for two other TV dimensions as well, since he portrayed the role in three different productions.  Variants were due to at least two of them being live stage productions.  So one of those first two would probably be the "Peter Pan" for the dimension of ToobStage.

As was the case with our featured ASOTV character today in the mid-1970's, these were musical adaptations.  This means that Sweet the Demon visited the Neverland of all those TV dimensions and caused everyone to break out in song.

BCnU!


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