Charlotte's Web (1973)

Charlotte's Web is a 1973 American animated musical drama film based on the 1952 children's book of the same name by E. B. White. The film was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Like the book, this film centers on a pig named Wilbur who befriends an intelligent spider named Charlotte who saves him from being slaughtered.

Directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto from a story by Earl Hamner Jr., it stars the voices of Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde and Henry Gibson, alongside narration by Rex Allen. Charlotte's Web features a score of music and lyrics written by the Sherman Brothers, who had previously written music for family films like Mary Poppins in 1964, The Jungle Book in 1967 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968.

Charlotte's Web premiered at the Radio City Music Hall on February 22, 1973, and was released on March 1 to moderate critical and commercial success. This was the first of only four Hanna-Barbera films not to be based upon one of their famous television cartoons, the other three being C.H.O.M.P.S. in 1979, Heidi's Song in 1982 and Once Upon a Forest in 1993.

International versions

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