| The Devil and Daniel Mouse | |
|---|---|
 Album cover | |
| Genre |
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| Based on | The Devil and Daniel Webster byStephen Vincent Benét |
| Screenplay by | Ken Sobol |
| Story by |
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| Directed by | Clive A. Smith |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jeffrey Kirsch |
| Producers |
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| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | Nelvana Limited Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC |
| Release | October 5, 1978 (1978-10-05) |
The Devil and Daniel Mouse is a 1978 CanadiananimatedHalloweentelevision special, based on the 1936 short taleThe Devil and Daniel Webster byStephen Vincent Benét.The Devil and Daniel Mouse is the second television special co-produced by the Canada-based studio firmNelvana Limited[1][2]
Nelvana's iconic polar bear logo made its first appearance at the end of the special. The polar bear was eventually used as an in-credit logo later in their specials from 1979 to 1980 and from after 1980 to 1988.[3]
Two strugglingmouse folk musicians, Daniel and Jan, are fired from their latest gig because their music is deemed too old-fashioned and not with the times. While Daniel goes to pawn off his guitar, Jan declares that she would give anything to be a big star. She is approached by a shifty reptilian character in a white suit who introduces himself as "B.L. Zebub", arecord producer.
He and hisweasel assistant, Weez Weezel, offer her fame and fortune in exchange for signing a contract in her own blood. Jan does not read the fine print and trusts B.L., signing herself over to his record production company. Little does she know that B.L. is none other thanthe devil himself, and at midnight at the height of her fame, he will return to collect hersoul. To assist her, Weez conjures three band members from thin air, arabbit (Rabbit Delight), abeaver (Boom Boom Beaver), and apraying mantis (Pray Mantis).
As the lead singer of "Funky Jan and the Animal Kingdom", Jan is soon the most popularrock star on the planet, while Daniel is left out in the cold. When B.L. comes for her soul, a distraught Jan goes to Daniel for help. A trial is held in the woods over Jan's soul, with Weez as the judge, a jury of ghosts of shady music industry creatures, and Daniel acting as Jan'sattorney. As an additional stipulation, the Devil states that should Daniel lose the trial, his soul, as well as Jan's, will be taken as payment.
At first, the trial seems hopeless, considering Daniel has no education as a lawyer and cannot present even the beginnings of a reasonable argument to release Jan. Having nothing else to offer, Daniel begins to sing a heartfelt song. Jan joins in, as do her three heretofore unhelpful band members. The other animals watching the trial begin to sing and clap along to the tune along with Weez and the rigged jury. Enraged, the Devil attempts to summon forth demons to stop the heroes, but the spirits he conjures also fall prey to the sway of Daniel's music. Weez declares that Dan and Jan have won their case and the jury agrees.
A frustrated Devil finally leaves, returning to Hell and taking Weez and all of his other minions with him. The two mice embrace one another as the film ends. The final frame repeats the story's moral: "A song from the heart beats the Devil every time."
A tie-in storyLP record was released byNelvana Records in 1978.'[4] Narrated byJohn Sebastian, the album features dialog lifted straight from the film's soundtrack as well as songs performed by Sebastian,Valerie Carter (credited as Laurel Runn)[5][6] and the Reggie Knighton Band. As in the film, the dialogue is interspersed with several of the songs.
First published byAvon/Camelot in 1979, the storybook was written by screenwriter Ken Sobol and features music and lyrics for threeJohn Sebastian penned songs (I've Got a Song,Can You Help Me Find My Song? andLook Where the Music Can Take You). Simplified for younger readers, many of the visual gags and a few scenes were omitted from the book.
The Devil and Daniel Mouse was simultaneously issued as a stand-alone title onBetamax andVHS as well as featured on several compilations ofNelvana's TV specials.[7]
The first and more widely available compilation to feature the film wasNelvanamation (Volume 1). Also featured on this video areRomie-0 and Julie-8,Intergalactic Thanksgiving andA Cosmic Christmas.[8]
Headlining a collection similar toNelvanamation, thisCED Videodisc also includesRomie-0 and Julie-8,Easter Fever,Intergalactic Thanksgiving andA Cosmic Christmas.[9]
The Devil and Daniel Mouse became the inspiration for Nelvana's first feature film,Rock & Rule. The film andHow We Made the Devil and Daniel Mouse, a vintage "making of" documentary, were both included on the two-DVD[10] andBlu-ray[11] versions of that film in a slightly edited form of 22 minutes from its original 25-minute running time.[12]
Dialogue from this film was used by the rock bandBauhaus in the song "Party of the First Part", found on some versions ofThe Sky's Gone Out and 1989'sSwing the Heartache: The BBC Sessions.[13] A dialogue sample from the film was also used byBlack Dresses at the end of their song "Maybe This World Is Another Planet's Hell?", from the albumPeaceful as Hell.
