E. B. White called the 1973 Charlotte's Web film a travesty of his book.
In short: While the 1973 animated adaptation of Charlotte's Web became a surprise commercial hit decades after its release, its creator, E. B. White, famously loathed the production. He felt the film turned his quiet, faithful story into a noisy, song-filled spectacle that felt more like a theme park than his original vision.
The path to the screen was fraught with development issues. Before Hanna-Barbera secured the rights, animators John and Faith Hubley attempted to adapt the book but failed to find financial backing. Later, Sagittarius Productions hired director Gene Deitch, who spent six months on storyboards only to have them returned unopened. When Hanna-Barbera eventually took over, author E. B. White consulted on the project, yet he remained deeply dissatisfied with the final result, specifically criticizing the frequent interruptions for jolly songs and the over-the-top depiction of the county fair.
Critics at the time were similarly divided. Many reviewers, including Vincent Canby and Gene Siskel, noted that while the animation quality was reminiscent of a television quickie—bland and static—the strength of White’s underlying story remained intact. Despite the stiff, two-dimensional visuals, the film featured a stellar voice cast, including Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte and Paul Lynde as Templeton. The musical score, composed by the Sherman Brothers, was considered their finest work by their father, Al Sherman, though White’s wife, Katharine, had privately hoped for a score by Mozart.
Despite its lukewarm critical reception upon release in March 1973, the film found a second life on home video. In 1994, it unexpectedly became one of the best-selling titles of the year, a feat no other non-Disney musical animation had achieved. This enduring popularity eventually led to a direct-to-video sequel in 2003 and a live-action remake in 2006. Today, the film stands as a curious artifact of 1970s animation, beloved by audiences who grew up with it, even as it remains a point of contention for those who prefer the subtle, existential tone of the original literature.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Charlotte's Web (1973 film)
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