The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (animated)

In 1979, an animated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was produced for television by Steven Melendez and the Children's Television Workshop. Many of the parts were re-voiced before the film was aired on British television.

Plot
Lucy tells Peter, Susan, and Edmund that she is back after being away for hours, but she doesn't appear to have been gone at all. She tells them the wardrobe is a magic wardrobe, and that it leads to another world. However, when they enter the wardrobe, they can feel the back of it, and think it's an ordinary wardrobe. Lucy remembers clearly what happened.

In Lucy's flashback, Lucy enters the wardrobe and enters a wood filled with snow, called Narnia. A Faun named Mr. Tumnus appears and takes her to his cave for tea. However, he soon begins crying because he is in the pay of the White Witch (who makes it always winter and never Christmas), and is a kidnapper for her, assigned to kidnap any humans and take them to her. Lucy is the first he ever met, but he cannot hand her over to the Witch, so he takes her back to the lamp post where she can get back through the wardrobe.

Back in the present, they play hide and seek. Susan is "It", and Lucy enters the wardrobe, thinking that Narnia and Mr. Tumnus might've been a dream. Edmund enters the wardrobe to jeer at her, but finds himself in Narnia. There, the White Witch drives up to him on her sledge, and upon learning that he is human and has entered Narnia through a wardrobe, gives him something hot to drink and some Turkish Delight. He tells her he has one brother and two sisters, and Lucy has been in Narnia and met a Faun. The Witch tells Edmund to come over to her house if he wants more Turkish Delight, and to bring the others with him. She drives off on her sledge.

Lucy, after having lunch with Mr. Tumnus, sees Edmund and tells him about Mr. Tumnus, and also reveals the true nature of the White Witch, but Edmund was told by the Witch that Fauns will say anything. When they return to their world, Lucy tells Peter and Susan that Edmund got to Narnia too, but Edmund tells them that he and Lucy were just playing, and there's really nothing there. Peter and Susan talk to the Professor, who tells them that it is likely that Lucy's story is true, evidenced by the fact that time in Narnia takes up no time in their world.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy enter the wardrobe and appear in Narnia. During this time, Edmund unwittingly reveals that he really was there before, causing Peter to yell at him. Lucy leads them to Mr. Tumnus's cave, but it has been smashed, and he has been arrested for not handing Lucy over to the Witch. Then they see a beaver, who leads them over to his house. After dinner, Mr. Beaver and Mrs. Beaver say that Mr. Tumnus has been taken to the Witch's castle and turned to stone, but fortunately Aslan is on the move. Aslan is a lion, and they will meet him at the Stone Table because of a prophecy. It is said that if four humans sit on the four thrones at Cair Paravel (two "sons of Adam" and two "daughters of Eve") then the Witch's reign and life will end.

Edmund appears to be missing. The beavers know he has gone to the Witch's house. When he reaches the house, Edmund sees statues all over the courtyard. He encoutners a wolf, Fenris Ulf, the chief of the Witch's secret police, and enters. When he sees the Witch, she gets angry over him coming alone, but he tells them where the others are and that Aslan is on the move. The Witch heads out on her sledge, setting the harness without bells, taking Edmund with her, and orders Fenris Ulf and his wolves to go to the beavers' house, kill whatever they find, then head to the Stone Table, and kill the humans should they manage to overtake them.

By the time the wolves reach the beavers' house, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers are heading for the Stone Table. They hide in a cave in the ground, but hear bells. Mr. Beaver goes to check, thinking it's the Witch, but it isn't her at all, but Father Christmas, who has given a fox and some squirrels some food. They continue their journey, and by this time the snow is starting to melt, preventing the Witch from using her sledge. So they walk, and the dwarf realizes that Aslan is behind her winter being destroyed. She threatens to kill the next one to mention the name Aslan.

Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers reach the Stone Table and meet Aslan, who gives them gifts. Peter gets a sword and a shield; Susan gets a bow and arrow and a horn, that will call help of some kind to her; Lucy gets a dagger and a small cordial that will heal anyone injured. Aslan shows Peter the castle of Cair Paravel, where he will be the high king. Then, he hears Susan's horn, and sees her being threatened by Fenris Ulf. Peter fights Fenris Ulf and kills him. Aslan spots another wolf and sends several creatures after him, knowing that he will be heading back to the White Witch and Edmund. Aslan makes Peter a knight.

The Witch hears from the wolf about Fenris Ulf's death, and is about to kill Edmund when the rescue party arrives and stops her. They find Edmund and take him to the Stone Table, but the Witch and dwarf stay hidden by pretending to be a boulder and a stump. Later, the dwarf tells Aslan that the Witch would like to see him. Aslan agrees, on the condition that the Witch leave her wand behind. She does, and tells Aslan that Edmund is a traitor and she must kill him or else, according to the Deep Magic, Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water. Aslan talks with the Witch, and she is convinced to renounce the claim on Aslan's blood. When she asks how she knows that his promise will be kept, he roars at her and she runs off.

Aslan instructs Peter on how to fight in the battle, but when Peter asks Aslan if he's going to be there, Aslan says he might not be. That night, Lucy and Susan have trouble sleeping, so they go and find Aslan, who appears to be walking somewhere. He says they can come with him, but tells them to stop when they reach the Stone Table. The Witch has Aslan tied up, shaved, and a muzzle put on him, as they had agreed for Aslan to be killed instead of Edmund. The Witch stabs Aslan dead with a dagger, then she and all her followers head for battle.

Lucy and Susan take the muzzle off and mice nibble away at the cords. Later, the Stone Table cracks, and Aslan reappears, alive and well, with his mane grown back. He says that there is an even deeper magic, that when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack and death will work backwards. Aslan, Lucy, and Susan head over to the Witch's castle, and Aslan restores all the statues, including Mr. Tumnus, back to normal. They then head over to the battle, where the Witch is turning Aslan's followers into stone. Edmund breaks the Witch's wand, and she injures him. Then, Aslan and the others arrive. Aslan jumps from a high ledge and lands on the Witch, crushing her to death just as she is about to kill Peter. All of her followers run away.

Lucy heals Edmund with the cordial, along with the others who are wounded. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy become kings and queens of Narnia, at Cair Paravel. Aslan walks off. Many years later, they are informed by Mr. Tumnus of the White Stag, who will give them wishes if they catch him. They chase the White Stag through the wood, and suddenly go back through the wardrobe, and are no longer kings and queens. No time has gone by at all. They talk to the professor, and he says that they will eventually enter Narnia again, but not through the wardrobe, or when they're looking for it.

Cast

 * Simon Adams: Edmund (voice)
 * Nicholas Barnes: Edmund (voice)
 * Sheila Hancock: Jadis - The White Witch (voice: English version)
 * Arthur Low: Mr. Beaver (voice: English version)
 * Leo McKern: Professor (voice: English version)
 * Don Parker: Mr. Beaver (voice)
 * Leslie Phillips: Mr. Tumnus (voice: English version)
 * Beth Porter: Jadis, The White Witch (voice)
 * Liz Proud: Mrs. Beaver (voice)
 * Susan Sokol: Susan (voice)
 * Victor Spinetti: Mr. Tumnus (voice)
 * Stephen Thorne: Aslan (voice)
 * Dick Vosburgh: Professor (voice)
 * Rachel Warren: Lucy (voice)
 * June Whitfield: Mrs. Beaver (voice: English version)
 * Reg Williams: Peter (voice)

Produced by
David D. Connell: executive producer

Steven Cuitlahuac Melendez: producer

Differences from the book

 * The film begins with Lucy telling the others about Narnia and the wardrobe, and the events in Narnia with Mr. Tumnus are shown as a flashback. In the book, these events are shown before she tells everyone about them.
 * The characters of Mrs. Macready, Father Christmas, and Giant Rumblebuffin are cut. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy appear to enter the wardrobe on their own, and Aslan gives them their gifts when they reach the Stone Table. However, Father Christmas is mentioned, and the jingle bells of his sled are heard.
 * Maugrim's name is changed to Fenris Ulf, like in the old American Versions of the chronicles.
 * The White Witch appears to know Edmund likes Turkish Delight, as opposed to in the book where she asks him.

Original Music by
Michael J. Lewis