Metamorphoses (1978 film)

Metamorphoses (Japanese: 星のオルフェウス, Hepburn: Hoshi no Orufeusu, "Orpheus of the Stars") is a 1978 Japanese animated anthology film that premiered in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 2, 1978.[2] It was released by Sanrio in the United States on May 3, 1979.[3] It is a retelling of stories from Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid, and narration by Peter Ustinov. In all of its five parts, the protagonists are portrayed in the form of a recurring boy and girl.

Winds of Change
Directed byTakashi Masunaga[1]
Written byOvid
Takashi Masunaga
Produced byTerry Ogisu
Takashi Masunaga
Hiro Tsugawa
StarringPeter Ustinov, narrator (US version)
Music byAlec R. Costandinos
Billy Goldenberg
Robert Randles
Production
company
Distributed bySanrio
Release dates
  • May 3, 1979 (1979-05-03) (United States)
  • October 27, 1979 (1979-10-27) (Japan)
Running time
89 minutes (original)
82 minutes (reissue)
CountriesJapan
United States
LanguagesEnglish
Japanese
French

Production

The film was the between American golden age of Disney-influenced anime and Sanrio's second animated release in the US (following their adaptation of The Mouse and His Child the previous year). Over 170 animators, all employed in Hollywood, worked on it for three years.

Release

Metamorphoses tried to be the rock era's answer to Fantasia, but its original run was critically reviled and closed as soon as it opened. According to many of its crew, many problems with the production, music and plotting were to blame.

On May 3, 1979, it was reissued under a new title, Winds of Change, with seven minutes trimmed from the first cut of 89 minutes. This time, the music was composed by Alec R. Costandinos, the disco songs were sung by Arthur Simms and Pattie Brooks and narration by Peter Ustinov was added.

The five parts:

  1. "Actaeon"
  2. "Orpheus and Eurydice"
  3. "The House of Envy"
  4. "Perseus" and...
  5. "Phaëton"

...in the original order, were re-arranged and slightly renamed for the new version; the third and last parts remained unmoved. In the Winds cut, the first two were now "Perseus" and "Actaeon", and the fourth "Orpheus".

In addition, the boy was now called Wondermaker, and the girl played different characters in every segment. Greek gods Hermes, Artemis and Hades were given their Roman names (Mercury, Diana and Pluto respectively).

See also

Sources
  • Beck, Jerry (2005), pp. 166–7. The Animated Movie Guide. ISBN 1-55652-591-5. Chicago Reader Press. Accessed April 9, 2007.

References
  1. "Yowp: Jerry Eisenberg, Part Six, Final". 17 March 2011.
  2. Albuquerque Journal, June 1, 1978
  3. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 191–192. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
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