Mouse on the Mayflower

The Mouse on the Mayflower
Directed by	Jules Bass Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Produced by	Jules Bass Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Written by	Romeo Muller
Starring	Tennessee Ernie Ford John Gary Eddie Albert Joanie Sommers Paul Frees June Foray
Music by	Maury Laws (music) Jules Bass (lyrics)
Distributed by	DreamWorks Classics
Release dates	November 23, 1968 (1968-11-23)
Running time	approx. 60 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Mouse on the Mayflower is a 1968 animated Thanksgiving television special created by Rankin/Bass. It was the first official special under the Rankin/Bass moniker after changing its name from Videocraft the previous year. It debuted on NBC on November 23, 1968. The special is about a church mouse named Willum, who is discovered on the Mayflower. Tennessee Ernie Ford voices Willum and narrates.

Plot

The famous ship called Mayflower is trapped amidst a huge storm. The entire story is narrated by a church-mouse called Willum, from his viewpoint. The tale begins with the pilgrim preachers deciding to move to America and getting aboard the Mayflower. However, because of the huge storm, the ship gets on the verge of sinking. Then, Willum, the pilgrim mouse, comes up with an idea to save the ship. When the pilgrims land safely, they write the Mayflower Compact and start constructing their new church and colony. However, it is already the autumn season and they do not have much food stored for the winter. The pilgrims then learn to plant crops during the spring season and celebrate a big feast toward the onset of the autumn season or fall. This is their first Thanksgiving celebration.

External links

• Mouse on the Mayflower at IMDb