Review of The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Musical television special brimming with good cheer. The small hamlet of Hamelin, where the townspeople are kept working all day under the thumb of their greedy, selfish mayor, are delighted when a magical piper rids their streets of vermin; but, when the mayor reneges on his promise to pay the piper's fee, the musical maestro leads all the children away to a playground beyond the great mountain. Though lacking in musical talent and fine dancing abilities, the large, game cast is quite good. Van Johnson is both hearty and dashing in the dual role of laborer Truson and the Pied Piper, and no man ever looked so good in tights and a feathered cap; Johnson's jolly spirit seems conjured up on the sly, and his smart, sneaky Piper strikes a series of surreptitious poses (and some amusing double takes). Claude Rains as the mayor looks a little uncomfortable in the musical numbers, though Robert Browning's poetry slips naturally off his tongue and he's a wily villain. Jim Backus as the King's Emissary isn't so lucky; though he looks great in his plush pink velour-and-lace costume, his Mr. Magoo-isms don't mesh with the prosy teleplay (and his hamming does him no favors). The Edvard Grieg music is lovely, though the difficult lyrics often stymie the action--and the slapstick comedy doesn't work too well, either. Still, the presentation is a dandy, with handsome sets and costumes, a good build-up of the story, fun celebrations and a happy ending for one and all--with the exception of the rats.