Passamaquoddy Light is a lighthouse located in the town of Passamaquoddy, Maine. It is featured in the 1977 Disney live-action/animated musical fantasy film Pete's Dragon, directed by Don Chaffey and based on the short story by S.S. Field and Seton I. Miller.
Background[]
The lighthouse is the home of Nora, the daughter of Lampie, the lighthouse keeper. It also serves as a home for Pete, an orphan boy who escapes from his abusive foster family, The Gogans, with the help of his invisible dragon friend, Elliott. The lighthouse is a prominent setting for several scenes and musical numbers in the film, such as "It's Not Easy", "Brazzle Dazzle Day", and "Candle on the Water". It also plays a significant role in the climax of the film, where Elliott lights up the lighthouse with his fire breath to save a ship from crashing into the rocks.
The lighthouse is a symbol of hope and light in the film, as Nora sings to her missing fiancé, Paul, who was lost at sea during a storm. She believes that he will return someday and see the lighthouse as a guiding beacon. The film's theme song, "Candle on the Water", performed by Helen Reddy, who played Nora, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song expresses Nora's faith and love for Paul, as well as her friendship and care for Pete and Elliott.
Production[]
The lighthouse was designed by art director John B. Mansbridge and constructed on a point above Morro Bay, California, substituting for Maine. He also created matte paintings to depict the surrounding landscape of the lighthouse, including the ocean, the cliffs, and the town of Passamaquoddy. The exterior of the lighthouse was painted white with red trim, while the interior featured a spiral staircase, a living room, a kitchen, and a bedroom. The lighthouse also had a working Fresnel lens that could rotate and flash.
The lighthouse is based on the real-life West Quoddy Head Light, located in Lubec, Maine. Mansbridge visited the lighthouse and made sketches and photographs of it, which he used to create a miniature model for the film. The model was then combined with matte paintings and live-action footage to create the illusion of a full-scale lighthouse. The film also used some shots of the actual lighthouse, as well as other locations in Maine, such as Boothbay Harbor and Pemaquid Point.
Trivia[]
- The lighthouse was equipped with such a large beacon that Disney had to get special permission from the Coast Guard to operate it since the light would have confused passing ships.
- There were plans to move the lighthouse to the Disneyland theme park after filming, but the building had deteriorated beyond repair before this could be done.
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