Mr. Smee

Last updated
Mr. Smee
Peter Pan character
Edward Kipling as Smee in the film Peter Pan (1924).jpg
Edward Kipling as Smee in the 1924 film Peter Pan .
First appearance Peter Pan (1904)
Created by J. M. Barrie
Portrayed byEdward Kipling (1924 film)
Bob Hoskins ( Hook )
Richard Briers (2003 film)
Chris Gauthier ( Once Upon a Time )
Jim Gaffigan ( 2023 film )
Voiced by Bill Thompson (1953 film)
Keith Scott (1988 film)
Ed Gilbert ( Peter Pan and the Pirates )
In-universe information
Species Human
GenderMale
OccupationBoatswain
Nationality Irish

Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy .

Contents

History

Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; Barrie describes him as "Irish", the only Nonconformist among Captain Hook's crew, and "a man who stabbed without offence" – and is portrayed in the multiple pantomimes or movies of Peter Pan as a rather stupid but entertaining man. He is more interested in loot, rather than Hook's more evil pleasures. Smee typically represents a humorous side to pirating, often portrayed as a portly man with a bulbous nose and red cheeks, although Barrie hinted at a darker side.

When captured by Captain Hook, every child in the brig loves Smee – he cannot lay a fist on them and does their darning – despite his belief that they fear him. Hook considers that Smee has good form without knowing it, which is of course the best form of all. He almost tears into Smee for this, but knows that clawing a man for having good form is very bad form. Smee offers to save Wendy Darling from the plank, if only she promises to be his mother – an offer she refuses, in Barrie's words, "Not even for Smee".

Smee's position on the Jolly Roger crew is presented inconsistently (in a sense, it could be said that "no two 'Smees' are alike"). In Peter and Wendy, he is identified as the ship's boatswain. He is one of two pirates (the other being Starkey) who survive the final battle between the children and the pirates, and "henceforth wandered about the world in his spectacles, making a precarious living by saying he was the only man that Jas. Hook had feared".

In Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006) by British author Geraldine McCaughrean, Smee has moved into the Underground Home of the Lost Boys. He leaves Neverland by the end of the book, and opens up a shop in London that sells souvenirs collected from Neverland.

Adaptations

Disney version

Disney's version of Mr. Smee depicted on a 1964 Argentine collectible card Smee figurita.jpg
Disney's version of Mr. Smee depicted on a 1964 Argentine collectible card

Mr. Smee appears in Walt Disney's 1953 animated film version of Peter Pan voiced by Bill Thompson, and in the 2002 sequel Return to Never Land voiced by Jeff Bennett. In this version, he serves as Captain Hook's first mate. He is also Hook's assistant, although he is sometimes referred to as the cook. In the first film, he is never referred to as the first mate but consistently acts as one to Captain Hook (though with varying degrees of personal loyalty).

Mr. Smee appeared in the Kingdom Hearts video game series voiced by Jeff Bennett. He appears in Kingdom Hearts , Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days , and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as an inhabitant of Neverland.

He appears as one of the main characters in the Disney Junior TV show Jake and the Never Land Pirates . He also appears in a cameo in the Disney Fairies film The Pirate Fairy . Both are voiced by Jeff Bennett.

Mr. Smee appears in the Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character alongside Captain Hook in Adventureland.

Mr. Smee is interpreted in Disney Channel's live-action film Descendants 3 by actor Faustino Di Bauda. In the film he has twin sons, Squeaky and Squirmy. In the novel The Isle of the Lost he also has a son called Sammy.

In the 2023 Disney live-action adaptation, Peter Pan & Wendy , Smee is played by Jim Gaffigan.

Smee makes a cameo appearance in the Lego animated special Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest , voiced again by Jeff Bennett.

Peter Pan and the Pirates

In the Fox Kids series Peter Pan and the Pirates , Mr. Smee (voiced by Ed Gilbert with an Irish accent) is Hook's right-hand man. His weapon is named Johnny Corkscrew. He is small, but not thick, has grey hair and pale blue eyes. His biggest difference from the other pirates is that he is clumsy and not able to capture one of the Lost Boys (as seen in "Slightly Duped" and "Play Ball").

Hook

In Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook , Smee (played by Bob Hoskins) and Hook's relationship takes on an almost intimate tone, at times even resembling an old married couple or a master/servant arrangement. Smee is allowed access to Hook's private quarters, is seen preparing meals for the Captain and even helps him disrobe before bed. When Hook threatens suicide, he makes it obvious that he expects Smee to stop him, to which Smee replies "not again". Hook also confides all of his darkest and most personal thoughts and concerns to Smee, seemingly exclusively. When Hook claims (untruthfully) that he wants to die, Smee embraces the captain and kisses him on the cheek to dissuade him. He also talks Hook into trying to persuade Peter's children, Jack and Maggie, to remain in Neverland permanently by using their father's repeated broken promises and prolonged absences as examples. Though Hook is successful with Jack, Maggie refuses to be swayed and retains her faith in Peter. Smee eventually abandons Hook when he realizes how much Peter loves his children. Near the end of the film, a man bearing a striking resemblance to Smee is seen sweeping garbage in Kensington Gardens, to Peter's surprise, but whether or not he is the real Smee is left unclear.

Peter Pan

Richard Briers portrays Smee in the 2003 live-action adaptation of Peter Pan , with Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan and Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook.

Neverland

Bob Hoskins reprises the role of Mr. Smee in the 2011 miniseries Neverland .

Once Upon a Time

William Smee
Once Upon a Time character
First appearance"The Crocodile" (2.05)
Last appearance"Leaving Storybrooke" (7.22)
Portrayed by Chris Gauthier
In-universe information
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Black market trader
  • Crewman of the Jolly Roger

Mr. Smee appears as William Smee in Once Upon a Time played by Chris Gauthier.

William Smee is a man capable of procuring objects that are hard to find. In the Enchanted Forest, he makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin in order to get his life extended: a magic bean for his age reversal. Captain Hook, then the pirate Killian Jones, manages to intervene and kidnaps Mr. Smee to obtain the magic bean. He later becomes a crewman on Hook's ship (like the original Peter Pan story) as the ship sails off to Neverland where he and his crew will never age.

In Neverland, Mr. Smee serves as an adviser to Hook, assisting in his murderous aspirations to kill Rumplestiltskin and his aspirations to obtain information and raise the newly arrived Baelfire. He worries of the crew being murdered by the Lost Boys who are searching for Baelfire whom the pirates had rescued from drowning.

In Storybrooke, Mr. Smee appears as a homeless man who kidnaps Belle under the orders of Moe French (Maurice). When Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin) captures Mr. Smee to learn where Hook is, he states that he wasn't able to find Hook in Storybrooke. Mr. Gold later uses him as a guinea pig for a spell that would enable anyone to cross the border to Storybrooke without losing their memories again. When Hook does get to Storybrooke, Smee immediately begins following orders; he gives Hook Gold's most prized possession: Baelfire's shawl. In retaliation, Gold turns Mr. Smee into a rat.

Following the Dark Curse's being undone, Mr. Smee was restored to human form as he was seen in the company of Hook and his pirates when they were robbing a stagecoach. However, he still has some side effects of being in rat form. Hook volunteers Smee to sail Henry to New York when Henry wants to run away from Storybrooke to go home.

Pan

Smee appears in the film Pan , portrayed by Adeel Akhtar. [1] His real name is Sam Smiegel shortened to Smee.

Come Away

Smee is played by Ned Dennehy in the 2020 movie Come Away .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Hook</span> Fictional pirate

Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the brig Jolly Roger. His two principal fears are the sight of his own blood and the crocodile who pursues him after eating the hand cut off by Pan. An iron hook replaced his severed hand, which gave the pirate his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neverland</span> Fictional island in Peter Pan and other works of J. M. Barrie

Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (1953 film) 1953 animated Disney film

Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated adventure fantasy film produced in 1952 by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, the film was directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wilfred Jackson. Featuring the voices of Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, and Bill Thompson, the film's plot follows Wendy Darling and her two brothers, who meet the never-growing-up Peter Pan and travel with him to the island of Never Land to stay young, where they also have to face Peter's archenemy, Captain Hook.

<i>Return to Never Land</i> 2002 film

Return to Never Land is a 2002 animated adventure fantasy film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation. A sequel to Walt Disney Feature Animation's 1953 film Peter Pan, the film follows Wendy's daughter, Jane, who is mistakenly abducted and brought to Neverland and must learn to believe in order to return home. The film stars the voices of Harriet Owen, Blayne Weaver, Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Kath Soucie, Spencer Breslin, and Bradley Pierce.

Lost Boys (<i>Peter Pan</i>) Fictional characters

The Lost Boys are characters from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and later adaptations and extensions to the story. They are boys "who fall out of their prams when the nurse is looking the other way and if they are not claimed in seven days, they are sent far away to the Neverland," where Peter Pan is their captain.

<i>Peter Pan: The Animated Series</i> Anime series by Nippon Animation

Peter Pan: The Animated Series is an anime series by Nippon Animation, directed by Yoshio Kuroda, which first aired in Japan on Fuji Television between January 15, 1989 and December 24, 1989, and it is also popular in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Darling</span> Character created by J.M. Barrie

Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, as well as in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though it is implied that she is about Peter's age as she is "just Peter's size".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Pan</span> Character created by James Matthew Barrie

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (1954 musical) 1954 musical adaptation

Peter Pan is a musical based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and his 1911 novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Moose Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Tiger Lily (<i>Peter Pan</i>) Fictional character

Tiger Lily is a fictional character in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, and their various adaptations.

The works of J. M. Barrie about Peter Pan feature many characters. The numerous adaptations and sequels to those stories feature many of the same characters, and introduce new ones. Most of these strive for continuity with Barrie's work, developing a fairly consistent cast of characters living in Neverland and the real-world settings of Barrie's stories.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (1988 film) 1988 animated film

Peter Pan is an Australian 50-minute direct-to-video animated film from Burbank Films Australia. It was originally released in 1988. The film is based on J. M. Barrie's 1911 novel Peter and Wendy adapted by Paul Leadon, which was in turn based on the 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. It was adapted by Paul Leadon. The film was produced by Roz Phillips and featured music composed by John Stuart. The copyright in this film is now owned by Pulse Distribution and Entertainment and administered by digital rights management firm NuTech Digital.

<i>Peter and Wendy</i> Book and play by J. M. Barrie

Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, often known simply as Peter Pan, is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel titled Peter and Wendy, often extended in Peter Pan and Wendy. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous little boy who can fly, and has many adventures on the island of Neverland that is inhabited by mermaids, fairies, Native Americans, and pirates. The Peter Pan stories also involve the characters Wendy Darling and her two brothers John and Michael, Peter's fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook. The play and novel were inspired by Barrie's friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family.

<i>Jake and the Never Land Pirates</i> American animated preschool childrens television series

Jake and the Never Land Pirates is an American animated musical and interactive preschool children's television series for Disney Junior. Based on Disney's Peter Pan franchise, which was itself based on the 1904 play and 1911 book by J. M. Barrie, it was the first Disney Junior original show following the switch from Playhouse Disney. It stars Sean Ryan Fox, Megan Richie, Jadon Sand, Kirsten Newlands, David Arquette, Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Loren Hoskins and Dee Bradley Baker. The series was created by Disney veteran Bobs Gannaway, whose works include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Secret of the Wings.

"The Crocodile" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 26th episode overall, which aired on October 21, 2012.

"And Straight On 'til Morning" is the 22nd episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 44th episode overall. It aired on May 12, 2013 and serves as the second-season finale of the series.

Peter Pan is a Disney media franchise based on J. M. Barrie's original 1904 play and 1911 novel, which officially commenced with the 1953 theatrical film Peter Pan. The spin-off film series Tinker Bell has continued this franchise into the 21st century.

<i>Peter Pan & Wendy</i> 2023 film by David Lowery

Peter Pan & Wendy is a 2023 American fantasy adventure film directed by David Lowery from a screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker served as producer on the Walt Disney Pictures and Whitaker Entertainment production, which is a live-action remake of Walt Disney's 1953 animated feature film Peter Pan, in turn based on the 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie. The film stars Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson in the title roles. Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe and Jim Gaffigan also appear in supporting roles. The story follows Peter Pan and Wendy, who go to the magical world of Neverland with Wendy's brothers and Peter's best friend Tinker Bell. Along the way, Wendy embarks on the adventure that will change her life and encounters Peter's archenemy Captain Hook.

References

  1. Sneider, Jeff (13 March 2014). "Garrett Hedlund's Captain Hook Finds His Smee in 'Four Lions' Star Adeel Akhtar (Exclusive)". The Wrap . Retrieved 13 March 2014.

Bibliography