Western Animation / The Smurfs and the Magic Flute

The ONE and ONLY full-length motion picture until 2011, anyway...

The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (original French title La Flûte à six schtroumpfs) is a 1976 animated film by Belvision Studios based on the original 1958 comic book story La Flûte à six trous ("The Flute with Six Holes") from the Johan and Peewit comic book series by Peyo. It features the story of a young court entertainer named Peewit who came across a magic flute that made people dance when they listen to its tune, though extended playing would cause them to pass out. Eventually it was stolen by a thief who wanted to use it for robbing people of their valuables. Peewit and his friend Johan seek out the help of The Smurfs, the creators of the magic flute, in order to find a way to get the flute back.

The movie was dubbed into English and released in 1979 in the United Kingdom, with a second English dub that was released in 1983 in America, around the time of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series (although both versions feature completely different casts). The movie was later released on VHS, but was long since discontinued. It wasn't seen for many, many years in North America until Imavision released the United Kingdom English dub in Canada in 2011 and Shout! Factory did the same in the United States in 2012, also using the United Kingdom English dub.

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The Smurfs and the Magic Flute provides examples of the following tropes:

• Adaptational Attractiveness: In original comic book story, Smurf Village was rather barren and was mostly made up of rocks and dead trees, with a few mushrooms. The Animated Adaptation uses the lusher and more vibrant village seen in the Smurfs' spin-off series.
• Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Johan does this while Peewit's complaining that he's gonna die from being seasick
• Animation Bump: The merchant selling instruments is animated much more frenetically than most of the film otherwise.
• Ash Face:
  • Johan and The King are covered in soot, leaving only their eyes visible when Peewit blows on the title flute for the first time. Justified since the king tried to burn the flute, so it's still filled with soot from the fire.
  • When Johan and Peewit go visit Homnibus, the small dragon statue breathes on Peewit's face, covering his face with red substance.
• Astral Projection: Hypnokinesis is a form of this, which is used on Johan and Peewit.
• Auction: The merchant who tried to sell a huge sack of musical junk-er-antiques that he shows The King and Johan for Peewit.
• Bandage Mummy: Clumsy Smurf wears more and more bandages as the film progresses, presumably due to offscreen accidents.
• Banging for Help: Peewit does this after being Bound and Gagged, alerting Lady Prattle.
• Beard of Evil: Matthew McCreep.
• The Bet: The King and Peewit (offscreen) bet who would win the jousting tournament at the beginning of the film. Peewit won, much to The King's chagrin. Then when Johan goes against Lord Spottlebottom the Black Knight, the woman sitting next to The King bets ten crowns on Spottlebottem. She lost.
• Big Eater: Peewit and Greedy/Sweetie Smurf.
• Bizarre Instrument: The traveling merchant of musical instruments produces one while showing of his wares. He even admits that he doesn't know what it is but says it sure makes a lot of noise.
• Black Bead Eyes: Johan
• Black Knight: Lord Spottlebottom is referred to as "the Black Knight", but he's simply Johan's jousting opponent, and after he's defeated he says that he should've taken up dancing.
• Bound and Gagged: How Lady Prattle found Peewit in his room after McCreep stole the magic flute.
• By the Lights of Their Eyes: See Ash Face.
• Chekhov's Gun: Playing the flute too long makes the victims pass out. As The King puts it:
  "If one listens to this flute too long, they pass out."
• Color-Coded Patrician: Papa Smurf, obviously.
• Covers Always Lie: Despite what's shown on the picture above, the trademark attributes for Hefty^* heart-shaped tattoos, Greedy^* cook hat worn in the cartoon and Handy^* blue overalls with no visor in the comics, white overalls with visor in Hanna-Barbera cartoon and blue overalls with visor in the 2011 movie do not appear. The only Smurfs shown with their trademarks are Brainy^* glasses, Papa^* red outfit and beard and Grouchy^* frown. In other words, all the Smurfs are identical to one another. See trailers always lie for Jokey below.
• Death Glare:
  • The Smurfs give Peewit one when he offers them to help cut a hole in the tree.
  • Johan and the King give a red faced one to the Merchant selling instruments to Peewit when he won't take a hint.
• Didn't Think This Through: Both Johan and Peewit when they finally catch up with McCreep. Instead of surprising McCreep to take the flute away, both Peewit and Johan boisterously make their way to the thief, giving him plenty of time to take out the flute and using it against them. Likewise, neither of them thought about plugging their ears in advance as a protection, despite the fact that earlier in the movie both Johan and the King were able to protect themselves against the flute by doing so, so they should have known the flute is powerless if you can't hear it.
• Disability Immunity: That old guy that couldn't hear Peewit playing the magical flute. Subverted when Peewit gets a chair, places it in front of the old man and stands on it...
• Disney Acid Sequence: When Homnibus sends Johan and Peewit on a trip to "The Land of the Smurfs" via Hypnokinesis.
• Disproportionate Retribution:
  • Played for Laughs. When they realise that the merchant intends to sell musical instruments to Peewit, Johan and the King turn red and violently kick him out, with the threat of being locked up in the dungeon and, in the US dub, be forced to listen to Peewit's singing if ever seen again.
  • The Captain of the Guards demands Peewit be arrested for disturbing the peace, as well as bringing discredit to the army.
  • As a result of Dub Induced Plothole, in the original and US version, Brainy Smurf badgers Greedy Smurf to share a cake and Greedy "lets him have it". In the UK dub, there's no dialogue, making it look like Brainy just politely taps Greedy and Greedy angrily wallops him for it.
• Double Take: After getting Earl Flatbroke to get up from sitting on some cloth, Peewit looks under there to see if the Smurfs are fine. He noticed they're not under there, but saw them atop the mast of the ship.
• Dreadful Musician: Peewit. It's only when he gets his hands on the magic flute that he ever plays a decent tune, and also near the end of the movie when he winds up with a fake copy of the flute.
• Dropped Glasses: Brainy's glasses fall off his face when he bumps into Papa Smurf and another Smurf.
• Dub Name Change: For both the United Kingdom version and the United States version.
  • In the United Kingdom English dub:
    • (Sir) Johan was called "(Sir) John."^* "John" being the Anglicized version of "Johan."
    • Peewit is called "William."
    • Dame Barbara is known as Lady Gripe
    • Homnibus's name is mentioned.
    • The main villain Torchesac^* Original French name is called "Matthew Oily-creep."^* In the English translated versions of the comics, the villain is called "Oilycreep".
    • The villain's associate Mortaille^* Original French name either retains his French name or is called "Lord Mumford" as he's called in the English translated comics^* The Internet Movie Database for the movie isn't too specific
    • Grouchy Smurf is called "Grumpy Smurf."
    • Actor Smurf is called "Festive Smurf."^note As noted in Smurfs Wiki, it's most likely he's supposed to be Reveler Smurf according to the original French vocal track.
    • Hefty Smurf is called "The Smurf Strongman."
  • In the United States English dub:
    • (Sir) Johan is called "(Sir) John".^* Again, "John" being the Anglicized version of "Johan".
    • Peewit's goat Biquette is called "Annie".^* She was called that in the English comic book translation.
    • Dame Barbara is known as Lady Prattle.
    • Homnibus' name is never mentioned, only be known as "the wizard".
    • Torchesac^* Original French name is called "Matthew McCreep."^* In the English translated version of the comics, the villain is called "Oilycreep".
    • Here, Mortaille^* Original French name is known as Earl Flatbroke^* Called "Lord Mumford" in English translated comics. .
    • Greedy Smurf is called "Sweetie/Sweety Smurf".
    • Handy Smurf is called "Handyman Smurf."
• Exact Words: Peewit brings The King's pillow after being told to grab it, but finds nobody. This is because The King noticed the six-holed flute on the ground, and he belly flops onto it in order to hide it from Peewit. The King then demands Peewit to get his pillow so he could take a nap on the ground.
• Expecting Someone Taller: In the United States dub, when one of the Smurfs introduces Papa Smurf to Peewit as "the Great Smurf", Peewit jokingly wonders how tall "the greatest Smurf" must be.
• Faceless Masses: The Smurfs. As with the comics, and later TV series, the only way they can be told apart is by their personalities.
• Face Palm:
  • Johan does this when Peewit starts singing in honor of him winning the joust.
  • Papa Smurf does this when he forgotten that Peewit and Johan can't fit into his house.
• The Film of the Book
• Food Slap: Greedy food slaps Brainy with a piece of cake at a party.
• Green Around the Gills: Peewit on the boat trip. Especially when Brainy Smurf starts describing what he shouldn't have eaten.
• Hand Signals:
  • The King tries to mime Johan the fact he found a six holed flute and is hiding it from Peewit but fails.
  • Johan does this when he and Peewit ask a farmer, some noble, a crowd of people (Peewit does the hand signal with Johan) and some peasant on the side of the road when they go searching for McCreep, though he (and Peewit) only does the hand gesture of playing a flute. As for the peasant Johan and Peewit meet, he signs he was robbed by McCreep and points to the direction where said thief went.
• Hidden Elf Village: The Smurf Village could only be reached by the magical method of "hypnokinesis".
• High-Pressure Emotion: Multiple human characters experience this. Both Johan and the King are left angry and red-faced after a magician's cheap imitations of musical instruments.
• Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Peewit, particularly in "The Ballad of Friendship." His singing is so bad that it brings on the rain. He also gets constantly kicked off the stage when he tries to join in with the minstrels playing "Life Is A Voyage" in the United States English version and "Gentle Lady" in the United Kingdom English version. The main plot is chained off by the King and Johan's desperation to hide a merchant's instruments from Peewit.
• Hope Spot: When asking a crowd of people about seeing McCreep and the magic flute, the camera pans across the faces of the people shaking their heads until it stops on a man at the end mimicking the sign both Peewit and Johan were doing. Johan and Peewit's faces lights up and nods in anticipation only to be downhearted again when the man shakes his head.
• Hypocritical Humor: Grouchy (US only) in "Just Like Their Names"
  Grouchy: I don't act like my name!
• Idiot Ball: Yes Peewit, having a complete stranger try out that flute was a bright idea.
  • Instead of surprising McCreep when they finally catch up to him, both Peewit and Johan boisterously make their way to the thief only to be exhausted into unconsciousness when the flute is played against them.
• Introdump: "Just Like Their Names" from the United States English dub (and "Personality" from the United Kingdom English dub, both adapted from "La présentation des schtroumpfs") is Papa Smurf's Introdump of the Smurfs to Johan and Peewit set in song.
• Involuntary Dance: The power of the Magic Flute.
• Made of Indestructium: The king tries to burn the magic flute to prevent Peewit from finding it, but the flute comes out of the fire completely unscratched. It's the first signt to Johan and the King that something's not right about the flute.
• Magical Flutist: Peewit and Matthew McCreep (Oilycreep in the U.K. dub).
• Magic Music: The magic flute.
• Meaningful Name:
  • All the Smurf characters, lampshaded in the song "Just Like Their Names" in the United States English dub and "Personality" in the United Kingdom English dub.
  • Also Matthew McCreep, Earl Flatbroke (a.k.a.: "Lord Mumford"), Lady Gripe/Prattle (a.k.a.: "Dame Barbara"), and (phonetically) Peewit.
• Motor Mouth: Brainy Smurf.
• Mouse World: The Smurf Village. Papa Smurf forgets that his human visitors are taller than his house.
• Musical Chores: The Smurfs sing an unnamed working song, when they are creating a second flute, by getting wood from cutting down a giant oak tree, which takes two days.
• Never Bareheaded: The Smurfs in general, except in one scene where a Smurf briefly doffs his hat after transporting a nest of birds from one tree to another, showing off his bald head.
• Never Say "Die":
  • Inverted. The King asks if the guards were dead once they passed out due to the magic flute.
  • Then on the ship to Terminac, Peewit complains that he'll die for being too seasick.
• No Name Given / Everybody Calls Him "Barkeep": The King
• Offhand Back Hand: One of the spectators at the beginning of the film accidentally does this during the jousting tournament.
• Older Than They Look: The Smurfs. The young ones are all 100 years old, and Papa Smurf is 542.
• One-Gender Race: The Smurfs^note This was long before Smurfette came along.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Played for Laughs. When a merchant appears in the kingdom intent on selling Peewit instruments, the King and even the amicable Johan furiously tear him a new one for being so stupid as to provide Peewit of all people musical inspiration and violently kick him out.
• Pie in the Face: An annoyed Greedy shoves a cake into Brainy's face during the Smurfs' party.
• Planet of Steves: Peewit tries talking to them in their own dialect, randomly replacing words with "smurf". He can't do it right, and they misunderstand everything he says. He also misinterprets what they say.
• Pun: When the merchant pulls out the harp, he says "Here's something to harp about."
• Really 700 Years Old: Papa Smurf, who according to his last birthday is 542.
• Replaced with Replica: Peewit tries and fails to swap out one of the magic flutes for a fake.
• Scooby Stack: Two Smurfs do this when spying on McCreep and Earl Flatbroke.
• Silence Is Golden: The whole montage of Johan and Peewit searching for McCreep asking random people along with scenes of the aforementioned thief robbing people.
• Smurfing: The basis for the song "Peewit Wants a Smurf".
• Spell My Name With An S: In the US dub, is it "Sweetie" or "Sweety" for Greedy?
• Story Book Opening: It starts off with a book page that the narrator reads "once upon a time" until he decides to tell the story without resorting to using a book and just turns the page to the picture of the king's castle that the camera zooms into.
• Street Performer: Some are seen at the beginning of the movie, from a man doing a tight rope act to a man juggling.
• Stroke the Beard: The King does it, when concluding those who listen to the flute pass out.
• Sugar Bowl: The Smurf Forest and Smurf Village, in comparison to how they appeared in the original comic book story.
• Tasty Gold: Matthew McCreep takes a bite on a coin while he's busy counting up the stolen loot.
• Trailers Always Lie: Jokey does not appear in the movie despite being on the cover and advertisements. However, a Smurf who is laughing can be seen in the end of the song "Just Like Their Names", possibly hinting it's him.
• Unstoppable Rage: Upon being freed from his bonds, Peewit grabs an axe and starts running throughout the castle shouting for Matthew McCreep's head, only coming to a stop when he run's headlong into the king.
  Peewit: Where's that thief?! Let me get my hands on him! I'll cut him up! The scoundrel! The thief! Where you hiding, you sneak?! You filthy robber! Think you can make me dance?! I'll teach you to dance! I'll give you dance lessons! (chops a stool in half) Half price! When I catch the beast, I'll—
• Vocal Dissonance:
  • Some of the Smurfs have exceptionally deep voices in the U.K. dub, especially Lazy.
  • The voice of Papa Smurf in the U.S. version.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to the fourth Smurf that went with Papa, Brainy and an unnamed Smurf when they tagged with Johan and Peewit to go after McCreep and Earl Flatbroke? He's seen with them on the boat but isn't with the Smurfs when they're in Terminac. Then he's seen back on the boat.
• Wizard Beard: Homnibus.
• Wolverine Publicity: It was originally a Johan and Peewit film, but when the Smurfs became really popular the title was changed to make it look like they were the stars, even though the film really focused much more on Johan and Peewit.

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