The story of Hansel and Gretel and its themes have appeared in literature and other forms of art. This page provides a small discussion of some of the better known treatments by authors and other artists. Novels produced by romance publishers are not listed on this page, but can be found on Romance Novels: Fairy Tale Romances at Hansel and Gretel.
Braffet, Kelly. Josie and Jack. New York: Mariner Books, 2005.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "In Josie and Jack, Kelly Braffet gives us a deliciously dark, suspenseful debut novel in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith. Beautiful, brilliant, and inseparable, Josie and Jack Raeburn live a secluded, anarchic existence in their decaying western Pennsylvania home. The only adult in their lives is their rage-prone father, a physicist, whose erratic behavior finally drives them away. Without a moral compass to guide them, Jack leads Josie into a menacing world of wealth, eroticism, and betrayal. His sociopathic tendencies emerge, and soon Josie must decide which is stronger: the love and devotion she feels for her brother or her will to survive. From its opening page to its shocking climax, this contemporary Hansel and Gretel story is compulsively readable and hugely entertaining."
Catanese, P. W. The Eye of the Warlock. New York: Aladdin, 2005.
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NOVEL: A sequel to Hansel and Gretel.
Charles, Veronika Martenova. It's Not about the Crumbs!New York: Tundra Books, 2010.
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NOVEL: Here are five first books for fledgling readers that offer the enjoyment of a good story along with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations, each book helps youngsters achieve success as they have fun. The series follows three friends who love to share stories. In each book, one is reminded of a well-known story: Little Red Riding Hood in It's Not About the Hunter!, Beauty and the Beast in It's Not About the Rose!, Snow White in It's Not About the Apple!, Cinderella in It's Not About the Pumpkin!, and Hansel and Gretel in It's Not About the Crumbs! As one friend starts, the others are reminded of versions they know so each volume has three stories within one framework. The stories come from around the world, and Veronika Martenova Charles provides a note at the end of each book to describe the origins.
Cross, Sarah. Kill Me Softly. New York: EgmontUSA, 2012.
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NOVEL: Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.
Gidwitz, Adam. A Tale Dark and Grimm. New York: Dutton Juvenile, 2010.
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NOVEL: Reader, beware!
Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retro-fitted for baking children lurk within these pages.
But if you dare,
Follow Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into the wilds—where magic, terror, and a little bit of humor shine like white pebbles lighting the way.
Come on in. It may be frightening, and it’s certainly bloody, but, unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.
Once upon a time, you see, fairy tales were awesome.
In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm–inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.
Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.
McGowan, Keith. The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2009.
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The sequel is The Witch's Curse, which draws inspiration from Brother and Sister.
McGowan, Keith. The Witch's Curse. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2013.
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NOVEL: Description for The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children: When Sol and Connie Blink move to Grand Creek, one of the first people to welcome them is an odd older woman, Fay Holaderry, and her friendly dog, Swift, who carries a very strange bone in his mouth. Sol knows a lot more than the average eleven-year-old, so when he identifies the bone as a human femur, he and Connie begin to wonder if their new neighbor is up to no good. In a spine-tingling adventure that makes them think twice about who they can trust, Sol and Connie discover that dangerous--and funny--secrets lurk in even the most pleasant neighborhoods.
Pearce, Jackson. Sweetly. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011.
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NOVEL: Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But Jacob can't protect Jeremy from everything. When coltish, copper-haired Ginger Boultinghouse takes a bite of a cake so delicious it’s rumored to be bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy. In any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions—whose identity and evil intentions nobody knows—is watching and waiting, waiting and watching. . . And as anyone familiar with the Brothers Grimm know, not all fairy tales have happy endings.
Mizuno, Junko. Hansel and Gretel. Viz Communications, 2003.
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GRAPHIC NOVEL: From book cover: Everyone knows Hansel and Gretel - Hansel's the squatty kid with a tuna can strapped over his mouth to prevent it from shattering everything around him; Gretel's the tall, pink-haired schoolgirl in the sailor suit, attacking bullies with her bamboo sword. At least that's Junko Mizuno's version! In this twisted take on the classic fairy tale, the kids' parents run the mountain grocery store, fielding visits from the green girls who grow spinach from their scalps and the 40-foot-tall piglet who slices cuts to order off his big belly. More madness comes with the arrival of Queen Marilyn and her insidious black magic! Can the kids save the day?
Murphy, Louise. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. New York: Penguin, 2003.
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NOVEL: From book cover: "In the last months of the Nazi occupation of Poland, two children are left by their father and stepmother to find safety in a dense forest. Because their real names will reveal their Jewishness, they are renamed "Hansel" and "Gretel." They wander in the woods until they are taken in by Magda, an eccentric and stubborn old woman called "witch" by the nearby villagers. Magda is determined to save them, even as a German officer arrives in the village with his own plans for the children."
Napoli, Donna Jo. The Magic Circle. New York: Dutton Books, 1993.
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NOVEL: A wonderful book about the witch who suffers under a curse which makes her crave the flesh of children. Napoli's writing beautifully depicts the superstitions and witchcraft that influenced the people in earlier societies.
Pearce, Jackson. Sweetly. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011.
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NOVEL: As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.
Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.
Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.
Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.
Rushforth, Peter. Kindergarten. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1980. (Reprint: Boston, MA: David Godine, 1989.)
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NOVEL: Set in contemporary Britain, this story has the Hansel and Gretel tale beautifully woven into it. Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow highly recommend this book.
Coover, Robert. "The Gingerbread House." Pricksongs & Descants: Fictions. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1969.
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SHORT STORY
Crowley, John. "Lost and Abandoned." Black Swan, White Raven. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Dawson, Janet. "Invisible Time." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
DeMarinis, Rick. "Your Story." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 2. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.
SHORT STORY
Donoghue, Emma. "The Tale of the Cottage." Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. New York: Harper Collins, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Hansel and Gretel." Rumpelstiltskin and Other Grimm Tales. London: Faber and Faber, 1999.
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Amazon.co.uk: Buy the book in paperback.
Also available in:
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Hansel and Gretel." Collected Grimm Tales. Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
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Duffy, Carol Ann. "Hansel and Gretel." Grimm Tales.Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Enger, Leif. "Hansel's Finger." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990.
SHORT STORY
Engstrom, Elizabeth. "Harvest Home." Once Upon A Crime. Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. New York: Berkeley Prime Crime, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Kingdom v. Hansel and Gretel." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Galloway, Priscilla. "The Woodcutter's Wife." Truly Grim Tales. New York: Delacorte, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Garner, James Finn. "Hansel and Gretel." Once Upon a More Enlightened Time: More Politically Correct Bedtime Stories.New York: MacMillan, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Goldstein, Lisa. "Breadcrumbs and Stones." Snow White, Blood Red. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Hawes, Louise. "Mother Love." Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
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SHORT STORY: "Mother Love" is Gretel's take on the adventure she shared with her brother Hansel.
Jacobs, A. J. "Hansel and Gretel." Fractured Fairy Tales. New York: Bantam, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Keillor, Garrison. "My Grandmother, My Self." Happy to Be Here. 1982.
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Kilworth, Garry. "The Trial of Hansel and Gretel." Black Swan, White Raven. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
King, Tappan. "Wolf's Heart." The Armless Maiden and Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Maguire, Gregory. "Hamster and Gerbil." Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
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SHORT STORY
Maitland, Sara. "Angel Maker." A Book of Spells. London: Michael Joseph, 1987.
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SHORT STORY
Marcantonio, Patricia Santos. "Hymie and Gabriela." Red Ridin' in the Hood: and Other Cuentos. Renato Alarcao, illustrator. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2005.
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SHORT STORY: From the publisher: "Eleven classic tales are retold with an injection of Latino culture, providing a twist on the traditional forms while sustaining a freshness all their own."
Mayer, Gloria Gilbert and Thomas Mayer. "Hansel and Gretel." Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers. New York: American Management Association, 1999.
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SHORT STORY
Nix, Garth. "Hansel's Eyes." A Wolf at the Door. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Stableford, Brian. "Chanterelle." Black Heart, Ivory Bones.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Tocher, Timothy. "Hansel and Gretel."Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #2. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1998.
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SHORT STORY
Vande Velde, Vivian. "Twins." Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.
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SHORT STORY
Wilson, Gahan. "Hansel and Grettel." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
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SHORT STORY
Wolfe, Gene. "In the House of Gingerbread." Endangered Species. New York: Tor, 1989.
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SHORT STORY
Ali, Agha Shahid. "Hansel's Game." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 215.
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Bang, Mary Jo. "Gretel." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 14.
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Blackwell, Holley. "New Poem." Another South: Experimental Writing in the South. Bill Lavender, ed. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2003.
Budy, Andrea Hollander. "Asleep in the Forest." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 12.
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Budy, Andrea Hollander. "Gretel." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 157.
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You can also read the poem online at the Poetry180 site at Gretel.
Burch, Milbre. "After Push Comes to Shove." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
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Cabico, Regie. "Hansel Tells Gretel of the Witch." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 58.
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Cash, Deborah. "Witch." Black Heart, Ivory Bones. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 2000.
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Cooley, Peter. "Nocturne with Witch, Oven and Two Little Figures." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 245.
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Dame, Enid. "The Social Worker Finds Hansel and Gretel Difficult to Place." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 181.
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Dickey, William. "The Dolls Play At Hansel And Gretel." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Disch, Tom. "Hansel, A Retrospective, or, The Danger of Childhood Obesity." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003.
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Donaldson, Moyra. "Babe in the Woods." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 51.
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Gluck, Louise. "Gretel In Darkness."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Also available in:
Gluck, Louise. "Gretel In Darkness."The Armless Maiden.Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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Also available in:
Gluck, Louise. "Gretel In Darkness." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 214.
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Hay, Sara Henderson. "Juvenile Court." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
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Also available in:
Hay, Sara Henderson. "Juvenile Court." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 180.
Buy the book in paperback.
Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Lost Ones." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
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Heaney, Seamus . "The Plantation." Opened Ground; Selected Poems 1966–1996. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. "The Breadcrumb Trail." Black Swan, White Raven . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
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Howe, Marie. "Gretel, from a sudden clearing." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 60.
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Jarrell, Randall. "A Quilt-Pattern." The Complete Poems. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969; repr. 1989.
Jesme, Kathleen. "Afraid to Look Afraid to Look Away." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 10.
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Koertge, Ronald. "Gretel." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 227.
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Macías, Elva. "Hansel and Gretel." Mouth to Mouth; Poems by Twelve Contemporary Mexican Women. Forrest Gander, ed. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Milkweed Editions, 1993.
Martin, Charles. "A Happy Ending for the Lost Children." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 243.
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McGrath, Thomas. "Remembering the Children of Auschwitz." Selected Poems, 1938–1988. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 1988.
Monahan, Jean. "Gretel, Lost." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 57.
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Morgan, Robin. "The Two Gretels." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Also available in:
Morgan, Robin. "The Two Gretels." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 151.
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Morgan, Robin. "The Two Gretels." Cries of the Spirit.Marilyn Sewell, editor. Beacon Press, 1991. (Paperback: Houghton Mifflin, 2000).
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Nash, Valery. "Witch Words." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 62.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Noel-Scott, Barbara. "Hansel and Gretel." Parents: An Anthology of Poems by Women Writers. Myra Schneider and Dilys Wood, eds. London: Enitharmon Press, 2000.
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O'Conor, Norreys Jephson. "To A Child." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Here, Nancy, let me take your hand,
And lead you back to Fairyland,
In this famed tale of long ago,
Told often in the sunset glow
By mothers, lest their children roam
In the dark forest, far from home.
This lesson learn: that mothers know
Where lurks, perchance, a hidden foe;
And though you may not understand
The reason in each kind command,
It is to keep you from the fear
That terrified the children here.
Learn, too, how God's own angels keep
Your ways by day, your dreams, asleep.
Ower, John. "The Gingerbread House." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Pastan, Linda. "This Enchanted Forest: Gretel." Carnival Evening: New and Selected Poems, 1968-1998. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998.
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Pearson, Marlene Joyce. "This Is a Convalescent Home, Not the Fairy Tale Cottage and Always the Good Father." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 256.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Porter, Cole. "Hans." The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter. Robert Kimball, editor. New York: Da Capo Press, 1983.
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Written in 1928.
Ray, David. "Hansel and Gretel Return."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Richardson, Dorothy Lee. "Modern Grimm." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
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Sexton Sexton, Anne. "Hansel and Gretel." Transformations.Houghton Mifflin Co., 1979.
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Strauss, Gwen. "Their Father." Trail of Stones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
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Also available in:
Strauss, Gwen. "Their Father." The Armless Maiden and Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
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Sweetser, Eve. "Gretel In Berkeley."
Uhland, Ludwig. "Hans and Grete."The Songs and Ballads of Uhland. Walter William Skeat, translator. New York: Williams and Norgate, 1864.
Grete.
I find thine eyes oft peeping round
As though they sought to meet me;
Take care! thou scarce wilt keep them sound
If so o’ertasked to greet me!Hans.
Unless thou round wert peeping too,
How couldst thou ascertain it?
Thy neck, my love, is fair to view,
Take heed, then, lest thou strain it!
Viorst, Judith. "...And While Poor Hansel Was Locked in the Witch's Cage, Awaiting His Doom, Clever Gretel Came to Her Brother's Rescue." Sad Underwear and Other Complications: More Poems for Children and Their Parents. New York: Atheneum, 1995.
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Walt, Jeff. "Like Gretel." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 257.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
I have listed primarily classical compositions of music using the themes of this fairy tale in either ballet, opera or some other musical style. I have also provided links to popular recordings of the music when available at Amazon.com. The advantage to these links is that you can listen to samples of the music at no charge.
Engelbert Humperdinck. Hansel and Gretel.
Many scholars attribute Hansel and Gretel's long standing popularity as a fairy tale to the success of Humperdinck's opera. I have provided links to some of the more popular recordings of the work below. I do not presume to endorse a particular recording since I am not a music scholar.
Title: Hansel and Gretel
Conductor: Johannes Fritzch
Performer: Elizabeth Campbell, Malcolm Donnelly, et al.
Orchestra: Sydney Opera Chorus, Sydney Opera Orchestra
Title: Opera Treasury
Conductor: Kurt Eichhorn
Performer: Arleen Auger, Charlotte Berthold, et al.
Orchestra: Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tolz Boys Choir
Title: Opera Treasury
Conductor: Kurt Eichhorn
Performer: Arleen Auger, Charlotte Berthold, et al.
Orchestra: Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tolz Boys Choir
The Gallant Little Tailor (1954). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
Title: Hansel and Gretel
Conductor: Donald Runnicles
Performer: Hildegard Behrens, Rosemary Joshua, et al.
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tölz Boys Choir
Title: Hansel and Gretel
Conductor: John Pritchard
Performer: Ileana Cotrubas, Christa Ludwig, et al.
Orchestra: Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra
Hansel and Gretel (1951). Ray Harryhausen, director.
ANIMATION SHORT: An animation short by the famous Ray Harryhausen.
Hansel and Gretel (1954). Puppet Animation.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS or DVD.
One of the earliest film versions of the tale, this version tells the traditional version of the two children wandering into the woods and finding the wicked witch.
Hansel and Gretel came to life in 1954 as never before, in this kinemin animated feature set to Englebert Humperdinck's classic 1893 opera. Sung by some of the most acclaimed performers of the day, this score was nominated for a Grammy Award. With brilliant imagination and unprecedented technical wizardry-comparable only to Walt Disney's Fantasia-this production uses 35 hand-sculpted dolls and lavish sets to create a fantasy land of unearthly beauty, inhabited by characters of unparalleled charm. V.I.E.W. Video is proud to present this definitive production of Hansel and Gretel. A masterpiece of melodic beauty, whimsical story and magical settings that will delight children and the whole family.
The kinemen characters took over 15 years to develop. Compounded of intricate armatures a secret chemical mixture for "flesh," human hair, magnetized feet and truly human personalities; they are "exemplary actors," able to duplicate natural movements of the human body, and with a variety of facial expressions that surpass the range of humans.
Bewitched Bunny (1954). Chuck Jones, director.
ANIMATION SHORT: Warner Brothers cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny.
"While walking through the woods one day, Bugs stumbles into the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. Seeing the tykes in trouble, he decides to step in and rescue the greedy pair. No good deed goes unpunished, however, as the rather hungry witch decides that a rabbit would be an acceptable substitute ingredient for her dinner." (IMDB.com)
Hansel and Gretel (1955). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.
SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html
Hansel and Gretel (1951). Ray Harryhausen, director.
ANIMATION SHORT: An animation short by the famous Ray Harryhausen.
Hansel and Gretel (1958) (TV). Paul Bogart, director.
Cast:
Red Buttons .... Hansel
Barbara Cook .... Gretel
Risë Stevens .... Mother
Rudy Vallee .... Father
Musical retelling of the classic fairy tale, with score by Alec Wilder and William Engvick.
Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971). Curtis Harrington, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Shelley Winters .... Rosie Forrest
Mark Lester .... Christopher
Chloe Franks .... Katy
Ralph Richardson .... Mr. Benton
"This is a retelling of the old tale of Hansel and Gretel, but set in England in the 1920s. To the children and staff at the orphanage, Auntie Roo is a kindly American widow who gives them a lavish Christmas party each year in her mansion, Forrest Grange. In reality, she is a severely disturbed woman, who keeps the mummified remains of her little daughter in a nursery in the attic. One Christmas, her eye falls upon a little girl who reminds her of her daughter and she imprisons her in her attic. Nobody believes her brother, Christopher, when he tells them what has happened, so he goes to rescue her." (IMDB.com)
Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Version (1977). Tom Davenport, director. Davenport Films Production.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Davenport Films, an independent film company, has a wonderful short film based on Hansel and Gretel (1975). Their interpretation of the tale is set in 1930s Appalachia. This is the same film company that produced Willa: An American Snow White which has appeared on PBS recently. Please follow these links or click on the photo still to visit their website and learn more about this film. These movies are some of the best renditions of folklore on film.
You can also preview this film on YouTube at From the Brothers Grimm: Hansel and Gretel.
Hansel and Gretel (1978).
A film version of the Hansel and Gretel opera by Humperdinck performed by the Northwestern University Opera Theater. An English translation of the German score is used in the production.
Hansel and Gretel (1982). Tim Burton, director.
An early Tim Burton short piece focusing on the Grimms' tale.
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Hansel and Gretel(1983) (TV). James Frawley, director.
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.
Cast:
Joan Collins ... Father
Joan Collins ... The Witch/Evil Stepmother
Rick Schroder ... Hansel
Bridgette Andersen ... Gretel
This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
Cannon Movie Tales: Hansel and Gretel (1987). Len Talan, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or VHS.
Cast:
David Warner .... Father
Hugh Pollard .... Hansel
Nicola Stapleton .... Gretel
Emily Richard .... Mother
Cloris Leachman .... The Witch
From Sony Pictures: "Cloris Leachman (Herbie Goes Bananas) stars as the evil, wart-plagued witch Griselda in this enchanting live-action version of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tale about two siblings who wander into the forest against their parents' orders. Featuring singing, dancing and a larger-than-life house built entirely of cookies and candy, this delightful film is a sweet treat for the entire family!
"When Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) get lost in the forbidden forest after their trail of bread crumbs disappears, they come upon an enticing gingerbread cottage. The problem is, it's inhabited by a witch! As Griselda plots to keep them there forever through hocus-pocus magic, the quick-witted siblings must figure out how to avoid becoming her next dessert!"
To see a full list of Cannon Movie Tales, go to Cannon Movie Tales.
Hansel and Gretel (1994).
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
A colorful, campy version of Humperdinck's tuneful opera from the Brothers Grimm tale, this 1994 Australian Opera production's best assets are its title characters and villainous witch. Both Suzanne Johnston (Hansel) and Christine Douglas (Gretel) perfectly exude the young impishness of the siblings who get lost in the woods and nearly pay with their lives, and Margaret Haggart brings down the house as the witch who finds herself baking in her own oven. Stage director Elijah Moshinsky, never a traditionalist, gives this Hansel a modernist slant that becomes absurdly silly whenever shown in close-up by video director Virginia Lumsden. Johannes Fritzsch leads the Australian Opera Orchestra in a notable account of Humperdinck's ingratiating score.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3. "Gingerbread" (1999). James Whitmore, Jr, director. Written by: Jane Espenson & Thania St. John. Original air date: 1/12/1999.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
TV series episode: From third season, 1998-1999. This episode in the popular television series reinterpreted Hansel and Gretel. A transcript of the episode is also available at: http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_45.shtml.
Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby (1999). Matthew Bright, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS or DVD.
Cast:
Natasha Lyonne .... White Girl (Crystal Van Meuther)
María Celedonio .... Cyclona (Angela Garcia)
David Alan Grier .... Mr. Butz
Vincent Gallo .... Sister Gomez
Not for kids! "In this modern update of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale (actually more like Gretel and Gretel), 15-year old Crystal is a bulimic delinquent who makes her living by beating and robbing potential "tricks". While awaiting a 25-year jail term, Crystal hooks up with a psychotic young lesbian named Cyclona, doing time for slaughtering her entire family. After escaping, they head for Mexico, where Cyclona's saviour Sister Gomez lives in a confectionery full of children. Along the way, they leave a trail of crack rocks, binging and purging, and dead people."(IMDB.com)
Hansel and Gretel (2002).
Amazon.com: Buy it on VHS or DVD.
Cast:
Tom Arnold .... Boogeyman
Alana Austin .... Fairie
Delta Burke .... Stepmother
Thomas Curtis .... Andrew
Dakota Fanning .... Katie
Bob Goldthwait .... Troll
Howie Mandel .... The Sandman
Gerald McRaney .... Father
Taylor Momsen .... Gretel
Lynn Redgrave .... Witch
Daniel Roebuck .... Dad
Sinbad .... Raven
Jacob Smith .... Hansel
When their wicked stepmother (Delta Burke) strands them in the Magic Forest, things look Grimm for little Hansel and Gretel (Jacob Smith and Taylor Momsen). On their enchanted odyssey, they encounter everything from a scatter-brained Sandman (Howie Mandel) and a bumbling Boogeyman (Tom Arnold) to wonderfully Wicked Witch (Lynn Redgrave) who really likes kids?
Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft (2013).
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD or Instant Video.
Cast:
Fivel Stewart ... Ella
Booboo Stewart ... Jonah
Eric Roberts ... Mr. Sebastian
Vanessa Angel ... Ms. Keegan
Judy Norton ... Allyson
Description: Twins discover a coven of witches. The brother is recruited to join while the sister uncovers their heritage as witch slayers. When the brother is supposed to sacrifice his sister they instead team up to destroy the Witch of the Woods.
Hansel & Gretel Get Baked (2013).
Amazon.com: Buy it on Blu-Ray or DVD or Instant Video.
Cast:
Molly C. Quinn ... Gretel
Lara Flynn Boyle ... Agnes
Lochlyn Munro ... Officer Ritter
Michael Welch ... Hansel
Description: Stoner siblings Hansel and Gretel battle an evil witch (Lara Flynn Boyle) who uses a magical blend of marijuana to lure in teenage bait. Will this be the last high of their lives?
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013).
Amazon.com: Buy it on Blu-Ray or DVD or Instant Video.
Cast:
Jeremy Renner ... Hansel
Gemma Arterton ... Gretel
Famke Janssen ... Muriel
Pihla Viitala ... Mina
Derek Mears ... Edward
Description: Get ready for a twisted take on the classic tale as Hansel and Gretel have turned pro, coping with the trauma of their childhood captivity by slaying witches for hire.
Ayckbourn, Alan. This Is Where We Came In. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Fred is waiting for the show to start. The Players arrive: Nell, Bethany, Talitha, Jenkin, Albert and a strange mechanized creature, Kevin on Keyboards. They tell Fred that they are slaves of the Storytellers who control their every move. Once they had a champion, Flavius, who nearly managed to wrest storytelling control back into their hands where it belongs. The Storytellers arrive: Great Aunt Repetitus, Uncle Erraticus and Uncle Oblivious. The Players react fearfully and the stories begin. First an inaccurate version of Hansel and Gretel is told by Erraticus. An equally eccentric rendering of The Frog Prince by Oblivious follows. During this, Fred is identified as the long lost Flavius. In the third tale, Repetitus tries to destroy Flavius and nearly succeeds, but Flavius vanquishes the Storytellers forever.
Chorpenning, Charlotte B. Hansel and Gretel. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1956.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Charlotte Chorpenning has taken the Grimm Brothers' story and given it a poetic beauty that brings a value to its young audience. Her treatment of the stepmother does not accent the cruelty—an outlook important today. The evil witch is portrayed as a comedy character, but the teaching value is there—teaching through a comedy device rather than fear. Hansel and Gretel's safe return to their father and mother gives the child a sense of security.
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Hansel and Gretel." Collected Grimm Tales. Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
Buy the book in paperback at Amazon.com. or
Buy the book in paperback at Amazon.co.uk.
Also available in:
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Hansel and Gretel." Grimm Tales.Dramatization by Tim Supple. London: Faber and Faber, 1996.
Buy the book in paperback at Amazon.com. or
Buy the book in paperback at Amazon.co.uk.
SHORT PLAY
Glennon, William. Hansel and Gretel. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: In this story of Hansel and Gretel the white bird and the little gnome, under the spell of the wicked Witch, are forced to coax children away so that the wicked Witch can eat them. When the children's father returns home without food or money the whole family goes berry picking. The children become lost in the woods, and the white bird and the gnome put them to sleep until the Witch comes. Once in the Witch's house the children, after a number of unsuccessful attempts, finally manage to trap the Witch in her own oven. Father finds them and all ends happily.
Martens, Anne Coulter. The Gingerbread House in the Forest. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1967.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Hansel and Gretel know that their father does his best for them, and they dislike the Widow Nada who is eager to marry him. What they do not know is that she is really a powerful witch who plans to trick them into getting lost in the Dark Forest where she will turn them into Cookie Children. But they outwit Nada! Their ingenuity finally sets them free, and Nada is the one turned into a cookie.
Masters, Lillian and Robert. Hansel and Gretel. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: With a bare cupboard and no food, the stepmother contrives to leave Hansel and Gretel deep in the woods, to shift for themselves. Their playmates set off in search of them, but are captured by Witch Wicked and turned into a gingerbread fence. Hansel and Gretel are also caught, but outwit the witch and break her spell. The stepmother arrives remorseful, and all go home laden with baskets of jewels.
May, Bob; Christopher Tibbetts; and Roy C. Booth. Beanie and the Bamboozling Book Machine. New York: Samuel French.
SHORT PLAY: Based on an original story by Bob May. Beanie Boren, a science wiz who is not keen on reading, has designed a book-reading machine for the science fair. It combines a computer, a mini-video cam and a contraption of his own design to enable one to read three books at once. Unfortunately, the machine is neither user-friendly nor bug-free. When Beanie turns it on, lights flash, thunder booms and out pop the witches from Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and the The Wizard of Oz, each set to wreak havoc! Beanie must get them back into the books with help from the good guys in the same stories. Afterward, he is eager to read about his new friends—the old-fashioned way.
Mutz, Martha. Hansel and Gretel: A Folktale Play for Children. Los Angeles: Curiosity Canyon Press, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
PLAY: A play written for children to perform.
Paterson, Stuart. Hansel and Gretel. London: Nick Hern, 2000.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.
Buy the book in paperback from Amazon.com.
PLAY: Pantomime. In this imaginative reworking of the children's classic, Hansel and Gretel stumble upon a colourful circus family but are tricked into following their new friends to the wicked witch's candy-covered lair. Hansel is given over to the witch in return for the imprisoned father of the circus family. But Gretel won't give in and free her brother in the same way. Helped by Orin the Faerie-King and the mysterious Monkey-boy, the children defeat the witch with a combination of kindness and courage.
Tasca, Jules. "Fairy Tale Mail." Opened Mail. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1996.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
SHORT PLAY OR READER'S THEATRE: A menage of the "Hansel and Gretel," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Cinderella" stories. Part of the full-length play titled Opened Mail.
