The singing, rhyming citizens of Hamelin hope to win a competition with rival towns for royal recognition. To this end, the mayor outlaws play (which is a bit hard on the children) and refuses to help a rival town when it's flooded. But rats (seen only as shadows), fleeing the flood, invade Hamelin in droves; a magical piper, whose music only children (and rats) can hear, strikes a bargain...which, once the rats are gone, the Mayor and council renege on, to their subsequent regret.
Cast
Van Johnson
Pied Piper / Truson
Claude Rains
Mayor of Hamelin
Lori Nelson
Mara
Jim Backus
King's Emissary
Kay Starr
John's Mother
Joseph Sargent
Unknown
Doodles Weaver
First Counselor (uncredited)
Stanley Adams
Second Counselor (uncredited)
Oliver Blake
Leading Citizen (uncredited)
Rene Kroper
Paul (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
Townsman (uncredited)
Carl Benton Reid
Mayor of Hamelout (uncredited)
Amzie Strickland
Leading Townswoman (uncredited)
Judith Woodbury
Townswoman (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti
Unknown
James Gonzalez
Citizen
Jess Kirkpatrick
Unknown
Crew
Bretaigne Windust
Director
Irving Taylor
Writer
Hal Stanley
Writer, Producer
Robert Browning
Writer
Norman A. Cerf
Editor
Floyd Knudtson
Editor
William E. Snyder
Director of Photography, Cinematography
Arthur Lonergan
Production Design
Monty M. Berman
Costume Design
Walter Elliott
Sound
Edvard Grieg
Music
G.W. Berntsen
Set Decoration
