Captain Hook

"Captain Hook" is also a nickname for former baseball manager Sparky Anderson.

Captain James Hook is the villain of J. M. Barrie's play and novel Peter Pan. Hook is a pirate captain and Peter Pan's nemesis. It is said that he was Blackbeard's bosun, and that he was the only man Long John Silver ever feared. He wears an iron hook in place of his right hand (though in the Disney version it's the left hand to allow greater mobility) which was cut off by Peter Pan and eaten by a crocodile; the crocodile liked the taste of him so much that it follows him around constantly, hoping for more. Hook hates Peter obsessively, and lives for the day he can make Peter and all his Lost Boys walk the plank.

Lest anyone think Hook's name too convenient, Barrie notes that "Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze".^* Barrie also suggests through several clues that the Captain was an Old Etonian — in Barrie’s short story “Jas Hook at Eton,” Hook’s final words before jumping overboard are “Floreat Etona” (115).

Original role

In Barrie's play and novel, Hook kidnaps Wendy, the girl who loves Peter and whom Peter views as his surrogate mother, and challenges the boy to a final duel. When Hook is beaten and must choose between surrender and death, he commits suicide by throwing himself into the waiting jaws of the crocodile. Just before dying, however, he takes a final jab at Peter by taunting him about his "bad form". Peter, with the callousness of youth, quickly forgets Hook and finds a new nemesis, but as Hook made a stronger impression on the public, most sequels brought him back one way or another.

The symbolism of Peter Pan's fight with Captain Hook (traditionally played by the same actor as Wendy's father in the play), combined with Hook's fear of time in the form of the ticking crocodile, possibly hints at Jungian subtext.

It is hypothesized that Captain Hook was modeled after the famous English captain Christopher Newport. Both were dark-haired captains of dubious pasts, and both were missing their right hands which were replaced by metal hooks. Newport commanded the ships that landed the settlers at Jamestown in Virginia. He also seems to have a distinctive similarity to Bartholomew Roberts, especially regarding his choice of clothes and his impeccable manners, although Barrie specifically associates his dress and hairstyle with that of King Charles II of England.

Another hypothesis claims that Captain James Hook could represent Captain James Cook, the British captain who discovered both Australia and New Zealand. The Lost Boys symbolize the Maoris, who inhabit New Zealand, or the Aborigines, who inhabit Australia.

Smee is Captain Hook's bosun, best 'mate' and right-hand man, so to speak.

Disney

The version of Captain Hook who appeared in the Disney animated film adaptation of Peter Pan was a cowardly fool, prone to crying out for help as well as being called a codfish and having his clothes repeatedly ruined (always starting with his hat), and had the hook in place of his left hand instead of his right (supposedly, the animators wanted Hook to be able to do things that are usually simpler to do with the right hand). However, he is also dignified — he promises Tinker Bell that he will not lay a finger (or a hook) on Peter; he just doesn't say that he won't try to have the boy blown up by a bomb. In the film, Hook was voiced by and modelled after Hans Conried, who provided the same talents for Mr. Darling.

The crocodile, though not referred to by name in the film, was named Tick-Tock the Croc in early press material.

Occasionally, Hook appeared in the Scrooge McDuck universe of comic books as the nemesis of Moby Duck, a whaler cousin of Donald Duck.

Hook subsequently appeared in a number of other Disney productions, such as the 2002 film Return to Never Land. There, for some reason, Tick-Tock was replaced by a just-as-hungry octopus (a dear friend of the now deceased Crocodile who will stop at nothing to avenge his death at Hook's hands). Hook also appeared frequently on House of Mouse, and was one of the main villains of Mickey's House of Villains. In modern animation, Hook is voiced by Corey Burton.

Other variations

In 1990, Fox produced the short-lived Peter Pan and the Pirates. The Captain Hook in this version differed greatly from both the Disney version and the traditional image of Hook in both appearance and personality. Appearance wise, Hook was more early 18th Century rather than the classic Charles II Restoration period. Hook's personality however was far closer to Barrie's original character. Rather than the clownish and cowardly Hook portrayed in the Disney version, Fox's Hook was much more complex, he terrified his crew, was brutal towards his enemies, had no fear, showed great intelligence and was passionate about plays by William Shakespeare. He was voiced by Tim Curry who won an Emmy Award for this part.

In the film Hook, Captain James S. Hook is played by Dustin Hoffman. He is somewhat depressed since Peter Pan (played by Robin Williams) is no longer around, worried that he has nothing left: Hook has since killed the crocodile and made it into the foundation for a clock tower, and is tired of killing Lost Boys. He is even suicidal, attempting to shoot himself in one scene, after which he comments "This isn't as much fun as it used to be". Hook kidnaps Peter "Banning"'s children to lure Peter back. He then gives the pudgy Peter three days to rekindle his spirit. Peter does so and returns to give Hook the final battle he desires.

Hook in the film was noted for encouraging "good form", although he himself somewhat shows bad form: when Peter holds Hook at swordpoint, only to offer Hook back his sword to continue the fight, Hook responds by slashing Peter across the forearm with his hook. He here shows to hold a hatred for all clocks, even being afraid of their chiming: the pirate town holds a museum dedicated to broken clocks. During the final fight scenes, the Lost Boys hold Hook at bay by holding up ticking clocks, and Hook screams in horror at the sound. Hook is also apparently bald in the film: in the final scenes, his black hair is revealed to be a wig, his real hair short cropped and white. Hook meets his end when a slash to Peter's head with his hook misses and shatters the foundation of the clock tower. The scafold around the giant crocodile falls away, and the creature surprisingly revives to look down and glare at Hook with a growl. As Hook screams ("I want my...Mommy!"), the crocodile falls forward and finally devours him.

In the film, Hook develops a sort of catchphrase: "What would the world be like without Captain Hook?" Or, perhaps to speak metaphorically: "What would the world be like without villains?"

Captain Hook also appears in his Disney form as one of the villains in the Action/RPG game Kingdom Hearts. Teamed up with Maleficent, he appears the strongest of the Disney Villains, other than her. He used his pirate ship to get himself between worlds. He takes Riku along with him, where Kairi is being held. However, he does not like Riku's bossiness and regrets taking him along. When Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive in Neverland, Riku throws them in the hold where they meet and escape with Peter Pan, who is searching for his friend Wendy. Possibly Captain Hook believed that Wendy was a Princess of Heart and that is why he captured her. After defeating the Heartless summoned by Hook below deck, Sora fights a copy of himself summoned by Riku in Hook's office. After confronting Hook on the deck, Sora and co. realize that Riku escaped to Hollow Bastion with Kairi. Hook then flees to his office. Using an voice imitation of Smee, Hook's right hand man, Peter Pan tricks Hook into thinking everything is all clear. Hook returns to the deck and is thrown into a fight with Sora and others. He proves a powerful swordsman and bomb expert, but no match for the Keyblade. Hook is thrown overboard and is chased into the horizon by his arch nemisis the Crocodile.

Captain Hook did not die on screen in Kingdom Hearts, which led to speculation that he would return in Kingdom Hearts II (same with Hades, Oogie Boogie, and Jafar). Unfortunately, Hook does not (in fact, Neverland is not in KH2, but Peter Pan is featured as a summon). Captain Hook and Clayton are the only major Disney villains not to return in KH2 from the first installment.

Captain Hook appears briefly in the animated film Shrek 2, where he plays the piano in a tavern, representing the musician Tom Waits who wrote and performed the song in question, Little Drop Of Poison. the Hook character also appeared in the Karioke Far-Far-Away Idol, singing "Hooked on a Feeling".

Hook (poetry and prose)

One poem in Shel Silverstein's poetry book, Where the Sidewalk Ends, is about the pirate, though it may be a different Captain Hook, because there are no references at all to Peter Pan; it's more of a humorous description of the disadvantages of having a hook. The poem goes as follows:

Captain Hook must remember

Not to scratch his toes.

Captain Hook must watch out

And never pick his nose.

Captain Hook must be gentle

When he shakes your hand.

Captain Hook must be careful

Openin' sardine cans

And playing tag and pouring tea

And turnin' pages in his book.

Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't—

But mostly Captain Hook!

In August 2005, the screenwriter of the film Hook, J.V. Hart, wrote a novel detailing some of Captain Hook's youth and his entire education at Eton College, using the scant personal details in J.M. Barrie's writings to explain Hook's background. This novel is entitled Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth.

Hook (miscellany)

During his tenure as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Sparky Anderson was nicknamed "Captain Hook" due to his willingness to make prompt use of a relief pitcher whenever the starter got into trouble.

Captain Hook was released in the Disney Store exclusive toyline Disney Heroes, a slightly stylized version of the classic animation model, replacing the small hook with a metal forearm and larger, more angular hook. This new hook has been commented by some online review sites to resemble the mechanical forearm the character Ash builds in Army of Darkness.

Captain Hook made a brief cameo in the comic League of Extraordinary Gentlemen at a "pirate conference" that featured other notable characters such as Long John Silver, Doctor Syn and Captain Pugwash.

He can also be seen in Shrek 2 and Shrek SuperSlam.

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Captain Hook

Original role

Disney

Other variations

Hook (poetry and prose)

Hook (miscellany)