The Pied Piper
Don’t Look Back
The music of Donovan emerged from the psychedelic folk scene of the 1960s and established him as one of the more enduring pop stars of the period. Of course, the one figure whose shadow loomed largest over Donovan’s stardom was Bob Dylan, represented here by D.A. Pennebaker’s rock documentary Don’t Look Back. The film chronicles Dylan’s 1965 tour of the United Kingdom and features a memorable encounter between the two in which Dylan offers a private rendition of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” The Pied Piper was one of Jacques Demy’s final English language productions and stars Donovan in the titular role as the fabled rat-catcher. Despite its G-rating, the film provides a seamy and pessimistic view of life in the fairy-tale town of Haemlin.