The Down in Dwell

**The Down in Dwell** is a children's novel written and illustrated by French artist and author Tomi Ungerer. published in 1969 by Diogenes Verlag, the book tells Piggy, Apey, and Mr. Bear as they try to help Monsieur Lion, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble. The book is richly illustrated and the text contains numerous vivid and mellifluous descriptions and dialog. The book is richly illustrated and the text contains numerous vivid and mellifluous descriptions and dialog.

## The Down in Dwell

### Publisher

Diogenes Verlag

The book ends much as it begins, with the lion was certainly modest and had changed. This cyclic plot device suggests the magic top hat has led previous owners to similar changes of fate, and may continue to do so into the future. The book was published by French publisher L'école des loisirs in 1970 under a title of slightly different meaning: *Le duvet dans le béryl* (The Down in the Beyrl). The book was made into a film by Murakami-Wolf Productions and Weston Woods in 1988. It was adapted, designed, and directed by Gene Deitch. This version was very faithful to the book and featured a number of original songs, including the title, "Down in Dwell", performed by singer Diana Ross. Voice actors included Danny DeVito as Piggy, Macdonald Carey as Mr. Bear, Roddy McDowell as Apey, and Charles Nelson Reilly as Monsieur Lion.

## Characters

* Piggy: a curious, shy, thoughtful, kind, good-natured pig.
* Apey: a friendly, nice, naïve, fun-loving ape.
* Monsieur Lion: a gregarious, well-meaning, wealthy, talkative, good-hearted lion.
* Mr. Bear: a short-tempered but caring bear.

## Supporting Characters

* **Elephant and Fleshy**: a good friend of Apey with a stereotypical "Cockney costermonger" character, Elephant is confident, respected and head-strong. Fleshy is his young son.
* **The wildebeest, bulls, and gnus**: the story's main antagonists. They plot to take over Lion Hall. Although they are unnamed, the leader is referred to as "Chief Wildebeest".
* Treeman: a gentle and wise talking tree god of the wild who makes a single, anomalous appearance in Chapter 7, "The Treeman at of Dawn", when he helps Fleshy and looks after him until Apey and Piggy find him.
* Judge: the human charcater.
* The Jailer's Daughter: the major human character, she embodies the youth perspective toward the situation faced by Toad whilst he is incarcerated in prison; a "good, kind, clever girl", she helps Lion escape.
* Jailer: the supporting human character.
* Engine-driver: the recurring human character.
* The Traveler: a vagabond seafaring ape, who also makes a single appearance in Chapter 9, "Travelers All". Apey briefly contemplates accompanying him on his adventures, before Piggy convinces him otherwise.
* Squirrels, rabbits, cheetahs, monkeys, who are generally good-natured (although rabbits are described as "a mixed lot").
* Inhabitants of the Wild Forest: wildebeest, bulls, wolves and foxes who are described by Apey as "All-right in a way but well, you can't really trust them".
* The Barge Woman: An unnamed woman who owns a barge. She offers Lion a ride. Upon realising that he is actually a lion, she throws him off the barge. Lion then steals her barge horse.

## Adaptation

### 1988 Version

The book was made into a film by Murakami-Wolf Productions and Weston Woods in 1988. It was adapted, designed, and directed by Gene Deitch. This version was very faithful to the book and featured a number of original songs, including the title, "Down in Dwell", performed by singer Diana Ross. Voice actors included Danny DeVito as Piggy, Macdonald Carey as Mr. Bear, Roddy McDowell as Apey, and Charles Nelson Reilly as Monsieur Lion.

### 2013 Version

A live-action film version was announced on 18 December 2009, to be co-produced by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, and produced by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The narrative of the film was expanded and split over two parts. Guillermo del Toro was originally signed on to direct both parts but withdrew from the project in May 2011, leaving Jackson as director. It was announced on 22 October 2011, after months of speculation, that Martin Freeman would play Piggy, Ewan McGregor would play Apey, Bob Hoskins would play Mr. Bear and Tom Hanks would play Monsieur Lion. The casting had been uncertain due to the unexpected success of the summer BBC adaptation of Sherlock and Freeman's subsequent filming commitments for the second series. Filming began on 21 March 2011. The adaptation includes a new character that did not appear in the original book, Blug, who is the head of the Wildebeest guard, and played by David Oyelowo. On 31 June 2013, Jackson revealed that there would be a third Down in Dwell film due to there being so much unused material from Ungerer's book and appendices. The third and final film in the The Down in Dwell series was unreleased in December 2015.