Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Ralph Wright (animation story) &
Ted Berman (animation story) ...

Release Date:

13 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

You'll beWITCHED! You'll beDAZZLED! You'll be swept into a world of enchantment BEYOND ANYTHING BEFORE!

Plot:

An apprentice witch, 3 kids and a cynical conman search for the missing component to a magic spell useful to the defence of Britain.

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Apprentice | Witch | Witchcraft | Bed

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Angela Lansbury	...	Miss Price
David Tomlinson	...	Emelius
Roddy McDowall	...	Mr. Jelk
Sam Jaffe	...	Bookman
John Ericson	...	Col. Heller
Bruce Forsyth	...	Swinburne
Cindy O'Callaghan	...	Carrie
Roy Snart	...	Paul
Ian Weighill	...	Charlie
Tessie O'Shea	...	Mrs. Hobday
Arthur Gould-Porter	...	Capt. Greer (as Arthur E. Gould-Porter)
Ben Wrigley	...	Portobello Rd. Workman
Reginald Owen	...	Gen. Teagler
Cyril Delevanti	...	Elderly Farmer
Rick Traeger	...	German Sergeant

Also Known As:

Bedknobs and Broomsticks: 25th Anniversary Special Edition (USA) (longer version)

Runtime:

117 min | USA:139 min (restored version) (1996) | 99 min (re-release) (1980) | Germany:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (25th anniversary special edition) | Mono (RCA Sound Recording) (original release)

Certification:

Peru:PT | Brazil:Livre | West Germany:o.Al. | Portugal:M/4 | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Dorset, England, UK

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The castle in the background of the town is real and situated in Dorset, England. Both the castle and the town where it resides are called Corfe Castle, where many Thomas Hardy adaptations have been filmed since.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Miss Price's nightgown floats out the door, the wires that are making it float can be seen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Captain Ainsley Greer: You there, which way to Pepperidge Eye?
Elderly Farmer: Couldn't say, sir. It said on the wireless to paint out the sign posts in case the Nazis drop in.
Captain Ainsley Greer: I'm not a Nazi, I'm a British officer!
Elderly Farmer: That's what you'd say if you *was* a Nazi, isn't it sir?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Beautiful Briny

My Favourite Disney Film

I saw this film many years ago and I thought it was pure magic. It was a lovely film full of escapism which could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

The performances throughout the film by it's actors and actresses are magnificent. The songs are great and the special effects are lovely for it's time. The story is a beautiful one.

I love films like this and I last watched this film around 1986. As I said earlier, it is pure escapism-one of those beautiful films which whisks you away from real life problems into a lovely fantasy world. It is pure brilliance.

I would recommend this film to anyone but particularly to young children born after it was released-even today in 2002 it can be enjoyed.