Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) 6.8
An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical conman search for the missing component to a magic spell useful to the defense of Britain. Director:Robert Stevenson |
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Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) 6.8
An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical conman search for the missing component to a magic spell useful to the defense of Britain. Director:Robert Stevenson |
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| 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Angela Lansbury | ... | ||
| David Tomlinson | ... | ||
| Roddy McDowall | ... |
Mr. Jelk
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| Sam Jaffe | ... |
Bookman
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John Ericson | ... |
Col. Heller
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Bruce Forsyth | ... |
Swinburne
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Cindy O'Callaghan | ... |
Carrie
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Roy Snart | ... |
Paul
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Ian Weighill | ... |
Charlie
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Tessie O'Shea | ... |
Mrs. Hobday
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Arthur Gould-Porter | ... |
Capt. Greer
(as Arthur E. Gould-Porter)
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Ben Wrigley | ... |
Portobello Rd. Workman
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| Reginald Owen | ... |
Gen. Teagler
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Cyril Delevanti | ... |
Elderly Farmer
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Rick Traeger | ... |
German Sergeant
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During WWII in England, Charlie, Carrie, and Paul Rawlins are sent to live with Eglantine Price, an apprentice witch. Charlie blackmails Miss Price that if he is to keep her practices a secret, she must give him something, so she takes a bedknob from her late father's bed and places the "famous magic traveling spell" on it, and only Paul can activate it. Their first journey is to a street in London where they meet Emelius Browne, headmaster of Miss Price's witchcraft training correspondence school. Miss Price tells him of a plan to find the magic words for a spell known as Substitutiary Locomotion, which brings inanimate objects to life. This spell will be her work for the war effort. Written by Matthew Anscher <anscher@radonc.duke.edu>
Set during WWII, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a fun-filled fantasy adventure for kids, starring Angela Lansbury as an apprentice witch who, with the help of three evacuee children and a 'Professor of Witchcraft', thwarts a Nazi invasion.
Brilliantly inventive, with loads of laughs, this movie will delight kids of all ages with its great characters, exciting story and catchy tunes. Lansbury is perfect as Eglantine, the not-quite-perfect witch who takes the three children on the adventure of a lifetime, and her three young co-stars (Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart and Ian Weighill) are equally impressive as the Cockney rascals who aid in battling the nasty Hun.
The special effects are somewhat dated, but let's face it, kids don't care too much about these things, so long as they are entertained. And entertained, they will be. With some impressive scenes which brilliantly mix live action and animation to great effect, and more genuine movie magic than a hundred Harry Potters, it would be hard not to enjoy this wonderful slice of cinematic escapism. In fact, only a rather drawn-out musical number set in Portobello Road mars the film's perfection, but with so much else to enjoy, that can easily be forgiven.
And besides, any film featuring UK television legend Bruce Forsyth as a 'Flash' Harry style spiv is guaranteed a good rating from me.