The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972)

A mysterious, very old solicitor Mr. Blunden visits Mrs. Allen and her young children in her squalid, tiny Camden Town flat and makes her an offer she cannot refuse. The family become the ... See full summary »

Director:

Lionel Jeffries

Writers:

Antonia Barber (novel), Lionel Jeffries

Stars:

Graham Crowden, Dorothy Alison, Benjamin Smith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Graham Crowden	...	Mr. Clutterbuck
Dorothy Alison	...	Mrs. Allen
Benjamin Smith	...	Benjamin
Stuart Lock	...	Thomas
Deddie Davies	...	Meakin, Mrs. Wickens' Servant
David Lodge	...	Mr. Wickens
Madeline Smith	...	Bella
James Villiers	...	Uncle Bertie
Diana Dors	...	Mrs. Wickens the Housekeeper
Rosalyn Landor	...	Sara Latimer
Marc Granger	...	Georgie Latimer
Garry Miller	...	Jamie Allen
Lynne Frederick	...	Lucy Allen
Laurence Naismith	...	Mr. Blunden
Erik Chitty	...	Mr. Claverton

Storyline

A mysterious, very old solicitor Mr. Blunden visits Mrs. Allen and her young children in her squalid, tiny Camden Town flat and makes her an offer she cannot refuse. The family become the housekeepers to a derelict country mansion in the charge of the solicitors. One day the children meet the spirits of two other children who died in the mansion nearly a hundred years previously. The children prepare a magic potion that allows them to travel backwards in time to the era of the ghost children. Will the children be able to help their new friends and what will happen to them if they do??

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | haunted house | rescue | time travel | fire | 

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Taglines:

Follow him into fun, fantasy & fright -- he's a time-traveling ghost who's often out of sight.

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Genres:

Family | Mystery | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Wunder des Herrn B.

Filming Locations:

Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last cinema feature film of Laurence Naismith.

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Quotes

[the children try to discover if a substance is poisonous]
Georgie Latimer: I'm not giving it to her because I think it is poison, I'm only making sure it isn't! Why are you pulling a funny face? It's either Mrs. Wickens or her cat, and that cat never did anyone any harm!

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits feature many of the characters waving goodbye to the audience, with an associated caption showing each actor's name. However the character names are never shown in the opening or closing credits. Only the very minor characters are given a conventional "actor / character" credit.

User Reviews

An overlooked British Gem...

Like many films made by the British film industry at it's nadir in the 1970s, the Amazing Mr Blunden could be overlooked, but those willing to make the effort will find a gem. There's the wonderfully English setting of the film, mixing the nostalgia of a Georgian England of Mr Blunden and Langley Park, with the Edwardianism of Jamie and Lucy's world. Mixed with good background music and wonderful setting amongst a stately home and a traditional village and the film is playing to all the traditional strengths of British film and drama. Adults will perhaps prefer these aspects to the plot, but children will enjoy the 'good vs. evil' aspect of the children's fight to save the lives of Georgie and Sara against Mrs Wickens (played excellently by Diana Dors who steals the film). Sadly, the film misses much 'fun' that could be made out of the stark characters of Mr and Mrs Wickens and the rest of the cast (particularly the dandy-ish uncle played by James Villiers). There's also one cringe-worthy moment too - when all the actors and actress wave goodbye at the end. They don't make things that this anymore....