Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical magician conman search for the missing component to a magic spell to be used in the defense of Britain in WWII.

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Ralph Wright (animation story), Ted Berman (animation story)

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

During WWII in England, Charlie, Carrie, and Paul Rawlins are sent to live with Eglantine Price, who it turns out is 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 bed knob 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, former 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

bedknob | alternate history | good versus evil | spell | magic | 

---

Taglines:

The most magical one of all!

---

Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

13 December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bedknobs and Broomsticks: 25th Anniversary Special Edition

Filming Locations:

Dorset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$18,530,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 139 min (1996) (restored) 99 min (re-release) (1980) 130 min (initial US release) (November 1971)

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film premiered at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The Music Hall's Christmas stage show ran so long that film premieres had to run less than two hours. After much debate, Disney cut the film down to 117 minutes. After the same thing happened to The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), the Sherman brothers decided not to renew their contract with Disney. In 1995 Scott MacQueen, who headed Disney's restoration department, discovered that two of the cut songs, "With a Flair" and "A Step in the Right Direction", were still on the soundtrack album and quoted throughout the underscore. When he learned the extent of the film's edits, he persuaded Disney to reconstruct the longer cut. Sadly, the picture element of "A Step in the Right Direction" has yet to be located as of the present day.

---

Goofs

When they first meet, Emilius Browne corrects Miss Price by emphatically describing himself as "the *late* headmaster" (of the Correspondence College of Witchcraft), which would mean that he had died. The correct term is "the former headmaster".

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Captain Ainsley Greer: You there, which way to Pepperinge 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?

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits are based on the Bayeux Tapestry, a full account of the 1066 Norman conquest of Britain.

---

Alternate Versions

The Disney Channel, to commemorate the film's 25th Anniversary, once showed the 1996 139m restored print with a special introduction by Angela Lansbury.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Wonder Years: Carnal Knowledge (1992)

---

Soundtracks

Blow the Man Down
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Dal McKennon

User Reviews

Magical, Whimsical, altogether special. Took me to another world.

What can i say about a tale such as this? This magical tale has followed me from my early childhood,evoking warm memories in my heart.The characters take you to to so many whimsical places making you want more of each scene. For example in the market there were so many different flavors of lore. I loved the exotic dancers that accompanied the steel drums.

The story line was wonderful.I wanted so badly for Landsbury to decide to keep the precocious children and for her to also stay with Mr.Brown,and find the other half of the spell so that the men less armor could win the war.

I am still a child inside,and this movie appeals to my inner child like no other. This movie is my definite favorite of all times. I hope that all children will be able to watch this classic and be swept away,and transported into another time.