Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

Two mysterious orphan children have extraordinary powers and are chased by a scheming millionaire. But where do these kids really call home?

Director:

John Hough

Writers:

Robert Malcolm Young (screenplay), Alexander Key (based on the book by)

Stars:

Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Albert	...	Jason O'Day
Ray Milland	...	Aristotle Bolt
Donald Pleasence	...	Lucas Deranian
Kim Richards	...	Tia Malone
Ike Eisenmann	...	Tony Malone
Walter Barnes	...	Sheriff Purdy
Reta Shaw	...	Mrs. Grindley
Denver Pyle	...	Uncle Bene
Alfred Ryder	...	Mr. Michael-John - Astrologer
Lawrence Montaigne	...	Ubermann
Terry Wilson	...	Biff Jenkins
George Chandler	...	Grocer
Dermott Downs	...	Truck
Shepherd Sanders	...	Guru
Don Brodie	...	Gasoline Attendant

Storyline

Tia and Tony are two orphaned youngsters with extraordinary powers. Lucas Deranian poses as their uncle in order to get the kids into the clutches of Deranian's megalomanical boss, evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt, who wants to exploit them. Jason, a cynical widower, helps Tia and Tony "escape to witch mountain," while at the same time Tia and Tony help Jason escape the pain of the loss of his wife.

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Plot Keywords:

orphanage | escape | mind reading | orphan | magical power | 

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Taglines:

Escape To The Unknown!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

La montaña embrujada

Filming Locations:

Bixby Creek Arch Bridge, Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$20,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kim Richards (Tia) had a particular affection for Bruno The Bear. One day she asked to help bathe him and, acting uncharacteristically, the bear picked her up, swung and shook her vigorously before his handler finally got Bruno to set her down. Richards was terrified, but tried to play it off for the group of spectators which had gathered.

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Goofs

When Deranian and the hunters start chasing the RV, the white Cadillac convertible is behind Deranian's Lincoln. When the kids are looking out the back window, only the Lincoln and the GMC SUV are seen. When Tony sends the bag of flour out the window, the white Cadillac is once again between the Lincoln and the SUV.

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Quotes

Tia Malone: Tony, we've got to get out of here, please.

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Alternate Versions

Early video releases were missing the magic sequence with the dancing puppets. Disney's response to complaints was that music rights were not available.

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Connections

Referenced in IMDb's 20th Anniversary Star of the Day: Jennifer Todd (2010)

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Soundtracks

Skipping Along
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Hayman

User Reviews

Away to witch mountain we go!

The 1970's was not a good time for the Disney Studios. Much of the stuff that came from Disney at this time were corny and fluff. This movie however is a rare exception, esp. for it's time.

This film is about a bother and sister, Tony & Tia (Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards)who have powers(ESP, Levitation and the like)but they don't know how or where these powers come from. Tia is being bothered by memories of an accident that she can't piece together. However, as the film progresses-the pieces come together like a puzzle and they figure out the answer to the question: "Where are we from?"

I must say that the chemistry between Eisenmann & Richards worked so well, people actually believe that they are brother & sister. It's really remarkable how well they worked together-no wonder it looked so real. This is remarkable acting talent on the part of these two and no one could have done it better. This is why I think these two actors are underrated.

I'm not going to go into detail of the rest of the film. Read the other reviews for that. One thing I need to mention is that the special effects were great for it's time. Maybe They were a little Cheesy, but the essence of the story is not the powers these kids have, but they are searching for their home and looking for answers about where they come from. To me, this is the real story-not the special effects.

I just got my DVD copies of both films This and "Return From witch mountain" They done a good job remastering the soundtrack in THX, 5.1 Dolby surround sound. It sounds as good as it does in the theater if you have a home theater system.