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 by), Alexander Key (based on the book by)

Stars:

Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Albert	...	Jason
Ray Milland	...	Aristotle Bolt
Donald Pleasence	...	Deranian
Kim Richards	...	Tia
Ike Eisenmann	...	Tony
Walter Barnes	...	Sheriff Purdy
Reta Shaw	...	Mrs. Grindley
Denver Pyle	...	Uncle Bene
Alfred Ryder	...	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:

Caught in a World Where They Don't Belong - THEY HAVE TO ESCAPE!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the interiors and exteriors of Mr. Bolt's (Ray Milland's) mansion were predominantly the same location, the playroom was built on a Disney soundstage to accommodate the special effects team.

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Goofs

Wires are obvious in two scenes; on the hovering handgun at the campground, and on the floating harmonica in the jail.

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Quotes

Jason O'Day: I wonder... I wonder how I'd handle you kids if you were mine. Well, maybe that's why I never married, eh?
Tia Malone: But Mr. O'Day. You were married.
Jason O'Day: What?
Tia Malone: Long, long time ago. And she was so pretty. And you had a little house.
Tony Malone: Yeah, I can see it. It was white, with yellow shutters. And there was a big elm branch over the whole roof.
Tia Malone: Tony knows about people. He can see places they've been.
Jason O'Day: [Angry] What else?
Tia Malone: Well, your wife died only a few months after you were married. And you were so sad. You took an ...
[...]

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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 Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)

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Soundtracks

Skipping Along
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Hayman

User Reviews

Wonderful Film

I was thrilled to see one of my favourite films, as a child, released on to DVD. I can now share some of my childhood with my own kids. No big surprise, but my older daughter (7) loves it. My younger daughter (2) thought some parts were "scary daddy"; the broom/jail scene was well done! Highly recommend it as a family film for folks that want a nice movie to watch with their kids.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Escape to Witch Mountain

Filming Locations:

Bixby Creek Arch Bridge, Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$20,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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