Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company which combines live action and animation and was released in North America on December 13, 1971. It is based upon the books The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons (1943) and Bonfires and Broomsticks (1945) by English children's author Mary Norton. It stars Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson.

The film is frequently compared to Mary Poppins (1964): combining live action and animation and partly set in the streets of London. It shares some of the cast from Mary Poppins, namely Tomlinson, supporting actor Reginald Owen (in his last film role), a similar filmcrew, songwriters the Sherman Brothers, director Robert Stevenson, art director Peter Ellenshaw, and music director Irwin Kostal.[2][3]

According to film critic Leonard Maltin's book Disney Films, Leslie Caron, Lynn Redgrave, Judy Carne, and Julie Andrews were all considered for the role of Eglantine Price before the Disney studio decided on Angela Lansbury. David Tomlinson replaced Ron Moody as Emelius Brown due to Moody's busy schedule in England. It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
During the 1940 London Blitz, a family of three siblings, Charlie, Carrie and Paul Rawlins, are evacuated to the small village of Pepperinge Eye. There, they are placed in the care of Eglantine Price, who reluctantly accepts the trio into her home. The children learn that Miss Price is an apprentice witch, who wants to use her witchcraft to aid the war effort. In exchange for their silence, Miss Price casts a spell on a bedknob that Paul removed from a brass bed in their room. When re-attached to the bed, it will travel anywhere that Paul asks. The next day, Miss Price receives a letter from the headteacher of her correspondence school informing her he is closing the college due to the war and cannot provide her with a crucial spell she has been waiting for to help her cause. As a result, she asks Paul if she can use the bed to go to London to track him down.

Reaching London, the four quickly encounter the headmaster, Emelius Browne, who is in reality a con artist. Browne is surprised to learn that the spells he thought were merely nonsense words out of an old book actually work for Miss Price. Miss Price asks to see the book, and Emelius takes the group to a mansion where he is currently residing (which was abandoned due to an unexploded bomb in the garden). While the children explore the home, Browne shows Miss Price the book, which is actually torn in half, thus explaining why he closed the college before sending out the final spell.

Browne and Miss Price travel to Portobello Road with the children to search its many stalls and carts of old books. Their search attracts the attention of a spiv named Swinburne, who works for a man known as the Bookman, who has the other half of the book. Miss Price and the Bookman exchange their halves, but the completed text doesn't actually contain the spell itself but simply states that it is inscribed on a medallion known as the Star of Astoroth. Bookman tells the group that, during Astoroth's life, the wizard used his magic to imbue animals with anthropomorphism. However, the animals rebelled, stole many of his possessions and traveled to an unknown island. When Bookman names the island, Paul realizes it's the island described in a children's book he took from Browne's house. Before Bookman can get the book, Miss Price, Browne and the children escape on the magical bed and travel to the island, Naboombu.

Initially landing in a nearby lagoon, the group is caught by a bear that is fishing in the lagoon. The bear reveals that no people are meant to be on the island by order of the king. The bear leads the party to meet the island's king, a lion. The king is upset because nobody has volunteered to referee a royal soccer match. Browne convinces the king he can referee the match, and he observes the Star of Astoroth hanging on the king's neck while being trampled upon several times by the wild animals. Following the game, Mr. Browne secretly switches the Star with his referee's whistle and the group escapes on the magical bed. Upon returning home, Miss Price discovers that the Star has disappeared, as it cannot leave the fantasy world. Fortunately, Paul reveals that the words of the “substitutiary locomotion” spell have been in his book all along. Miss Price attempts the spell, which gives inanimate objects the ability to move on their own, but is unable to control it.

Later, when Miss Price and the children are informed that they can be relocated, they realize they have become comfortable with each other. However Paul refers to Mr Browne as 'Dad' which quickly makes him and Miss Price uneasy. Mr Browne decides to take the first train back to London, and he bids a sad goodbye to the children as Miss Price warmly thanks him for all his help. At the station, learning that there won't be any trains until the morning, Mr. Browne decides to sleep on the bench but feels guilty for leaving the family.

That night, a German raiding party invades Pepperinge Eye and commandeers Miss Price's house. She and the children are captured and taken to the village museum, inside an old castle. Mr. Browne discovers other Germans engaging in acts of sabotage. He returns to Miss Price's home and breaks into her workshop. The Germans hear the noise but Browne uses a spell to turn himself into a rabbit. He then joins group at the castle. After reverting to human form, Mr Browne suggests the substitutiary locomotion spell be cast on the old uniforms and weapons in the castle. Miss Price agrees and uses the spell to create a magical army of medieval knights, Elizabethan Guards, Cavaliers, Redcoats, and Highlanders.

The Germans, unable to stop the seemingly invincible army, retreat back into the sea but not before destroying Miss Price's workshop. The explosion knocks her from the sky, where she had been directing the magical attack astride a flying broomstick. This breaks the spell. Miss Price accepts that this is the end of her days as a witch, but is happy she got to make a small contribution to the war effort. The next morning, Mr. Browne enlists and departs (with an escort from the local chapter of the Home Guard) but promises to return. Charlie bemoans that their adventures are over, only for Paul to reveal he still has the magical bedknob, implying that they can at least go anywhere they like.
Cast

Angela Lansbury as Miss Eglantine Price, an apprentice witch.
David Tomlinson as Emelius Browne, Miss Price's former teacher and headmaster of Correspondence College of Witchcraft.
Roddy McDowall as Mr. Jelk, the local vicar
Sam Jaffe as Bookman, an antiquarian book merchant
John Ericson as Colonel Heller, leader of German invasion force.
Bruce Forsyth as Swinburne, Bookman's assistant

The Children:

Cindy O'Callaghan as Carrie
Roy Snart as Paul
Ian Weighill as Charlie



Tessie O'Shea as Mrs. Jessica Hobday
Arthur Gould-Porter as Captain Bill A. Greer
Ben Wrigley as Portobello Road workman
Reginald Owen as Major General Sir Brian Teagler, leader of the Home Guard. This is Owen's last film before his death the next year.
Cyril Delevanti as Elderly farmer
Rick Traeger and Manfred Lating as German sergeants

The voices of:

Robert Holt as Codfish
Lennie Weinrib as Secretary Bird and Lion
Dal McKennon as Bear
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Produced by Bill Walsh
Screenplay by Bill Walsh
Don DaGradi
Based on The Magic Bed Knob &
Bonfires and Broomsticks by
Mary Norton
Starring Angela Lansbury
David Tomlinson
Ian Weighill
Cindy O'Callaghan
Roy Snart
Music by Songs:
Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Score:
Irwin Kostal
Cinematography Frank V. Phillips
Editing by Cotton Warburton
Studio Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc.
Release date(s)

October 7, 1971 (UK
December 13, 1971 (United States)

Running time 117 minutes
Country United States
United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $20 million
Box office $17,871,174