Bedknobs and Broomsticks DVD

Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bedknobs and Broomsticks was produced several years after Walt Disney's death and released in the fall of 1971. As it turned out, Bedknobs was frequently compared to Mary Poppins -- probably thanks to several striking similarities between the two productions, notably the presence in the cast of David Tomlinson, the use of two cockney children as central characters, and the inclusion of sequences that combine animation and live-action. Set in wartime England, Bedknobs stars Angela Lansbury as Eglantine Price, a would-be witch who hopes to use her newly acquired conjuring powers to forestall a Nazi invasion. Saddled with three surly kids who've been evacuated from London, Lansbury wins over her charges by performing various and sundry feats of magic. And, yes, she manages to foil a few Germans along the way. The film's most famous episode is an elaborate undersea fantasy, which combines animation with live-action on a gargantuan scale, dwarfing all previous Disney sequences along these lines. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Angela Lansbury as Eglantine Price David Tomlinson as Emelius Browne Roddy McDowall as Mr. Jelk Sam Jaffe as Bookman John Ericson as Col. Heller Bruce Forsyth as Swinburne Cindy O'Callaghan as Carrie

Crew John Mansbridge - Art Director Peter Ellenshaw - Art Director Ward Kimball - Animator Art Stevens - Animator Donald McKayle - Choreography Bill Thomas - Costume Designer Chris Hibler - First Assistant Director Robert Stevenson - Director Arthur J. Vitarelli - Second Unit Director Cotton Warburton - Editor Richard M. Sherman - Composer (Music Score) Irwin Kostal - Composer (Music Score) Robert B. Sherman - Composer (Music Score) Robert B. Sherman - Songwriter Richard M. Sherman - Songwriter Robert J. Schiffer - Makeup Frank Phillips - Cinematographer Bill Walsh - Producer Danny Lee - Special Effects Alan Maley - Special Effects Eustace Lycett - Special Effects Robert O. Cook - Sound/Sound Designer Bill Walsh - Screenwriter Don DaGradi - Screenwriter Mary Norton - Book Author

Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Rightfully criticized as being unsuccessful in its attempts to emulate Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks nevertheless is a quite likeable and rather appealing musical for children. More heavily plotted than Poppins -- perhaps a bit too much so -- Bedknobs also has a bit more meat on its bones -- again, perhaps a bit too much so. Both of these factors tend to make Bedknobs a little heavy-going at times. While the special effects themselves soar and glide, the film itself is not able to float along as effortlessly as it needs to. Part of the problem of the original was sheer length; at 141 minutes it was too long. (Conversely, the 117-minute edited version is too choppy.) The film is also not helped by the uninspired Sherman Brothers score, which revisits too many of their better-realized Poppins songs. The moody "Portobello Road" is a major exception, although it goes on too long, and "Substitutiary Locomotion" is enjoyable, despite its derivativeness. Fortunately, Bedknobs has tremendous assets in its cast, design, and special effects, which combine to make up for the shortcomings in script and song. The visual effects are exceptional, and the costumes and overall production design are quite magical. Angela Lansbury gives a magnetic performance, galvanizing the material and bringing the film to life as easily as she does inanimate objects. David Tomlinson is surprisingly well matched with her, and the children are fine. While it's a shame that Bedknobs is not the classic it could have been, there are more than enough assets to make it worth watching. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Alan Maley: Academy, Best Visual Effects (winner) Angela Lansbury: Golden Globe, Best Actress - Musical or Comedy (nominated) Bill Thomas: Academy, Best Costume Design (nominated) Danny Lee: Academy, Best Visual Effects (winner) Emile Kuri: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Eustace Lycett: Academy, Best Visual Effects (winner) Hal G. Gausman: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Irwin Kostal: Academy, Best Adaptation and Original Song Score (nominated) John Mansbridge: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Peter Ellenshaw: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Richard M. Sherman: Academy, Best Adapted or Original Song Score (nominated) Richard M. Sherman: Academy, Best Song (nominated) Robert B. Sherman: Academy, Best Adaptation and Original Song Score (nominated) Robert B. Sherman: Academy, Best Song (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: French, English Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: Complete original film with fully restored audio and video "The Worm Turns" animated short starring Mickey Mouse "The Vanishing Private" animated short starring Donald Duck All-new "Music Magic" featurette with the Sherman Brothers songwriting team, Angela Lansbury and Scott MacQueen on the making of the film "A Step in the Right Direction" deleted song "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" scrapbook: three still-frame galleries, concept art, advertising, publicity, and merchandising Theatrical trailers "Portobello Road" recording session with David Tomlinson Widescreen [1.66:1] enhanced for 16x9 televisions All-new Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1: Vistavision MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 139 min Part of Series: Gold Collection   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 0. Side #1 -- 0. Chapter Selection 1. Opening Credits [:14] 2. "The Old Home Guard" [:05] 3. Meeting The Children [3:44] 4. A New Home [2:34] 5. Basic Broom Instructions [2:56] 6. Charlie's Con [3:09] 7. Traveling Spell [5:01] 8. "The Age Of Not Believing" [4:17] 9. "With A Flair" [3:07] 10. Finding Fun In The House [1:20] 11. "Portobello Road" [6:09] 12. Visit To Bookman [:09] 13. To The Island Of Naboombu [5:58] 14. "The Beautiful Briny" [1:09] 15. No People Allowed [7:30] 16. Savage Soccer Match [2:15] 17. Giving The Spell A Try [4:47] 18. Remember The Words [2:53] 19. "Substitutiary Locomotion" [:30] 20. Important News [6:07] 21. "Nobody's Problems For Me" [5:48] 22. Just A Little Exercise [5:22] 23. Spell Search [:24] 24. Mr. "Bunny" Browne [1:50] 25. Troops To The Rescue [4:54]