Bedknobs and Broomsticks

In 1971, Disney released another hybrid film, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Based off the Mary Norton books The Magic Bed Knob; or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks, the film stars Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson and was the last film released before Disney’s brother Roy O. Disney died. It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and currently has a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes.

During the Blitz, Charlie, Carrie, and Paul (Ian Weighill, Cindy O’Callaghan, and Roy Snart) are evacuated and place in the care of the reclusive Eglantine Price (Lansbury), who is an apprentice which. She hopes her magic can bring the war to an end. After the children find out her secret, Price enchants a bedknob which will transport them to any location when attached to her father’s bed.

Price receives a letter that says her college closed down so she goes to London to speak with the headmaster Emelius Browne (Tomlinson), who is actually a con artist with meaningless formulas. Price asks him for the second book, and he produces it, but half the pages are missing. They go to Portobello Road to search for it and attract the attention of a petty thief. They are taken to the Bookman who has the other half, but the final spell is missing. The Bookman explains the author, Astaroth, used the magic to give wild animals anthropomorphism. They killed him, stole the medallion and sailed to the Isle of Namboombu.

The group heads to the island, only to learn that no humans are allowed. Browne speaks with King Leonidas (Lennie Weinrib) a soccer loving lion, who wears the Star and offers to referee an upcoming soccer match.

The king is victorious and Browne steals the star. But when they return home, the star has vanished. Paul finds the incantation for the Substitutiary Locomotion spell in his book and Price tests it. However, its power is too strong. Browne leaves as he is worried he is too attached to Price and the children.

A Nazi raiding party sneaks onto the coast, occupies Price’s house and places her and the children in a weaponry museum. Browne finds a way to join them and they use the spell on the museum’s displays and lead an army of armor to fight the Nazis. The commander destroys Price’s workshop, which knocks her off her broomstick and the army collapses. The Nazis retreat as the Home Guard fires at them.

Afterwards, Browne enlists and marches off while Paul reveals he still has the enchanted bedknob.

You may remember I said in my review of Mary Poppins that the animation was unnecessary and was only there for the sake of being animated. Well, I feel the exact opposite with Bedknobs and Broomsticks. In this film, the group goes to an island that is only thought to exist in the world of a book. And a sorcerer made the animals anthropomorphic. It could be that after a while, the animals just became animated or Asteroth simply made them that way. It’s not really explained and doesn’t need to be. The animation simply feels like it fits, which it didn’t with Mary Poppins.

The story is interesting and fun, especially with living suits of armor chanting in Latin fighting off Nazis. And the Portobello Road number shows off Disney’s casting and choreography very well. There’s a not-so-subtle moment where two prostitutes show up and even then, it’s handled very well and tastefully. I like Browne’s character arc. He first shows up as a con artist, peddling magic he doesn’t believe exists. And when he’s first presented with it, all he wants to do is market it. But when he comes to realize he’s growing fond of the children and Price, he understands how bad of an idea that is and leaves so he doesn’t grow fonder of them. But the coward found at the beginning of the film has turned noble and comes back, using the magic he once wanted to make money off of to help them and ends up joining the army. He’s got an inner conflict that everyone can relate to in one way or another.

My only problem with the film is that the children aren’t too good of actors. They’re not terrible and don’t ruin the film, but they’re just not all that great.

Final call: interesting ideas with a fun climax. Won’t make the Edge of Satisfaction, but it will become #12.