Bedknobs and Broomsticks (117 min) Synopsis: In the autumn of 1940, an eccentric, ladylike spinster, Eglantine Price, becomes an apprentice witch, in hopes of finding a magic formula which will help England win the war against Nazi Germany. With the help of three London children, who she takes in to save them from the blitz, she first seeks out her amusing but bogus professor of witchcraft, Emelius Browne, and then ventures into Portobello Road in search of the rare formula. Miss Price finally discovers that the words of the magical spell can be found on the legendary “Lost Isle of Naboombu,” so she, Browne, and the children travel there, having adventures beneath the sea along the way. They discover the lion king of Naboombu is wearing a medallion with the words to the spell on it, which they have to obtain. All of this magical travel is possible with the aid of a magical bedknob. Returning home, Miss Price uses the formula to raise a ghostly army of armor from the local museum that routs a band of invading German commandos. Cast: Stars Angela Lansbury (Eglantine Price), Roddy McDowall (Mr. Jelk), David Tomlinson (Emelius Browne), Sam Jaffe (Bookman), John Ericson (Col. Heller), Bruce Forsyth (Swinburne), Tessie O’Shea (Mrs. Hobday), Reginald Owen (Gen. Teagler), Ian Weighill (Charlie), Roy Snart (Paul), Cindy O’Callaghan (Carrie). Songs: “The Old Home Guard,” “The Age of Not Believing,” “Eglantine,” “Portobello Road,” “The Beautiful Briny,” and “Substitutiary Locomotion.” Directed by Robert Stevenson U.S. Theatrical Release: December 13, 1971. (Premiered in England on October 7, 1971). US Theatrical Reissues: 1979 US Home Media Releases: March 4, 1980 (VHS); 1982 (LD); May 27, 1986 (VHS); October 12, 1989 (VHS); July 12, 1991 (VHS); October 28, 1994 (VHS/LD); March 20, 2001 (DVD/VHS); September 8, 2009 (DVD); August 12, 2014 (BR); Trivia: • Based upon the books The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by Mary Norton • The creative talent behind Mary Poppins joined forces again for this film, including producer-writer Bill Walsh, songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, music supervisor Irwin Kostal, art director Peter Ellenshaw, and special effects technician Eustace Lycett. • The screenplay was based on Mary Norton’s book, with additions by Bill Walsh, who came up with the German invasion. • The film was made entirely on the Disney Studio lot in Burbank, California, where outdoor sets included the town of Pepperinge Eye and Miss Price’s seaview cottage, and indoor sets including a three-block section of London’s legendary Portobello Road. Two hundred players jammed this set alone, which was filled with bric-a-brac and such oddments as a Sicilian sedan chair, Limoges china, and gas masks from World War II. Among the performers and extras in the crowd were veterans of music halls, vaudeville, rep shows, radio, silent films, and early talkies. • The ghostly medieval army’s weapons and armor had originally been assembled in Spain for the film El Cid, and then were shipped to America to be used in the Warner Bros. musical Camelot. • Ward Kimball was the director of the wonderful animation sequences on the Isle of Naboombu. • Despite the effort, lavish budget, ingenuity, and special effects, the film was not a great box office success, causing the studio subsequently to edit the film. The editing was accomplished primarily to the detriment of musical numbers—large chunks of “Eglantine” and “With A Flair” were deleted. • The film won the Academy Award for Best Special Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction/Set Direction, Best Song (“The Age of Not Believing”), Best Scoring, and Best Costume Design. • For its 1979 reissue, the film was whittled down to 98 minutes. The Copyright Laws of the United States recognizes a “fair use” of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: “Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” This video and the “Animation Compendia” YouTube channel in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyrighted holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above.