Search - Bedknobs and Broomsticks on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Child Classic Movie Release: 1971 DVD Release: 03/20/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 19 mins Studio: Walt Disney Video Members Wishing: 100 Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Children's/Family, Fantasy Adventure, Musical Fantasy, Animated Musical, Family-Oriented Adventure See Also: Bedknobs and Broomsticks [Enchanted Musical Edition]

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 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

Angela Lansbury - Eglantine Price
David Tomlinson - Emelius Browne
Roddy McDowall - Mr. Jelk
Sam Jaffe - Bookman
John Ericson - Col. Heller
Ian Weighall - Charlie

Unlike many family oriented titles, the DVD =Bedknobs and Broomsticks offers supplemental material that is as interesting to adults as it will be to children. The disc offers a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. There are no subtitles on this release, but the English soundtrack is closed captioned. The copious supplemental materials include animated shorts starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, a making-of featurette featuring Angela Lansbury, a deleted song, photo galleries featuring advertising artwork and merchandising, footage from the recording session for one of the film's songs, and a handful of theatrical trailers. This is an outstanding disc with lots to enjoy for the entire family. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide