Review of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) by Rebecca H — 08 Aug 2009

NB: I watched the remastered 25th Anniversary version, which is about seven hours longer than the original, and has some of the most noticeable dubbing I've seen this side of a spoof.

Miss Price (Angela Lansbury) is training to become a witch so she can bring inanimate objects to life and stop a possible Nazi invasion, when three evacuees are dumped on her. They are the nasty, ghastly Charlie (Ian Weighill) who is only bearable when Miss Price turns him into a rabbit, the charming Carrie (Cindy O'Callaghan) and the other one, Paul (Roy Snart). They travel to London via magic bed to meet Professor Emelius Browne (David Tomlinson - effortlessly the best thing in it) who has been sending her spells (and presumably the mankiest cat you ever saw), only to find he is a conman and doesn't own the final spell she needs. Boringly, Miss Price takes it in her stride that he is a conman and never reacts, which makes me wonder why they bothered. It is also unclear why she needs this specific spell so much - are no other spells useful in repelling Nazis? As it is, this one only comes into use when the Nazis invade, which really isn't that useful when you consider that actually the Nazis DIDN'T invade. They go on an adventure to find it, which involves having to watch the longest animated football match in history. Thank goodness I found the vultures so entertaining.

This film limply tries to be a musical without having any particularly interesting songs and few dance numbers while Lansbury sings with her unpleasant 'old lady' voice, despite not being old yet. The first song doesn't crop up until thirty minutes in and lasts less than a minute. This is no musical and it flounders whenever it tries - although Tomlinson does have a pleasing voice. It lies flatly between musical lovers and haters - there's not enough here to sing along to with swathes of nothing, but if you don't like songs, then there is too much here to ignore.

Admittedly, I watched the extended version, but this is the film how they wanted it to be and it is mostly padding. There really isn't a plot and it is a rubbish musical. Thankfully it really looks amazing - all the special effects are fantastic. I also liked Professor Browne, except when he was poorly dubbed (possible drinking game - every time the words are out of sync with the actor's mouth take a sip, every time their voice morphs into the wrong accent down a shot), but the ending of him being sent off to war is horrific. Probably one of those films you only love if you watched it as a child.