- Film Review
- Reviewed By David Parkinson
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3 out of 5
Directed by Robert Stevenson, this was a conscious effort on the part of Disney to repeat the success of Mary Poppins. Angela Lansbury is splendidly dotty as amateur witch Eglantine Price, but neither David Tomlinson nor the trio of cockney evacuees offer her much support. But then neither does the story, cobbled together from a couple of Mary Norton novels, in which the Nazi invasion of Britain is repelled by magic. The animated sequences are easily the highlights of the film, which now shows in full (for many years we had to make do with a 98-minute version that cut several of the Sherman brothers' songs).
Plot Summary
Part-animated musical fantasy starring Angela Lansbury. During the Second World War, three children are evacuated to the coast to escape the Blitz. To their dismay, they are sent to live with the eccentric Eglantine Price. But their opinion of her changes when they discover Eglantine is a witch and her powers can take them to fantastic worlds.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Eglantine Price
- Angela Lansbury
- Emelius Browne
- David Tomlinson
- Mr Jelk
- Roddy McDowall
- Bookman
- Sam Jaffe
- Colonel Heller
- John Ericson
- Swinburne
- Bruce Forsyth
- Paul
- Roy Snart
- Carrie
- Cindy O'Callaghan
- Charlie
- Ian Weighall
- General Teagler
- Reginald Owen
- Mrs Hobday
- Tessie O'Shea
- Captain Greer
- Arthur E Gould-Porter
- Street sweeper
- Ben Wrigley
Crew
- Director
- Robert Stevenson
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