Credit: DisneyTo say that Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) is a strange and unusual film is putting it lightly, but it’s one of the most impressive and underrated films in the studio’s backlog. Aided by three evacuated children and the bumbling Professor Browne (David Tomlinson), Eglantine Price (Angela Lansbury) embarks on magical adventures using an enchanted bed to defeat the Nazis during the Battle of Britain with substitutiary locomotion and a castle full of armor.
The film is something of an oddball, even by Disney standards. It was almost a piece of lost media, as half an hour from the original cut was removed due to time constraints, and yet it paved the way for many films that followed with its groundbreaking special effects and an incredible score by Richard and Robert Sherman.
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From floating heads to robotic presidents, The Walt Disney Company has created some truly strange properties in its century of existence. However, the idea of the studio battling the forces of evil with witchcraft and Sherman Brothers musical numbers is certainly one of the strangest concepts in its history, but it’s perhaps a story that needs to be revisited during our current social climate.
Beyond Bedknobs and Broomsticks
In order to understand the need for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, we have to look back at what happened just before its release. Walt Disney’s magnum opus was undoubtedly Mary Poppins (1964), but Walt also had this magical tale waiting in the wings about an apprentice witch, a flying bed, and an island of talking animals.
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As Walt continued to work with Mary Poppins, he passed the idea for Bedknobs and Broomsticks to director Bill Walsh and the Sherman Brothers for further development. In 1971, the film was a smash hit in theaters and later took home the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
Although the scenes on the Isle of Naboombu that put the film’s live-action cast in an animated world were absolutely charming, it’s the impressive green screen battle fought by enchanted suits of armor against a boatload of Nazi invaders that truly makes the film stand out. Let’s see Mary Poppins do that.
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Joking aside, the film’s plot is much more relevant and relatable now than it did in the studio’s post-Walt era in the ’70s. As the magical Miss Price aids Carrie, Charles, and Paul during an “age of not believing,” so too do many young viewers in 2024.
Why It Matters
Since its premiere, the film received a full restoration on home video, a release on Disney+, and even a stage musical penned by the Sherman Brothers themselves. However, it is perhaps best known for its magical and musical escape for generations of moviegoers everywhere.
As sad as it is, we do not live in the magical times Disney likes to portray in its films. Like the children in the film, modern viewers live in very uncertain times, and some currently face environments similar to war-torn England in the 1940s.
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With the war in Gaza, a tumultuous presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and a rapidly changing culture many are unprepared for, this year alone has already rocked the lives of many. In this writer’s opinion, the wish for a magic spell and a trip around the world in a flying brass bed wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
Although perhaps not nearly as famous as Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is one of those stand-out examples of why we love Disney movies. They are a dependable escape to a magical world away from the turmoils of today.
Have you seen this weird and wonderful Disney classic? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!