The daring witch in her flying bed

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Movie
German title The daring witch in her flying bed
Original title Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1971
length 89 (German shortened version), 100 (German theatrical version), 117 (US theatrical version), 139 (unabridged original version) minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Robert Stevenson
script Bill Walsh
Don DaGradi
production Bill Walsh
music Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Irwin Kostal
camera Frank V. Phillips
cut Cotton Warburton
occupation

The daring witch in her flying bed (original title: Bedknobs and Broomsticks ) is a Disney fantasy comedy by Robert Stevenson from 1971. The special thing about this film is the mixing of real scenes with cartoon scenes. The film is based on the novel A Great Witch (Original title: Bedknob and Broomsticks ) by Mary Norton .

The German title of the film alludes to the film comedy Die foolhardy men in their flying boxes .

action

(Plot of the German version. The English version contains some additional scenes.)

The action takes place in England at the time of the Second World War . In the opening scene, a British officer asks a local about the town of Pepperinge Eye. He replies that he is not allowed to provide any information and is just painting over the sign in case the Germans carry out an invasion. In the old castle of Pepperinge Eye, children evacuated from London are assigned to foster families in the country. Among them are the siblings Charles, Carrie and Paul Rawlins. When Miss Caroline Price, who lives alone on a large country estate, reaches the place to pick up a parcel, the three children are assigned to her, which she takes with her with great reluctance.

Immediately after their arrival, the siblings plan their escape back to London the first night. Meanwhile Miss Price unpacks the received package. This is a magic broom she received from the Distance Learning Institute for Magical Science in London, where she has been studying witchcraft for a long time. The enclosed letter is from the director of the institute, Professor Emelius Browne. Miss Price actually manages to fly with the broom after a few attempts, but becomes cocky and falls down, destroying the broom. She is watched by the children who were trying to escape. The children then decide to stay and blackmail the witch.

When Charles reveals the next morning that the children know the truth, Miss Price gives them a bed button with a travel charm as a pledge for their secrecy. Shortly thereafter, another letter arrives from Emelius Browne, stating that the Witchcraft Institute was closed due to the war and that Miss Price is no longer receiving the last lesson of the course that she was particularly interested in.

The witch then borrows the bed button from the children and travels with them to London on the flying bed, on which the enchanted bed button has to be screwed. There they meet Emelius Browne, who, however, turns out to be a really bad street wizard, who even fails his own tricks at one performance. Miss Price asks him to hand over the final spell. When Browne refuses, Miss Price briefly turns him into a rabbit. Browne is speechless to see that his spells actually work. He explains that he took the Proverbs from an old book. The group takes the bed to Browne's house, a mansion that he has taken possession of, which is empty because of a bomb blind man lying next door. Miss Price, however, has to turn the talkative Browne into a rabbit again before he pulls out the book The Spells of Astoroth. Miss Price realizes that the last part of the book and the last line are missing. According to Browne, the second part is owned by a street vendor who tore the book apart in an argument with him. Meanwhile, the children explore the house. Paul finds a children's book there about Naboombu, an island populated by talking animals, and takes it with him.

The group is led by Browne to Portobello Road , a flea market in London, where they look for the second half of the book. However, you won't find anything until the end of the day. Suddenly, Mr. Swinburn, a bookseller's henchman, shows up and forces the group to go with him. She is taken to a cellar where the bookseller who owns the second half is waiting. Miss Price and the bookseller exchange their halves, but discover that neither contains the spell. The book just says that the spell is engraved on a star that the wizard Astoroth is said to have worn around his neck. According to legend, this star was stolen from him by animals with whom he had experimented. These animals have fled and have since lived on a desert island called Naboombu. Now Paul shows the adults the book that proves the island's existence. Miss Price, the children and Mister Browne flee the bookseller's power with the bed and fly into the lagoon off the island of Naboombu, where they meet a talking cod and other marine animals. After a short stay in an underwater dance club, they are fished out with a fishing rod by a talking bear, which, at their request, brings them to the king of the island, a hot-tempered lion. He actually wears the star of Astoroth around his neck. To get the King positive, Browne agrees to act as referee at an animal soccer game. However, since the game is extremely unfair and completely without rules, Browne is knocked over and over until the king's team wins. After the game, Browne helps the king into the cloak and takes the star from him. After that, people will run away as quickly as possible. Shortly before they escape, however, the theft is noticed and Miss Price can only save the group by turning the king into a rabbit.

After they have flown back to the country house on the bed, Miss Price wants to try out the magic words “Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee”, a magic spell that moves. The saying actually succeeds and all the clothes in the property come to life, but become more and more malicious over time. The spell can only be interrupted with difficulty. That same evening, Browne said goodbye to drive back to London. During the night, however, German troops land on the coast, take Miss Price and the children prisoner and lock them in the castle of Pepperinge Eye. Browne also notices the soldiers cutting cables at the station. Concerned about Miss Price, he runs back to the country house, but finds no one there. When he is noticed by the soldiers, he barricades himself in a room and manages to transform himself into a rabbit and in this form to get to Miss Price and the children. In the castle, Miss Price mobilizes all the old armor and uniforms that are exhibited there with the magic spell. Then they march against the Germans, who use machine guns to defend themselves against the deserted armaments, but this does not stop them. The invaders flee back to their ship headlong, but first they blow up the witch archive. Miss Price, who accompanied the advance of her enchanted troops flying on a broomstick, is surprised by the explosion and falls to the ground, and with her the empty armor and uniforms collapse. To her regret, all her spells were destroyed. The bed button, however, survived the attack in Paul's possession.

The animal soccer game

The animal soccer game is mistakenly viewed by many as an independent short film. In fact, this seven-minute subplot is part of the film The Daredevil Witch in Her Flying Bed . The animals of the soccer game were released as surprise egg characters by Ferrero in 1990 under the name The Dribbel Boys .

German version

The German dubbing was done in 1971 by Simoton Film Berlin . Eberhard Cronshagen was responsible for dialogues, lyrics and dubbing . Heinrich Riethmüller was the musical director . For the German version, not only the name of the witch was changed from "Eglantine Price" to "Caroline Price", but all direct references to the time of the action, the Second World War, were deleted. For example, there were no more pictures of the soldiers of Nazi Germany in the opening credits prepared for the German theatrical release . Instead of the introductory words "England in the August of the Year 1940", the German theatrical version only saw a foggy "Once upon a time ...". For the DVD released in 2003, however, the original English-language opening credits were used again. Any allusion to National Socialist Germany or the Wehrmacht was also deleted from the dialogues . The original German theatrical version had a running time of approx. 100 minutes, the now known version, which was also released on VHS and DVD and can be seen on TV, only lasts 89 minutes. The film opened in German cinemas on December 15, 1972.

role actor Voice actor
Caroline Price Angela Lansbury Christa Berndl
Emelius Browne David Tomlinson Friedrich Schoenfelder
Bookseller Sam Jaffe Hans Hessling
Carrie Rawlins Cindy O'Callaghan Sabine Clasen
Charlie Rawlins Ian Weighill Benjamin Völz
Paul Rawlins Roy Snart André Brandt
Mrs. Jessica Hobday Tessie O'Shea Ursula War
Mr. Rowan Jelk Roddy McDowall Wilfried Herbst
Swinburn Bruce Forsyth Gerd Martienzen
Colonel Heller John Ericson Thomas Danneberg
Captain Ainsley Greer Arthur Gould-Porter Helmut Heyne
General Sir Brian Teagler Reginald Owen Siegfried Schürenberg
King Leonidas Lennie Weinrib Arnold Marquis
secretary Lennie Weinrib Peter Schiff
bear Dallas McKennon Edgar Ott
cod Robert Holt Erich Fiedler

background

The English children's book author Mary Norton had published her first children's book Das Zauberbett in 1943 ( The Magic Bed-Knob in German: Der magische Bettknopf). In August 1945, Variety reported that Walt Disney had acquired the film rights to the book. In 1947 Norton published Bonfires and Broomsticks (in German: campfire and broomsticks; German book title unknown), the two children's books were combined in 1957 to a great witch ( Bed-Knob and Broomsticks ). During the negotiations with the Australian writer PL Travers on the film rights for Mary Poppins in 1961, a film adaptation of A Great Witch was considered as an alternative project . When negotiations stalled, Disney instructed the Sherman brothers to begin the project. At a script session with producer Bill Walsh and writer Don DaGradi , Walt Disney fell asleep in his chair while the Sherman brothers sang the song "Eglantine". When Disney acquired the rights to Mary Poppins , the project was discontinued.

In the spring of 1966, the Sherman brothers resumed their work on A Great Witch , but the project was discontinued again due to the similarities with the film Mary Poppins (1964) . When the Sherman brothers' contract with Disney Studios expired in 1968, they were contacted by producer Bill Walsh in their office to begin work on the film. Walsh, Don DaGradi, and the Sherman brothers got back together to work on the plot for a few months. Although it was not planned to produce the film at the time, Walsh promised the Shermans that he would bring them back to the studio to complete the project, which he finally did in November 1969. In 1970 and 1971, the Sherman brothers revised their musical compositions for the film. The song, " The Beautiful Briny " was actually written for Mary Poppins , (wen Mary spins a compass sending the Banks children into several exotic locations,) but was then used for Bedknobs and Broomsticks . The film was also the final co-production work by Disney's older brother, Roy O. Disney .

Short version (89 minutes)
  • No indication in which period it will play exactly. But as in many fairy tales the saying: "Once upon a time ..."
  • See plot !
  • See German version !
 Long version (139 minutes)
  • At the beginning it is explained that it is about 1940, in which The Blitz (German bombing raids) took place on England.
  • The British officer, Captain Ainsley Greer (Arthur Gould-Porter), who is in the car and asked for directions, is threatened with a rifle by a local on arrival at the entrance to the castle . He tells the local that he is an officer in the British Army . The quirky old local replies, “Yes, they told us that you enemies would say that!” This leads to a violent scuffle, which Mrs. Jessica Hobday (Tessie O'Shea) hears, who is in a large castle- Hall with knight armor and handing out the refugee children to local families and taking them into their care. She gets up and goes out.
  • General Sir Brian Teagler (Reginald Owen), who marches in lockstep with the local Home Guard ( infantry troops ) in front of the castle. The old troop of soldiers sings the song The Old Home Guard (in German: The old home guard ).
  • The song "Age Of Not Believing" (in German: Age of Not Believing ), sung by Angela Lansbury, who sings it to Charlie, who stands by the dresser next to the bed, in the living room where it always stood before the first flight. Because the age of 12 that he is now makes the children stop believing in magic . While the witch is singing it, she and his sister quickly make the bed. (Also got an Oscar nomination for Best Song .); always occurs in the instrumental version when the enchanted bed flies.
  • The part of the film where they fly to London in bed , in search of Professor Emilius Brown, where he performs magic in front of an audience , is much longer. He sings the song: With A Flair (in German: With the talent).
  • There is more music from the Sherman brothers sung by Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson. For example, in the house in London (where there is an aerial bomb = dud in the garden ), the songs: Eglantine / Don't Let Me Down .
  • When they come to the flea market in the Portobello Road district to look for the other part of the magic book, the song Portobello Road is sung; British soldiers dance to it, from different troop units and uniforms. Then young women, but also soldiers dance together to the instrumental music Portobello Street Dance .
  • The animal soccer game on the island of Naboombu and Mister Brown as referee is longer and it is more often overrun by animals playing soccer.
  • When they arrive at the house of the witch Miss Price and want to try out the star with the spell of the wizard Astoroth in the cellar, which the professor Emilius Brown had stolen from King Leonidas, the star disappears again into the fantasy world of Naboombu. (There is also a flaw in logic here : when the star disappears from Mr. Brown's handkerchief, Miss Price said objects would not get from one world to another, but she, the children, and Mr. Brown, and the clothes, bed, and sheets went without Problems from her world to Naboombu and back).
  • Professor Brown goes shopping for groceries with the children in town, from Mrs. Hobday, who believes he will stay with Miss Price with the children. He admits to being in love with Miss Price. Pastor Mr. Rowan Jelk (Roddy McDowall) also comes into the shop and asks who the man was with the children.
  • Paul reveals that the star with the spell was featured in his picture book the whole time, which means they didn't have to travel to Naboombu in the first place.
  • The landing of the German Wehrmacht soldiers on the British coast of the place.
  • The scenes, battles with the armor and the Wehrmacht soldiers, are more stringent, much longer and also more fun. There are no dead people; no people die in the entire film. It is only hinted that people fell victim to the German aerial bomb attacks. Like the parents of the children. Music without interruption of the song "The Substitutiary Locomotion" (Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Di) .
  • At the end of the film, Emilius Brown joins the British Army and marches out with the local Home Guard, under the command of General Sir Brian Teagler. They sing the song The Old Home Guard again while the short credits are running.
  • After the end credits, a scene from the bookstore appears where the bookman (Sam Jaffe) presses the damaged, torn magic book to his chest and says the words: “I don't mind saying to see is all together at last. Isn't much what I can do. ” (German: I don't mind saying, seeing that everything is finally back together. It's not much I can do.) Then a new, longer end credits run with the instrumental version by The Substitutiary Locomotion . More precise details of the actors involved; the assisting technician of the restored and possibly reconstructed sound, color and image versions of the film that will actually come into the cinemas .

Reviews

source rating
Rotten tomatoes
critic
audience
IMDb

The film-dienst rated Stevenson's film in its contemporary criticism as "family entertainment enriched with a lot of kitsch that entertains unpretentiously and sympathetically".

Awards

Best equipment
Best Costumes ( Bill Thomas )
Best Music ( Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman )
Best Song "Age Of Not Believing"
Best Special Effects Won Alan Maley , Eustace Lycett, and Danny Lee .
Best Actress in a Comedy Angela Lansbury .

Radio play LP

In 1971, the Disneyland label released an elaborate radio play LP with an integrated picture book.

DVD publications

  • The daring witch in her flying bed . Walt Disney Masterpieces - Special Collection. Buena Vista Home Entertainment 2002 - PAL Region 2 DVD with the shortened German theatrical version (89 minutes, supplemented by some extras)
  • Bedknobs and Broomsticks . Walt Disney Collection. Buena Vista Home Entertainment 2002 - PAL Region 4 DVD with the version restored on the occasion of the 25th film anniversary in 1996 (134 minutes, supplemented by some extras)
  • The daring witch in her flying bed . Walt Disney Masterpieces - Special Collection. Special edition. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, 2009 - PAL Region 2 DVD with the shortened German theatrical version (89 minutes, supplemented by some extras)

Soundtrack

1965 won the brothers Robert and Richard Sherman for the musical - Fantasy film Mary Poppins two Academy Awards ( "Best Film Song" and "Best Original Score"). They had composed so many pieces of music for the film that Walt Disney had to tell them not to be able to use all of the songs for the film. Otherwise the film will be way too long. (See also the paragraph background !) Now found in this film use.

Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman : Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Original motion picture soundtrack . Walt Disney Records , Burbank 2002, audio carrier no. 60784-7, ISBN 0-7634-1924-9 - Original recording of the film music under the direction of Irwin Kostal

  1. Overture from Bedknobs and Broomsticks / The Old Home Guard
  2. The Age of Not Believing
  3. With a flair
  4. A Step In The Right Direction
  5. Eglantine / Don't Let Me Down
  6. Portobello Road
  7. Portobello Street Dance
  8. The Beautiful Briny (German title: "On the wonderful sea floor" - originally composed for the film Mary Poppins .)
  9. The Substitutiary Locomotion (Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Di) (Meaning: The five elements that give life to things that don't already have one. Treguna = wood, Mekoides = metal, Trecorum = earth, Satis = water, Dee = fire )

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ End credits of the German film version / in the German dubbing index ; accessed on March 8, 2008 / The daredevil witch in her flying bed in the Disney dubbing archive ; Retrieved March 24, 2008.
  2. ↑ Detailed description of the interventions at www.schnittberichte.com ; Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  3. ↑ "The daring witch in her flying bed" in the Disney Synchron Archive ; accessed on August 11, 2014.
  4. ^ Koenig, David (1997) Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks. Bonaventure Press. ISBN 978-0964060517 pp. 145-6
  5. ↑ Richard Sherman. Interview by Jérémie Noyer. Richard M. Sherman on Bedknobs And Broomsticks: a Solid Songwriter! . September 21, 2009. July 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Koenig, David (1997) Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks. Bonaventure Press. ISBN 978-0964060517 pp. 145-6
  7. ↑ Sherman, Robert; Sherman, Richard (1998). Walt's Time: from before to beyond. Camphor Tree Publishers. ISBN 978-0964605930 p. 162
  8. ↑ Sherman, Robert; Sherman, Richard (1998). Walt's Time: from before to beyond. Camphor Tree Publishers. ISBN 978-0964605930 p. 162
  9. ^ Koenig, David (1997). Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks. Bonaventure Press. ISBN 978-0964060517 p. 146
  10. ↑ Sherman, Robert; Sherman, Richard (1998). Walt's Time: from before to beyond. Camphor Tree Publishers. ISBN 978-0964605930 p. 166
  11. ↑ a b and at Rotten Tomatoes , accessed October 27, 2014
  12. ↑ Bedknobs and Broomsticks in the Internet Movie Database (English)
  13. ↑ The daring witch in her flying bed. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 8, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  14. ↑ Information about the LP
  15. ↑ LP cover at Hörspielwelten.de ( Memento of the original from June 7, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hoerspielwelten.de
  16. ↑ Bonus material from the DVDs Mary Poppins and The Daring Witch in Her Flying Bed, restored version 1996.