Movie · 1971 · Family, Animation, Fantasy · 1h 57m · G · English
Curator score: 4.5/10 (81.2K ratings)
You'll beWITCHED! You'll beDAZZLED! You'll be swept into a world of enchantment BEYOND ANYTHING BEFORE!
Overview
Three children evacuated from London during World War II are forced to stay with an eccentric spinster. The children's initial fears disappear when they find out she is in fact a trainee witch.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.5/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.51/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 59
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Robert Stevenson
Production
Walt Disney Productions
Cast
Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe, John Ericson, Bruce Forsyth, Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart, Ian Weighill, Tessie O'Shea, Arthur Gould-Porter, Ben Wrigley, Reginald Owen, Cyril Delevanti, Rick Traeger, Manfred Lating, John Orchard, Bob Holt, Lennie Weinrib, Dal McKennon
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A charming, slightly oddball Disney fantasy with real wartime stakes, lively musical numbers, and a memorably game Angela Lansbury performance. It’s especially appealing if you like old-school studio craft, live-action/animation hybrids, and family films that are more whimsical than polished.
Best for
fans of classic Disney musicals
viewers who enjoy wartime-set family adventures
people who like magical comedies with a slightly eerie edge
audiences nostalgic for practical effects and old studio charm
Skip if
you want modern pacing and contemporary humor
you dislike musical numbers
you prefer fantasy without a nostalgic or dated family-film feel
you’re looking for a tightly plotted story over episodic spectacle
Overview
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is one of those Disney films that feels both cozy and unhinged in the best way. It starts as a wartime evacuation story, then wanders into witchcraft, animation, and a delightfully absurd magical quest, all held together by Angela Lansbury’s warm, deadpan authority.
Worth noting
What makes it endure is the tone: playful, a little spooky, and occasionally stranger than you remember. The songs are sturdy, the visual effects have old-school charm, and the film’s willingness to let its fantasy get silly gives it a personality that many cleaner family movies lack.
Bottom line
It’s not as seamless as the studio’s most famous classics, but that roughness is part of the appeal. If you like your family entertainment with a touch of eccentricity and a surprisingly sharp wartime backdrop, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Matt Shiverdecker (4★) · 975 likes
Angela Lansbury plays a witch who fucks up a bunch of Nazi assholes. They just don't make family films like they used to!
Remobo (3.5★) · 502 likes
Mary Poppins 2: The Bewitching
“Just a spoonful of witchcraft, helps the Third Reich go down…”
David Sims (3.5★) · 266 likes
RIP Angela but also David Tomlinson hot
russman (3★) · 153 likes
I like most people better when they are rabbits too
1964 · Comedy, Family, Fantasy · 2h 19m · G · Curator 8.5/10 (600K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, BroadwayHD
A natural companion piece: another Robert Stevenson Disney musical with live-action fantasy, crisp charm, and a magical caretaker transforming domestic chaos.