Review: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (DMC #49)
Grab hold of your bedposts! We’re about to dive into our review of Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the 49th film in the Disnerd Movie Challenge. If it’s been a while, you can read our synopsis below, otherwise skip right ahead to our review.
Synopsis
In the August of 1940 in England, children like Carrie, Charles, and Paul Rawlins are evacuated from London to the countryside of Pepperinge Eye to be safe from the Nazi air raids of World War II. The children are placed with Miss Price, who reluctantly takes them in. That first night, once the children are asleep, Miss Price excitedly unwraps her package from Professor Emelius Browne’s College of Witchcraft—her first witch’s broom. However, the children, intent on a midnight escape back home to London, spot Miss Price riding her broom and witness her crash landing. The oldest, Charles, sees this as an opportunity. The children decide not to run away, and the next morning Charles attempts to blackmail Miss Price, using the knowledge that she’s an apprentice witch to get her to do what the children want. Miss Price instead turns Charles into a rabbit, but her spell quickly wears off. She tells the children the work she’s doing is important to the war effort, and instead offers them a bedknob enchanted with a traveling spell which only Paul can use in exchange for keeping her secret. However, when Miss Price receives a letter saying the College of Witchcraft is closing down due to the war effort, which means she will not receive the final lesson on substitutiary locomotion, Miss Price persuades the children to use their traveling spell to bring her to Professor Browne.
In London, the children are the first to locate Professor Browne, who is no more than a paltry street magician, with no real powers. Miss Price demands the final lesson from him, and when Mr. Browne refuses, she turns him into a rabbit. When the spell wears off, Mr. Browne is astonished—he thought the spells were merely made-up words in an old book—he didn’t think they actually worked! Miss Price demands to see this book, and Mr. Browne takes the group to the elaborate home where he’s been squatting. While the children explore the property, Mr. Browne tries to convince Miss Price to join his magic act as his assistant while Miss Price searches for the magic book. In the nursery, Paul discovers a children’s book about an island called Naboombu where animals can talk, while in the library, Miss Price transforms Mr. Browne into a rabbit and the rabbit reluctantly pulls out the book, Spells of Asteroth—but the second half of the book with the incantation for substitutiary locomotion is missing. The group travels to Portobello Road where they eventually find the Bookman who sold Mr. Browne the book of spells. The bookman wants the whole book as well, so they swap halves only to discover that the incantation isn’t in the book but on a pendant known as the Star of Asteroth, which is said to be on an island ruled by animals. Paul immediately realizes they mean the island of Naboombu and he pulls out the book he discovered. Miss Price, Mr. Browne, and the children escape the Bookman on the traveling bed and head to the island of Naboombu. They land in the lagoon where a talking fish warns about the troubles on the island. A bear on the island fishes the magical bed out of the lagoon and pulls the humans onto land. He warns them people aren’t allowed, but they insist on meeting the king. The king, a lion, is wearing the Star of Asteroth. He tells them he is in need of a referee for the animals’ soccer match, and Mr. Browne volunteers. After a lawless soccer match, Mr. Browne manages to swap his referee whistle with the Star of Asteroth and the humans escape before the king realizes he’s been robbed. However, when they return to England, the Star of Asteroth turns to dust, and Miss Price can’t remember what the words on the star were. Paul insists he knows the words, but his siblings tell him to be quiet, until Paul begins to read the words aloud from his book—the incantation was in his book the whole time. After a bit of practicing, Miss Price manages to get the spell to work, animating several pieces of clothing.
But the woman who sent the children to live with Miss Price arrives to say she’s found a permanent home for the children. The children don’t want to leave, however, and declare that Mr. Browne can be their father. This puts Mr. Browne and Miss Price in a rather awkward position, and Mr. Browne hastily makes his exit, opting to sleep at the train station to await the next morning’s train. Meanwhile, German soldiers approach by boat, and Miss Price catches them sneaking into her yard. They invade Miss Price’s home, and though she tries to turn the soldiers into rabbits, she forgets the words without her notebook. The soldiers take Miss Price and the children to the museum to imprison them. Back at the train station, Mr. Browne catches sight of the Germans and hurries back to Miss Price’s home where he finds her notebook and manages to turn himself into a rabbit so he can sneak past the Germans to reach Miss Price and the children inside the museum, where he turns back into a man. Miss Price uses the substitutiary locomotion spell to enchant the suits of armor in the museum, and they form an invisible army to attack the Germans. Miss Price flies on a broomstick to lead the charge, forcing the Germans to retreat. The next day, Mr. Browne, in full military uniform, says goodbye to Miss Price and the children before leaving to join the war effort. Miss Price tells him and the children that someone who feels as she does about poison dragon liver has no business being a witch, so she’s giving it up. But Paul still has the enchanted bedknob…
Thoughts Before Watching
Kevin: I have never seen this one all the way through, but I know that the song “The Beautiful Briny” was featured on Disney’s Sing Along Songs: You Can Fly! film from back in the day. It was a catchy number, although the CGI was clearly very dated. Other than that, I know there is at least one scene involving traditional animation, similar to the chalk painting scene from Mary Poppins. Also, David Tomlinson is in this, AND we have a newcomer with Angela Lansbury! Both of them have had amazing roles in years previous and in years to come, and I’m excited to watch these two work together!
Megan: My only knowledge of this movie is from either “The Beautiful Briny” on the aforementioned sing along video or from Disney’s Sing Along Songs: Under the Sea where I believe clips from the underwater scenes in Bedknobs and Broomsticks were used in “The Codfish Ball” segment. I’ve never seen Bedknobs and Broomsticks in its entirety, however, and knowing it stars both Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Thoughts After Watching
Not remotely a Mary Poppins knock-off
Kevin: Depending on who you ask, Bedknobs and Broomsticks appears to be thought of as the lesser sibling film of Mary Poppins, particularly because of the similarities and for having the same production crew. Both films are predominantly live-action musicals, with bits of traditional animation thrown in the mix. Even the characters play similar roles. Having David Tomlinson in the cast and the Sherman Brothers as the songwriters only helps strengthen the comparison. But it’s those surface level things that make the two films similar. Once you get past that, Bedknobs and Broomsticks shines on its own. In a few ways, this movie is more adult, not just for the themes it addresses, but for also making the adults more prominent in the story. While Mary Poppins literally flies into the lives of broken families with the goal of setting things right, Eglantine Price is a less than “practically perfect” apprentice witch who wants little to do with the Rawlins children when they first come into her life. Miss Price is far more focused on her witch studies, with the hope she can use her abilities to aid in the war against Nazi Germany. While the idea of magic and witches is what makes this movie whimsical, it’s the setting of World War II that brings out the darker, more adult themes. I do think that the film is a bit tonally jarring because it moves from child-friendly scenes to more adult tones, such as the rather quick transition from an animated soccer game filled with anthropomorphized animals to the final fight scene against Nazis. This tonal shift, however, is easy to overlook thanks to how well Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson pull it all off with their great chemistry.
The adults have the most development
Kevin: Interestingly, for being a partial coming-of-age story, the Rawlins children don’t have much character development, with the possible exception of Charlie. As the eldest child bordering on his teenage years, Charlie enters what Miss Price calls “The Age of Not Believing.” Charlie is understandably skeptical of Miss Price and her magic, albeit snotty about it. Of course, by the end of the film, Charlie comes around to a full-fledged believer, even being the one who suggests Miss Price use her magic to help fight off the Nazis. All that said, the biggest character growth we see comes from our two leads, Miss Price and Mr. Browne. Many stories tend to bestow reverence on characters who can do magic, as if they are beings leagues above us, and who are full of wisdom and experience. It is far more interesting to see magical folk being just as ordinary as every one else. Miss Price cannot control her magic very well, and her own ambitions makes her a bit of an oddity. Indeed, her ambition is less to do with magic itself, but rather just the fact she desires autonomy and being left alone to do what she wishes. In the age this movie is set, this ambition drives people away from her, which is just how she likes it. She would much rather focus on her magic and determine her own future, rather than what society deems she should do. It is only when she meets the Rawlins children and Mr. Browne that this solitary life begins to change. The more Miss Price gets to know them, the more fond of them she becomes and ultimately decides to be part of a family with them. She also decides not to continue her witch studies after the Nazis destroy her workshop. On the one hand, it appears that Miss Price gave up her goals and ambitions to instead become a wife and romantic partner, which suggests an opinion by the filmmakers that women still cannot be both career-driven and family-oriented. While not at all surprising, it is still unfortunate that we’re seeing this trope.
Kevin: On the other hand, however, we cannot downplay the role Miss Price played in the war effort, having single-handedly defeated the Nazis in the skirmish thanks to her magical abilities. The image of her flying through the night sky, mastering her broomstick and sword in hand as she leads the brigade, is a powerful moment that no one can take from her. Miss Price may give up her magic in the end, but it makes sense that she does it. She fulfilled her desire to aid in the war, and she got to do it in a way that defied usual gender roles, even if only slightly. Would it have been really cool if Miss Price got to show off her skills to, say, higher up generals in the army? Absolutely, but hey, this is a 1970s film set in the 1940s. Miss Price may not have the same role that Peggy Carter has in the Marvel universe, but it’s a bit of progress. This is where I can believe that Miss Price’s choice to stop practicing magic, while unfortunate, works for the story. She achieved her goal and now knows what she wants to do with her future.
Emelius Browne, on the other hand, is a con artist with a natural ability to smooth talk “with flair.” So elaborate is his con that he convinces Miss Price that he runs a school for magic, initially going by “Professor Browne” until he is found out. While Mr. Browne did technically run a school, it was not the type of magic that Miss Price was looking for. Mr. Browne’s life up until he meets Miss Price is one of shirking responsibility. It is this trait that carries him through to near the end of the film. This is seen both in direct action, such as him trying to skip out on many of the group’s adventures, and indirect action, such as when he begins to fall in love with Miss Price and tries to prevent it. After the Rawlins children express hope that Mr. Browne will be their father, he is deeply uncomfortable and scared of commitment. Though he leaves them, he is immediately prompted to return to help them when he sees the Nazis coming for Miss Price and the children. This shows how Mr. Browne has grown to care for them and is willing to put himself in harm’s way to save them. He even successfully casts the transformation spell that turns him into a white rabbit, which Miss Price had used on him earlier and was a form that Mr. Browne found uncomfortable. By this point, the transformation is a small price to pay for a much larger and good purpose. In the end, Mr. Browne contributes his own part to the war effort, becomes the much needed father figure to the Rawlins children, and begins a relationship with Miss Price. Though he is last seen joining the army, he promises the children, and Miss Price, that he will return. Mr. Browne has learned to shoulder responsibility and commitment, and it appears he intends to carry it out.
Still a little disappointing
Megan: As well-developed as the adult characters may be, the film still left me a little disappointed. For one thing, it just barely passes the Bechdel test with a few brief exchanges between Miss Price and Carrie that don’t revolve around the male cat, Carrie’s male brothers, or Mr. Browne. (The conversations between Miss Price and Mrs. Hobday at the opening of the film are either about Mr.. Browne or the children as a group, therefore disqualifying them from passing the test.) Then there is the matter of Miss Price herself. If you look at Miss Price in the opening of the film, she has all the makings of a breakout feminist character. Though she is a single woman in the 1940s, she owns a large home, and she has spare money to spend on mail-order witchcraft lessons. She’s not twiddling around at home hoping for a husband, but rather actively studying witchcraft with the full intention of using magic to aid the war effort. Unlike traditional depictions of women in the 1940s, Miss Price has no interest in children—she sees them as a distraction from her work to aid the war effort. When it comes to riding a broomstick, Miss Price first tries to straddle the broom, but then when the instructions say to sit in a more “ladylike” sidesaddle position she adjusts, only to find that it isn’t at all practical to ride a broom that way. She reverts back to her first instinct to straddle the broom, telling her cat she doesn’t care if it isn’t “ladylike,” and then succeeds in flying on the broom (until she gets overconfident and crashes). I feel like this entirely symbolic of how society tells women they ought to be, and how women instinctively want to be—things are better when women are free to be themselves. Throughout the film we see Miss Price coming into her own as she improves her witchcraft and masters the powerful substitutiary locomotion spell, culminating in Miss Price enchanting and leading an invisible army of countless thousands to singlehandedly defeat the Nazis. And yet, Miss Price gets no credit for saving the village from the Nazis. The Old Guard—a group of men who were presumably too old to join the frontlines—instead take/are given credit, though they merely shot at the already-retreating Germans after Miss Price and her army did all the hard work. Miss Price was never seeking credit, so I can let that slide, but after all that, why would Miss Price give up magic entirely? It doesn’t quite make sense. Miss Price’s true goal had been to aid in the war effort, so why does she stop at one battle? Why is it Mr. Browne, who has shown zero aptitude for war throughout the film (did you see how those animals trampled him?), who then joins the military at the end of the film? Why isn’t Miss Price finding a way to lend her substitutiary locomotion spell to the frontlines? The answer to all these questions seems to be simple: sexism. In the end, Miss Price is placed in the traditional female role of mother figure, left behind to care for children while the man in his traditional role goes off to war. I’ve never read the books by Mary Norton (The Magic Bed Knob and Bonfires and Broomsticks, which were later published together as Bed-Knob and Broomstick or Bedknobs and Broomsticks after the film adaptation was released), but I have to wonder, if this ending is also in the books, is it truly the ending that Mary Norton intended? Or, like so many women writers of the past, did her (male) editor or publisher insist she change the ending to reinforce traditional values of the time? I suspect that may have been the case, but a cursory bit of internet research didn’t reveal any answers, so for now we can only speculate.
I’m not a fan of Mr. Browne
Megan: While the film largely avoids overt sexism for much of the story, there are still quite a few unnecessary asides from Mr. Browne. For one thing, he doesn’t ask to be an assistant to Miss Price’s magic act, he asks her to be his assistant—yet she’s the one who can actually do magic. He just wants her to make him look good on stage. Miss Price rightly refuses, even going as far as to turn Mr. Browne into a rabbit when he refuses to show her the book she’s been asking him about. However, Mr. Browne doesn’t seem to learn his lesson. He continually makes snide comments, mostly to himself, about how incapable women are—in spite of evidence to the contrary. For example:
“I’ll keep it. Women always lose things.”
Yet, I’ll point out, the Star of Asteroth, to which he’s referring in this case, is “lost” even when in Mr. Browne’s hands because it is from another realm.
“Can’t women ever learn to file something?”
Miss Price lives alone. There’s no need for her to organize things in such a way that someone else could find them. She likely knows exactly where everything is in her own home because she was the last person to use it. She may be a bit forgetful when it comes to the exact words of spells, but throughout the film she’s shown she’s quite capable of finding things when she needs them.
When you add in Mr. Browne’s conman-like character, there really isn’t much to root for in a romance between him and Miss Price. Perhaps that’s the reason why Mr. Browne leaves for war at the end of the film—because a relationship between such an independent woman and a man like Mr. Browne would have been doomed from the start.
The island of Naboombu is the best part!
Kevin: Okay, okay, I know I gave Million Dollar Duck flak for being too silly. But there’s a big difference between a movie that attempts to be a comedy by using something so grounded in reality as scientific fact and turning it completely on its head (not to mention that movie had awful characters), and another movie that has no such desire to be so grounded and is purposely designed to be strange. I did admit that Bedknobs and Broomsticks is bit all over the place with its tone, and it’s a rightful criticism. However, that didn’t stop me from loving every second of the Naboombu scenes! From the start, we’re introduced to this traditionally animated underwater musical, with a song that doesn’t quite match the style of the rest of the soundtrack. This helps heighten the whimsical nature of Naboombu and shows that it’s separate from reality. It’s a fun, light-hearted start to a scene that breaks away from what had otherwise been a more serious story up to that point. As the group continues, we get to see more wonderful, traditionally animated, anthropomorphized animals. We get a hilarious role reversal, where the animals are forbidden from “peopling” by order of the king. Mr. Browne’s smooth talking gets the group an audience with the king, where a slapstick style soccer game occurs, and IT. IS. GLORIOUS! I know Megan disagrees with me on this, but I always loved watching the old school Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy cartoons from my childhood, and this soccer game came off like a loving nod to those old school cartoons. I love when Disney recognizes and pays homage to its roots!
Megan: I won’t say I entirely disagree—I do love the underwater scenes of Naboombu, and the creativity that went into making the actors’ movements look as if they really were dancing under water (even if the effects aren’t as believable for today’s audiences). However, I don’t think those were my absolute favorite scenes in the film. The soccer game, for instance, went on a bit too long for my liking. I enjoy soccer, but slapstick cartoons have never been my favorite, and from a storytelling perspective we didn’t need to see the soccer match in its entirety to understand what happened. It was interesting, though, seeing how the animals were drawn, and picking up on the stylistic choices made here that most likely influenced how the animals were created for Robin Hood (or perhaps Robin Hood was already in production and that influenced how these animals appeared).