Escape to Witch Mountain is a 1975 film based on the novel of the same name. It was directed by John Hough.
Plot
The movie centers upon the brother and sister pair Tony and Tia, who initially know only their deceased adoptive parents' surname, Malone. The children are placed in an orphanage, where they face difficulties stemming from their strange psychic powers; Tony can telekinetically move objects with the aid of his harmonica, while Tia can communicate telepathically to Tony, commune with animals, experiences premonitions, and can also use minor telekinetic powers. She carries a "star case" with her at all times, which the children find contains a strange map.
Tia has fragmented memories of her early childhood, including an accident at sea and a man she later remembers as the childrens' Uncle Bené (pronounced Ben-ay), whom they believe drowned during their rescue.
During a field trip to see a movie, Tia experiences a premonition and is able to warn wealthy attorney Lucas Deranian against a potentially dangerous accident. Deranian informs his employer, millionaire Aristotle Bolt, of the childrens' powers. Bolt, obsessed with the paranormal, demands that Deranian retrieve the children at all costs. Deranian's detective work leads him to the orphanage, where he poses as Tia and Tony's uncle, though not under the name Bene, and takes them to Bolt's mansion.
Though initially suspicious of Bolt's motives, Tia and Tony are lured in by the wealthy trappings of Bolt's home. Bolt eventually reveals that he has been monitoring the children via a closed-circuit television system and that he and Deranian are fully aware of their powers. The night of this revelation, Tia and Tony make an escape, making use of their powers to control a wild mustang, guard dogs, and the security fence.
Tia and Tony hide out in a Winnebago owned by a crotchety widower named Jason O'Day. Initially negative towards the twins, Jason gradually begins to recognize their powers and the truth of their story; Tia's vague memories of a disaster at sea intrigue him. He agrees to take the children on the route indicated by Tia's star case, which leads them to a mountain known as Witch Mountain, home to unexplainable phenomena. Avoiding Bolt, the law and a mob convinced the children are witches, they eventually make their way up Witch Mountain.
As their memories begin to fully return, the children realize their accident at sea did not involve a boat, but a spacecraft. Tony and Tia are actually of extraterrestrial origin; the double star emblem on the star case stands for a binary star system where their home planet was located.
Having come to Earth because their own planet was dying, survivors of the journey made their way to Witch Mountain and formed a community to await the surviving children, each pair in possession of a star case to help them find their way to their new home. Tony and Tia are the first to reach their destination. The children are reunited with their Uncle Bené and board another spacecraft. When Bolt and the others leave in defeat, Jason witnesses the ship's return as it flies over him to say a final goodbye.
Cast
- Eddie Albert as Jason O'Day, an embittered widower who decides to travel across the country in his green and white Winnebago.
- Ray Milland as Aristotle Bolt, a multi-millionaire obsessed with the paranormal and occult.
- Donald Pleasence as Lucas Deranian, a well-to-do attorney.
- Kim Richards as Tia Malone, a nine-year-old orphan with psychic powers.
- Ike Eisenmann as Tony Malone, brother to Tia, an eleven-year-old orphan with telekinetic powers.
- Walter Barnes as Sheriff Purdey, a sheriff bribed by Bolt to pursue the children.
- Reta Shaw as Mrs. Grindley, owner of the orphanage Tia and Tony are sent to after the death of their foster parents, the Malones.
- Denver Pyle as Uncle Bené, the childrens' true uncle.
- Alfred Ryder as Astrologer.
- Lawrence Montaigne as Ubermann.
- Terry Wilson as Biff Jenkins.
- George Chandler as Grocer.
- Dermott Downs as Truck, a child from the orphanage who bullies Tony to the point that Tony reveals his powers.
- Shepherd Sanders as Guru.
- Don Brodie as Gasoline attendant.
- Paul Sorenson as Sergeant Foss.
- Alfred Rossi as Police officer.
- Tiger Joe Marsh as Lorko.
- Harry Holcombe as Captain Malone.
- Sam Edwards as Mate.
- Dan Seymour as Psychic.
- Eugene Daniels as Cort.
- Al Dunlap as Deputy.
- Rex Holman, Tony Giorgio as Hunters.
Movie / Book Differences
Escape to Witch Mountain is based on the novel by Alexander Key. Significant differences from the book include its tone and plot elements. For example, in the book, the children are befriended by Father O'Day, an embittered priest, rather than Jason O'Day; also, the childrens' ship is shot down rather than crashed, and the children are olive-skinned and dark, rather than blonde and fair. In the book, Deranian is the main antagonist. "Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) FAQ". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072951/faq. Retrieved on 2009-03-27.
Remake
The movie was remade in 1995 with a different cast and several details changed or omitted. In the remake, Tia and Tony are twins, renamed Anna and Danny. They are separated as children, but reunited in an orphanage where they discover their powers. In the remake, Bolt is a land magnate who wants to develop Witch Mountain, using the twins' power to do so. The children are rescued by a shopkeeper.
Sequels
- Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
- Beyond Witch Mountain (1982)
- Race to Witch Mountain (2009)
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It could have been better.
While this is classic Disney entertainment… for the seventies when it
ReelLover from United States - 17 June 2009was released, I have to say that this was also the period in Disney's
dark times before Silver Screen Partners gave the film division a shot
in the arm with some higher quality product. What is sad is that this
IS an engaging story, and the two children are likable enough to get us
hooked into their quest to get home (E.T. anyone?), but the production
values on this film are deplorable, and Disney could have put a little
more creative energy and financing to give us more than the cheap
effects that make you want to gouge your eyes out. While this one has a
cult following, and the target audience truly doesn't know any better,
it's a sure bet that if it was possible, Walt was spinning! Mediocre.
Totally.
Rather iconic children's film that pleased many kids in its day.
A nostalgic favorite for many viewers who were pre-teens in the '70s,
Poseidon-3 from Cincinnati, OH - 29 January 2009this fantasy film inspired a sequel and two remakes! Eisenmann and
Richards play a pair of orphans who wind up at Shaw's boarding school
and, before long, begin to display various powers that indicate that
they are not average youngsters. Eisenmann came make objects move
without touching them and Richards is a telepath and can predict events
before happen (as well as communicate with animals.) She can also undo
locks making her, for some reason, a tad more gifted than her brother.
When she saves Pleasance from an imminent accident, he realizes that
his wealthy and exacting employer Milland would be most grateful to
have the kids in his possession so that he can continue to make money
via their gifts. Posing as their long-lost uncle, he brings them to
Milland's well-appointed mansion, but, before long, the children
realize that they are to be exploited and they run away, destined for
the area shown on a map that Richards has hidden in her ever-present
"star case," hence the title of the film. The young stars of the film
give so-so performances, with Eisenmann perhaps doing a bit better,
though they are thankfully free of the attitude and sarcasm that would
be present in a modern day film. The duo reunited in the sequel and
also worked together as brother and sister in the hysterically-titled
"Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell." (Both have cameos in the forthcoming
remake as well.) To a generation of young filmgoers, these two were an
idealized rendition of brother & sister siblings. Milland gives the
type of performance for which he was then being typecast, that of a
wealthy, controlling and demanding old coot. Pleasance plays it all
very straight and, as a result, his role lacks certain degrees of
texture, though, again, it is welcome to see the villains of the piece
provide a straightforward threat versus the hammy and over the top
scenery-chewing that is the staple of today's kiddie flicks. Top-billed
Albert doesn't clock in until nearly halftime, but adds a lot to the
film. He plays a crusty, embittered camper whose heart is eventually
warmed by the irrepressible pair of runaways. Pyle appears at the end
as, quite possibly, the least expected representation of an alien
imaginable! A product of its time, it is, like so many movies, riddled
with contrivance and illogic, but it's also a very pleasant and
endearing sort of movie. Certain things become a little trying, such as
Richards repeated flashbacks, Eisenmann's harmonica playing and the
extended chase sequences. However, this is made up for by the creative
use of the children's powers and by the general feel of goodwill
inherent in the film. The special effects range from excellent to
barely adequate, but this is much preferred over the delirious and
instantly unreal CGI work that proliferates now. It probably depends on
the attention span of the child as to whether this would still be
deemed entertaining today, though the use of puppets and animals
(including a cat named Winky) in the film may aid in that endeavor. The
sequel, released three years later, featured Bette Davis and
Christopher Lee as the bad guys.
Derivative Work?
This is an excellent movie, but I've often thought it was a derivative
c-camp - 28 December 2008work of "The People" series by Zenna Henderson. If you like this movie
or the book, you will likely enjoy Henderson's stories. Her stories
involve the experiences of a variety of psychically endowed survivors
from a planetary disaster who find themselves 'castaways' on Earth
(sound familiar?). Most are unfamiliar with their PSI powers and are
often taken for witches or demons and run out of town or worse. Many
are children or young adults. Gradually, as the series matures,
enclaves of those who know the whole story group together in backwoods
hill country or other places where their powers are not visible. They
enlist helpful earth people (like doctors) to find others of their kind
and bring them 'home'. Edie Albert alludes to doing this in the movie. The bulk of Henderson's stories were written from 1952-1980 and brought
together in a compilation called "Ingathering" in 1995. All of the
stories are extremely well written although they are not always 'happy'
during the story, they always end happy and and make you wish that was
the way that people really were. Regardless of whether or not the script writer or book author was
influenced by Henderson's work, the movie (and Henderson's stories) are
an excellent introductions to the genre of Science Fiction for children
and adults alike (the movie for kids, the stories for adults).
Another great memory of childhood
It always puzzles me how adults can review movies that were meant for a
ramsfan from United States - 22 December 2008young audience and review it negatively (through adult eyes),
completely forgetting about a child's unique and innocent perspective
on the film. Shame on them all!!As a young kid in the 70's, Disney, cartoons and sports were all weekly
staples- so many good memories!! Escape to Witch Mountain was one of
the first movies I saw in the theater, and was both entertaining and
fun. A good adult cast; Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland and the
underrated Eddie Albert, all provide good support for our two hero kids
who use their powers to not only try to find home again but thwart the
evil intentions of those trying to use their powers for their own
benefit. The movie is well paced and has the usual hi jinks one expects
in a "chase" film. I enjoyed it then and liked it just as much after a
recent viewing on cable.This movie also illustrates how one doesn't need bad language or crude
behavior/jokes to appeal to kids. What some people regard as "corny"
others find a refreshing change from today's standards of "acceptable"
programming.
Disney in a sci-fi mood about kids with extraordinary powers…
ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN succeeds on several levels and fails on a few
Neil Doyle from U.S.A. - 21 December 2008others. It's a mixed bag of delights and disappointments. The delights
include a scene where a coat-rack and hat descend upon a sheriff who is
cornered by it while the kids make their escape from jail. Another is
the scene where the puppets in the kids' playroom put themselves
through their paces in a charming dance sequence reminiscent of
something out of Disney's own "Pinocchio." More sequences like this
would have enhanced the whole story about an "out of this world" pair
of kids sought by RAY MILLAND (as Mr. Bolt) and his helper DONALD
PLEASANCE, who want the kids to tell them about their extra-sensory
powers that border on witchcraft but are really due to something quite
different. It's here that the sci-fi elements of the story don't seem
to ring true, particularly with regard to the spaceship ending.The special effects for the time are quite an achievement, only
occasionally making the viewer aware of the film's age when today's CGI
can do so much better. The scenes with the clever black cat are
enjoyable too, as is the performance of EDDIE ALBERT as a crusty old
man whose resistance to the kids gradually melts in time for a happy
ending. RAY MILLAND, on the other hand, seems to have forgotten he's in
a comedy and plays the villain in a heavy-handed way.Summing up: Abounds in the Disney touch, although the director could
have gotten better performances from both children.
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