Escape to Witch Mountain

(1975, U.S.) Technicolor 97 minutes
Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution Company
Story: Alexander Key (based on his novel)
Screenplay: Robert M. Young
Music: Johnny Mandel
Cinematography: Frank V. Phillips
Editing: Robert Stafford
Art Direction: John B. Mansbridge, Al Roelofs
Produced by Jerome Courtland, Ron Miller
Directed by John Hough

With: Eddie Albert (Jason O'Day), Ray Milland (Aristotle Bolt), Donald Pleasence (Lucas Deranian), Kim Richards (Tia Malone), Ike Eisenmann (Tony Malone), Walter Barnes (Sheriff Purdy), Reta Shaw (Mrs. Grindley), Denver Pyle (Uncle Bene), Alfred Ryder (Astrologer), Lawrence Montaigne (Ubermann), Terry Wilson (Biff Jenkins), George Chandler (Grocer), Dermott Downs (Truck), Shepherd Sanders (Guru), Don Brodie (Gasoline Attendant), Paul Sorensen (Sergeant Foss), Alfred Rossi (Police Officer No. 3), Tiger Joe Marsh (Lorko), Harry Holcombe (Capt. Malone)

***

In 1975, Walt Disney Studios released a sci-fi film made for kids. Based upon Alexander Key's book, Escape To Witch Mountain tells about a boy and a girl, trying to find the remaining members of their clan while trying to escape from a power-mad millionaire and his henchman. The story opens with a van heading for Pine Woods orphanage, where Tony & Tia Malone (played by Ike Eismen and Kim Richards; Richards is best remembered as Prudence on ABC TV's “The Nanny & The Professor”) are enrolled into the institute.

They receive a warm greeting from the orphanage's supervisor, Mrs.Grindley (played by Rita Shaw, who played Martha the housekeeper on NBC TV’s fantasy sitcom “The Ghost & Mrs. Muir”). The two kids are not welcomed by the orphanage's resident bully, Truck (Dermot Downes) who abuses Tony and tries to steal Tia's “Starcase”. Tony is able to fend off Truck's abuse with his magic powers, which upsets his sister, who worries that they could be put away, since people are not use to their unique abilities. One day, following a trip to the movie theater in town, Tony and Tia save the life of a middle-aged gentleman from a near-fatal car accident.

Impressed with their extraordinary abilities, the gentleman Dernaian (Donald Pleaseance, the first actor to play Blofeld in the James Bond film YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) reports the powers of these two kids to his boss, Mr. Bolt (Ray Milland, best remembered as the troubled drunk in Billy Wilder's movie drama THE LOST WEEKEND). Bolt, a power mad multi-millionaire who wants to find someone with ESP to use for his own crazed schemes, assigns Dernaian to bring the children to him. Creating bogus documents, claiming to be the kids' uncle, Tony & Tia and their pet black cat Winky are brought to Bolt's estate, where he bestows on the kids and their cat their own rooms, toys, horse-riding lessons and other gifts, everything that a child (or a cat) could want.

Despite the wonderful gifts and the generosity of their host, Tia is suspicious of Bolt and Deranian's motives. One evening at dinner, the pair finally found out about Bolt's plot, and realize that they have to escape from these two madmen. Bolt overhears the kids’ plan to escape and tries to have his guards prevent the kids from leaving, intending to have them taken to his mountain cabin to utilize their powers for his own use. But Tony, Tia and Winky use their powers to escape, and while on the open road, they stow away inside a grumpy old loner's motor-home.

When he finds the two kids hiding inside of his vehicle, which is parked at the beach the next morning, Jason O'Day (Eddie Albert, who played Oliver Wendell Douglas on CBS TV's sitcom “Green Acres”) is angered at having his privacy invaded, and wants the kids to leave. In need of help, the pair ask O'Day to take them to Witch Mountain. O'Day refuses and, unable to find his car keys, accuses the kids of stealing them. He demands that they give the keys back. Before O'Day becomes violent, Tia uses her powers to start the motor, and Winky finds O'Day's car keys on the beach.

Embarrassed by his false accusations, O'Day apologies and takes the trio to Witch Mountain. But Bolt and Derianian and their men enlist the help of the state police and the sherriff to find the kids. After a long and difficult chase, Tony and Tia head for a deserted real estate office. After dialing a certain phone number, the kids are reconnected with their uncle Bene (Denver Pyle, who played Uncle Jessie on “The Dukes Of Hazzard” and Mr. Darling on “The Andy Griffith Show”), who is overjoyed that his nephew and niece are safe.

After Uncle Bene sends O'Day's mortorhome into the skies, they land atop of Witch Mountain, where Uncle Bene explains to O'Day that the two kids and their uncle are from another world, and were forced to leave their planet. When they found out that their world is dying, they headed for Earth. However, upon reaching Earth, the spaceship was destroyed as it crashed into the sea. It seems that Tony & Tia were saved, while Uncle Bene supposedly died in the crash. But he survived the watery grave and spent many years fixing up and refueling the spaceship. Quickly, the ship is readied to leave earth. Before they say goodbye to their friend, the kids give Winky to Jason. As Bolt, Deranian and Jason watch, Uncle Bene and his niece and nephew fly off to their new-found freedom.

***

I first saw this film at the Dale Theater in the Bronx, New York during the summer of 1975. This was the Disney Studios' first foray into serious science fiction. The movie is a wonderful fantasy that is filled with thrills, drama, charming and fanciful special visual effects and comedy. The script is entertaining and the performances of Richards, Eismen and Albert are wonderful. Milland and Pleascence are also entertaining as the film's villains. They are also cameo appearances by Dan Seymour and George Chandler (best remembered for their performances on many movies and TV shows, including “The Adventures Of Superman”) and by Ms. Shaw, in her last performance.

Originally, the role of Tia was meant for Jodie Foster, then a protege' of Walt Disney, but because of another film assignment, she was replaced by Ms. Richards. The Orphanage scenes were shot in Palo Alto, California, and the other scenes (according to Eismen's interview for the new DVD release) were filmed in and around Carmel and Palo Alto, California. The scenes at Bolt's estate were filmed on location in Carmel, except for the scenes with Richards and the puppets which, according to director John Hough (who had completed work on the horror movie THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE two years before) were filmed on a sound stage at the Disney Studios.

This film has gone onto become a popular kids’ sci-fi movie and remains a memorable Disney movie, miles ahead of the forgettable “Wonderful World Of Disney” TV remake, which aired on ABC-TV on April 29,1995 and starred Robert Vaughn as Edward Bolt . Albert would play Jason O'Day again in a TV adaptation, BEYOND WITCH MOUNTAIN for NBC-TV's “Disney's Wonderful World,” which aired on NBC-TV on February 20,1982. The roles of Tony & Tia were played by Andy Freeman and Tracy Gold. The roles of Uncle Ben, Bolt and Deranian were played by Noah Berry, Jr., Efram Zimbalist, Jr. and J.D. Cannon.

Kevin S. Butler