Quirky Castaway Children Seek Their Heritage in Escape to Witch Mountain

Years ago, I saw the Disney movie Escape to Witch Mountain, and it was one of those films I remembered fondly but vaguely. The memory is much fresher now that I just rewatched the 1975 John Hough fantasy about two orphans with strange abilities trying to figure out exactly who they are.

Those children are the adorable and well-mannered Tia Malone (Kim Richards) and her older brother Tony (Ian Eisenmann). Both have telekinetic powers, but Tia’s are keener, and she also has premonitions and a penchant for telepathy. After their foster parents die, they wind up in an orphanage, but their stay is cut short when the sinister Lucas (Donald Pleasence) gets a dramatic demonstration of her powers, which are of great interest to his rich, power-hungry boss, Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland). However gilded their new cage may be, it is still a prison, and a dangerous one at that. They make their escape from their posh adoptive home, but how long can they evade such determined captors?

Young children with magical powers automatically make for intriguing movie fodder, and the mystery of their origins makes their story all the more compelling. It helps, too, that these are such incredibly nice kids, and you really want the best for them. Their powers provide ample opportunity for slapstick, particularly once Tia forges a peculiar kinship with a large bear, but this is really more of a drama than a comedy. The heart of the tale is the deep bond the children share and the development of their relationship with Jason O’Day (Eddie Albert), a crusty vagabond in whose trailer the kids hide out after making their escape from Aristotle and Lucas. Their black cat also plays an integral role in the story, particularly in terms of bringing the kids and the avowed kid-hater together.

The cast is strong all around, but Albert and Richards are the two standouts, and his gruff cynicism and her gentle innocence complement each other well. Their quest becomes not only escape from a megalomaniacal millionaire but also a journey of self-discovery as the children begin to remember their past and find a map that may lead to important answers about their family. Both Richards and Eisenmann are veterans of episodes of Little House on the Prairie in which they played unusually pure-hearted children, and that is a quality they both bring to this movie, while Albert’s ornery antics ultimately only serve to make his character more endearing.

It had been ages since I saw Escape to Witch Mountain, so I wasn’t entirely sure if it would hold up well after all this time. Happily, I loved it just as much this time around. Yes, some of the effects were a bit cheesy and I didn't focus too much on plot details beyond the basic short-term quest story, but it gave me the same fuzzy feeling it did when I was a kid. I haven’t seen the recent remake, so I don’t know if that does this one justice, but the original is a prime example of the charm to be found in the best of Disney’s live-action films.

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck Embark on a Whirlwind Roman Holiday

A princess tired of having her life dictated for her decides to spend a day living as a commoner. Two kind-hearted opportunists intending to use a young woman’s royal connections for their personal gain begin to think twice once they get to know her. The first plot element reminds me of Disney’s Aladdin, the second of Don Bluth’s Anastasia, but I recently encountered them in a live-action classic predating them by decades.

William Wyler’s 1953 comedy Roman Holiday features Audrey Hepburn in a star-making role as the young Princess Ann, whose demanding schedule of royal duties on an official visit to Rome leaves her desperate for a little time to herself. After a doctor gives her an experimental treatment to help her relax, she wanders dazedly out onto the streets, where jaded journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) notices her erratic behavior and reluctantly rescues her from the poor end she may meet if she remains in this state on her own.

It isn’t until the next morning that he realizes this glamorous vagabond is the princess and could therefore be very valuable to him if he manages to convince her to stay in his company for the remainder of the day. His plan? Feign ignorance of her identity and take her out for a whirlwind tour of the city, then write an in-depth article about the experience, supplemented by photographs snapped on the sly by his friend Irving (Eddie Albert). He’ll make a mint, and she’ll never know until too late that he was using her.

Hepburn is all grace and charm as the princess, even when the doctor’s prescription has made her loopy. No matter what the situation, she exudes elegance. She is at her most endearing midway through the movie as the princess simply soaks up the pleasure of doing whatever she pleases. While this is a well-traveled young woman with extensive experience in foreign affairs, the exuberance on her face as she runs wild in Rome is infectious.

Peck is equally excellent as the world-wise journalist with the wry wit who wants to make a quick buck but has scruples enough to nag at him as he contemplates the humiliation the princess will face if he makes their dalliance public. Peck was about 13 years Hepburn’s senior; her character seems younger than her actual age and his older, so the way he relates to her is almost fatherly at first, but despite the age gap, there’s also room for realistic romantic tension to develop.

Albert’s interaction with both of them has a chummy flavor to it. Irving is a bit of a goofball, and he’s certainly not as clever as Joe. Some of the funniest moments involve his pratfalls as Joe spills beverages on him in order to make him stop talking before he blows his cover. Meanwhile, he comes to admire the princess’s feisty spirit, though he doesn’t feel quite as conflicted as Joe does about their plan. Albert’s presence increases the comedy of the film, which occasionally feels more like a drama or romance. Also amusing is Hartley Power as Joe’s cranky editor, Mr. Hennessy, who fervently hopes there’s actually something to Joe’s promises that he can secure a private audience with the princess.

This movie is in black and white, which a documentary in the special features explains was a choice made in order to make the Roman scenery more of a backdrop than a centerpiece. Cinematographers Henri Alekan and Franz Planer still capture the beauty of Rome wonderfully, and the setting enhances but does not overwhelm the plot. That making-of segment also discusses how blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo wrote the screenplay for the film but gave another writer (Ian McLellan Hunter) credit. The vibrant comedy with a splash of melancholy demonstrates his skill.

I’ve always been extremely prejudiced toward color in movies, so I was disappointed in the decision to use black and white, but the characters are colorful enough that I didn’t mind for long. Hepburn, Peck and Albert make a truly winning trio in this funny, mostly feel-good film about the joy of stepping outside of expectations.