Escape to Witch Mountain

"Caught in a world where they don't belong... they have one chance to escape!"

1975 1h 37m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 242

AdventureFantasyScience FictionFamily

Synopsis

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Tia and Tony are two orphaned youngsters with extraordinary powers. Lucas Deranian poses as their uncle in order to get the kids into the clutches of Deranian's megalomaniacal boss, evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt, who wants to exploit them. Jason, a cynical widower, helps Tia and Tony escape to witch mountain, while at the same time Tia and Tony help Jason escape the pain of the loss of his wife.

“Caught in a world where they don't belong... they have one chance to escape!”

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Hough
Writers: Robert M. Young
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Witch Mountain Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Hough, shot by Frank V. Phillips. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Johnny Mandel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Stafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eddie Albert and Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Caught in a world where they don't belong... they have one chance to escape!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Hough directs. Frank V. Phillips behind the camera. Johnny Mandel scores. Robert Stafford cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

151 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Witch Mountain Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by John Hough, shot by Frank V. Phillips. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Johnny Mandel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert Stafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Eddie Albert and Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Caught in a world where they don't belong... they have one chance to escape!".
9IMDB entry: tt0072951 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "flying car", "helicopter", "based on novel or book", "attempt to escape".

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank V. Phillips
Original score: Johnny Mandel
Editing: Robert Stafford
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $20,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

Part of

Witch Mountain Collection

Escape to Witch Mountain is a 1975 film based on the novel Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by John Hough. Return from Witch Mountain is a 1978 sequel. A made-for-television sequel called Beyond Witch Mountain was made in 1982. The series then had a reboot legacy sequel called Race to Witch Mountain made in 2009.

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John Hough

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What people are saying

r96sk2020-08-22
★ 7/10
The 2009 remake does a better job at bringing its story to life, but 1975's <em>'Escape to Witch Mountain'</em> is still a good film. The cast are all fine in their respective roles, even if none of them particularly standout. Eddie Albert (Jason), Kim Richards (Tia) and Ike Eisenmann (Tony) are satisfactory, as is Donald Pleasence as Deranian. With that said, I think Pleasence should've been the main villain here - there's really not much need for Ray Milland (Aristotle). Disney had a knack of doing that sorta thing in these early eras, having a bad guy and a bad guy's sidekick - most of the time, just one would suffice. The pace of the film isn't perfect, but the premise itself is intriguing enough to keep it chugging along at a suitable rate. More action-packed events would've been greater, especially as the opening titles seem to suggest that that may be on the horizon. That wasn't the case, yet I still had a decent time with this.
CinemaSerf2024-11-19
★ 6/10
I'd have to admit I was never the greatest fan of these Disney films from the 1970s at the time. They were always just a bit too goody-goody for me. This one, however, pitches two of the best actors ever to play baddies - Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence together in a fun little sci-fi adventure. Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are two young kids with mysterious superpowers being chased by a nasty the millionaire and his sidekicks who want to harness their magical skills. They escape into the friendly arms/camper van of Eddie Albert and try to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they head to what they think is their home on "Witch Mountain". It is a gentle family drama with some jolly performances from the three adult stars and some simple, but effective, special effects that make for a (slightly too long) excuse to reminisce.