Disney's Classics - 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' Quiz

Answer: He is painting out roadsigns.

The story begins in the peaceful village of Pepperinge Eye, on the South coast of England, during August 1940, at a time when the British were expecting an invasion of these islands by the Germans. Government policy at the time demanded that all road signs, railway stations and other such establishments had their names obliterated by one means or another in order to confuse and delay the advance of any invasion force.

Many road signs were simply painted over but those signs of a more permanent nature were removed completely and many of them were completely destroyed.

Answer: Angela Lansbury

The part of the reclusive Miss Eglantine Price is played by Angela Lansbury; this part was, incidentally, her first leading role in a musical film. The orphaned Rawlins children, evacuees from London to escape the Blitz, are Charlie, the eldest, played by Ian Weighill, middle child Carrie was played by Cindy O'Callaghan and Paul, the youngest of the three was played by Roy Snart.

Angela Lansbury was born in the Regent's Park area of London in 1925 and has enjoyed a long and varied career. Her life as an entertainer began in 1942 in Montreal, Canada where she worked as an act in a nightclub before earning a part in her first feature film 'Gaslight' in 1944. Lansbury is probably most famous for her role as Jessica Fletcher, a sort of American Miss Marple, in the popular and long running US television crime show 'Murder She Wrote'. Still active in 2015, Lansbury was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to drama, philanthropy and charitable work in the 2014 New Year's Honours List by Her Majesty the Queen.

Answer: A broom

Arriving in the village astride a motorcycle belching pungent, greenish-yellow exhaust smoke, Miss Price's first port of call is the village Post Office to collect a discreetly packaged object. It is her latest consignment of materials from the Correspondence College of Witchcraft in London and an item of fundamental importance to any witch - her broom! The nosy postmistress Mrs Hobday, played by hugely popular pre-war music hall performer Tessie O'Shea, questions Miss Price as to whether or not she and the other villagers are ever going to meet the mysterious Professor Emelius Browne.

Just an observation here, but am I the only one to notice that Mrs Hobday appears to have a Welsh accent at this point but this changes to a broad Scot's accent later when she meets Professor Browne for the first time?

Answer: False

Miss Price doesn't believe in giving animals names herself but she calls her somewhat scruffy black cat Cosmic Creepers "because that's the name he came with".

Answer: A white rabbit

After being transformed into the white rabbit, Charlie became an irresistible quarry for Miss Price's cat, Cosmic Creepers. After a brief but frightening chase (for Charlie at least) to the upper floor of Miss Price's house, the cat corners him; as it moves in for the kill Miss Price's spell wears off and, now transformed back to his normal self, Charlie chases the screeching cat from the house.

Answer: False

"Hellebore, Henbane, Aconite"
"Glow-worm fire, firefly light!"

Although the youngest of the children, Paul, had taken the bed knob from the large bed in her late father's room without her permission, Miss Price casts the travelling spell over it. Once the spell has been cast Miss Price allows Paul to remain in possession of the knob as the spell will only work for him. This knob, once placed back on the bed, will cause it to magically travel to anywhere that its occupant wishes to go...a precious gift indeed!

Answer: London

As Miss Price's correspondence with Professor Brown originated in London, it was there that she and the children travelled in search of him. On arrival in the misty streets of London, Miss Price and the children discover that Professor Browne is nowhere to be seen.

However, whilst Miss Price goes off in search of the professor, the children encounter a figure carrying a large case emblazoned with the professor's name. The charming confidence trickster Professor Browne, is shocked and surprised to hear that his spells actually work; he had taken them from an ancient book entitled 'The Spells of Astoroth', and admitted that he had changed the order of some of the words, not expecting any of them to actually work! The role of Professor Browne is played by British comic actor David Tomlinson who also appeared in the Disney productions 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Love Bug'.

Answer: Portobello Road

After dinner at Professor Browne's residence, Emelius shows Miss Price the remains of an ancient book of spells from which he had drawn his witchcraft course material; unfortunately, whilst arguing with the original seller, the book was torn in two. Miss Price demands to know where they may be able to find the missing part of the book. Professor Browne replies that the other part of the book may have been thrown away but, if it can be found anywhere, there is only one place in all of London where the missing part may be found - The Portobello Road Market.

The Portobello scene features a great song and dance sequence in which a number of servicemen from those countries that were fighting with Great Britain at that time are represented.

Answer: Bruce Forsyth

Miss Price is overheard by Swinburne as she asks a market stallholder if he has the other half of the book, 'The Spells of Astoroth'. He later reappears and threatens Miss Price and Professor Browne with a knife, demanding that they follow him to meet a local businessman known only as the Bookman. At the Bookman's premises both Miss Price and the Bookman discover that neither half of the book contain the missing words to the spell. After being threatened with knives, Miss Price, Professor Browne and the children escape on the bed and depart for the magical island of Naboombu.

Bruce Forsyth has been at the forefront of British variety entertainment for seventy-five years. He was born in Middlesex in 1928 and first came to prominence during the 1950s. At the height of his career during the 1970s and 1980s he was feted by some of the world's most beautiful women and hosted a number of British television's most popular Saturday night programmes such as 'The Generation Game' and 'Play Your Cards Right'. Between 2004 and 2013 Forsyth was a co-presenter of the hit BBC show 'Strictly Come Dancing'. He has been awarded both the OBE and CBE in 1998 and 2006 respectively and in October 2011 he was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen for services to entertainment and charity.

Answer: An octopus

This is another very entertaining animated scene, typical of Disney at their finest. In this scene our travellers encounter a number of interesting fishy characters including a pair of Latin dancing electric eels, a pair of Flamenco dancing lobsters and a barber shop singing group enclosed in a giant clam shell.

The entertainment appears to be going swimmingly (please excuse the pun) when, suddenly, the assembled fish take fright and swim away to hide as a large fishing hook descends to catch the bed framework before hauling it to the surface of the lagoon.

Answer: The Star of Astoroth

The Star of Astoroth belonged to the sorcerer Astoroth, a wizard who had imbued animals with human characteristics. However, the animals had killed Astoroth and had then disappeared, taking the amulet with them to the mythical island of Naboombu. Whilst exploring the abandoned house in London that Professor Browne had illegally occupied, Paul had discovered a children's picture book that told the story of the island and its animal residents under the King, Leonidas the lion, the holder of the Star of Astoroth.

The Sankara Stones appear as relics in the Indiana Jones adventure 'The Temple of Doom' and the Apple of Discord and Pandora's Box are objects that appear in Greek Mythology.

Answer: Vultures

On each incidence that Professor Browne meets with misfortune on the field of play, the vultures pick up their stretcher and race excitedly to collect him only to face disappointment. After being trampled underfoot by the yellow team the vultures run gleefully toward his prostrate figure until the king picks him up and dusts him down as play continues. From this point onward chaos ensues on the pitch with each team making attempts on goal by fair means or foul... but mostly foul! As the teams follow the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, the unfortunate Professor Browne is knocked down and trampled underfoot again and again with the vultures being resigned to returning to the side-lines each time.

The mayhem continues until the ball is burst by the rhino playing for the yellow team and the king ends the game by simply blowing the deflated ball across the blue team's goal-line.

The king wins!

Answer: His whistle

Immediately upon noticing the theft of the amulet the enraged King gives chase to Miss Price, Professor Browne and the children. As the king races towards the magical travelling bed, Paul has difficulty extricating the bed knob from his pocket. Just as the king is about to reach them Miss Price hurriedly casts a spell which, once again, transforms her victim into a white rabbit.

Answer: His 'Sunday' trousers

Additional items that fall under the substitutiary locomotion spell are Miss Price's nightdress, a pair of her stockings, a sword and a pair of gauntlets, amongst others.

At this point in the tale it is clear that both Emelius and Eglantine have developed feelings for each other and with Charlie, Carrie and Paul. However, they are both reluctant to admit this to each other and to save further embarrassment, Professor Browne decides to leave with the intention of returning to his old life back in London. Shortly afterwards, as Miss Price is locking up for the night, she sees two German soldiers peering over her garden wall at her. The Germans rush the building and capture Miss Price and the children; they are then transported to the village where they are confined within the museum.

Answer: A side drum

Suddenly the museum exhibits begin to move; a beat on a single drum, then three drums and a trumpet fanfare; swords are drawn and the ancient arms and armour spring into life. The invading Germans are met with an incredible sight confronted, as they are, by an army consisting of Vikings, armoured knights and redcoats.

"It's like the Lord Mayor's Show!" enthuses Charlie Rawlins as the magic army advances.

Battle is joined and the Germans, who stand no chance against their enchanted enemy, are beaten back into the sea... England is saved! Hurrah!

The film closes with Professor Browne marching off to war, promising to return to his new family - Eglantine, Charlie, Carrie and Paul - with the words "I'll be back before you've grown an inch taller; we'll be together again".