“Those two kids are witches!”
40 years ago today, on 2/17/80, Walt Disney Productions’ classic about two young space travelers who have to try to return to their own world, “Escape To Witch Mountain” came to television for the first time in a special 2-hour presentation on “Disney’s Wonderful World” on NBC.
Tony and Tia are kids with supernatural powers from another world, who’s powers are attempted to be harnessed by evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt and his assistant Deranian. They have to escape, and encounter a friend in Jason O’Dea, who lives out of his Winnebago, but they will be hunted down by Bolt and the bounty he has put on their return. The chase is on.
The 1975 film stars Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Ike Eisenmann as Tony, and Kim Richards as Tia, in a supernatural thriller unlike any Disney movie made before. This family friendly, but still rather tense action film was produced by Jerome Courtland and directed by John Hough.
It would return to NBC later that same year shown again in two hours on 10/12/80, and then in two parts on CBS on 12/19/81 and 12/26/81. It would have a sequel in 1978 “Return From Witch Mountain”, and a TV follow-up “Beyond Witch Mountain”.
“Escape To Witch Mountain” is an exciting, and eventually rather touching film, one of the most successful Disney films of the 1970s.
“Well they’re home now.”