Escape to Witch Mountain
Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed by	John Hough
Produced by	Ron Miller Jerome Courtland
Written by	Robert M. Young
Starring	Eddie Albert Ray Milland Donald Pleasence
Music by	Johnny Mandel
Cinematography	Frank V. Phillips
Editing by	Robert Stafford
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution Company
Release date(s)	March 21, 1975 August 21 December 11 January 29, 1975 February 6 February 11 February 16 February 27 April 9, 1977
Running time	97 min.
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Escape to Witch Mountain was originally a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was made into a film by Walt Disney Productions in 1975, directed by John Hough. A remake directed by Peter Rader was released in 1995. Yet another remake began production in July of 2007, set to be directed by Andy Fickman. Image File history File links Escape_to_witch_mountain_movie_poster. ... John Hough (born 1941) is a British film and television director. ... Ronald William Miller is a former professional football player and a former top Disney executive. ... Jerome Courtland (born 27 December 1926) is an American actor, director and producer. ... There are other people called Robert M. Young Robert Malcolm Young, usually known as Robert M. Young (born November 22, 1924 in New York), is an American multi-award winning screenwriter, director, cinematographer and producer. ... Eddie Albert, born Edward Albert Heimberger, (April 22, 1906 â€“ May 26, 2005) was a popular Oscar and Emmy Award-nominated American stage, film, character actor, gardener and humanitarian activist, perhaps best known for playing Bing Edwards in the Brother Rat films, or for his role in the 1960s television comedy... Ray Milland (January 3, 1905 – March 10, 1986) was a successful Welsh actor and director who worked primarily in the United States. ... Donald Pleasence, OBE (October 5, 1919 – October 2, 1995) was an English stage and film actor. ... Johnny Mandel (born 23 November 1925 in New York) is an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. ... Buena Vista production logo, 1950s. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong. ... December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Alexander Hill Key (September 21, 1904 â€“ July 25, 1979) was an American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. ... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Hough (born 1941) is a British film and television director. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Andy Fickman is a film director. ...

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

Novel

The story is about two orphans, Tony and Tia, who have moderate paranormal abilities. Tony possesses the ability of telekinesis, though he can only access it through playing music, whereas Tia can telekinetically unlock any door as well as communicate with any mammal. Whilst Tony can talk normally, Tia must communicate via telepathy, although she talks only to Tony in this way. After their foster guardian, Mrs. Malone, dies, they are placed by social services in a juvenile detention home under grim, unwholesome conditions; with them is their pet black cat, Winkie. Orphans, by Thomas Kennington An orphan (from the Greek ορφανός) is a person (typically a child), who has lost both parents, often through death. ... // Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... Psychokinesis (literally mind-movement) or PK is the more commonly used term today for what in the past was known as telekinesis (literally distant-movement). It refers to the psi ability to influence the behavior of matter by mental intention (or possibly some other aspect of mental activity) alone. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... Telepathy, from the Greek τῆλε, tele, remote; and πάθεια, patheia, to be effected by, describes the hypothetical transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. ... A social worker is a person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs. ... A youth detention center, also known as Juvenile Hall is a prison for people under the age of 18. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ...

Both have suppressed memories of their past, but discover a clue — an old road map hidden in Tia's "star box", a leather purse-like box with a double-star design on it. When a man claiming to be the brother of their deceased father shows up at the detention center to take custody of them, they instinctively know he is not their uncle and has ulterior motives. With the assistance of an inner-city Irish priest, Father O'Day, the pair run away, following the map's route leading towards the Blue Ridge Mountains. As their memories begin to return, they realize that they are actually of extraterrestrial origin; their people having come to Earth because their own planet was dying. In the end, Tony and Tia find their way to their own people. When their would-be captor, Lucas Deranian, attempts to interrogate Father O'Day, the priest speaks to the effect that God is capable of creating many worlds and many peoples; that there are mysteries beyond Deranian's "narrow dreaming". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Blue Ridge Mountains, Shining Rock Wilderness Area Appalachian Mountain system The Blue Ridge is a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ...

As with most of Alexander Key's stories, the embattled protagonists find that most of the people they meet are untrustworthy, greedy and hateful. A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ...

1975 Film

DVD poster for the film

In the film version, the story has been considerably cleaned up from the darker, original novel, and the children's powers have been amplified. While Tony is somewhat clairvoyant and telepathic (he can only hear Tia's projected thoughts), his greatest gift is telekinesis. Unaided, he can telekinetically move small objects, but playing his harmonica helps him utilize his power to even greater effect. Tia possesses a greater degree of clairvoyance and telepathy; she can communicate with animals and Tony (who can only hear her psychic voice but cannot respond in kind). She also possesses the ability of telekinesis, though to a lesser extent than Tony, displaying a talent in working small mechanisms, such as locks and vehicle ignitions. At one point, considering the differences in the facility of their powers, such as Tony's need of the harmonica as a focus while Tia needs none, Tony muses, "Maybe it's because you're a girl." While Tia's telepathy proves to be very useful, such as when she turns guard dogs upon their pursuers, or taming a rebellious horse, it can also create problems, as she is prone to rescuing animals at inconvenient times (releasing a captive bear during an escape). Image File history File links Disney_-_Escape_to_Witch_Mountain. ... Image File history File links Disney_-_Escape_to_Witch_Mountain. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Clairvoyance, from 17th century French Clair meaning clear and voyant meaning seeing, is a term used to describe the transference of information about an object, location or physical event through means other than the 5 traditional senses (See Psi). ...

Both Tia and Tony have fragmented memories of their early childhood, including an accident at sea and a man they later remember as their Uncle Bene (pronounced Ben-ay), whom they believe drowned during their rescue. After the death of their foster guardian, Mrs. Malone, they are placed in an orphanage, and are ostracized by the other children because of their abilities. They later uncover a clue to their true origins: a map hidden on Tia's "star case" (a box-shaped purse with a double-star emblem) that's been in her possession for as long as they can remember. // The first orphanages, called orphanotrophia, were founded in the 1st century amid various alternative means of orphan support. ...

Responding to a premonition from Tia, Tony warns well-to-do attorney Lucas Deranian of an impending accident with his limousine, saving him from serious injury. Deranian promptly relates the incident to his employer, Aristotle Bolt, a ruthless and power-hungry multi-millionaire obsessed with the paranormal and the occult. Hoping to exploit the children's gifts in order to further expand his wealth and influence, Bolt backs Deranian with the resources to forge documentation of Deranian's blood relation to the twins in order to gain custody. Though somewhat suspicious, knowing Deranian is not truly their uncle, the twins are at first entranced by the luxurious trappings of wealth (even a home for their pet black cat Winkie) offered at Bolt's mansion. However, Tony and Tia's worst fears are realized when Bolt later reveals to the children that they've been under camera surveillance since their arrival, witnessing marionettes dancing to Tony's harmonica music, and Tia taming Bolt's rebellious horse Thunderhead. As Bolt reveals his plans to exploit their powers, Tony and Tia realize Bolt will never let them go. Soon after, the twins overhear the two men planning to move them to a remote snowbound chalet, and they determine to leave during the night. Riding Thunderhead, Bolt's guard dogs and Winkie eagerly assist in the children's escape at Tia's behest. The word occult comes from the Latin occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to knowledge of the hidden.[1] In the medical sense it is used commonly to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e. ... A marionette is a type of puppet with strings controlled by a puppeteer from above. ... Chalet A chalet (pronounced ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building in the Alpine region made of wood. ...

Tia and Tony sneak into the Winnebago camper owned by embittered widower Jason O'Day, who's traveling alone to see the country. Showing some signs of gentleness upon encountering Winkie, Jason becomes his usual irascible self upon finding the two stowaways. Eventually though, he warms to Tony and Tia and is later amazed by the twins' abilities. After realizing that Bolt and the others chasing them are up to no good, Jason finally overcomes his reluctance to help. They follow the star case map's route, which leads towards Witch Mountain, a landmark notorious for strange, unexplained phenomena since the arrival of a band of reclusive strangers that settled there some time earlier. Local townsfolk are lured into joining the pursuit by the promise of a big reward from Bolt and Deranian. However, displays of the twins' powers while on the run soon create a mob out for blood, convinced that Tony and Tia are evil witches.

As their memories begin to fully return, they realize their accident at sea didn't involve a boat, but a spacecraft! Tony and Tia are actually of extraterrestrial origin; the double star emblem on the star case stood for a binary star system where their home planet was located. Having come to Earth because their own planet was dying, survivors of the journey made their way to Witch Mountain and formed a community to await the surviving children; all sets of twins each in possession of a star case to help them find their way to their new home. Tony and Tia are the first to reach the destination. Leaving Winkie with Jason, who promises to keep his eyes open for other children like Tony and Tia, the twins are reunited with their Uncle Bene, who didn't drown after all ("If you know exactly what to say to a shark," Bene tells the children, "he can be very accommodating!"). Knowing that a man like Bolt would never stop chasing them, they board another spacecraft to leave Earth, never to return. However, when Bolt and the others leave in defeat, Jason witnesses the ship's return as it flies over him to say a final goodbye. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the band of the same name, see: Binary Star (band) Hubble image of the Sirius binary system, in which Sirius B can be clearly distinguished (lower left). ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ...

Sequels

• Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
• Beyond Witch Mountain (1982)

Return from Witch Mountain released in (1978) is the sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain (1975). ... Beyond Witch Mountain was filmed in 1982, and was the second sequel to the 1975 Disney film Escape To Witch Mountain. ...

Cast of the 1975 film

Eddie Albert, born Edward Albert Heimberger, (April 22, 1906 â€“ May 26, 2005) was a popular Oscar and Emmy Award-nominated American stage, film, character actor, gardener and humanitarian activist, perhaps best known for playing Bing Edwards in the Brother Rat films, or for his role in the 1960s television comedy... Ray Milland (January 3, 1905 – March 10, 1986) was a successful Welsh actor and director who worked primarily in the United States. ... Donald Pleasence, OBE (October 5, 1919 – October 2, 1995) was an English stage and film actor. ... Kim Richards (born September 19, 1964 in Mineola, New York) was an American child actress of the 1970s. ... Ike Keith Eisenmann [1] also known lately as Iake Eissinmann (b. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alfred Ryder (January 5, 1916 - April 16, 1995) was a radio, television and film actor. ... Lawrence Montaigne (b. ... George Chandler (June 30, 1898 - June 10, 1985) was an American actor best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie on the television series Lassie. ... Don Brodie Born May 29, 1899, Cincinatti, Ohio, died January 8, 2001 Los Angeles, California was an American actor and director. ... Sam Edwards (May 26, 1915 - July 28, 2004) was an American actor. ... Albert John Dunlap (born July 26, 1937) in Hoboken, New Jersey is a professional corporate downsizer popularly known as Chainsaw Al and Rambo in Pinstripes. Dunlap is a West Point graduate who apprenticed under Sir James Goldsmith and Kerry Packer before taking the reins of Lily Tulip Cup and Scott...

1995 Film

The 1995 remake of the film changes several details of the original. The twins, now named Danny and Anna, are found by Zoe Moon (Perrey Reeves) a young waitress, who notices when the children's hands touch, they create a wave of purple energy. However, before she can do anything, the infant children are separated. Perrey Reeves, who does not disclose her age[1], was born in New York City, New York, USA). ...

Danny (Erik von Detten) spends the next few years of his life between foster families, none of which he feels at home with. Fed up with trying to find a home for him, his social worker decides to leave him at an orphanage with other children, where he can a least make some friends. He is reunited with Anna (Elisabeth Moss), but they are initially not aware of their relationship, despite their odd mannerisms such as arranging the food on their trays exactly the same way. Once they realize they are siblings and possess supernormal powers, they catch the attention of Edward Bolt (Robert Vaughn), a local magnate seeking to develop the nearby Witch Mountain. He decides he wants to take care of them as their foster father; Danny is happy with the development, since he now has his sister and will have a nice home, but Anna is more apprehensive about being adopted by Bolt. Erik Thomas von Detten (born October 3, 1982) is an American actor. ... American actress, Elisabeth Moss, in her role as Zoey Bartlet on The West Wing. ... Robert Francis Vaughn (born November 22, 1932) is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. ...

During one of their outings, Anna uses her powers. As a result, the owner of the shop takes them aside, revealing that he has the same powers they do. He goes on to say that they are many more like them, all extraterrestrials from a planet where everyone has a twin. They came to earth to explore, but all of them separated out of quarrels they experienced on earth. The shopkeeper has been working to reunite them all and take them home from Witch Mountain. Danny dismisses him as joke, but Anna believes there is some truth to what he is saying. Meanwhile, Zoe sees the purple light from the front of the shop and recognizes it; she confronts the shop owner in hopes of finding the twins she saw, but he dismisses her accusations, though he leaves her some clues as to what will happen to Anna and Danny if she wants to help them.

Bolt reveals that he intends to use Anna and Danny to blast open Witch Mountain without explosives. When Anna discovers the truth, Bolt decides to separate them and use Anna as a hostage so Danny will do as he asks. The two escape with help from Zoe, Bruno the Hermit (Brad Dourif), Bolt's chauffeur Luthor (Brad Dourif), and Anna's friend from the orphanage to Witch Mountain, where the shopkeeper and many other reunited twins are waiting for them, the last two sets of twins (the hermit and the chauffeur are revealed to be twins as well) to join them. Using the shopkeeper's powers (the purple light), they all return home in pairs, with Anna and Danny going last to close the gate between their home world and Earth. Bolt arrives too late to capture them and the shopkeeper casually comments that he'll be waiting for the next group of tourists. The waitress leaves with what she has discovered from the experience. For other uses, see Hermit (disambiguation). ... Bradford Claude Dourif (March 18, 1950, Huntington, West Virginia) is an American Academy Award nominated actor. ... Bradford Claude Dourif (March 18, 1950, Huntington, West Virginia) is an American Academy Award nominated actor. ... A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or an opening in a fence. ...

Cast of the 1995 film

Robert Francis Vaughn (born November 22, 1932) is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. ... American actress, Elisabeth Moss, in her role as Zoey Bartlet on The West Wing. ... Erik Thomas von Detten (born October 3, 1982) is an American actor. ... Lynne Moody is an American actress who has made many appearances in television. ... Perrey Reeves, who does not disclose her age[1], was born in New York City, New York, USA). ... Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress and voice actress. ... Vincent Schiavelli and his then wife Allyce Beasley (September 20, 1987) Photo by Alan Light Vincent Andrew Schiavelli (November 10, 1948 – December 26, 2005) was an American character actor noted for his work in film and television. ... Henry Gibson (born September 21, 1935 in Germantown, Pennsylvania) is an American actor who was famous as a cast member of Rowan and Martins Laugh-In. ... Sam Horrigan is an American actor best known for his role as Quentin Kelly on the hit ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire. ... Kevin Tighe (born August 13, 1944 in Los Angeles) is an American actor best remembered for his role as Roy DeSoto on the TV series Emergency! from 1972 to 1979. ... Bradford Claude Dourif (March 18, 1950, Huntington, West Virginia) is an American Academy Award nominated actor. ...

Future film

Although limited details have been announced, Walt Disney Pictures announced in July of 2007 that the long-awaited remake of Escape to Witch Mountain had begun production, and is to be directed by Andy Fickman and to star Dwayne Johnson. [1] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Andy Fickman is a film director. ... Dwayne Johnson, (born May 2, 1972) is an American actor and former professional wrestler,[2] best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment as The Rock between 1996 and 2004. ...

External links

• The Witch Mountain Experience - An Extensive Fan Site
• Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) at the Internet Movie Database
• Escape to Witch Mountain (1995) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Official Ike Eisenmann Site
• How much was Alexander Key influenced by Zenna Henderson?