“a childhood classic, this movie was shown to our entire school in the auditorium in 1975. It’s a rare gem from Disney past and it still entertains today.”..- Trinity
Escape to Witch Mountain is a 1975 American science fantasy film, based on Alexander H. Key‘s 1968 novel of the same name and directed by John Hough. It was released on March 21, 1975, by Walt Disney Productions and Buena Vista Distribution Company. It is the first film of the Witch Mountain series.
Escape to Witch Mountain is based on the novel by Alexander Key. Significant differences from the book include its tone and plot elements. For example, in the book, the children are befriended by Father O’Day, an athletic, young Catholic priest, rather than crusty widower Jason O’Day. The children’s ship is shot down, rather than crashed, and the children are olive-skinned, though with light-colored hair, rather than fair-skinned and blonde-haired. In the book, Deranian is the main antagonist, and he is working for a shadowy European cabal who are trying to capture the children for their special powers, instead of for Aristotle Bolt.[2] The novel is set along or near the Atlantic Coast of the United States, whereas the film was shot along the Pacific Coast in California.
