The Amazing Mr Blunden **** (1972, Laurence Naismith, Lynne Frederick, Garry Miller, Diana Dors, James Villiers, David Lodge, Graham Crowden, Dorothy Alison) – Classic Movie Review 10,289

Writer-director Lionel Jeffries’s 1972 family mystery fantasy film The Amazing Mr Blunden is a charming adaptation of Antonia Barber’s much loved novel The Ghosts, painstakingly directed by the evergreen Jeffries (The Railway Children).

Two 1918 Camden Town children Lucy Allen and Jamie Allen (Lynne Frederick and Garry Miller) find themselves drawn into a ghostly adventure by a friendly spirit, the old solicitor Mr Blunden (Laurence Naismith), who takes them back one century into a series of adventures that culminate in them saving another brother and sister from a grisly end.

The plot gets a little over-complex, but the film’s innocence and gentle warmth shine through, helped by the delicious performances and handsome production.

Clearly a labour of love by Jeffries, it is a delightful fairy tale for children of all ages. Diana Dors and James Villiers are both tremendous as Mrs Wickens the Housekeeper and Uncle Bertie.

Also in the cast are David Lodge, Graham Crowden, Dorothy Alison as the mother Mrs Allen, Rosalyn Landor, Marc Granger, Erik Chitty, Deddie Davies, Stuart Lock, Benjamin Smith and Madeleine Smith.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,289

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