The Amazing Mr. Blunden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Amazing Mr. Blunden |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Lionel Jeffries |
| Produced by | Barry Levinson |
| Written by | Antonia Barber (book) Lionel Jeffries (adaptation) |
| Starring | Laurence Naismith Lynne Frederick Garry Miller Rosalyn Landor Marc Granger Diana Dors Madeline Smith James Villiers |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Gerry Fisher |
| Editing by | Teddy Darvas |
| Distributed by | Hemisphere Productions |
| Release date(s) | December 1972 |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Amazing Mr. Blunden is a thrilling 1972 family mystery film. It's all about ghosts and time travel! The movie was directed by Lionel Jeffries. It is based on a book called The Ghosts by Antonia Barber. The film stars Laurence Naismith, Lynne Frederick, Garry Miller, and many other talented actors. Get ready for an adventure that crosses a hundred years!
Contents
The Amazing Story of Mr. Blunden
This exciting film starts in 1918. We meet Mrs. Allen, a kind widow, and her three children. They are Lucy, Jamie, and baby Benjamin. They live in a very small, run-down apartment in Camden Town.
Just before Christmas, a mysterious old man arrives. His name is Mr. Frederick Percival Blunden. He works for a group of lawyers. He tells the family about a special opportunity. They can become caretakers of a huge, old country house. It's called Langley Park. The house was damaged by fire many years ago. Now, the lawyers are in charge of it.
Mrs. Allen decides to take the job. Even though there are rumors that the house is haunted! Her job is to look after the property. She must do this until the true owners can be found.
A Hundred-Year-Old Mystery
The mystery gets deeper when the children visit the lawyer's office. They see a painting of a man. They think it looks just like Mr. Blunden! The lawyer confirms it's a Mr. Blunden. But he says this Mr. Blunden died a hundred years ago! The Mr. Blunden they met is his great-grandson.
After moving into Langley Park, Lucy and Jamie see two ghostly figures. They are a teenage girl, Sara Latimer, and her younger brother, Georgie. These two children lived in the house a century earlier.
Sara tells Lucy and Jamie their sad story. She and Georgie are orphans. Their Uncle Bertie and the lawyer Mr. Blunden look after them. They must wait until Georgie is old enough to inherit money.
Uncle Bertie marries a woman named Bella Wickens. Her parents then move into Langley Park. They pretend to be the housekeeper and gamekeeper. But Lucy and Jamie soon suspect something bad. They think Mrs. Wickens and her mean husband are trying to take Georgie's inheritance.
Sara and Georgie find a special book. It has instructions for traveling through time! They hope to use it to get help. Lucy and Jamie agree to travel back in time with them. They plan to meet Sara the next day.
A Race Against Time
Jamie goes to the graveyard. He hopes not to find anything. He wants to know they can go back and help the children. But he and Lucy are shocked! They find a gravestone with Sara and Georgie's names on it. The graveyard worker explains that the children died in a fire. The fire happened exactly a hundred years ago, tomorrow!
The children meet Mr. Blunden again. He admits he has been very sad for over a hundred years. He feels bad about what happened. But he promises that if Lucy and Jamie help, no one will get hurt this time.
Lucy and Jamie drink a special potion. They travel back to the year 1818! They hope to stop the terrible fire. There, they meet Thomas, the kind gardener. He thinks they are from America. He tells them he dreams of going to America one day.
Mr. Blunden is visiting the house that night. But he doesn't listen to Sara's pleas for help.
Saving the Children
That night, Sara and Georgie are locked in a room. It's above the library. They are given a sleeping potion. Mr. Wickens then starts a fire in the library! The children are trapped.
Jamie helps Thomas save Sara. But when he tries to go back for Georgie, the flames are too strong. Mr. Blunden appears. He tells Jamie they will go together, holding hands. Jamie is safe from the fire. But Mr. Blunden feels the pain Jamie would have felt.
Jamie and Mr. Blunden save Georgie! Mr. Blunden bravely dies in the fire as the staircase collapses. He has a peaceful smile on his face. The Wickens also perish in the fire. Lucy and Jamie return to 1918. Jamie is unconscious, and Lucy can't tell their mother what happened.
A Happy Ending
At the graveyard, Lucy finds something amazing. The gravestone for Sara and Georgie is gone! In its place is a new one. It's for Frederick Percival Blunden. It says he was a "Good Shepherd" who "died to save the children in his care."
Jamie soon wakes up. He is so happy to hear they succeeded! Soon after, the lawyer, Mr. Clutterbuck, visits them. He tells them about newly found documents. These papers show that Sara Latimer married Thomas. And their great-grandson was the late Mr. Allen! This means Jamie is the rightful owner of Langley Park!
At the very end, a car pulls up. Mr. Clutterbuck opens the door. And sitting inside is Mr. Blunden! But which one? The way he greets them is familiar. It's the same mysterious phrase from their first meeting. They now have all the answers they need.
The movie finishes with the actors saying goodbye. Their names appear on the screen one by one.
Cast
- Laurence Naismith as Frederick Percival Blunden
- Lynne Frederick as Lucy Allen
- Garry Miller as Jamie Allen
- Rosalyn Landor as Sara Latimer
- Marc Granger as Georgie Latimer
- Diana Dors as Mrs. Wickens
- Dorothy Alison as Mrs. Allen
- James Villiers as Uncle Bertie
- Madeline Smith as Bella Wickens
- David Lodge as Mr. Wickens
- Stuart Lock as Thomas Mortimer
- Deddie Davies as Miss Meakin
- Graham Crowden as Mr. Clutterbuck
- Erik Chitty as Mr. Claverton
- Reg Lye as Sexton
- Paul Eddington as Vicar
Awards
Lynne Frederick won a special award in 1973. It was the Evening Standard British Film Award for "Best New Coming Actress." She won it partly for her great acting in The Amazing Mr. Blunden.
