The Amazing Mr. Blunden

The Amazing Mr. Blunden is directed by Lionel Jeffries who also adapts the screenplay from Antonia Barber's novel The Ghosts. It stars Lynne Frederick, Garry Miller, Rosalyn Landor, Marc Granger, Laurence Naismith, Diana Dors, Madeline Smith and James Villiers. Music is scored by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by Gerry Fisher.

1918, London, England, and Mrs. Allen and her three children are visited on Christmas Eve by mysterious old solicitor Mr. Blunden. He offers them a way out of their impoverished surroundings in Camden Town. There's a housekeeping opportunity at a derelict country mansion called Langley Park, the place having been gutted by a major fire previously. There's a reason for the two eldest Allen children, Lucy and Jamie, being there, their help is needed....by child ghosts from 1818!

It has one of the worst posters ever made for a movie, a poster that hints at some guy called Blunden being some superman type magician! Which when coupled with the title of the film really sets up a bum steer for new viewers. To those in the know, the nostalgic Brits like myself, it's a lovely ghost/fantasy story about cross time redemption, resplendent in period flavours whilst operating from an intelligent script. The complex story is delicately crafted by director Jeffries (The Railway Children), this is never about scares, it's a Dickensian type drama that features ghosts of children clutching in the future for help in the past. Relationships are well formed, villains (Dors unrecognisable and immensely vile like) are afforded time to not be of the pantomime kind, and it all builds to a dramatic last quarter where sitting on the edge of your seat is a requisite. And then comes a moment to put warmth into the coldest of hearts.

A beautiful movie, directed and acted with appropriate skill from all involved. If you're looking for a family friendly period ghost story, this is for you. 8/10

A fondly remembered film from my youth and one I've re-visited more than once since, it still charms me today. A delightful and thrilling fantasy, it plays almost as well to adults as to its no doubt target audience of children.

The Dickensian-styled story is well-wrought with a nice blend of mystery, enchantment and adventure throughout. Sympathetically and winningly directed by British character actor Lionel Jeffries who gives himself a brief expository scene too, it's a perfect example of family entertainment.

All the principal characters are well-played, especially Laurence Naismith as the twinkle eyed title character, out to right wrongs from a hundred years before and Diana Dors as an over-the-top scheming harridan figure whose plans the amazing Mr B thwarts with the help of two young children from the future. All the child-actors act very well and for the most part avoid the usual wooden-ness in similar portrayals.

I won't give away any of the ingenious plot but it all resolves and revolves around a race to save a young heir and his sister from being murdered in a deliberately-set house fire in a plot devised by Dors and acted upon by her simpleton husband. In fact the film just tails off a little after its fiery climax, although it redeems itself with a happy ending and an unusual but warm-hearted end-credit sequence wholly in keeping with what has gone before. There's a fine understated score by Elmer Berstein too.

It probably helps that this film evokes my happy child-hood but watching it again forty years on, I'm pleased to say I enjoyed it just as much as I did in a Glasgow flea-pit in 1973.

The very first time I saw The Others my mind rushed immediately back to this gem...very much a similar premise, people from different periods of time appear to each other as ghosts. It's a nice little film. It's long been my wife's favourite, and its available on DVD from Feb 24, 2003 in the UK which is ooh so cool :)

This movie takes me back to my childhood, remembering how I used to sit in front of the tv and watch it.

I recently watched it in dvd and I live it just as much as I did then.

It's a child's ghost story, and all ages will love this movie. Shame they don't make movies like this now.

This movie worried me at first with a bit of a slow start, but it quickly changed into a wonderfully imaginative fairy tale. The characters are very good and the acting feels the period. Grahm Crowden from the British Sitcom "Waiting for God" does a very good job as well.

Everyone should give this one a try.

The concept is very intriguing and holds your interest well. I really loved the idea surrounding the ghosts and how they got where they were. The story is really one that I would love to share with my whole family.

This one feels like a Dickens Narrative due to the time period it is set in, which adds to the overall feel and believability.