The Amazing Mr. Blunden

 

This is a 1972 family mystery film directed by Lionel Jeffries. The stars includes Laurence Naismith, Graham Crowden, Dorothy Alison and Diana Dors.

It's a children's fantasy and also touches on the supernatural. Set in the early 20th century, a woman is invited to be a caretaker of a large house in the countryside, so she moves there into a nearby cottage with her two kids, Lucy and Jamie. The house is rundown and full of cobwebs. Lucy and Jaime encounter ghosts of children from a century before, and they used to live in that same house. There is a lot of mystery and creepy goings on, with much danger involved for them.

The magical potion the children drank in the film was actually soft ginger beer. This film was based on the 1969 novel The Ghosts by Antonia Barber. The mansion was a true derelict building Heatherden Hall which is now a Grade II listed Victorian house. The same house has been used in many films including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "From Russia With Love", "Bugsy Malone" and a number of "Carry On" films. It's also been used in television shows including "Midsomer Murders," "One Foot in the Grave" and "Great Celebrity Bake Off". There is a 2021 remake.

I first watched "The Amazing Mr Blunden" as a kid and it scared me. Now I can appreciate the film as a creative adult used to horror. I rate this a decent 9/10.

Blood Strawberry