Die tollkühne Hexe in ihrem fliegenden Bett Portobello Road

Die tollkühne Hexe in ihrem fliegenden Bett Portobello Road

Autor des Artikels : carol    

Die tollkühne Hexe in ihrem fliegenden Bett Portobello Road
Zugegeben, die meisten werden ihn mit der heutigen Einkaufsstraße in London assoziieren, wo es allerlei Antikes und auch viel Kitsch zu kaufen gibt.
Doch das war nicht der Grund, diesen Blog so zu nennen. Vielmehr entstammt die Idee dazu dem Songtext aus einem alten Disney-Film "Die tollkühne Hexe in ihrem fliegenden Bett". Da er zu Zeiten des 2. Weltkrieges spielt, wird hier die Portobello als eine Art Schwarzmarkt dargestellt, der die schlimmste Not lindern konnte. Hier ist der Text dazu:
Portobello Road

Portobello Road, Portobello Road
Straße des Reichtums in Zeiten der Not
alles wird zu Geld gemacht, denn Geld das heißt Brot
Entbehrliches trägt man zur Portobello Road
es gibt was Du willst in der Portobello Road


Ein praktisches Brautbuch, ein Aeronautbuch
eine schöne Geschichte "der lieblose Sohn"
"die Arbeit des Töpfers", "die Worte des Schöpfers"
der Lederband hier "Glück und Leid auf dem Thron"

Portobello Road, Portobello Road
Straße des Reichtums in Zeiten der Not
schöner Schmuch aus einer Zeit gefasst à la mode
liegt mitten im Plunder der Portobello Road

Schönes Geschmeide, einst eine Freude
billiger Krimskrams für manch' Steckenpferd
Kunstgegenstände, Kitsch für die Wände
in Alt-Portobello hat nie etwas Wert

Und Du isst wie ein König auf der Portobello Road

Portobello Road, Portobello Road
Straße des Reichtums in Zeiten der Not
alles wird zu Geld gemacht, denn Geld das heißt Brot

Deutsche Bearbeitung : Simoton Film GmbH, Berlin-West (1964)

Musikalische Leitung : Heinrich Riethmüller
Liedertexte : Eberhard Cronshagen


Im Grunde war es mir ein Bedürfnis, mit dieser Namensgebung auszudrücken, dass man alte Dinge nicht gleich wegwerfen sollte, sondern sie lieber umgestalten - "upcyceln", wie es Neudeutsch heißt -, sie einzutauschen oder zu neuem Leben zu erwecken.

Angela Lansbury, beloved star of movie Bedknobs And Broomsticks, died yesterday (October 11, 2022) at the age of 96. Her talent enchanted audiences for decades but she was also something of a feminist icon. 

Despite more notable roles such as Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote, many fans were introduced to Lansbury through her portrayal of Miss Eglantine Price in 1971 Disney classic Bedknobs And Broomsticks.

Set in wartime Britain, Miss Price is the reluctant recipient and host of three evacuee children. She also happens to be far from the typical woman of her era. She’s studying witchcraft to aid the Allied war effort.

Let’s explore the ways in which Angela Lansbury exudes feminist energy in this feel-good film.

RELATED: ICONIC PICTURES OF YOUNG ANGELA LANSBURY FROM HER 1944 HOLLYWOOD BREAK

Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Angela Lansbury and feminist traits in Bedknobs And Broomsticks

Witchcraft 

Angela’s character, Miss Price, is learning witchcraft via a correspondence course. She’s studying spells from The Book Of Astaroth in the hope she can use magic spells to stop the Nazis and end the Second World War. 

In literature and film, witches are often represented as evil women wearing cloaks who curse innocent people. For example, the witch in Snow White who tricks the princess into eating a poisoned apple. 

In Bedknobs And Broomsticks, however, we see a functioning woman choosing to engage in witchcraft as part of her anti-Fascist agenda. In the end, German troops invade her town but, using a spell, Miss Price turns a military exhibit in the local museum into an army to fight back.

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Single and childless 

Miss Price is a single woman with no children. As the film is set in 1940, this would have been a very unusual set-up for a middle-aged woman. We don’t know the reason for her single status but we do know she is self-sufficient, engaged in the world around her and proactive (evidenced by her devotion to ending the war).

Male characters in the film try to distract or boss her around, including Professor Browne, a common street magician pretending to be the prestigious headmaster of a witchcraft school.

Miss Price, however, is always assertive and knows what she wants. For example, during their trip to Portobello Road to find the other half of The Book Of Astaroth, she drives away vendors trying to tempt her with jewels or accessories stating: “That’s all very interesting but what I want is the other half of this book.” 

RELATED: ANGELA LANSBURY’S HUGE NET WORTH IS AN ODE TO HER ULTRA-SUCCESSFUL ACTING CAREER

Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images

Anti-Fascism 

Women were an important part of the Allied effort in the Second World War, particularly on the home front. However, Miss Price’s dedication to fighting the Nazis and her sense of personal responsibility is inspirational.

She has huge ambitions and believes in herself to the extent she feels she can end this war. Realistic or not, she is undeniably a strong individual who believes she can do anything she puts her mind to.

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