The Amazing Mr. Blunden

written and directed by Lionel Jeffries

Release: 30 November 1972
Format: Feature Film
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Families
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

As in the The Ghosts, which formed the basis for the film, a mysterious Mr. Blunden arranges for a widow and her children to move to an old English house while the rightful heir to the house is tracked down. But in the film, young Lucy and Jamie are in 1918 rather than the 1960s, and the “ghost children” are from 1818 rather than the 1860s. Nevertheless, Lucy, Jamie, Sara, George, and Tom all have the same adventure in the past along with a cool Grandchild Paradox.

— Michael Main

Now is the time. Look straight ahead and don’t be afraid.

DEBUT

The Amazing Mr. Blunden (at movie theaters, UK, 30 November 1972).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

PRIOR WORKS: based on The Ghosts by Antonia Barber (1969)

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1800 to 1899: Home time of Sara and George.
Circa AD 1900 to 1929: Home time of Lucy and Jamie.

Time Travel Methods

Hypnosis, Potions, and Drug-Induced Travel: A recipe to move the “Wheel of Time“.
Magic Time Travel: The magic recipe.

Themes

Fix History!: Save Sara and George!.
Grandchild Paradox: Lucy and Jamie rescue their ancestor before she procreates..

Fictional Tags

Ghosts: Mr. Blunden (but not any of the children).

Groupings

Cited in Worlds Enough and Time, edited by Gary Westfahl ()

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY: We haven’t yet mapped out the time travel itinerary.

INDEXER NOTES (SPOILERS!)

What would you call the paradox where their grandmother died <i>before</i> their ancestors were born and they go back to fix it? What other examples exist? Up in the ITTDB Citadel, we’re going with The Grandmother Paradox.