A Step in the Right Direction

Last updated

"A Step in the Right Direction" is a song written by Robert and Richard Sherman for the 1971, Walt Disney musical film production Bedknobs and Broomsticks .

When a baby spider

tries to trap a fly
Often times, the silken thread
Will come awry
Though a tangled web is all that he can claim

It's a step in the right direction all the same

Lost scene

Upon rediscovering the song on the original soundtrack album, Disney decided to reconstruct the original running length of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, with all the songs. Most of the film material was found, but one minute of another song, "Portobello Road", had to be reconstructed from a work print with digital re-coloration to match the film quality of the main content. The footage for "A Step in the Right Direction" was never located. For many decades, it remains lost, and it is possible that the footage was accidentally destroyed, but records show that the song was part of the film before the Radio City engagement. A reconstruction of the sequence, using the original music track linked up to existing production stills, was included as a DVD extra to convey an idea of what it would have looked like in the film.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Tigger Movie</i> 2000 animated Disney film directed by Jun Falkenstein

The Tigger Movie is a 2000 animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation with animation production by Walt Disney Animation (Japan), Inc., written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on February 11, 2000. It is the second theatrical Winnie the Pooh film after The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and features Pooh's sidekick Tigger as the main protagonist searching for his family tree and other Tiggers like himself. The film was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts.

<i>Bedknobs and Broomsticks</i> 1971 film by Robert Stevenson

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson and songs written by the Sherman Brothers. It was produced by Bill Walsh for Walt Disney Productions. It is based upon the books The Magic Bedknob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons (1943) and Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947) by English children's author Mary Norton. The film, which combines live action and animation, stars Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, and Roy Snart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherman Brothers</span> American songwriting duo

The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of brothers Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. Together they received various accolades including two Academy Awards and three Grammy Awards. They received nominations for a Laurence Olivier Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. In 1976, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the National Medal of the Arts in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard M. Sherman</span> Musical artist

Richard Morton Sherman is an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "the Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert B. Sherman</span> American songwriter (1925–2012)

Robert Bernard Sherman was an American songwriter, best known for his work in musical films with his brother, Richard M. Sherman. The Sherman brothers produced more motion picture song scores than any other songwriting team in film history. Some of their songs were incorporated into live action and animation musical films including Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, The The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, and Charlotte's Web. Their best-known work is "It's a Small World " possibly the most-performed song in history.

Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its roster of pop, teen pop, and country artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Stevenson (filmmaker)</span> British-American film director (1905–1986)

Robert Edward Stevenson was a British-American screenwriter and film director.

"Sister Suffragette" is a pro-suffrage protest song pastiche written and composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. It was sung by actress Glynis Johns in the role of Mrs. Winifred Banks in the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins. The song's melody was originally from a scrapped piece called "Practically Perfect", also written and composed by the Sherman Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Norton (writer)</span> English childrens writer (1903–1992)

Kathleen Mary Norton, known professionally as Mary Norton, was an English writer of children's books. She is best known for The Borrowers series of low fantasy novels, which is named after its first book and, in turn, the tiny people who live secretly in the midst of contemporary human civilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milt Larsen</span> American businessman (1931–2023)

Milt Larsen was an American actor, writer, performer, lyricist, magician, businessman, speaker, and the creator of The Magic Castle, a private club for magicians and enthusiasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Sherman</span> American songwriter

Avrum Sherman, pen name Al Sherman, was a Russian-American songwriter and composer active during the Tin Pan Alley era in American music history. Some of his most recognizable song titles include: "You Gotta Be a Football Hero," "Now's the Time to Fall in Love" and "Lindbergh ." Sherman is one link in a long chain of family members who were musical. Most notably, his sons, Robert and Richard were to join the ranks of America's most highly regarded songwriters. Pairing up and mentoring the Sherman Brothers team has often been referred to as Al Sherman's greatest songwriting achievement.

<i>Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic</i> 1995 box set by Various Artists

Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic is a five-volume compilation series, each containing 25 songs compiled from Disneyland and Walt Disney World, various Disney films in animation and live-action, and the Walt Disney anthology television series. Each volume was released individually on CD and cassette between 1995 and 1998. Volume I was released on March 28, 1995, Volume II on September 12, 1995, Volume III on July 2, 1996, Volume IV on July 15, 1997 and Volume V on September 22, 1998. In 2000, a box set was released containing volumes 1 - 3, followed by a box set containing volumes 1 - 4 in 2001, Finally, a box set containing all five volumes packaged in a slipcase was released by Walt Disney Records in Australia, Japan, North America and Europe in 2003.

"The Age of Not Believing" is a song written by Robert and Richard Sherman for the 1971 Walt Disney musical film production Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Angela Lansbury sings the song in the motion picture. In the lyrics, Lansbury's character Eglantine expresses how as children grow up, they lose their belief in magic and doubt themselves. The song works on two levels, both on a personal, human level and thematically for the whole film - a Britain grown cynical from the pressures of war must learn to borrow from its own past magic in order to overcome the tremendous challenge which lies before it, while the characters in the film must finally learn to trust in Eglantine's magic to achieve their goals and save Britain from the Nazis.

Irwin Kostal was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals.

"The Glorious Fourth" is a song written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman in 1974 for the then-upcoming American Bicentennial. Disneyland temporarily changed its "Main Street Electrical Parade" to "America on Parade" and featured the Sherman Brothers' song "The Glorious Fourth". The revamped parade featured nightly fireworks and ran twice a day from 1975-1977.

"The Beautiful Briny" is a song written by Robert and Richard Sherman, originally for the Walt Disney film Mary Poppins, but eventually used instead in the 1971 musical film production Bedknobs and Broomsticks. David Tomlinson and Angela Lansbury perform the song as a duet under the water, in the lagoon of the Island of Naboombu.

"Portobello Road" by the Sherman Brothers is a song, specifically a waltz (3/4) about Portobello Road in London, England. It was written for the 1971, Walt Disney musical film production Bedknobs and Broomsticks. It is sung by David Tomlinson about a street where, to this day–

Anything and everything a chap can unload
Is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Gausman</span> American set decorator

Hal Gordon Gausman was an American set decorator. He was nominated for five Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.

<i>Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack</i> 1964 soundtrack album by Irwin Kostal

Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of the 1964 film Mary Poppins, with music and lyrics written by songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and adapted and conducted by Irwin Kostal.

<i>Bedknobs and Broomsticks</i> (musical) Musical based on the 1971 film

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a stage musical based on the 1971 Walt Disney film and the stories by Mary Norton. It features the original songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, new songs and additional music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill.

References