Candleshoe (1977)

Welcome to Candleshoe, a stately English manor where a swashbuckling pirate hid a fortune in Spanish doubloons centuries ago. And that's what young orphan Casey (Award-winning actress Jodie Foster) and a sly con man (Leo McKern) are determined to find. But first she must dupe Candleshoe's widowed owner into believing she's her long-lost granddaughter! Casey eventually discovers there may be an even greater treasure at Candleshoe -- the love of a happy family. Legendary stars David Niven and Helen Hayes join Foster in this humorous and heartwarming adventure presented for the first time in its original, uncut theatrical version!

A Fun 70's Movie for Kids

Street wise teen Casey (Jodie Foster) is living by her wits in America. She's an orphan who has found a place to crash. But that changes when con-man Bundage (Leo McKern) shows up. He thinks that Casey is a dead ringer for an English heiress and whisks her off to England.

Of course, there's a bigger reason for Bundage's plan. Seems there's a hidden fortune in gold in the mansion, and he wants Casey to follow the clues and find it for him.

Once Casey gets to Candleshoe, she grows to love Lady St. Edmund (Helen Hayes), her supposed grandmother. Even butler Priory (David Niven) and the orphans who live there grow on her. But they are having money problems of their own. Can Casey find the gold? What will she do with it if she can?

I remembered liking this movie as a kid, but I hadn't seen it in a long time. Turns out, it's still not a bad little film. True, it's definitely oriented toward kids with several slapstick scenes. Frankly, I didn't like Casey at the beginning, but she grew on me as the movie progressed. And there are several moments that scream out the 70's, but it really holds up pretty well today.

The story is fairly predictable, in fact, I wanted to shout one thing to the characters early on. But once it gets going, you come to care for the characters, so watching it isn't a chore.

While their parents might not care for the story, kids will enjoy it. Get it for them. And you might even find yourself enjoying the nostalgia as well. November 24, 2008

Pretty nicely done.

I'm 48, and I remember this film from back-when. It's probably the only Disney non-musical of my childhood, that I would say that about.

There is no question: it's a nice little movie, not deep but enjoyable, with pretty fine performances by the leads. It's great fun to see Jodie Foster and Helen Hayes working together, and both are cast excellently.

Someone looking for "Pygmalion" or "Casablanca" (or Chekhov) will need to take this movie for what it is: a well-made Disney film. When you're in the mood for one, this is a good place to start. September 16, 2008

An oldie but a goodie..

Classic Disney movie worth watching and owning. I recommend this one for the whole family. It is full of antics and kid drama.

An orphan on the street finds out she may be the inheritor of the rich "candleshoe" estate. Only the estate is poor shape. The orphan (foster)has to come to the estates' rescue. August 22, 2008

Young Foster makes this movie awesome

I'm not a big fan of old live action Disney movie (or new ones for that matter) but this one is a keeper. My younger siblings were watching it for the first time and I had nothing better to do so I did too. I'm glad I did.

Jodie Foster is absolutely FANTASTIC as Casey, a cynical (albeit young), orphan with a lot of street smarts. David Niven provides genuine humor with his numerous roles. I'm not going to say what happens, because if you have already seen it you already know, and if you haven't, you should. Suffice it to say that despite a possibly lame fight scene at the end, this movie definitely deserves five stars.
May 6, 2008

great communication

This was one of my favorite movies as a child. I ordered it and it arrived promptly. Very happy. February 16, 2008

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