Casey (Foster), an orphan and thief / smooth talker, gets in over her head. She is rescued by conman Harry Bundage (McKern), who has a plan. He wants Casey to pose as the long lost granddaughter of wealthy Lady St. Edmund (Hayes) to search for the long-lost family fortune.
At Candleshoe, Casey is able to convince Lady St. Edmund that she is Margaret, the missing granddaughter, but the rest of the house is not convinced. Candleshoe is run by Priory (Nivens), the butler, and is in monetary distress. The estate is just barely making ends meet, so Priory and the four orphans who were taken in by Lady St. Edmund, Cluny (Quilligan), Peter (Sharrock), Anna (Tamakuni) and Bobby (Samuels), give tours and sell produce at the local farmers market. As Casey stays on the estate her loyalties are divided: if they find the treasure, who should get it?
By the time this film aired, Jodie Foster was a hit. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Taxi Drive, and was under contract to Disney. The previous year she appeared in Disney's Freaky Friday.
Foster is a strong, charismatic lead. She is matched by David Niven. Niven portrays the butler, but gets to wear disguises to play a few other characters to keep up appearances. He is a talented actor, and it is nice to see him show range with the different characters. Disney favorite Helen Hayes, who previously appeared in Herbie Rides Again, is endearing as Lady St. Edmund. The other kids are ok, but not particularly memorable. David Samuels, who plays Bobby, gets to have some fun sliding across the floors. Leo McKern is entertaining as Harry Bundage.
It is a nice little Disney treasure hunt, worth checking out for a look at Jodie Foster's early career.
Candleshoe (1977) 101 minutes
Director: Norman Tokar
Starring: David Niven as Priory
Helen Hayes as Lady St. Edmund
Jodie Foster as Casey
Leo McKern as Harry Bundage
Veronica Quilligan as Cluny
Ian Sharrock as Peter
Sarah Tamakuni as Anna
David Samuels as Bobby
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