Best Family Movies of 1978

Dorothy Gale, a shy kindergarten teacher, is swept away to the magic land of Oz where she embarks on a quest to return home.

Ordered by his father to sell his old, small donkey, Small One, a Hebrew boy in ancient Israel takes the donkey to the Jerusalem market. Finding no buyers there, the boy is about to give up when he meets a kind man named Joseph. Joseph buys Small One and uses him to take his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem.

Tony and Tia are other-worldly twins endowed with telekinesis. When their Uncle Bene drops them off in Los Angeles for an earthbound vacation, a display of their supernatural skill catches the eye of the nefarious Dr. Gannon and his partner in crime, Letha, who see rich possibilities in harnessing the children's gifts. They kidnap Tony, and Tia gives chase only to find Gannon is using her brother's powers against her.

Big Bird worries when Oscar tells him that if Santa Claus can't fit down the chimney on Christmas Eve, nobody would get presents.

A charming sequel to the hit National Velvet follows our young heroine and her trusty steed overseas.

A witch, disgruntled by the fact that no one takes Halloween seriously anymore, decides to stir things up and disrupt the social gathering in her old house as well as turn a couple of kids who love monsters into actual monsters.

Leslie Uggams hosts this take on A Christmas Carol, where she and fellow guest stars, Anne Murray, Imogene Coca, and Dickie Smothers try to get Oscar to stop being such a Grouch on Christmas.

Nobody ever listens to Jacob, so he always has to repeat himself. A trip to the grocery store leads to a misunderstanding and Jacob falls asleep hiding in a park. When he wakes up, he discovers that he is in trouble for insulting the store clerk. He is sent to a prison for children that is located on Slimer's Island and is run by the Hooded Fang, an ex-wrestler who outwardly hates children. Meanwhile, Child Power representatives the Intrepid Shapiro and Fearless O'Toole try to find the prison's hidden location to help free the children.

Twin brothers -- one rough and tough, the other a city-bred milquetoast -- compete for their father's fortune.

This children's fantasy tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who discovers a complex underwater world where young children are held prisoner by an evil shark and an eel.

Originally apart of The Star Wars Holiday Special, this animated story follows Chewbacca as he searches for a cure to the virus which knocked out his friends, with the help of an unlikely ally – the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Nancy is about to receive her college degree and she has a special request for Dr. McFarland about the commencement proceedings, where parents are always given special honor. She starts to reminisce about what has led to her successful graduation, and that of her two brothers Jim and Tommy before her, despite having lost both parents long ago. After being widowed when Nancy is only two years old, her mother Laura works hard night and day to support her young family. Their only relative is Laura's brother, and Uncle Ben is a favorite of the children with his story-telling ability and easy charm. However, his own life is dominated by alcoholism, and he finds it difficult to hold a job and be a responsible member of the community. When Laura suddenly passes away, the children beg Uncle Ben to take care of them. He wishes to do so, and fights to gain custody of his young niece and nephews, but his addiction is standing in the way of his fulfilling the role of a parent.

A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that gives it special powers, including the ability to communicate with humans, has eluded the authorities and seeks the help of a scientist in order to reclaim and repair his ship and get back home.

Zak O'Brien is an animal trainer for the popular television series "Caesar and Romulus", which has been selected for a "Patsy" Award to be presented in Burbank, Californa. Zak, Caesar and Romulus board his Cherokee Arrow in Denver for the flight there, but en route at night over the Utah wastelands they encounter a sudden blizzard. Zak's radio fails, and then engine trouble ensues and he guides the craft down to a crash landing. All survive, but the plane is destroyed and now a struggle for survival begins.

Jackie is a boy who is so trapped by his fears and doubts that he could not communicate with anyone. Then, a magic dragon named Puff comes to help Jackie by taking his soul force on a wonderous voyage to his island of Honah Lee. Along the way, they have adventures that nurture Jackie's imagination and courage in unorthodox ways.

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! is the 17th primetime animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. The plot is similar to that of Jack London's Call of the Wild.

Fred manages a little league baseball team that seems absolutely hopeless, except for a player that he blindly refuses to recognize.

This heart warming adaptation of the timeless novel tells the story of the courageous stallion Black Beauty, a well-bred horse in the 19th century England.

On the day of the Halloween party, Soup and Rob are finding plenty of ways to get into trouble: swimming in a local pond (though their mothers prohibit swimming so late in the year), pitching apples over a barn, and borrowing a cart which had drifted away from its owner. The grandest mischief of all, however, comes from their attempt to win the prize at the Halloween party, given to the entrant with the largest pumpkin.

When inventor/efficiency expert Alexander Graham Wolf plots to take over Santa's workshop, Comet asks for help from Raggedy Ann, Andy and their dog, Raggedy Arthur.

Based on the children's novel by celebrated South Australian author 'Colin Thiele' , this is an emotional father and son story about tuna fishing of Southern Blue Fin tuna in South Australia's Port Lincoln fishing district. Accident prone son Snook is forever making mistakes much to the chagrin of his father Pascoe. But when tragedy strikes the fishing boat during a deep sea fishing trek in the Southern Ocean, the boy is called on to become a man in a rites of sea passage to reconcile is past mishaps and save both his father and the ship from certain disaster.

Casey's family raises and trains race horses, and their latest undersized foal named Casey's Shadow does not seem to have a lot going for it, but may turn out to be a champion.

A young boy's lucky t-shirt is transformed through a power surge and gives its wearer super-powers.

A young tomboy and her prim grandmother quickly forget the disappointment of their first meeting and become friends.

Alexander Armsworth and his family move to an authentic antebellum mansion which once was owned by a river pirate. Alexander is drawn into a century-old mystery when he sees the ghost of a little girl and she asks for his help in finding the "child of glass" by reciting a riddle. He has only a day or two to solve the riddle...or be haunted for the rest of his life!

The Wilderness Family now face terrifying times in fierce winter storms, an avalanche, and being attacked by a ferocious pack of hungry wolves. Watch as America's favorite family stands strong together to prove that the best things in life are really free.

Sponsored as part of the Electricity Council's 'Understanding Electricity' campaign, Play Safe is a series of three hard-hitting fillers designed to highlight to children the potentially fatal consequences of playing near overhead electric lines and substations. The carefree attitude of the youngsters as they fly their kites and radio-controlled planes in the open air is undermined by composer Harry Robinson's electronic soundtrack, which pulsates with menace throughout. — Katy McGahan

Two children help an eccentric professor test his new time machine.

Lassie is claimed from his family by a "former owner" and then braves a cross country trip to rejoin the ones that love her.

A man and a woman and 3 children start to sail around the world. They are shipwrecked near an uninhabited isle. This island is full of wild animals and it is very dangerous for them in the begining. They live through a lot of wonderful adventure together and they become a big family.

At the New York State University, one of Peter Parker's tutors has accidentally given three students all the materials they need to create an atomic bomb. While Peter Parker tries to find out what's happened, the police suspect him of the crime, and Peter has to deal with an attractive journalist determined to get an interview with Spider-Man. Then dastardly millionaire Mr. White shows up, and will stop at nothing to get his hands on the atomic bomb. Spider-Man must defeat this scheming villain and stop him blowing up the World Trade Centre.

A small town band makes it big, but loses track of their roots, as they get caught up into the big-time machinations of the music biz. Now, they must thwart a plot to destroy their home town. Built around the music of The Beatles, this musical uses some big name groups like Peter Frampton and Aerosmith.

In this third film version of the Bad News Bears series, Tony Curtis plays a small time promotor/hustler who takes the pint-sized baseball team to Japan for a match against the country's best little league baseball team which sparks off a series of adventures and mishaps the boys come into.

While on a publicity tour in Switzerland, Benji, Cindy Smith, and Patsy Garrett convince Kris Kringle that his place on Christmas Eve is delivering presents to all "his" families all over the world.

A small-time talent agent discovers an amazing boxing kangaroo and figures to use it as his stepping-stone into the big time.

Luke Skywalker and Han Solo battle evil Imperial forces to help Chewbacca reach his imperiled family on the Wookiee planet - in time for Life Day, their most important day of the year!

Fall preview special highlighted by original comedy skits and musical performances by the Bay City Rollers and others.

Heidi leaves the mountains of Switzerland for a trip to New York City.

A father is working the controls of a railroad track, allowing approaching passenger trains to cross safely over the bridge. As one approaches, he sees his young son coming toward him on the tracks. It is at this moment the father must decide whom to save - the train full of passengers -- or his son. This powerful film poignantly illustrates the meaning of God allowing His son to die to save us.

A sad little burro who feels that no one wants him and that he doesn't belong anywhere finds out differently when he is bought by Joseph to transport Mary on their travel to Jerusalem for the birth of Jesus.

A cop and his partner manage a little league baseball team, trying to turn the group of misfits into a competitive team.

"Mickey's 50" is a 90-minute special that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on November 19, 1978. The special was made to commemorate the 50th birthday of Mickey Mouse and highlights many moments in his career.

A made-for-TV retelling of the story "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," directed by Ben Rea, featuring Jim Dale as the Soldier, Freddie Jones as the destitute King, and Gloria Grahame as the Witch. Significant changes were made to the story, including reducing the number of princesses to six, and the soldier ultimately declining to marry any of the princesses due to their deceitful nature.

Every day is boring and the same to Amy, even her birthday. All the evidence her family puts forth that each day is different she rebuts with well-thought out responses of sameness. She is supposed to visit her Aunt Lucy to pick up her present from her, and instead meets weird characters who insist that her aunt has a beagle named Charlie and that she has turned into a butterfly. Eventually she encounters fairytale folk who thought their lives were normal before the events in their stories occurred. (IMDb)

Alex is annoyed when he loses out on being picked as class president. When visiting a local antique shop he finds a magic lamp, with three singing Genies, who grant him three magical wishes.

In this drama, Lesia convinces her English-Canadian friend Sarah to perform a Ukrainian dance with her as part of their school's Christmas pageant. Sarah's father, angry at the growing number of Ukrainian settlers, won't allow his daughter to participate. Despite the prejudices of their parents, the girls' friendship remains strong, and they meet in Sarah's barn to celebrate Christmas Day together. Part of the Adventures in History series.

Manny coaches soccer for the fashionable Creighton Hall school, but is relieved of duty because he is 'not a good match' for the school. He finds a job at a Catholic home for orphans, where he forms a new soccer team, with the help of one very good player Pepe who turns out to be a girl. 'Pepe' is the sister of one of the orphans, who comes to the all-boy orphanage posing as a boy, because her former foster home was an abusive environment. Along the way, Manny has incurred a gambling debt, his creditors begin to lean on him, and the boys find out. They set up a soccer game and stake the outcome against Manny's debt. If they win, the debt will be forgiven.

The story of the courtship of Joseph and Mary, and of the events leading up to the first Christmas.

Based on the book by John D. Fitzgerald, this movie stars Jimmy Osmond as a mischievous boy out to swindle his whole town for everything they're worth...and who occasionally puts his smarts to use for a good cause.