Does anybody know why Bedknobs & Broomsticks was never released as a full length feature on 8mm from Derann via their Disney releases, just curios ?

It's not on its own Dave. There are many that never made it. For example the Rescuers, The Three Cabaleros, Alice In Wonderland,Robin Hood etc etc

I think it boiled down to what Derann considered they could sell enough prints of to make each printing viable. Plus perhaps the quality of the negatives but you'd guess this wouldn't have been too much of an issue considering these came straight from the Disney vaults themselves.

I guess Bedknobs wasn't considered to be a firm favourite of anyone's but It would have been nice to see it partner up alongside Mary Poppins and of course Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

For me personally, I'd like to have seen The Rescuers released, then Alice and then Robin Hood. These all would have complemented the rest from the same eras.

Bootleg prints from Italy are out there on 8 but most are fading if not faded and having had one of Sleeping Beauty once. I personally would never buy another. The image was dreadful by comparison to the Derann official releases.very soft and nigh on impossible to get in focus and keep it there.

I forgot about Robin Hood that was one of my favourites, its as you say Andrew I think it was down to Derek and what he thought would sell enough to recoup the cost of printing and Negative costs.

Derek was also constricted by the fact that the 8mm releases coinsided with the then VHS releases, and the titles offered were those being released by Disney Home Entertainment and he had to take his pick from those. It could have been the lenghth of "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" that put him off (although I doubt it!), if he'd been allowed to do a mini feature I'm sure it would have been released. I did ask Derek once about "The Black Hole", I said it was in scope and stereo, but he didn't think it was a strong enough title for F/L prints, he said to me it would have made a nice 55/60 minute cut, but his contract was for F/L prints and F/L shorts only.

It's just Mary Poppins, with 'Knobs' on.

Barry is right there, as I remember the video versions had to appear before Derek could release the S/8 version, shame that many
of the live action stuff never appeared.