Willy McBean & His Magic Machine

Willy McBean & His Magic Machine

Year: 1965

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Arthur Rankin, Jr.

AdventureFamilyAnimation

A frantic time‑travel adventure follows young Willy McBean and his clever Mexican monkey sidekick Pablo as they leap from caveman eras to Camelot and from Custer’s frontier to Columbus’s voyages. Their goal is to stop the nefarious Professor von Rotten from altering history.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Willy McBean & His Magic Machine yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Willy McBean & His Magic Machine (1965)

Trace every key event in Willy McBean & His Magic Machine (1965) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Pablo arrives and reveals Von Rotten's plan

Pablo the Spanish-English talking monkey climbs through Willy's window and explains that he escaped from Rasputin Von Rotten. He reveals that Von Rotten intends to travel through time to become the most famous person in history. Willy resolves to stop him by building his own time machine.

Willy's window
2

Willy builds a rival time machine

With Pablo's information, Willy constructs his own time machine in his workshop. The machine isn't working properly, adding urgency and chaos to their plan. They hope it can outpace Von Rotten's device.

Willy's workshop
3

First stop: Custer and the Little Bighorn

They arrive with General George Armstrong Custer and end up just moments before the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The two villains and heroes escape the scene before Custer is killed. The experience shows the dangers of tampering with history.

1876 Near the Little Bighorn, Montana
4

In the Wild West with Buffalo Bill Cody

Willy and Pablo meet Buffalo Bill Cody and Sitting Bull in the Wild West. Von Rotten schemes to become the fastest gun in the west and asks Bill for a showdown, but both guns are sabotaged before any shot is fired. The moment underscores how their interference keeps history on course.

The Wild West
5

Columbus voyage and mutiny thwarted

Von Rotten disguises himself as a Chinese trader and convinces Columbus's crew to mutiny. Willy and Pablo intervene, showing the crew that land is not far off and that mutiny would derail history. The crew resists, keeping Columbus's voyage on track.

1492 Columbus's voyage, Atlantic Ocean
6

Camelot: Excalibur and a dragon attack

The villains arrive in Arthurian Camelot and compel King Arthur to pull Excalibur, the talking magical sword. A green dragon crashes into Camelot in an effort to eat everyone, but Arthur and Excalibur drive it away. Willy and Pablo help keep Camelot from spiraling into disaster.

Medieval era Camelot
7

Detour to the Roman Colosseum

They take a quick detour to the Roman Colosseum, briefly stepping into Ancient Rome during their travels. The stop offers a glimpse of gladiators, crowds, and monumental architecture as time flickers between eras.

Ancient Rome Roman Colosseum, Rome
8

Ancient Egypt and the Great Pyramid

The team arrives in Ancient Egypt to stop Von Rotten from building the Great Pyramid. They work to keep the timeline intact while encountering pharaohs, pyramids, and desert landscapes. The mission emphasizes how monumental projects can affect history.

Ancient Egypt (c. 2500 BCE) Ancient Egypt
9

Prehistoric times: fire and wheel

They travel to prehistoric times to encourage cavemen to discover fire and invent the wheel before Von Rotten's plan. The intervention helps early humanity gain essential skills and keeps the course of history intact. The adventures highlight how small discoveries shape the future.

Prehistoric times Prehistoric Earth
10

Cliff rescue and the dinosaur

Von Rotten is saved from falling off a cliff by Willy, and his time machine is swallowed by a Tyrannosaurus rex. These events lead Von Rotten to rethink his schemes and he turns over a new leaf. Willy's bravery helps preserve the timeline.

Between prehistoric and present Various locations during the chase
11

Return to present and classroom history show

They return to the present, and the reformed Von Rotten uses his time machine as a movie projector to show the class history. Willy and Pablo watch as the lesson unfolds, illustrated by the adventures they've just endured. The moment reinforces that history can be taught through lived experience.

Present day School history classroom

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:35

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Willy McBean & His Magic Machine

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