Michael Harris' Hammer Classics - The Witches (1966)
After recovering from a nervous breakdown brought about by the terror tactics of witchdoctors in Africa, a fragile schoolmistress called Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine) accepts a new job in the picturesque English village of Heddaby. Little does she know that behind the friendly facade of leisurely village life lurks a centuries old evil. After a series of events that begin with her employer, Alan Bax (Alec McCowen), who assumes the identity of a priest but will not say why he does this. Two of Gwen's pupils, Ronnie Dowsett (Martin Stephens) and Linda Rigg (Ingrid Brett), who are developing a close relationship that is upsetting the villagers not least Linda's eccentric guardian, Granny Rigg (Gwen Frrangcon-Davies), but nobody will fully explain why. When Ronnie falls into a serious coma in the middle of the night, a headless doll stuffed with pins is discovered in a tree, which leads Gwen to suspect that witchcraft may be being practiced among the villagers. Gwen confides her suspicions in her new friend and employer, the laid back journalist, Stephanie Bax (Kay Walsh), who admits that it is possible that someone in the town could be having a "little dabble" as she puts it. Then she suggests that they collaborate on an article on the subject. Gwen subsequently recieves a visit from Ronnie Dowsett's father who tells her that he is going to have it out with Granny Rigg after it transpires that his wife has taken Ronnie out of the village vowing never to return. Gwen learnt that Ronnie's mother had paid Granny Rigg a visit and that she suspects that the mother struck a bargain with her to keep Ronnie away from Linda. The father turns up dead the following morning drowned in the lake. Gwen tells Stephanie that she suspects the villagers are a witches' coven and that they Ronnie's father and that she intends to tell the police that the reason they were so determined to keep Ronnie and Linda apart was because she is to be a ritual sacrifice. Stephanie advises her against this move because the police will only laugh at her. But somebody must have taken her seriously because late that night, Gwen recieves a visit from the same witchdoctor who terrorised her in Africa causing a reoccurence of her mental breakdown. She awakens in a nursing home but has no memory of what happened in Africa or more recently in Heddaby. But a chance encounter with a little girl carrying a doll triggers her memory and she realises that she must return to Heddaby in time if she is to save Linda. On her return the conspiracy of silence within the community is finally broken and Linda is indeed to be sacrificed in order to give a member of the community life after death...
The Witches was based on a novel called The Devil's Own, which was written by a historical novelist called Nora Lofts under the pseudonym of Peter Curtis. Fontaine had won an Oscar for her appearance in Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) alongside Olivier but come the mid-sixties, roles worthy of her talent were becoming difficult to find. Fontaine owned the rights to The Devil's Own and she brought to the attention of Hammer in the hope of re -establishing her career. Like another Hollywood star who had worked for Hammer, Bette Davis, The Nanny (1965) and The Anniversary (1967), Fontaine had director approval. Cyril Frankel who had directed the controversial Never Take Sweets From A Stranger for the company in 1959 was chosen to helm this important project and he and Fontaine got on well so he was given the job. Frankel would later go on to do a play with the actress. Frankel was also a prolific director on TV at the time especially with ITC for whom he contributed several episodes to their much loved cult action-adventure series such as The Champions, Department S and Randall & Hopkirk Deceased. The Witches proved to be less successful than hoped and for Fontaine it marked her big-screen career's end and she made only a handful of TV movies thereafter.
The failure of The Witches can probably be attributed to the fact that it was a disappointingly tame film compared to Hammer's usual product and matters were not helped by the semi-orgy climax, which enduces more giggles than shivers. Indeed the BBFC nearly let the film go with an "A" certificate on its release but it was later notched up to the required "X" rating. The screenplay was penned by Nigel Kneale of Quatermass fame but here he failed to generate enough visual horror or suspense to give the tale the kick it needed to be a wholly satisfying thriller. In addition its explanations behind the witchcraft rituals also lacked depth so the proceedings are not as fascinating as one would have hoped. But having read the original novel, I cannot attribute the blame entirely on him as the book itself is quite a mannered offering. One reviewer at the time said that the picture was content to amble a long at the pace of English village life and to be quite honest, the book itself is like that for the most part. But aside from these major flaws, The Witches does have some rewards for the viewer. Director Cyril Frankel succeeds in the first half of the film in generating some fun out of the idea of sinister deeds going on from behind the facade of quaint English village life, a formula that would form the basis for the hugely successful Midsomer Murders detective series in the 1990's. The locations have the right atmosphere and are beautifully photographed by Arthur Grant (Hammer's most prolific cameraman). Performances are good throughout especially from Kay Walsh as the enigmatic Stephanie Bax. Fontaine is on good form as Gwen Mayfield but one feels that her part is a little underwritten and therefore does not quite get the best out of her role. Overall, I would describe The Witches as a curates-egg, which I think best sums up this picture as it isn't all bad but a little more tension and visual horror would have given it the jolt it needed to be a wholly satisfying experience along with a bit more depth into its information on the witchcraft elements and as for the climax - well judge for yourself! The film is at last avaliable on Region 2 DVD after years of unavaliability but it has surfaced occasionally on Channel 4 from time to time which was where I first encountered it years ago. I have also had reports that there are plans to release Frankel's other Hammer offering, Never Take Sweets From A Stranger in the near future.
Top: Kay Walsh stars in The Witches
The Witches was based on a novel called The Devil's Own, which was written by a historical novelist called Nora Lofts under the pseudonym of Peter Curtis. Fontaine had won an Oscar for her appearance in Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) alongside Olivier but come the mid-sixties, roles worthy of her talent were becoming difficult to find. Fontaine owned the rights to The Devil's Own and she brought to the attention of Hammer in the hope of re -establishing her career. Like another Hollywood star who had worked for Hammer, Bette Davis, The Nanny (1965) and The Anniversary (1967), Fontaine had director approval. Cyril Frankel who had directed the controversial Never Take Sweets From A Stranger for the company in 1959 was chosen to helm this important project and he and Fontaine got on well so he was given the job. Frankel would later go on to do a play with the actress. Frankel was also a prolific director on TV at the time especially with ITC for whom he contributed several episodes to their much loved cult action-adventure series such as The Champions, Department S and Randall & Hopkirk Deceased. The Witches proved to be less successful than hoped and for Fontaine it marked her big-screen career's end and she made only a handful of TV movies thereafter.
The failure of The Witches can probably be attributed to the fact that it was a disappointingly tame film compared to Hammer's usual product and matters were not helped by the semi-orgy climax, which enduces more giggles than shivers. Indeed the BBFC nearly let the film go with an "A" certificate on its release but it was later notched up to the required "X" rating. The screenplay was penned by Nigel Kneale of Quatermass fame but here he failed to generate enough visual horror or suspense to give the tale the kick it needed to be a wholly satisfying thriller. In addition its explanations behind the witchcraft rituals also lacked depth so the proceedings are not as fascinating as one would have hoped. But having read the original novel, I cannot attribute the blame entirely on him as the book itself is quite a mannered offering. One reviewer at the time said that the picture was content to amble a long at the pace of English village life and to be quite honest, the book itself is like that for the most part. But aside from these major flaws, The Witches does have some rewards for the viewer. Director Cyril Frankel succeeds in the first half of the film in generating some fun out of the idea of sinister deeds going on from behind the facade of quaint English village life, a formula that would form the basis for the hugely successful Midsomer Murders detective series in the 1990's. The locations have the right atmosphere and are beautifully photographed by Arthur Grant (Hammer's most prolific cameraman). Performances are good throughout especially from Kay Walsh as the enigmatic Stephanie Bax. Fontaine is on good form as Gwen Mayfield but one feels that her part is a little underwritten and therefore does not quite get the best out of her role. Overall, I would describe The Witches as a curates-egg, which I think best sums up this picture as it isn't all bad but a little more tension and visual horror would have given it the jolt it needed to be a wholly satisfying experience along with a bit more depth into its information on the witchcraft elements and as for the climax - well judge for yourself! The film is at last avaliable on Region 2 DVD after years of unavaliability but it has surfaced occasionally on Channel 4 from time to time which was where I first encountered it years ago. I have also had reports that there are plans to release Frankel's other Hammer offering, Never Take Sweets From A Stranger in the near future.
Top: Kay Walsh stars in The Witches
posted by Michael Harris | 5:18 pm
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