THE
WITCHES (1966)Director: Cyril Frankel
Anchor Bay Entertainment
THE
WITCHES (1966)Although best known for gothic, period horrors often starring Peter Cushing and/or Christopher Lee, once in a while Hammer let indifferent genre efforts go into production, especially during their most prolific and productive decade; the 60s. THE WITCHES (better known in the U.S. as THE DEVIL'S OWN) is one of those features, being an undistinguished, modern day occult thriller.
Hollywood star Joan Fontaine obtained the rights to Peter Curtis' novel, so who better than Hammer to produce a film called the "The Witches" in the middle of the 60s? Joan stars as a teacher who was traumatized after being confronted with frightening voodoo customs while in Africa. Years later, she accepts a job at a small English private school run by priest want-to-be Alec McCowen and his sister, Kay Walsh, a vigorous writer. Strange things start to occur to Joan, including villagers mysteriously ending up dead and an unexpected stay in a hospital.
Neither the script by Nigel Kneale (of "Quatermass" fame) nor the stale direction of Cyril Frankel manage to elevate the film to any level of momentum and it all ends before anything interesting ever happens. Although the ceremonial ritual during the film's climax--displaying the once civilized villagers as primitive rogues--is supposedly realistic, it comes off very laughable, and the manner in which Fontaine puts an end to the nonsense is extremely anticlimactic.
Reportedly, the vain Fontaine complained about the limitations of Hammer's production, mainly in terms of her small dressing room and the "unprofessional" British actors she had to work with. She manages to handle the material well, as does McCowen and Walsh, but the film is far too talky and confusing. Of note is one of the last screen performances by Martin Stephens, the young star of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and THE INNOCENTS (here a brunette), and the adorable Ingrid Brett as the potential sacrificial victim.
Anchor Bay's DVD looks excellent, with great color and detail and it's letterboxed at 1.66:1. The mono sound is also fine. Extras include the original theatrical trailer, two TV spots that advertise the film as a double feature with PREHISTORIC WOMEN, and an episode of WORLD OF HAMMER entitled "Wicked Women" that includes scenes from rare Hammer films like STOLEN FACE. (George R. Reis)