THE WITCHES: Blu-ray (2oth Century-Fox/Hammer, 1966) Shout! Factory

Joan Fontaine attempted to enter the popular cycle in ‘hagsploitation’ horror, schlepping it for Hammer, in director, Cyril Frankil’s The Witches (1966), a rather pedestrian retelling of The Devil's Own by Norah Lofts, with far too much of Ms. Fontaine loitering about in a curious haze and not nearly enough shock to satisfy the matinee crowd. I suspect The Witches would have greatly benefited from being shot in B&W; something about horror movies from this vintage positively screams for monochromatic, moodily lit interiors and starkly contrasted/overcast exteriors. But the village of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire (subbing in for the fictional enclave of Heddaby) looks like a Brit-born Disneyland: quaint and antiseptically clean, lush and lovely in Pathe color, and sunlit to boot. It is difficult, if not entirely impossible to anticipate the looming dread enveloping Gwen Mayfield (Fontaine), cast as the ‘Our Miss Brooks’ of the piece, when the whole place looks as though to have been hosed down the night before, following the postscripts of Emily Post, right down to the newly planted azaleas in Mayfield’s front yard. I suppose Frankil is going for contrast here – the seemingly ‘happy hamlet’ actually populated by some wicked old hags who, collectively conspire to destroy a bright young man, Ronnie Dowsett (Martin Stephens) simply because he has taken a natural ‘interest’ in local girl, Linda Rigg (Ingrid Brett).

Stephens, who appeared with wicked perception as the demonic force in two of the biggest bone-chillers from the decade, 1960’s Village of the Damned, and 1961’s The Innocents, is all grown up in this one, and neither the focus nor the menace of Nigel Kneale’s screenplay. That dubious distinction goes to the unlikely – and rather unconvincing – Kay Walsh, as Stephanie Bax – the wealthy dowager and benefactress to this small town; also, sister to the thoroughly weird Alan (Alec McCowen), who introduces himself to Gwen wearing a cleric’s collar, though he has never been ordained. And the red herrings only continue from here; the oddly embittered Michele Dotrice as Gwen’s housekeeper, Valerie Creek, or Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Linda’s Granny, who tortures her granddaughter by nearly breaking her arm in a press so she will give Ronnie up. It’s probably for the best, since Ronnie’s parents (John Collins and Carmel McSharry) want him to get more schooling. Mrs. Dowsett would have her son go away to boarding school. Generously, Alan has offered to incur all the expenses with an endowment. But Mr. Dowsett, who also happens to be Gwen’s caretaker, prefers Gwen assume the responsibilities of drilling the boy in his studies at home; a challenge, Gwen wholeheartedly accepts.

The Witches in not a terribly prepossessing horror movie, nor even a ‘bewitching’ thriller; despite a few clumsily-timed vignettes; the most startling of these, the discovery of a male voodoo doll stuck full of pins with its head torn off and stuffed in a tree, coupled with the arrival of news, young Ronnie Dowsett has inexplicably fallen into a coma. This unanticipated wrinkle to the plot is second only in its shock value to the sight of local villagers rather proudly parading the lifeless, thoroughly bloated and bedraggled remains of Mr. Dowsett through the streets after he has been recovered, floating face down in a nearby lake, presumably grief-stricken over his son and rife to commit suicide. Given Fontaine’s star-billing, she is under-used and underwhelming in The Witches, the whole purpose of her character, seemingly to lurk about while becoming increasingly skeptical, yet impotent to do anything. There is also a rather inane moment where Gwen is nearly trampled into the mud by a marauding mob of baaing sheep. While virtually all of the exteriors for The Witches were filmed on location, interiors were lensed at Hammer’s Bray facilities, the last before relocating their facilities to Elstree and Pinewood.  And it is saying much, both of Bernard Robinson’s production design and Arthur Grant’s cinematography, the results are seamless – all except for the obvious ‘exterior’ of the old abandoned church, obvious shot inside a sound stage, and the rather transparently fake matte exterior of the African missionary school, seen beneath the main titles.

The Witches opens far away from England, with teacher, Gwen Mayfield hurriedly packing her things inside an abandoned school house in colonial Africa. In the distance, we hear the ill-omened drumbeat of the local witch doctors, steadily advancing in their rebellion. Barricading herself inside, Gwen is unable to stop the tribe from breaking in; the appearance of a shaman in full body mask, terrorizing our heroine into a nervous breakdown. From a distance, we hear Gwen scream; the moment, dissolving into the main titles. Miraculously, immediately thereafter we learn that Gwen has survived this ordeal. At present, she is interviewing for a new post as schoolmarm in the tiny hamlet of Heddaby. The headmaster of this private school is Alan Bax, who presents himself as a cleric in full collar, despite the fact he has never been ordained. During the interview, Gwen confesses her breakdown, but professes as much to have fully recovered. None of this seems to matter to Alan. He hires Gwen on the spot and introduces her to his sister, Stephanie, a journalist of some repute. Inside the Baxes’ home, Alan has constructed a cathedral of sorts, complete with authentic pipe organ music. Actually, it is more of a bizarre shrine to Christianity. There, Alan comes clean to Gwen. He is not a vicar.

Ensconced in the cottage adjacent the school, Gwen asks her housekeeper, Valerie Creek where she might find the rectory. But Valerie is confused as she knows there isn’t one. Sometime later, Alan takes Gwen to the crumbling derelict of the old church – destroyed centuries before, and strangely, never rebuilt. Gwen’s inquiries regarding the particulars of these ruins fall on deaf ears. Indeed, Alan enters a most curious paralytic state when asked to further explain. So, instead, Gwen retires to the cottage, leaving Alan to his brooding.  With the start of school, Gwen finds everything in order with no hint something quite sinister is already afoot. The only immediate crisis is the absence of Sally Benson (Ann Bell) – the drama teacher, whose boat from France was momentarily delayed. It is not lost on Gwen that two of her teenage students, Ronnie Dowsett and Linda Rigg have developed a sweet attachment. Gwen views their companionship with tenderness. However, she is quite startled to learn the rest of the town reacts to the young couple with a filthy disdain, inferring their friendship as a prelude to something tawdry, or even unholy. This is particularly true of Linda’s grandmother. After Linda is absent from school for several days, Ronnie tucks and anonymous note into a stack of homework on Gwen’s desk, cryptically informing her of Granny’s cruelty. It seems Ronnie observed Granny forcing Linda’s hand through the wringer of a washing machine as punishment for having been seen publicly with him. Unable to reason why Linda’s grandmother should take such an extreme action, but as determined to get to the bottom of things, Gwen pays an impromptu call and finds Linda recovering with her arm in a sling.

In front of Granny, Linda lies about the injury.  She hurt the arm while washing out her doll’s clothes. But when Granny leaves the room for just a moment, Linda opens up to Gwen about what really happened. Granny was cross with her for accepting Ronnie’s present of a male doll as a companion for the girl doll, she already owns. Meanwhile, it is not lost on Gwen that Ronnie is much more than an above average student. The boy has skills and a keen mind. So, Gwen suggests to his parents he be placed in an advanced program to further his education. There are two ways to achieve this goal: either, boarding Ronnie at a remote private school, for which Alan has already generously offered to fund all expenses, or, by having Gwen undertake the rigors of private tutoring. While Ronnie’s mother prefers, he should go away, his father insists Ronnie remain under Gwen’s tutelage. Gwen eagerly accepts and the bettering of Ronnie’s prospects begins. Alas, these plans are short-lived. Linda’s male doll goes missing; then, queerly turns up, stuck through with pins, its head missing, and, stuffed in a tree. In tandem with this discovery, Gwen learns Ronnie has inexplicably slipped into a coma overnight. The boy is rushed to hospital under mysterious circumstances. Gwen shows the decapitated doll to Stephanie, suggesting that someone in town may be dabbling in witchcraft. Impressed by her hypothesis, Stephanie suggests Gwen write an article on the subject, and Gwen reluctantly agrees to try, pulling from her experiences while in Africa.

On the open road to Heddaby, Gwen encounters a despondent Mrs. Dowsett walking home from the hospital. Offering her a ride, Gwen makes inquiries as to Ronnie’s condition; then, segues to questioning Mrs. Dowsett over her bout with shingles the year before. The outbreak mysteriously occurred after Mrs. Dowsett had an argument over Ronnie with Granny Riggs. Gwen hints that perhaps Ronnie’s failing health is not natural. Mrs. Dowsett is overcome with nervous anger and demands Gwen let her out by the side of the road, whereupon she sternly marches off in the direction of Granny’s house. The next day, Mr. Dowsett informs Gwen that Ronnie has made a miraculous recovery in hospital. He will now be living with Mrs. Dowsett and her family in Wales; the couple, having separated. Meddling again, Gwen informs her groundskeeper of a conversation she had with his wife about Granny, and goes so far as to infer the two women have struck a bargain to spare Ronnie’s life. Curious to unearth the truth, Mr. Dowsett departs to confront Granny. Gwen is satisfied she has done her duty. However, later, she is horrified when Mr. Dowsett’s bloated remains are dredged from the bottom of a nearby lake, and paraded through the center of town on a stretcher.

Gwen goes to the area where Dowsett's body was ‘discovered’. She finds more than a single set of footprints, arranged in a peculiar fashion in the mud. Before she can document the incident, Gwen is almost trampled by a stampede of sheep. Stephanie appears shortly thereafter with her dogs, helping Gwen to her feet, but furthermore, hinting that perhaps a coven of witches was responsible for Dowsett’s demise. Stephanie encourages Gwen to remain at her and Alan’s family home to recuperate fully before giving testimony at the inquest regarding Dowsett’s death.  Dr. Wallis (Leonard Rossiter) also suggests Gwen have a tetanus injection. She agrees, but then suffers a horrific hallucination. This ends in a dead faint when, apparently, the same body-masked witch doctor she encountered in Africa, suddenly reappears in her bedroom. Days later, Gwen awakens in a nursing home, suffering from amnesia. Dr. Wallis eases his patient’s agitated concern. And although Gwen witnesses Alan with Dr. Wallis conversing outside her window, she does not recognize Alan. But a few days later however, a little girl arrives at the nursing home to visit her grandmother, toting a new doll. The toy jogs Gwen’s memory.  

Realizing Linda is to be made a ritual sacrifice, Gwen escapes from hospital, hitchhiking back to Heddaby. She is picked up on her last length of her journey by the town’s butcher, Mr. Curd (Duncan Lamont), whose wife (Viola Keats) forewarns that all of Gwen’s suspicions are quite true. Linda has already been taken to be prepared for the sacrifice. Mr. Curd drives Gwen to the Baxes. She is warmly greeted by Alan, Stephanie and Dr. Wallis. Wasting no time, Gwen goes to Granny’s house to enquire after Linda. Although visibly unsettled, Granny tensely maintains Linda has gone to live with her cousin in Great Yarmouth. Before she can press the matter, Alan arrives. Suspicious of his motives, Gwen falls silent and returns home with him. Shortly thereafter, she witnesses various townsfolk skulking down the garden path towards the abandon church and cemetery. Following the trail, Gwen arrives at the old church, discovering a sack doll placed in a witches’ circle with Linda’s picture stuck to its face. Inside the doll is Granny’s cat, Vesper, who runs away at the sight of Alan, once again wearing his cleric’s collar. Alan urges Gwen to come away with him. Alas, it is too late. Stephanie now appears in full witches’ regalia; the self-professed leader of the coven, determined to make Gwen her acolyte.

Stephanie reveals her plans, to sacrifice Linda – a ‘pure maiden’ – to extend her own life, reciting from a witch’s incantation, “Grow me a gown with golden down. Cut me a robe from toe to lobe. Give me a skin for dancing in.” According the ancient ritual, the seeker of eternal life must maintain absolute purity up to the moment of sacrifice, “lest the whole dread power turn upon the seeker.” Seemingly unable to prevent the ritual, Gwen remembers the forewarning in the ancient text, superficially slitting her own arm and smearing blood on Linda’s robe, crying out “Blood…let no blood be spilled!” Stephanie is overtaken by the dark powers. These turn to feed upon her and she dies. The worshipers are awakened from their zombie-like trance. Alan rushes to Gwen and Linda’s aid. A few weeks later, Sally Benson arrives home for the new school term, startled by all the positive changes, both, to the school and the community. Inquiring, “Has everyone been moving out or something?” Alan simply smiles and, referring to Gwen, replies, “The one who matters didn't.”

At best, The Witches is a badly mangled and sedate affair. The African preamble is uninspiring, with its faux foliage and matte-painted backdrops, and, its brightly lit voodoo/missionary schoolhouse invasion. Everything here is photographed flatly by cinematographer, Arthur Grant. There is no ‘mood’ here; only a colorful palette with which Grant paints some pretty pictures. These wholly betray the quirky, dark and sinister subject matter.  For mounting dread, director Frankil relies heavily on performances that, while uniformly solid, cannot altogether make up for this loss of visual stylization.  And Joan Fontaine, no stranger to suspense, herein seems incapable of mustering anything beyond a shrouded expression of theatrical fear. She feigns terror, instead of expressing it.  The penultimate ‘sacrifice’ is a snore, executed with some truly awful costuming. In her horned-headdress and glittery robes, Kay Walsh looks like a unisex knock-off of the Horned King, retrofitted from 1985’s The Black Cauldron.  What ought to have been a potent summation of this brewing conflict between good and evil, instead devolves into a sort of sorcery gone silly spectacle; Stephanie, writhing and contorting as something of a terrific lampoon of Oz’s wicked witch of the west. The rest of the cast do their part; some, more convincing than others. But in the end, The Witches bottoms out as a rather convoluted tale about modern-day witchcraft.

Even as a Hammer ‘horror’ flick, The Witches is a bizarre miscalculation. Joan Fontaine, in her final screen appearance, reportedly brought this property to the studio’s attention. And although enthusiasm reigned at the start, shortly thereafter, the actress made the shoot an arduous and unmitigated nightmare for all concerned.  To hear Fontaine tell it, her director was unprincipled, the production slipshod, and, the results, effectively meant to put a premature period to her future prospects as a movie star.  Too bad, reality does not bear this out. By 1966, Fontaine was no longer a ‘hot commodity’. Her career had virtually stalled with nowhere left to go – not even down. Even as early as 1952’s Ivanhoe, for which Fontaine, still vital and beautiful as Rowena, gave a solid performance, her reputation in Hollywood shortly thereafter came to a rather un-glamorous standstill. Hollywood can be so cruel to an ‘aging’ star. So, Fontaine began to appear sporadically on celluloid, mostly in B-movies, and, of even more dubious distinction, feathering her absence from the big screen with cameos in, as equally dismissible, TV fodder.  So, to suggest The Witches ruined her career is a bit much. In retrospect, and most assuredly, The Witches is hardly Fontaine’s finest hour. And while it did nothing to advance her prospects, it was hardly a career-killer either.

The Witches arrives on Blu-ray via Shout! Factory’s ‘Scream’ label in a 1080p transfer that is typically pleasing.  Colors are robust, with a few instances where minor fading is detected. The 2oth Century-Fox logo that precedes the main titles is looking very rough (Fox, distributed the picture in the U.S. but had virtually nothing to do with its production).  There are several shots exhibiting a lot of age-related artifacts, and, some digitized manipulations, edge enhancement, etc. But on the whole, this transfer looks film-like, with a modicum of grain indigenous to its source. Contrast is satisfactory, although, and again, in a few scenes it is far weaker than anticipated, with milky blacks and dirty whites. As everything here has been lit with flat key lighting, the effect is bright and splashy. The DTS mono audio is adequate for this presentation. Extras include a new audio commentary from filmmakers, Constantine Nasr and Ted Newsom, and ‘Hammer Glamour’ – at 44-minutes, a fairly comprehensive retrospective on the studio’s verve for finding sexy young flesh to populate its horror milieu.  We also get a theatrical trailer and stills gallery. Bottom line: The Witches is not in the pantheon of ‘great’ Hammer’ suspense movies. But for those who love it this Blu-ray will suffice, despite not being perfect. So, judge and buy accordingly.

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

2.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

3.5

EXTRA

3