Witchcraft (1964 film)
Encyclopedia
Witchcraft is a 1964 British black and white horror film
. It was directed by Don Sharp
from a script by Harry Spalding. It stars Lon Chaney Jr. in one of his last proper acting roles.
) and Todd Lanier (David Weston
), fall in love and plan to marry regardless of the families objections. The Laniers, headed by Bill Lanier (Jack Hedley
), are building developers who now own part of the old Whitlock Estate. Without their knowledge and following the instructions of Lanier manager Myles Forrester (Barry Linehan) a bulldozer overturns headstones and churns up graves in the old Whitlock Cemetery. At night, when all is quiet an exhumed grave opens and Vanessa Whitlock (Yvette Rees
), the witch buried centuries ago, rises from the grave. Together with Morgan Whitlock (Lon Chaney Jr.), they use their witchcraft and one-by-one, the Laniers meet with various fatal accidents. Tracy Lanier (Jill Dixon) follows her future sister in law Amy into the family crypt only to see the risen Vanessa and her witches conducting black magic rites. Tracy is captured and while either in a trance or drugged tied up to be used as a human sacrifice. Looking for Tracy, Bill and Todd go to the Whitlock crypt. They find and rescue Tracy. Todd returns to the crypt for Amy, who has now joined the rest of her family and embraced Satanism. He is captured by the witches. Vanessa threatens Todd and reverting back to good, just in time to save her beloved, Amy pours burning oil over her ancient ancestor. The fire kills not only all the witches but Amy as well. Todd escapes and along with his surviving family stands and watches the Whitlock estate burn to the ground ending the 300-year-old nightmare.
Witchcraft was finally released on Region 1 DVD along with Devils of Darkness
as part of the Midnite Movies
range of classic and cult horror films in 2007.
Note that it is not a part of or to be confused with the Witchcraft thirteen movie series that began in 1988.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. It was directed by Don Sharp
Don Sharp
Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee...
from a script by Harry Spalding. It stars Lon Chaney Jr. in one of his last proper acting roles.
Plot
In the 17th Century the Lanier family buried a Whitlock woman alive as a witch and took over the Whitlock estate. A bitter hatred of the Lanier family continues into the present. However two descendants, Amy Whitlock (Diane ClareDiane Clare
-Filmography:* Ice-Cold in Alex * Indiscreet * The Reluctant Debutante * Let's Get Married * The Green Helmet * The Naked Edge * Out of the Shadow * Lunch Hour...
) and Todd Lanier (David Weston
David Weston (actor)
David Weston is an English actor, director and author. Since graduating from RADA in 1961 he has acted in numerous film, television and stage productions, including twenty-seven plays in Shakespeare's canon. With Michael Croft he was a founder member of the National Youth Theatre...
), fall in love and plan to marry regardless of the families objections. The Laniers, headed by Bill Lanier (Jack Hedley
Jack Hedley
Jack Hedley is an English actor, best known for his performances on television....
), are building developers who now own part of the old Whitlock Estate. Without their knowledge and following the instructions of Lanier manager Myles Forrester (Barry Linehan) a bulldozer overturns headstones and churns up graves in the old Whitlock Cemetery. At night, when all is quiet an exhumed grave opens and Vanessa Whitlock (Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees
Yvette Rees is a Welsh actress that appeared in many TV series and several noteworthy films in the 1960's. In the mid 1970's she moved to Australia where she continued to work on TV and film until 1979 when she appears to have retired...
), the witch buried centuries ago, rises from the grave. Together with Morgan Whitlock (Lon Chaney Jr.), they use their witchcraft and one-by-one, the Laniers meet with various fatal accidents. Tracy Lanier (Jill Dixon) follows her future sister in law Amy into the family crypt only to see the risen Vanessa and her witches conducting black magic rites. Tracy is captured and while either in a trance or drugged tied up to be used as a human sacrifice. Looking for Tracy, Bill and Todd go to the Whitlock crypt. They find and rescue Tracy. Todd returns to the crypt for Amy, who has now joined the rest of her family and embraced Satanism. He is captured by the witches. Vanessa threatens Todd and reverting back to good, just in time to save her beloved, Amy pours burning oil over her ancient ancestor. The fire kills not only all the witches but Amy as well. Todd escapes and along with his surviving family stands and watches the Whitlock estate burn to the ground ending the 300-year-old nightmare.
Cast
- Lon Chaney Jr. as Morgan Whitlock
- Jack HedleyJack HedleyJack Hedley is an English actor, best known for his performances on television....
as Bill Lanier - Jill Dixon as Tracy Lanier
- Viola KeatsViola KeatsViola Keats was a British film and television actress. She made her first screen appearance in the 1933 film Too Many Wives, and went on to have starring roles in films such as A Woman Alone. From the 1950s she largely worked in television...
as Helen Lanier - Marie NeyMarie NeyMarie Ney was a British actress who had an acting career spanning five decades, from 1919 to 1969....
as Malvina Lanier - David WestonDavid Weston (actor)David Weston is an English actor, director and author. Since graduating from RADA in 1961 he has acted in numerous film, television and stage productions, including twenty-seven plays in Shakespeare's canon. With Michael Croft he was a founder member of the National Youth Theatre...
as Todd Lanier - Diane ClareDiane Clare-Filmography:* Ice-Cold in Alex * Indiscreet * The Reluctant Debutante * Let's Get Married * The Green Helmet * The Naked Edge * Out of the Shadow * Lunch Hour...
as Amy Whitlock - Yvette ReesYvette ReesYvette Rees is a Welsh actress that appeared in many TV series and several noteworthy films in the 1960's. In the mid 1970's she moved to Australia where she continued to work on TV and film until 1979 when she appears to have retired...
as Vanessa Whitlock - Barry Linehan as Myles Forrester
- Victor BrooksVictor BrooksVictor Brooks was a British film and television actor. He appeared in the television series Raffles, in the recurring role of the Albany porter.-Filmography:Film*The Hostage *The Birthday Present...
as Inspector Baldwin - Marianne StoneMarianne StoneMarianne Stone was a British character actress. She appeared in many films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s...
as Forrester's secretary - John Dunbar as Doctor
- Hilda FenemoreHilda FenemoreHilda Lilian Fenemore was an English actress with a prolific career in film and television from the 1940s to the 1990s...
as Nurse
Crew
- Don SharpDon SharpDonald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee...
- Director - Arthur Lavis - Director of Photography
- Len HarrisLen HarrisLeonard William Harris was an Australian politician who was the only One Nation representative to gain a seat in the Australian Parliament as a Senator from the state of Queensland...
- Camera Operator - Harry Spalding - Screenwriter
- Robert L. LippertRobert L. LippertRobert L. Lippert was a prolific film producer and cinema owner who eventually owned a chain of 118 theatres -Biography:...
- Producer - Jack Parsons - Producer
- Robert Winter - Film Editor
- Clive SmithClive SmithClive Smith may refer to:*Clive Smith , Kingston Polytechnic lecturer, trained as a cosmonaut in the USSR under Project Juno, British space programme in the early 1990s...
- Film Editor - Carlo MartelliCarlo MartelliCarlo Martelli is an English composer of classical music. He was born in London in 1935 into a working-class family , Carlo Martelli was brought up in Walworth and Richmond and became one of the most admired young composers in Britain while still in his teens.His teachers included William...
- Music Composer - Philip Martell - Music Conductor
- George Provis - Art Director
- Harold Fletcher - Makeup
- Joyce James - Hairdresser
- Jean Fairlie - Wardrobe
- Spencer Reeve - Sound Editing
- Buster Ambler - Sound Recording
- Clifton Brandon - Production Manager
- Renee Glynne - Continuity
- Barbara Allen - Production secretary
- Lippert FilmsRobert L. LippertRobert L. Lippert was a prolific film producer and cinema owner who eventually owned a chain of 118 theatres -Biography:...
- Production Company - Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Distribution Company
Release
Witchcraft was released in the UK in March 1964 and in the USA in September of that year.Witchcraft was finally released on Region 1 DVD along with Devils of Darkness
Devils of Darkness
Devils of Darkness is a 1965 British horror film directed by Lance Comfort and starring William Sylvester, Hubert Noël and Carole Gray. Its plot involves a group of vampires who search out fresh victims.-Cast:* William Sylvester - Paul Baxter...
as part of the Midnite Movies
Midnite Movies
Midnite Movies is a line of B movies released first on VHS then on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment then later Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The line was begun by MGM in March 2001 following its acquisition of Orion Pictures, which bought out Filmways, Inc., the owner of American International...
range of classic and cult horror films in 2007.
Note that it is not a part of or to be confused with the Witchcraft thirteen movie series that began in 1988.