The Witches

The Witches - 1966 | 90 mins | Horror | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Cyril Frankel.
Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys.
Script: Nigel Kneale. (from the Peter Curtis novel The Devil's Own)
Cinematography: Arthur Grant.
Editing: James Needs.
Art Direction: Don Mingaye.
Makeup Department: George Partleton and Frieda Steiger.
Sound Department: Roy Hyde and Ken Rawkins.
Music: Richard Rodney Bennett.

The Cast

Joan Fontaine - Gwen Mayfield
Kay Walsh - Stephanie Bax
Alec McCowen - Alan Bax
Ann Bell - Sally
Ingrid Brett - Linda Rigg
John Collin - Dowsett
Michele Dotrice - Valerie Creek
Gwen Ffrangcon Davies - Granny Rigg
Duncan Lamont - Bob Curd
Leonard Rossiter - Dr. Wallis

Plot Synopsis

The Witches (aka The Devil's Own), a rather disappointing effort given the talent involved in its making. Scripted by Nigel Kneale from the novel The Devil's Own by Peter Curtis (Nora Loftis), the film is a rather too genteel affair concerning a schoolteacher (Joan Fontaine) who moves to a quiet English village after a frightening experience in Africa involving witchcraft, only to discover more of the same on her doorstep!

The cast is certainly good, with Hollywood veteran Fontaine giving a good account of herself as the put-upon schoolmarm, ably supported by the likes of Kay Walsh (as the coven leader), Alec McCowen and Gwen Ffrangcon Davies. Sadly, the script is one of Kneale's lesser efforts and director Cyril Frankel fails to make the most of what few thrills there are available.