BURN WITCH BURN (1962)

[RCMerchant]

Based on the Fritz Lieber novel "Conjure Wife", BURN WITCH BURN is the second film version of the novel-the first being the 1944 Lon Chaney Jr vehicle WEIRD WOMAN.



BURN WITCH BURN is a much better film than the Chaney hack job.
It concerns a collage professor who discovers that his wife is a practicing witch-and has been for years. Of course the cluless shmuck makes her burn all her potions and amulets-thus opening him up to evil outside forces.
The story starts out like an episode of the Twilight Zone-very talky-but it soon heats up and goes apes**t. The scene where the Prof is racing to the cottage to save his wife is well done and fast paced-and the camera angles are like early Sam Ramai. And the climax-well-lets just say the films original title was NIGHT OF THE EAGLE.
A great early British film-with a great performance by Peter Wyngarde as the uptight Professor who quickly is reduced to a quivering,screaming mess. Recommended!

OH! Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqRkLwiDwno

[Gst0395]

I am quite familar with this one. In the UK it's known as "Night of the Eagle", I've seen a DVD of it on sale a couple of times.

[The Burgomaster]

Back in the 1970s, this used to show up quite frequently on a local Boston TV channel.  I probably saw it 4 or 5 times then, but haven't seen it again in almost 40 years.

[lester1/2jr]

I saw it last night. I thought they should have used a sexier woman for the wife. I like B & W horror though. it was good.