Cry Of The Banshee
Encyclopedia
Cry of the Banshee is a 1970
horror film
directed by Gordon Hessler
, starring Vincent Price
as an evil witchhunter. The film was released by American International Pictures
. The film co stars Elizabeth Bergner, Hilary Dwyer
, and Hugh Griffith
. The script by Christopher Wicking
and Tim Kelly
is loosely based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe, but has nothing to do with the exact story.
Lord Charles Whitman is hosting a great feast when suddenly two poor and ragged-looking little children enter the great hall. A burst of wolf-like howling from outside the walls warns that they may be "devil-marked." The lord decides to kill them in spite of the risk. As his eldest son sleeps with his pretty young wife and his daughter seeks out her favorite hairy-chested servant for comfort, Lord Whitman begins mumbling that he wants to "clean up" the witches in the area, especially "that decrepit old bag, Oona."
Assisted by his two older sons, Whitman goes hunting in the hills for witches, odd characters, and "persons of interest." His armed posse breaks up what is apparently meant to be a witches' Black Sabbath, but none of the strangely glassy-eyed and zombie-like young people dancing slowly in their underwear seems to have any knowledge of Oona's whereabouts. Whitman gives the order to "torch this place, grease 'em all" and all of Ooona's followers are killed.
This makes the leader of the coven, Oona, sworn enemies of the lord and his family. To get revenge Oona calls up a magical servant, a "sidhe
", to destroy the lord's family. Unfortunately, the demonic beast takes possession of the friendly, decent young servant that free-spirited Maureen Whitman has been in love with for years. The possessed lad makes Maureen rebel against her father, and destroy all his protection against evil spirits. Soon the once proud family are virtually prisoners in their own home, the grounds surrounded by a growing pack of wolves that howl and prowl.
Meanwhile, Lord Whitman's youngest son Michael comes home from school and is appalled by his father's cruel actions. As the wolf-howling outside grows ever louder, he begs his father to mellow out and to help his sister. But instead Charles Whitman has his own son killed for being "soft" on witchcraft. Whitman then tries to escape in his elegant coach with his daughter and her lover. Instead he finds that demons are driving the coach! Whitman dies horribly, along with his remaining children.
The titular "cry of the banshee
" is the signal that someone will die.
"Who spurs the beast the corpse will ride?
"Who cries the cry that kills?
"When Satan questioned, who replied?
"Whenst blows this wind that chills?
"Who walks amongst these empty graves
"And seeks a place to lie?
"'Tis something God ne'er had planned,
"A thing that ne'er had learned to die."
This verse was spuriously attributed to Edgar Allan Poe
.
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
horror film
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...
directed by Gordon Hessler
Gordon Hessler
Gordon Hessler is a British film and television director, screenwriter, and producer.He was raised in England and studied at the University of Reading. While a teenager, he moved to the United States and directed a series of short films and documentaries...
, starring Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
as an evil witchhunter. The film was released by American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
. The film co stars Elizabeth Bergner, Hilary Dwyer
Hilary Dwyer
Hilary Dwyer is a former actress, businessperson and film producer.-Early life:Dwyer is the daughter of an Orthopaedic Surgeon. As a youth, she practiced ballet and became a talented pianist...
, and Hugh Griffith
Hugh Griffith
Hugh Emrys Griffith was a Welsh film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Griffith was born in Marianglas, Anglesey, Wales, the son of Mary and William Griffith. He was educated at Llangefni County School and attempted to gain entrance to university, but failed the English examination...
. The script by Christopher Wicking
Christopher Wicking
Christopher Wicking was a screenwriter often in the horror and fantasy genres, notably for the British arm of American International Pictures and with Hammer Film Productions, for whom he was the last 'resident script editor'.-Background:Wicking was educated at Coopers' Company's...
and Tim Kelly
Tim Kelly (playwright)
-Biography:Kelly was born in Saugus, Massachusetts in 1937. His first stage play was Widow's Walk, published in the 1960s. At the same time, three of his plays opened: A Darker Flower at New York's Pocket Theatre, The Trunk and All That Jazz at Boston's Image Theatre, and Die Blum in Germany.He...
is loosely based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe, but has nothing to do with the exact story.
Plot
The film is set in Elizabethan England and revolves around a wicked magistrate who tries to kill all the members of a coven of witches.Lord Charles Whitman is hosting a great feast when suddenly two poor and ragged-looking little children enter the great hall. A burst of wolf-like howling from outside the walls warns that they may be "devil-marked." The lord decides to kill them in spite of the risk. As his eldest son sleeps with his pretty young wife and his daughter seeks out her favorite hairy-chested servant for comfort, Lord Whitman begins mumbling that he wants to "clean up" the witches in the area, especially "that decrepit old bag, Oona."
Assisted by his two older sons, Whitman goes hunting in the hills for witches, odd characters, and "persons of interest." His armed posse breaks up what is apparently meant to be a witches' Black Sabbath, but none of the strangely glassy-eyed and zombie-like young people dancing slowly in their underwear seems to have any knowledge of Oona's whereabouts. Whitman gives the order to "torch this place, grease 'em all" and all of Ooona's followers are killed.
This makes the leader of the coven, Oona, sworn enemies of the lord and his family. To get revenge Oona calls up a magical servant, a "sidhe
Sídhe
The aos sí are a supernatural race in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology are comparable to the fairies or elves. They are said to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans...
", to destroy the lord's family. Unfortunately, the demonic beast takes possession of the friendly, decent young servant that free-spirited Maureen Whitman has been in love with for years. The possessed lad makes Maureen rebel against her father, and destroy all his protection against evil spirits. Soon the once proud family are virtually prisoners in their own home, the grounds surrounded by a growing pack of wolves that howl and prowl.
Meanwhile, Lord Whitman's youngest son Michael comes home from school and is appalled by his father's cruel actions. As the wolf-howling outside grows ever louder, he begs his father to mellow out and to help his sister. But instead Charles Whitman has his own son killed for being "soft" on witchcraft. Whitman then tries to escape in his elegant coach with his daughter and her lover. Instead he finds that demons are driving the coach! Whitman dies horribly, along with his remaining children.
The titular "cry of the banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
" is the signal that someone will die.
Trivia
- The film was played at the first Quentin Tarantino Film FestivalQuentin Tarantino Film FestivalThe Quentin Tarantino Film Festival, or QT-Fest, is a semi-annual film and multimedia event held by the Austin Film Society in Austin, Texas and attended by film director Quentin Tarantino. Most recently, the Alamo Drafthouse theater in downtown Austin, Texas has been the selected venue...
in 1997 at the Dobie residence hall near the University of Texas.
- Is mentioned in the Rob ZombieRob ZombieRob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
song Demonoid Phenomenon, from his 1998 album Hellbilly DeluxeHellbilly Deluxe* Danny Lohner - Additional Guitar on Meet the Creeper.* Tommy Lee - Drums on Meet the Creeper.-Chart positions:AlbumSingles...
.
- The opening credits were created by Terry GilliamTerry GilliamTerrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
.
- The film was promoted with a poem that went:
"Who spurs the beast the corpse will ride?
"Who cries the cry that kills?
"When Satan questioned, who replied?
"Whenst blows this wind that chills?
"Who walks amongst these empty graves
"And seeks a place to lie?
"'Tis something God ne'er had planned,
"A thing that ne'er had learned to die."
This verse was spuriously attributed to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
.