Love at Stake
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Love at Stake is a 1988 comedy film, directed by the creator of the TV series The Ed Sullivan Show and director of The Werewolf of Woodstock John C. Moffitt, based on a screenplay by Lanier Laney and Terry Sweeny. It stars Patrick Cassidy and Kelly Preston, with Barbara Carrera, Bud Cort, Dave Thomas and Stuart Pankin. Joyce Brothers makes a cameo appearance as herself.
The film is an obvious spoof of the infamous Salem witch trials, moving in the Mel Brooks comedy vein in Blazing Saddles, moving in the anarchic comedy films genre that was popularized in that time by the Monty Python films and from the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker films.
The film was distributed by the Hemdale Film Corporation. Many critic reviewers on film reviews websites were wondering why Moffitt's film had a short theatrical life and why it didn't become a cult classic. Filming took place in Kleinburg, Ontario.
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[edit] Plot summary
Miles Campbell, having graduated from a Christian divinity university, arrives in the town of Salem, Massachusetts to become the local parson's assistant. He meets with his childhood sweetheart, baker Sara Lee, and he seems to have plans to marry her. Meanwhile, greedy Judge Samuel John arrives to meet with the idiotic Mayor Upton to discuss a (anachronistical) Mall problem for Salem. Needing land to bring their plan to life, they scheme of witch trials which will allow them to confiscate the land of those who will accused of witchcraft, after burning them. The plan seems to go well as the god-fearing Puritan villagers seem to believe the judge's message, after they are awakened by the parson's shrewish mother. However, saucy London lady Faith Stewart (secretally a real witch) arrives in Salem for Thanksgiving with her cousins, and seems to fall for Miles. To grab him away from Sara, she accuses her for witchcraft and Miles must prove the opposite before she is trialed and burned at the stake.
[edit] Cast of characters
- Patrick Cassidy as Miles Campbell
- Kelly Preston as Sara Lee
- Barbara Carrera as Faith Stewart
- Bud Cort as Parson Babcock
- Audrie J. Neenan as Mrs. Babcock, the parson's mother
- Annie Golden as Abigail Baxter, Faith's cousin
- David Graf as Nathaniel Baxter, her husband
- Stuart Pankin as Judge Samuel John
- Dave Thomas as Mayor Upton
- Georgia Brown as Widow Chastity
- Anne Ramsey as Old Witch
- Norma MacMillan as Aunt Deliverance Jones, Sara's aunt
- Mary Hawkins as Mrs. Priscilla Upton
- Jackie Mahon as Belinda Upton, the mayor's daughter
- Dr. Joyce Brothers as Herself
- Colleen Karney as Adulteress
- Catharine Gallant as Constance Van Buren
- Jayne Eastwood as Annabelle Porter
- Nick Ramus as Chief Wannatoka
[edit] Production
- Director: John Moffitt (director)
- Writers: Lanier Laney and Terry Sweeney (both of Saturday Night Live fame)
- Producer: Michael Gruskoff
- Music: Charles Fox
- Cinematography: Mark Irwin
