| Cry of the Banshee | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster. |
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| Directed by | Gordon Hessler |
| Produced by | Samuel Z. Arkoff Gordon Hessler Louis M. Heyward |
| Written by | Tim Kelly (story) Christopher Wicking (screenplay) |
| Starring | Vincent Price Elizabeth Bergner Hilary Dwyer Essy Persson Patrick Mower Sally Geeson Pamela Fairbrother Hugh Griffith |
| Music by | Les Baxter |
| Cinematography | John Coquillon |
| Editing by | Oswald Hafenrichter |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
| Release date(s) | Jul 29, 1970 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 91 min. |
| Language | English |
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.
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", 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.