Brûle, sorcière, brûle !

This is far and away my very favorite horror movie -- not only is it truly scary, it is extremely well-acted, has a very intelligent script, great direction, super photography. What's most unusual about it is the relationship among the Professor Taylor (the devastatingly yummy Peter Wyngarde)and his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) -- these two have amazing chemistry and along with the horror, you get a very realistic story of a married couple very much in love, who struggle with the wife's admission of being a witch.

Much of the horror here is simply implied, making it that much scarier, but what is shown is truly chilling. If you've never seen a believable performance in a horror movie, check out Wyngarde in this --his final scene should be shown in every drama school -- his fear is that palpable.

This has always been one of my favorite horror movies. A lot of its force--notwithstanding the good solid script and direction--is due to Peter Wyngarde's performance as the husband of the title witch. At first he shows us the man's skepticism, a disbelief so fervent and so confidently scornful of opposition that it persuades his wife, even in the face of the sinister atmosphere that's growing all around them--this being painted in with that easy skill that only Britons seem able to command. As the story progresses, Wyngarde shows us, one unnerving step at a time, the man's loss of his lack of faith, to the point of absolute belief (which the film points up with an obvious, but very satisfying, joke) and absolute terror. Except for Fay Wray writhing and screaming between twin pillars in anticipation of her sacrifice, I can't recall another victim whose fear I've felt along with him so completely. In my opinion Wyngarde's is one of the great performances in horror films, and the film itself is one of the last of the classics.

A skeptical college professor (Peter Wyngarde) discovers that his wife (Janet Blair) has been practicing magic for years. Like the learned, rational fellow he is, he forces her to destroy all her magical charms and protective devices, and stop that foolishness.

Prom producer Sam Arkoff (American International Pictures) and writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson (Matheson a frequent AIP contributor and both veterans of "Twilight Zone") comes this tale that I had never heard of before catching it in October 2011 in Chicago. How has a horror fan like myself missed such a well-acted, well-crafted and well-executed classic?

I suspect the reason this film is not well known is the lack of a "star" (such as Vincent Price). But Wyngarde is incredible -- smart, strong, handsome... the ideal leading man. And you have some provocative material, too -- rape accusations, witchcraft (done very realistically) and more...

I strongly recommend checking out this film. I first saw it as "Night of the Eagle" on the big screen, and then later as "Burn Witch Burn" on Netflix. Both versions are excellent and should be seen by anyone who likes a good story. (The only difference between versions that I noticed was that BWB has a 2-minute voice-over starting it off.)

This is a really excellent black and white spooker with an engaging story and some really creepy moments. The production values are excellent, the acting is very good, and the story and script are both top-notch. Plenty of twists, even if the identity of the villain is a bit obvious, and enough tension to really keep you on the edge of your seat.

A demonstration that a lot can be achieved on a small budget by imaginative filmmakers. The intensity of this movie took me by surprise. I had expected something more plodding, along the lines of Hammer fare from the same period. Instead, here we have inventive camera-work (DOP Reg Wyer, cameraman future DOP Gerry Turpin), a hardworking score by William Alwyn, and a thoughtful leading man in Peter Wyngarde. Director Sidney Hayers had come from TV, where he seems mostly stayed thereafter - a pity, as he clearly rose to the challenge of this material.

Best of all are the two excellent performances by Janet Blair and Margaret Johnston. The former, an American who had to come to England to get a part that demonstrated she could really act. The latter, a distinguished stage actress who pulled all the stops out for this rare leading screen role.

The pace of the film slackens here and there, but recovers in time for a splendid finale. A couple of scenes would have benefited from retakes because of technical glitches, but I suspect there just wasn't enough money left to do them. It's certainly no worse in this respect, though, than NIGHT OF THE DEMON, which is a clear influence. The Jacques Tourneur movie is more satisfying because of the tautness of its screenplay, but in every other way NIGHT OF THE EAGLE (aka BURN, WITCH, BURN) is as good. I wish it were better known. It certainly deserves to be.