Night of the Eagle

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.

Screamplay by Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, based on Fritz Leiber's excellent novel, CONJURE WIFE- what more could one want? While it's a far cry from the likes of THE INNOCENTS or THE HAUNTING (the original version), BURN, WITCH, BURN! is, nonetheless, an entertaining entry in the eerie-goings-on genre. It's the sometimes subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) interplay between the women that makes this movie worth watching. This is one of those rare instances where one finds oneself wishing that the movie would go on just a while longer: it would've been interesting, indeed, to have seen the gradual escalation of hostilities between the, er, forces gathered here.

Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde) is a successful young professor, married with Tansy Taylor (Janet Blair). He is a very skeptical man, while his wife believes in magic and witchcraft. One day, he finds lots of amulets and witchcraft in his house, and he decides to destroy all of them. His wife gets scared and advises him that he destroyed all the protection their home and lives had against the evil of envious and wicked persons, including some of his colleagues. Norman in principle does not have faith in her, but many strange events happen with him, and he changes his mind.

This English black & white low budget production is one of the most frightening movies I have ever watched. With a great direction, excellent cast having a superb performance and a tight screenplay, this movie may be considered a classic in the genre. Highly recommended for fans of horror movies, in Brazil it is only available on cable television, since Brazilian distributors have not released on VHS or DVD. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'A Filha de Satã' ('The Satan's Daughter')

Note: On 30 April 2015, I saw this movie again.

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.

A small university town in England is the setting of this well-crafted tale of witchcraft, voodoo, and mystery concerning the rise of a young professor in his department in Sociology. The film begins with the professor giving a lecture on the ridiculous nature of the supernatural. He says that the supernatural only exists when believers exist; otherwise without believers, there would be no supernatural. I thought this was a great way to start a film. You know that before long this young professor will be eating those words. And, indeed, he does. The film's basic premise concerns this man's wife, Tansy, helping him rise - or at least believing to help him rise - in his department amidst other forces that wish to see his downfall. There is certainly a lot going for this British, low-budget film. Great performances are delivered by the entire cast, particularly Peter Wyngarde as the man trapped between what he sees as logical and reasonable and what his wife believes is responsible for his success. Janet Blair plays his wife with great conviction and an intensity that makes what she does seem plausible. One other acting notable belongs to Margaret Johnston as a rather scary, limping colleague who has a crushing blow delivered to her when she doesn't get the department chair. She makes one scary woman! The direction is in the hands of the ever-capable Sidney Hayers, responsible for many of my favourite episodes of The Avengers(including "The Superlative Seven"). Hayers is excellent at pacing the film with tension. But the most credit for the film's success must be given to Richard Matheson who adapted the film from the celebrated novel Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber. Matheson has just enough logic mixed in with mysterious red herrings, superstitious practices, and quaint, British manners to make for a most enjoyable film. There is no doubt that for this film: the eagle has landed!