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Tam Lin

Original title: The Ballad of Tam Lin
  • 1970
  • PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
821
YOUR RATING
Tam Lin (1970)
Folk HorrorHorrorMystery

An older woman uses witchcraft to keep her young jet-set friends. Based on an ancient Scottish folk song.An older woman uses witchcraft to keep her young jet-set friends. Based on an ancient Scottish folk song.An older woman uses witchcraft to keep her young jet-set friends. Based on an ancient Scottish folk song.

  • Director
    • Roddy McDowall
  • Writers
    • William Spier
    • Robert Burns
  • Stars
    • Ava Gardner
    • Ian McShane
    • Richard Wattis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    821
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roddy McDowall
    • Writers
      • William Spier
      • Robert Burns
    • Stars
      • Ava Gardner
      • Ian McShane
      • Richard Wattis
    • 24User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos59

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    Top cast33

    Edit
    Ava Gardner
    Ava Gardner
    • Michaela Cazaret
    Ian McShane
    Ian McShane
    • Tom Lynn
    Richard Wattis
    Richard Wattis
    • Elroy
    Cyril Cusack
    Cyril Cusack
    • Vicar Julian Ainsley
    Stephanie Beacham
    Stephanie Beacham
    • Janet Ainsley
    David Whitman
    • Oliver
    Fabia Drake
    Fabia Drake
    • Miss Gibson
    Sinéad Cusack
    Sinéad Cusack
    • Rose
    • (as Sinead Cusack)
    Joanna Lumley
    Joanna Lumley
    • Georgia
    Jenny Hanley
    Jenny Hanley
    • Caroline
    Madeline Smith
    Madeline Smith
    • Sue
    Bruce Robinson
    Bruce Robinson
    • Alan
    Victoria Fairbrother
    Victoria Fairbrother
    • Vanna
    • (as Pamela Farbrother)
    Rosemary Blake
    • Kate
    Michael Bills
    • Michael
    Virginia Tingwell
    • Lottie
    Peter Hinwood
    Peter Hinwood
    • Guy
    Hayward B. Morse
    Hayward B. Morse
    • Andy
    • (as Hayward Morse)
    • Director
      • Roddy McDowall
    • Writers
      • William Spier
      • Robert Burns
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews24

    5.7821
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    Featured reviews

    5phillindholm

    She Drained Them Of Their Manhood--And Then Of Their Lives!

    That's the tag-line American International Pictures used to exploit this fantasy/horror film. Based on the ancient Scottish ballad "Tam Lin" (one of it's many titles), the plot concerns an aging, beautiful woman Ava Gardner) who uses her wealth (and occasionally, witchcraft) to control a decadent pack of attractive young people she surrounds herself with. But when her latest young stud (Ian McShane) falls for the local vicar's daughter (Stephanie Beacham), she vows revenge. The plot is fairly simple, though first (and last) time director Roddy McDowall does his best to insert as much ambiguity and mysticism as he can get away with. More of a fairy-tale allegory than a terror film, it was completed in late 1969, but ended up on the shelf when it's production company, Commonwealth United, went bankrupt. Three years later, along came AIP, who bought it and edited it over McDowall's protests. Devising a typically lurid advertising campaign, they exploited it as one of those "aging glamour star horror films" so popular in the 60s. Dubbing it "The Devils Widow", it was spottily released in grind houses and drive-ins in late 1972, after which it promptly vanished. It did occasionally play on television, which is where I caught it, before landing on video back in the late 90's. Althoug it's not a "class" film, by any means, it deserved better treatment than this. The still-beautiful Gardner gives a striking, believably cruel performance, and the supporting cast includes several familiar faces who got their start here. Besides those already mentioned, Joanna Lumley ("The Avengers", "Absolutely Fabulous") is very much in evidence. The production is handsome, the photography well above average, and the movie improves as it goes along. Worth seeing, especially for Ava Gardner.
    8keith-712-383468

    "Don't let go of me!"

    I saw this film for the first time last night and loved it! After reading so many mixed or out- right negative reviews of it over the years, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, how well it was made, how well the Tam Lin legend was updated to a relatively contemporary setting, and, ultimately, how enthralled I was by Gardner's Fairy Queen.

    I have to admit the first 15-20 minutes or so did take some work. Not that they were poorly spent minutes, but adjusting to the 1970s milieu of swinging London took some time, though it was great fun watching a very young Joanna Lumley in a film that somewhat prophesied her role as Patsy Stone on ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

    Now that I've seen this, I wish Roddy had made more films. This is how I like my spooky fairy tales told. May be it all comes down to you're either on the SHREK bus or the TAM LIN bus. I'm definitely taking another ride on the latter.
    macnemo

    A macabre gem

    Based on Robert Burns' version of the Scottish folk tale "The Ballad of Tamlin," this modest but mesmerizing 1971 thriller concerns a young man, Tom Lynn ( Ian McShane), who becomes the romantic prisoner of an evil enchantress Michaela Cazaret ( Ava Gardner ). In a particularly arrestingly eerie and phantasmagorical set piece during which Tom, stoned out of his mind, is pursued by murderous acolytes of the bewitching Miss Cazaret, McDowall effectively punctuates the story's fairy tale quality with an entirely harmonious nightmarish and hallucinogenic tone that forever reflects the psychedelic sixties. McDowall's laudably creative panache as a filmmaker was embellished by a seductive performance from his star Ava Gardner. Though past her prime, she is nonetheless sultrily convincing as the irresistible, vampiric dominatrix insatiably commanding her hapless lovers to their eagerly desired doom.

    Tam Lin (aka The Devil's Widow ) was also McDowall's solo directorial effort. Based on the splendid result (especially the aforementioned set piece), it was a great pity that Roddy did not pursue a career as a film director because - as with Charles Laughton, who blessed us with his only turn as a director, the superb "The Night of the Hunter" - he possessed a definite flair as a filmmaker. Produced in 1969, his film sat on the shelf for two years. In 1971, McDowall returned to his film to do some post-production work on it but 'twas all for naught because it was poorly distributed and sank into relative obscurity. In 1998 Republic Home Video, in collaboration with Martin Scorsese and McDowall, restored "Tam Lin" and rescued it from oblivion by releasing a stunningly superb widescreen print with an introduction by McDowall.

    I highly recommend this stylishly directed and unjustly neglected gem to lovers of the macabre and mysterious. To all such, I strongly encourage you to seek it out.
    6S1rr34l

    An Interesting But Slow Story Of Desire, Love, And Revenge - Ava Gardner At Her Best.

    The story of Tam Lin is as old as the hills... and the folk song it's taken from. Immeasurably wealthy mature lady fills her days with the young and carefree. Their attitudes sustain her lifestyle and keep her feeling young. Until she falls in love with and becomes infatuated with one of the young men in her entourage. Now, her age wheedles its way into her mind and thoughts, how can this young man love this old decrepit woman?

    Slowly a wedge is driven between them. Unfortunately for her, the man finds a fresh love for his affections and impregnates her. Sick with rage and twisted with jealous love, the woman vows to take her murderous revenge on the man.

    This is an excellent story and the writer, William Spier, did well converting the Scottish folk song. He structures most of the tale around the love story. It's not until we've passed halfway that the story takes a darker turn. It would have been nice to have a few darker elements throughout the tale, just to add a slight unease and interest. Above all, this woman's an alleged witch. Spier largely overlooks this element of the song. Instead of bewitching the man with a spell, it's the cash status that holds her followers close to her. For me, it was a missed opportunity to improve the story.

    One of the key reasons I sought this film was Roddy McDowell directing. Whenever I see his name listed in any movie credits, I have to take a peek. I've always loved him as an actor, especially in the "Ape" movies and "The Legend of Hell House". So, is his directing up to scratch with his acting?

    No.

    That's not to say he's a bad director. Far from it. I enjoyed this film, and McDowell shows he's not afraid to take risks. He has a brilliant eye for composition and when you see how he frames the castle, you'll want to move in. However, he tries a risky stills sequence between Tom Lynn (Ian McShane) and Janet Ashley (Stephanie Beacham). He uses this method to show and reflect the couples feelings and reactions between one another on this fateful meeting. It works to a certain degree. Regrettably, this composition suffers from too many unchanging stills of both McShane and Beacham. This dilutes the power of the sequence and diminishes the viewers' attention. Neither is good for a film.

    There are only a handful of similar sections, so it's not too disastrous. McDowell at least shows initiative and imagination, which is always a wonderful thing. I wish more filmmakers possessed this trait. It would greatly improve some of the dross being churned out.

    More variations in tempo would be nice. McDowell strolls the telling of the tale onto film. A few scenes would benefit from a faster pace to add excitement and tension. Some required a slower speed to build up anxiety and the expectancy of "what'll happen next(?)"

    The cast is superb and full of well-known names and faces. Still, a lot of them are under-used: Richard Wattis' character, Elroy, needed more meat on his bones; as did Cyril Cusack's Vicar Julian Ainsley; Joanna Lumley as Georgia only has a couple of lines; Madeline Smith as Sue gets to say a few more words; and poor Jenny Hanley stays silent as Caroline.

    McShane and Beacham are okay in their performances. They're nothing special and their characters often appear wan and insubstantial. However, like the actors and actresses above, these personas required fattening up. McShane and Beacham aren't at fault here. The writer needed to enhance the core elements of their personas and relationship better. Even McDowell could have developed them a little more through his direction.

    "Tam Lynn" belongs to Ava Gardner. She's marvellous as the resentful Michaela Cazaret. and exudes desire and vitality in every scene. Cazaret's extreme wealth makes it easy for her to buy anything her appetite requires - even love and devotion. This woman owns everything and everyone in her presence. Gardner portrays this woman's insatiable cravings excellently. She uses every nuance to strengthen her character's persona. You can even see Cazaret's venom bubbling under her skin; waiting for some poor sod to cross her. You don't want to upset Cazaret.

    This is a well filmed and told story that I would recommend to anybody who likes drama over their tales of the supernatural. The horror elements are there, just... look hard and you may find them. "Tam Lin" is worth one watch at least. It's not a bad way to waste an hour and a half...

    ... Oh, and I need to point out the soundtrack by Pentangle. It is awesomely cool. And is well worth a listen, in itself, especially if you like soul.

    Ratings: Story 1 : Direction 1.25 : Pace 1 : Acting 1.5 : Enjoyment 1.25 Total 6 out of 10

    Sprint on over to my Dramatisation Of Life and Absolute Horror and Killer Thriller Chiller lists to see where this witch landed her broomstick in my ratings.

    Take Care and Stay Well.
    7AlsExGal

    Roddy McDowell's only directorial effort is unusual and misunderstood

    I stopped this film 20 minutes in to look up the Scottish ballad the film was based on, "Ballad of Tam Lin", so I could make sense out of the film. Wikipedia has a thorough article on the song and the lyrics. Everything made much more sense after reading the article.

    That said, this was one of Ava Gardner's few supernatural films, and was Roddy McDowell's only directorial effort. The screenplay sticks fairly close to the song's plot, with a look at "Swinging London" mod clothes, late 60's slang , and a so-so song overlaying all as an attempt at "relevance". Listen for the bits of ballad sung through the film .

    Gardner gave an outstanding performance as the coven leader; the film lets the viewer decide if other fairy tale terms are applicable. Ian McShane is good as the Favored One, and Stephanie Beacham is good as his Human love.

    AIP gave the film only a limited release. The misunderstanding arises from the fact that AIP promoted it as a horror film rather than as a poetic romance even reediting the film and retitiling it "The Devil's Widow" from the original "Ballad of Tam Lin" to try and achieve this effect. As a result, no one was happy, and the film sank without a trace, predictably losing money.

    McDowell didn't direct another film, which is a real shame, because this one has startling photography, the music is interwoven to maximum effect, and McDowell did well by the actors.

    This is one of Ava Gardner's least-seen, most underrated films. My opinion is that if you feel lost in the beginning, stay with the film anyways as it improves as it goes on.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Film critic Roger Ebert states in his review of this film that he interviewed director Roddy McDowall who said that he made it because he wanted to make a tribute to Ava Gardner, and that the movie was a gesture of love.
    • Alternate versions
      In 1998, a recut version of this movie was released. This movie wasn't originally conceived as a horror film. It was altered by American International after they got the rights to it. The new version has restored the original vision that Roddy Mcdowall had for the film.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Sun in My Eyes
      Music by Salena Jones

      Lyrics by William Spier

      Performed by Salena Jones (uncredited)

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1970 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Devil's Widow
    • Filming locations
      • Traquair House, Innerleithen, Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK
    • Production companies
      • Gershwin-Kastner Productions
      • Winkast Film Productions
      • Commonwealth United Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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