Maid of Salem (1937)

Director:

Frank Lloyd

Writers:

Bradley King (story) and
Walter Ferris (writer)

Release Date:

3 March 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Young lovers fall afoul of repressive society as Salem elders get caught up in the witch hunts and trials of 17th century Massachusetts...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Salem | Beautiful Woman | 1600s | Witchcraft

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Barbara Clarke
Fred MacMurray	...	Roger Coverman
Harvey Stephens	...	Dr. John Harding
Gale Sondergaard	...	Martha Harding
Louise Dresser	...	Ellen Clarke
Benny Bartlett	...	Timothy Clarke
Edward Ellis	...	Elder Goode
Beulah Bondi	...	Abigail Goode
Bonita Granville	...	Ann Goode
Virginia Weidler	...	Nabby Goode
Donald Meek	...	Ezra Cheeves
E.E. Clive	...	Bilge
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Jeremiah
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Mr. Morse
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Tituba

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Classic Witch-Hunt Flick Delivers the Goods 30's-style

Solid 30's costume melodrama, certainly an artistic equal to director Frank Lloyd's more famous "Mutiny on the Bounty". Excellent acting from Colbert and, surprisingly, MacMurray (but then he's great in "Double Indemnity" too). Sterling Holloway is wonderful as the spurned suitor, and Madame Sul-Te-Wan is great as the VooDoo Woman. An excellent introduction to the Witch-Hunting syndrome that is suitable to show to young children. Witch-Hunting still occurs today in politics, religion, workplace, school and sometimes even in the family, and this film could be a tool for inciting discussion.