The Wicker Man (1973)

A police sergeant is sent to a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl whom the townsfolk claim never existed. Stranger still are the rites that take place there.

Director:

Robin Hardy

Writer:

Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Stars:

Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward Woodward	...	Sergeant Howie
Christopher Lee	...	Lord Summerisle
Diane Cilento	...	Miss Rose
Britt Ekland	...	Willow
Ingrid Pitt	...	Librarian
Lindsay Kemp	...	Alder MacGreagor
Russell Waters	...	Harbour Master
Aubrey Morris	...	Old Gardener / Gravedigger
Irene Sunters	...	May Morrison (as Irene Sunter)
Walter Carr	...	School Master
Ian Campbell	...	Oak
Leslie Blackater	...	Hairdresser
Roy Boyd	...	Broome
Peter Brewis	...	Musician
Barbara Rafferty	...	Woman with Baby (as Barbara Ann Brown)

Storyline

Sgt. Howie travels to Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. He discovers that the locals are weird and unhelpful, and becomes determined to get to the bottom of the disappearance.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | island | disappearance | scottish island | sergeant | 

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Taglines:

The residents of Summerisle invited Sergeant Howie to their traditional May Day festival. He didn't expect to meet...The Wicker Man

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

A vesszőből font ember

Filming Locations:

Burrow Head, Isle of Whithorn, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 100 min (2001 director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Information concerning the film's checkered distribution history in the US: Opened 9/30/77 in Minneapolis MN with a PG rating; another run on 1/28/81. Variety reviewed it in their 5/15/74 issue. New Orleans run 10/28/78; San Francisco January 1979; Los Angeles with new ad campaign 3/9/79 and R rating; New York 3/26/80 with R rating and distributed by Dynamite Entertainment-Abraxas Releasing.

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Goofs

While Sgt Howie (dressed as Punch) is being chased by the women, you can see autumn leaves on the grass, though the story is set on the first of May.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sergeant Howie: [yelling] Will you send a dinghy, please?

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Crazy Credits

A message from the producer gives thanks to "The Lord Summerisle and the people of his island" for co-operating in the making of the film. This is despite both the person and the island being totally fictitious.

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Connections

Referenced in RiffTrax Live: Reefer Madness (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Willows Song"
Written by Paul Giovanni
Performed by Annie Ross

User Reviews

The most original and haunting British horror movie EVER. Fascinating, chilling, and utterly unique.

I've been fascinated by 'The Wicker Man' ever since I first saw it on TV in the late 1970s. I was very young then and probably didn't completely understand it, but I knew immediately that it was a very special movie, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Twenty five years, and literally thousands of movies later, I think even more highly of it, especially now that I'm able to see the cut available on the 30th Anniversary DVD, which is over fifteen minutes longer than the version I already own on video. And, yes, 'The Wicker Man' is still unlike any other movie I've ever seen. I think this is mainly down to the brilliant script by Anthony Shaffer, who also wrote 'Sleuth' and Hitchcock's 'Frenzy'. There hasn't been anything made remotely like it since. I think it's the greatest British horror movie ever made, but the description "horror" only gives you half the story. It's also a thriller, a mystery, a Christian morality tale, and in a weird way, a musical. Christopher Lee regards it as the best movie he's ever been involved with, and describes it as one of the three or four greatest movies ever made in Britain, and I agree with him. Lee is very good in the movie as the enigmatic Lord Summerisle, but Edward Woodward is the real star. Woodward is best know for his TV work, as either 'Callan' or 'The Equalizer', depending what generation you're from, but he's superb as the deeply religious Sgt. Howie. Apparently Peter Cushing was initially suggested for the role, as was Michael York, but I really can't imagine either of then being half as good as Woodward is. The supporting cast are all superb - Diane Cilento as the school teacher, famous mime Lindsay Kemp as the publican, and especially Britt Ekland as the publican's daughter Willow. Ekland's seduction dance scene is the second most famous scene in the movie. She claims her speaking voice was dubbed throughout , director Robin Hardy disputes this, though her singing voice certainly was, and she used a (ahem) butt double. I also get a kick out of Aubrey Morris' graveyard scene. Morris is a great Brit character actor and was also in 'A Clockwork Orange', Hammer's 'Blood From The Mummy's Tomb' and sci fi trash classic 'Lifeforce'. Another Hammer alumni Ingrid Pitt ('The Vampire Lovers', 'Countess Dracula', etc.) is also in the cast as a librarian, but sadly in underused. Still, I'm glad she was involved. Inexplicably some people seem to hate this movie. I can't for the life of me understand why. It's utterly brilliant, utterly unique, and I never tire of watching it. If you've never seen it before I envy you! It's a cliche, but believe me, you have never seen anything like it before!