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:

From the writer of 'Frenzy & Sleuth' Anthony Shaffer's incredible occult thriller

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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

During the scene in which the boys are dancing and singing round the Maypole,none of the children's lips are moving although we hear singing on the soundtrack.

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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 The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Sumer is Icumen In"
Middle English round
Performed by Christopher Lee and chorus

User Reviews

A quite unique Pagan-mystery-horror-thriller

A quite unique and very creative mystery horror.

Superb acting from Edward Woodward as the prim Seargant Howie, and Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle. Fascinating from start to finish and a real twister of a plot that keeps you hooked right until the final twenty minutes, what appears at first sight to be an innocent search for a missing girl turns into a fascinating exploration of pagan rituals on a remote and sex obsessed Scottish island.

One of the best elements of the film is the classic early 70's folk soundtrack which gives indication of how the era in which this was filmed influenced the subject matter.

Definitely not a 'horror' in the true sense of the word, but more mysterious and chilling than any gore-fest. A quality piece of cinema!