The Crucible (1996)

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers (WGA):

Arthur Miller (play)
Arthur Miller (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Arthur Miller's timeless tale of truth on trial.

Plot:

A Salem woman accuses her ex-lover's wife of witchcraft.

Plot Keywords:

Salem | Witch | Massachusetts | Trial | Witch Trial

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis	...	John Proctor
Winona Ryder	...	Abigail Williams
Paul Scofield	...	Judge Thomas Danforth
Joan Allen	...	Elizabeth Proctor
Bruce Davison	...	Reverend Parris
Rob Campbell	...	Reverend Hale
Jeffrey Jones	...	Thomas Putnam
Peter Vaughan	...	Giles Corey
Karron Graves	...	Mary Warren
Charlayne Woodard	...	Tituba
Frances Conroy	...	Ann Putnam
Elizabeth Lawrence	...	Rebecca Nurse
George Gaynes	...	Judge Samuel Sewall
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Martha Corey
Robert Breuler	...	Judge Hathorne
Rachael Bella	...	Betty Parris
Ashley Peldon	...	Ruth Putnam
Tom McDermott	...	Francis Nurse
John Griesemer	...	Ezekiel Cheever
Michael Gaston	...	Marshal Herrick
William Preston	...	George Jacobs
Ruth Maleczech	...	Goody Osborne
Sheila Pinkham	...	Goody Good
Peter Maloney	...	Dr. Griggs
Kali Rocha	...	Mercy Lewis
Taylor Stanley	...	Joanna Preston
Lian-Marie Holmes	...	Deliverance Fuller
Charlotte Melen	...	Margaret Kenney (as Charlotte Melén)
Carmella Riley	...	Hannah Brown (as Carmella Mulvihill)
Jessie Kilguss	...	Debra Flint
Simone Marean	...	Rachel Buxton
Amee Jean McClure	...	Lydia Sheldon (as Amee Gray)
Anna V. Boksenbaum	...	Sarah Pope
Mary Reardon	...	Esther Wilkens
Alexander Streit	...	Joseph Proctor
Michael McKinstry	...	Daniel Proctor
Dorothy Brodesser	...	Mrs. Griggs
Dossy Peabody	...	Goody Sibber
Mara Clark	...	Goody Barrow
Jane Pulkkinen	...	Goody Bellows
Katrina Nevin	...	Dorcas Bellows
Will Lyman	...	Isaiah Goodkind
Karen MacDonald	...	Townswoman
Sheila Ferrini	...	Townswoman
June Lewin	...	Townswoman
Ken Cheeseman	...	Goat Owner
Steven Ochoa	...	Putnam's Servant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Bronk	...	Village Elder (uncredited)
Mark Grant	...	Villager (uncredited)
J.T. Turner	...	Lout (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Hytner

Writing credits (WGA)
Arthur Miller		(play)
Arthur Miller		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mitchell Levin	....	associate producer
Robert A. Miller	....	producer
David V. Picker	....	producer
Diana Pokorny	....	co-producer

Original Music by
George Fenton

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn

Film Editing by
Tariq Anwar

Casting by
Donna Isaacson
Daniel Swee

Production Design by
Lilly Kilvert

Art Direction by
John Warnke

Set Decoration by
Gretchen Rau

Costume Design by
Bob Crowley

Makeup Department
Jan Archibald	....	key hair stylist
Jerry DeCarlo	....	hair stylist
Naomi Donne	....	makeup designer
Paula Kelly	....	makeup artist
Todd Kleitsch	....	makeup artist
Brenda McNally	....	additional hair stylist
Victoria M. Porter	....	hair stylist
Peggy Schierholz	....	hair stylist (as Peg Schierholz)
Anthony Veader	....	hair stylist
Carla White	....	makeup artist
Marleen Alter	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)
Jennifer Johnson	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)
Trish Seeney	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Diana Pokorny	....	unit production manager
Mari-Jo Winkler	....	production supervisor (as Mari Jo Winkler)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dirk Craft	....	second second assistant director (as Dirk Wallace Craft)
Michael McCue	....	additional second assistant director (as Michael A. McCue)
Richard Oswald	....	second assistant director
Mike Topoozian	....	first assistant director
Bob Wagner	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Steve Alexander	....	general construction foreman
Jonathan Askew	....	carpenter
William Baynham	....	carpenter
David Beckwith	....	carpenter
William Bergland	....	carpenter
John Bettencourt	....	carpenter
David W. Brown	....	scenic artist
Thomas E. Brown	....	paint supervisor
Brian Buckley	....	carpenter
Sarah Jackson Burt	....	stand-by set dresser
Patrick Cassidy	....	lead man
James Champoux	....	carpenter
Peter C. Clarke	....	property assistant (as Peter Clarke)
Jacqueline Cody	....	painter
David Colantuoni	....	carpenter
Daniel J. Courchaine	....	scenic artist
Roger Danchik	....	set dresser (as Dr. Roger Danchik)
Rick Deacon	....	painter
Steve DeBoer	....	carpenter
Cheryl Dewardener	....	carpenter (as Cheryl de Wardemer)
Mary E. DiCicco	....	scenic artist
Richard L. Doucette	....	carpenter
Ken Doyle	....	set dresser
Abigail Drury	....	scenic artist
James B. Faulkner	....	carpenter
Elizabeth Flaherty	....	art department coordinator
Francis L. Foley	....	labor foreman
Charlie Foster	....	carpenter
Chris Fousek	....	carpenter
Rafael Fraguada	....	carpenter
Chris Frank	....	additional property assistant
Frank W. Garrison	....	carpenter
Julia Garrison	....	painter
Claire Gaul	....	set decorating assistant
Jess Gonchor	....	construction foreman
Paul W. Gorfine	....	scenic artist (as Paul Gorfine)
David Gulick	....	property master
Neil Gustafson	....	carpenter
John Harajovic	....	carpenter
Mary Hopkins	....	scenic artist
Tim Jackson	....	carpenter
Theodore Janello	....	carpenter
William Karp	....	carpenter
Chris Kaseta-Cornelius	....	scenic artist
Alan S. Kaye	....	set designer
Lynn Kippax Jr.	....	carpenter
Jessica Lanier	....	set decorating assistant
Larry Laurent	....	paint foreman
Diane J. Laurienzo	....	scenic artist
Bob Laux	....	labor foreman
Steven E. Lawler	....	carpenter gang boss
Bill LeClair	....	carpenter
Eric Levenson	....	scenic artist
Timothy Lewis	....	carpenter
Lori A. Lopes	....	art department assistant
Stacy Mar	....	art department assistant
Brick Mason	....	production illustrator
Eric Matheson	....	carpenter
Butch McCarthy	....	carpenter (as John J. McCarthy)
Jenny E. McCracken	....	scenic artist
John McHugh	....	carpenter
Robert McKown	....	carpenter
Jean-Paul Menard	....	set dressing foreman
Karen Menze	....	scenic artist
Kathy Mills	....	scenic artist
Vanessa Mills	....	scenic artist
Louis Montejano	....	set designer
Kris Moran	....	property assistant (as Kristine Moran)
Nick Navarro	....	set designer
Christopher J. Noonan	....	carpenter
Anthony D. Parrillo	....	art department assistant
Rich Pashayan	....	carpenter
James Passanante	....	stand-by painter (as Jim Passanante)
Susan Peterson	....	scenic artist
Michael Philbin	....	carpenter
Stephen Picot	....	carpenter
Mario Presterone	....	carpenter
Jonathan Roberts	....	carpenter
David Rotondo	....	construction grip
Steve Saffan	....	carpenter
Mark Sarver	....	carpenter gang boss (as Marc Sarver)
Hal Schlax	....	construction foreman
Robert Schleinig	....	historic prop supervisor (as Robert 'Schnig' Schleinig)
Richard Schooler	....	carpenter
Kevin Sciotto	....	scenic artist
E. James Scott Jr.	....	scenic artist
Andrew M. Scudier	....	paint foreman
Kurt Smith	....	carpenter
Tyris Smith	....	carpenter
Jay Cail Stone	....	carpenter
Haven Storey	....	scenic artist
Jeremy Strong	....	art department intern
Theodore Suchecki	....	carpenter gang boss
Michael Tavani	....	carpenter gang boss
Cristina Todesco	....	scenic artist
Ray A. Versluys	....	carpenter gang boss
Kenneth Weinberg	....	set dresser
Butch West	....	construction coordinator
Paul Williamson	....	carpenter
Kelly T. Winn	....	carpenter
Timothy F. Winn	....	painter
Arthur A. Wood III	....	set dresser
Brian Woods	....	carpenter
Michael E. Allegretto	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Ezra Burke	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Lawrence Heyman	....	greens person (uncredited)
Eric Matheson	....	construction gangboss (uncredited)
Butch McCarthy	....	construction gangboss (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor (as Chris Ackland)
Michael Barosky	....	sound mixer
Tim Cavagin	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Ed Colyer	....	foley mixer
Lucy Fawcett	....	foley artist
Stan Fiferman	....	foley editor
Joe Gilmore	....	dialogue editor
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
Matt Grimes	....	assistant sound editor (as Matt Grime)
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nick Lowe	....	adr editor
Lenny Manzo	....	cable person
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Mark Sale	....	assistant sound editor
Elaine 'Chucks' Thomas	....	assistant sound editor (as Elaine Thomas)

Special Effects by
William 'Billy Jack' Jakielaszek	....	special effects
Gary L. King	....	special effects
Brian Ricci	....	special effects coordinator
Stephen R. Ricci	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Ray Short	....	titles and opticals (uncredited)

Stunts
John R. Favre	....	stunts
Dale Gibson	....	stunts
Laurie Scott	....	stunts
Valerie Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
R.L. Tolbert	....	stunts
Gwynn Turnbull	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeff Amaral	....	electrician
Tom Barrett	....	best boy grip
Alison Barton	....	grip
Bob Becchio	....	second assistant camera (as Robert Becchio)
Arnold F. Brown	....	grip
Robert Cuddy	....	electrician
Blaise Dahlquist	....	rigging gaffer (as Blaise R. Dahlquist)
Mike Dso	....	grip
Eddie Evans	....	key grip
Michael Fedack	....	dolly grip
David Galbraith	....	second assistant camera (as Dave Galbraith)
John Gates	....	grip
Patrick James Grosswendt	....	gaffer
Bernard C. Karol	....	electrician
Dave 'Lash' LaRue	....	grip
Bruce MacCallum	....	camera operator
William R. Mayberry	....	best boy electric
Ray McLaughlin	....	electrician
Dave Rudolph	....	grip
Allan D. Smith	....	camera trainee
Patricia Van Over	....	first assistant camera (as Patricia VanOver)
William M. Weberg	....	grip
Mark A. Weil	....	grip
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
Mark J. Casey	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Michael DiIeso	....	key rigger (uncredited)
Guy Holt	....	electrician (uncredited)
David Larue	....	grip (uncredited)
Roger Marbury	....	electrician (uncredited)
Jack McPhee	....	electrician (uncredited)
Warren A. Weberg	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Matt Bouldry	....	extras casting assistant
James Calleri	....	casting assistant
Howard Garrett	....	casting assistant
Christian Kaplan	....	casting associate
Carolyn Pickman	....	casting: Boston
Bruce Winant	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amy Andrews	....	key costumer
Kassandra D'Alessandro	....	costumer
Lisa R. Frucht	....	costume supervisor
Sheila Grover	....	costumer (as Sheila Gentile)
Lisa Lesniak	....	costumer
Karen Lloyd	....	costumer
Angelika A. MacClellan	....	costumer
Karen O'Leary	....	costumer
Christine Rowland	....	assistant to costume designer
Camille J. Szychalska	....	costumer
Suzanne Whittlesey	....	costumer
Deirdre N. Williams	....	costume supervisor
Jane Law	....	costumes (uncredited)
Dominic Young	....	costume maker (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Stanborough	....	color timer
Alice Stone	....	assistant editor
Will Weiske	....	post-production coordinator
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
George Fenton	....	conductor
Isobel Griffiths	....	musicians contractor
Paul Hulme	....	music recordist
Christopher Lloyd	....	music editor
Bill Silcock	....	music preparation
Adrian Thomas	....	music pre-production and synthesizers
Eliza Thompson	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Joseph Gagliardi	....	transportation captain
William O'Brien	....	transportation coordinator
Ken Farnell	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeff Aghassi	....	assistant location manager
Brian Albushies	....	payroll accountant
Michael E. Allegretto	....	craft service
Bill Andrulitis	....	animal wrangler
Lee Beckett	....	assistant: Daniel Day-lewis
Diane Bennette	....	animal wrangler
Eric Berger	....	office production assistant
Joe Biggins	....	set production assistant
Lisa M. Bock	....	set production assistant
Melissa Bolton	....	set production assistant
Travis G. Bush	....	video production assistant
Paula Carbone	....	studio teacher
Tim Carroll	....	livestock coordinator
Regina Clark	....	production intern
Daniel Collins	....	animal wrangler
Drew Conroy	....	animal wrangler
Peter W. Cook	....	historical consultant
Jerry Courser	....	animal wrangler
William Courtney	....	animal wrangler
Julian Coutts	....	set production assistant
Mary Cybulski	....	script supervisor
Jon Davidson	....	production accountant
Christine V. Desrochers	....	production secretary
Michael Dick	....	marine coordinator
Dina Farnell	....	assistant production coordinator (as Dina Brendlinger)
Mark Fitzgerald	....	location assistant
Edward A. Frisbie	....	animal wrangler
Elizabeth Green	....	set production assistant
Barnaby Hall	....	location production assistant
Maryellen Hanlon	....	location production assistant
Christian Harmony	....	production intern
Charles Harrington	....	location manager
John J. Hermansen	....	set production assistant
Christian J. Hollyer	....	office production assistant
Mark C. Hutchinson	....	set production assistant
Kevin Kammer	....	location assistant
David Kennard	....	animal wrangler
Scott R. Kowalchyk	....	set production assistant
Namthip Kumpiranonth	....	craft service
Barbara Lowes	....	animal wrangler
James MacDonald	....	medic
Seth Marsh	....	location boat operator
Ted Marshall	....	location boat operator
Susan P. McCarthy	....	production coordinator
Andrew L. Messersmith	....	animal wrangler
Carla Meyer	....	dialect consultant
Rebekah V. Michaels	....	power pod assistant
Jessica A. Milstein	....	production intern
Carolyn Noonan	....	assistant production accountant
Patrick Noonan	....	accounting assistant
David Pierotti	....	location boat operator
Alexander Powell	....	production intern
Kim Quam	....	medic
Luke Ramsey	....	location boat operator
Matthew J. Raycroft	....	set production assistant
Anne S. Reilly	....	unit publicist
George Cameron Romero	....	set production assistant (as G. Cameron Romero)
Francine Roussel	....	movement consultant
Lee A. Sawyer	....	wagon master
Selena Seto	....	assistant to producers
Eric Simon	....	medic
Vicki Stein	....	assistant: David V. Picker
Sally Tannenbaum	....	assistant: Winona Ryder
Robert F. Trent	....	first period consultant
Annette Vachon	....	animal wrangler
John B. VanderSande	....	first period consultant
Tracey Wadmore-Smith	....	cinemaestro technician
Will Weiske	....	assistant: Nicholas Hytner
Brian Wilson	....	projectionist
Pauline Hume	....	title designer (uncredited)
Bill Timoney	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Aron Warner	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (1997) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Alta Films (Spain)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1998) (Greece) (VHS)
• Sundance Channel (2012) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
• Air Studios  music recorded at
• Boston Light & Sound  dailies projection system
• Cinesite  digital film services
• Collinge Pickman Casting  extras casting
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• General Screen Enterprises  titles and opticals
• IVC  post-production facilities
• Loopers Unlimited East  voice casting
• Peter Govey Film Opticals  additional opticals
• RCA Victor  soundtrack
• Rick Brainin Catering Inc.  catering
• Studios CTS  music recorded at
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Twickenham Studios  post-production facilities (as Twickenham Film Studios)
• Victor Duncan  production equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of the Salem witch trials

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 (f) | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | Iceland:12 | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34461) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

"Old" United Shoe Factory - 181 Elliott Street, Beverly, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The open casting call for this movie was held at the abandoned Danvers State Hospital in Danvers Massachusetts, where the movie Session 9 was filmed, the auditions were held in the auditorium of the abandoned hospital which is prominently featured in Session 9.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Elizabeth Proctor is being brought to the court, the left rear wheel of the cart is not spinning.

Quotes:

Giles Corey:A fart on Thomas Putnam!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Small Town Culture War (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Yanvalou Chant

excellent adaptation for the screen

There is nothing I like better than a good play for the stage, even when it is on screen. This is the second time I have been able to see this worthy conversion of Arthur Miller's classic play adapted to the screen. Nicholas Hytner certainly earnt his wages; and all the cast should have received a good pay-rise. Convincing scene-setting in Massachussets at the end of the 17th Century with heavy wood-framed farm buildings and typical North European immigrant peasants' clothing, all beautifully filmed. Arthur Miller himself collaborated on the script, allowing certain poetic licence in modernising some of the speech forms, which, in the original play – written around 1952-1953 – reflected speech patterns of the times.

I blow the dust off my 1973 Penguin copy of the play, and can follow some of the scenes almost verbatim. Thus the effect is dramaturgical rather than cinematographic, a little like Branaghan doing his versions of Shakespeare. A pleasing result indeed. Highly recommended for conoisseurs of fine acting in the classic sense. Neither of the two leading actors – Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder – will let you down.

The Salem Witches have been the cause of a few forays by writers, historians and so on: really the whole affair seems to typicalize people's appetites for forming psychosis-like manias, often on the grounds of nothing very concrete. I mean to say, the devil exists in the minds of those who invent it; the same cause as the `reds under the beds' phobia of the 1960s and 1970s, today transformed into `Islam Terror' around every corner. The clothing is different, but the mentality producing the phobias is not.

`The Crucible' in this excellent adaptation make this poignantly clear. My vote is slightly higher than the present IMDb average.