Witchfinder General (1968)

A young soldier seeks to put an end to the evils caused by a vicious witch-hunter when the latter terrorizes his fiancée and kills her uncle.

Director:

Michael Reeves

Writers:

Tom Baker (screenplay), Michael Reeves (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	Matthew Hopkins
Ian Ogilvy	...	Richard Marshall
Rupert Davies	...	John Lowes
Hilary Heath	...	Sara (as Hilary Dwyer)
Robert Russell	...	John Stearne (voice)
Nicky Henson	...	Trooper Swallow
Tony Selby	...	Salter
Bernard Kay	...	Fisherman / voiced Robert Russell's part
Godfrey James	...	Webb
Michael Beint	...	Captain Gordon
John Trenaman	...	Trooper Harcourt (as John Treneman)
Bill Maxwell	...	Gifford
Paul Ferris	...	Paul (as Morris Jar)
Maggie Kimberly	...	Elizabeth
Peter Haigh	...	Lavenham Magistrate

Storyline

England is torn in civil strife as the Royalists battle the Parliamentary Party for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain local power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins, who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches. Aided by his sadistic accomplice John Stearne, he travels from city to city and wrenches confessions from "witches" in order to line his pockets and gain sexual favors. When Hopkins persecutes a priest, he incurs the wrath of Richard Marshall, who is engaged to the priest's niece. Risking treason by leaving his military duties, Marshall relentlessly pursues the evil Hopkins and his minion Stearne.

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Plot Keywords:

witch | burned alive | torture | priest | england | 

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Taglines:

He'll hang, burn and mutilate you. He's the... [Witchfinder General]

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of three films to star Vincent Price and Hilary Heath. They would go on to appear together again in "The Oblong Box" (1969) & "Cry of the Banshee" (1970). In this film she played his mistress and would later play his wife and daughter respectively in the other two films.

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Goofs

The pistols are clearly not real flintlocks, as the flintlock mechanism does not operate when they are fired.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[United States Conqueror Worm versions]
Matthew Hopkins: [voiceover] LO! 't is a gala night/Within the lonesome latter years./An angel throng, bewinged, bedight/In veils, and drowned in tears,/Sit in a theatre to see/A play of hopes and fears,/While the orchestra breathes fitfully/The music of the spheres."

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema and early video versions were cut by the BBFC to knife prickings, the beating of the woman in the cellar by Stearne, the ducking scene, a woman being burnt alive and axe blows from the climactic fight in the castle cellar. Overseas prints of the film included alternative shots of topless nudity during the bar-room scenes. The complete and restored version was passed fully uncut by the BBFC and released on the Redemption video label in 1995, using footage restored from European laserdisc prints. Later UK DVD versions feature both the uncut UK cinema print (known as the 'Director's Cut') which restores the violence, and the European print (the 'Export Cut') which includes both the violence and the nude scenes. Unusually the 2007 15-rated Showbox DVD featured the old cut cinema print.

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Connections

Remade as Witchfinder

User Reviews

witch hunts

Like "The Devils", "Witchfinder General" (also called "The Conqueror Worm") is likely to disturb a lot of people through it's portrayals of witch hunts. This one portrays England during its civil war in the 1640s. With the people paranoid enough to accept anyone, puritan Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) goes around coercing witchcraft confessions out of women, and summarily executing them in the most vicious ways possible.

Things get ugly when Hopkins targets priest John Lowes (Rupert Davies). You see, Lowes' niece Sarah (Hilary Dwyer) is engaged to Cromwell soldier Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy). And Marshall may have a heart of gold, but he will go to any length to protect his beloved. And I mean ANY LENGTH.

Vincent Price was always a trustworthy horror star, and this movie doesn't disappoint. It's certainly worth seeing, but you might want to avoid it if you have a weak stomach.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Matthew Hopkins: Conqueror Worm

Filming Locations:

Brandeston, Suffolk, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$175,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tigon British Film Productions, American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1