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The Wicker Man (1973)

R | | Horror, Mystery, Thriller | 7 August 1974 (USA)
The Wicker Man Poster
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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.

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1 win & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Sergeant Howie
... Lord Summerisle
... Miss Rose
... Willow
... Librarian
Lindsay Kemp ... Alder MacGreagor
Russell Waters ... Harbour Master
... Old Gardener / Gravedigger
Irene Sunters ... May Morrison (as Irene Sunter)
... School Master
Ian Campbell ... Oak
Leslie Blackater ... Hairdresser
Roy Boyd ... Broome
Peter Brewis ... Musician
Barbara Rafferty ... Woman with Baby (as Barbara Ann Brown)
See full cast »
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Storyline

On Sunday, April 29, 1973, Sergeant Neil Howie with the West Highland Constabulary flies solo to Summerisle off the coast of Scotland. He is there to follow up on a letter addressed specifically to him from an anonymous source on Summerisle reporting that a twelve year old girl who lives on the island, Rowan Morrison, the daughter of May Morrison, has long been missing. The correspondence includes a photograph of Rowan. Upon his arrival on Summerisle, Howie finds that the locals are a seemingly simple minded lot who provide little information beyond the fact that they know of no Rowan Morrison and do not know the girl in the photo. Mrs. Morrison admits to having a daughter, seven year old Myrtle, but no Rowan. As Howie speaks to more and more people, he begins to believe that Rowan does or did live on the island, but that the locals are hiding their knowledge of her. He also begins to see that the locals all have pagan beliefs, their "religion" which centers on procreation as the ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

paganism | disappearance | secret society | religious sacrifice | ritual | See All (246) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Rialto Pictures [United States]

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

7 August 1974 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El culto siniestro  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

£500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,493, 29 September 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$60,891, 10 January 2014
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (extended) | (final cut)

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, Anthony Shaffer's brother Peter stood in for Howie's Mr Punch during one shoot. See more »

Goofs

In the scene where Howie questions the Doctor about Rowan Morrison's death certificate, the Doctor is seen to open his front door and step partly inside. The shot cuts away, and when it cuts back to the Doctor his front door is shut. He opens it again and goes in. See more »

Quotes

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

Crazy Credits

[Short Version only] A message from the producers thanks "The Lord Summerisle and the people of his island" for co-operating in the making of the film. This is despite both the lord and the island being totally fictitious. See more »

Connections

Featured in Moviedrome: The Wicker Man (1988) See more »

Soundtracks

Chop Chop
(uncredited)
Written by Paul Giovanni
Performed by chorus
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is 'Sulis' a real goddess or just made up for the movie?
Q: How does the movie end?
Q: How did Summerisle know that Howie would be the perfect choice?
See more »

User Reviews

 
A film that you never forget - a genuine cult classic.
15 August 2000 | by – See all my reviews

There is an enormous amount of interest in this film, and rightly so.

It defies a low budget production to deliver that rarest of things in film - atmosphere.

The apparently simple plot-line belies a truly astonishing climax. I have seen this film reduce an entire cinema audience to stunned silence on several occasions.

Edward Woodward gives a performance of such understated power it is difficult to envisage anyone else in the role of Sgt. Howie.

The whole production just weaves its magic spell - music - location - cinematography and direction all combine into a masterpiece.
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