Witchfinder General
Short description
Set in England in 1645, during the civil war between Royalists and Parliamentarians, the film follows Matthew Hopkins, a self-appointed witch hunter who travels from town to town and offers his services to local authorities. The breakdown of order brought on by the war lets men like Hopkins profit from the fears and superstitions of ordinary people. When Hopkins and his assistant John Stearne turn their attention to a village and its priest, a young Parliamentarian officer, Richard Marshall, becomes involved in opposing them.
Michael Reeves directed and co-wrote the film with Tom Baker; it was his second feature, after The She Beast in 1966. Vincent Price stars as Hopkins, with Ian Ogilvy as Richard Marshall, Robert Russell as John Stearne, Hilary Dwyer as Sara and Rupert Davies as John Lowes, among a credited cast of 43 and a crew of 45. Louis M. Heyward, Arnold L. Miller and Philip Waddilove produced for Tigon British Film Productions.
Released on 17 May 1968 and running 87 minutes, the film is a British production mixing drama, history and horror. It took about 2 million dollars worldwide, a solid return for a low-budget genre picture of its time. On TMDB it holds 6.5 out of 10 from 273 votes, while a critics' rating stands at 7.1 out of 10 from 17 reviews, so professional reviewers have rated it somewhat higher than the wider audience has.
What's left behind the scenes
- On the very first day of filming, Vincent Price (1911-1993) fell off a horse. Director Michael Reeves (1943-1969) deliberately did not visit him after the fall, hoping the actor would become angry and portray his character even more fiercely.
- In reality, Matthew Hopkins was barely over 20 years old in 1645, and died before reaching the age of 30. Vincent Price's character, on the other hand, is clearly middle-aged, as was the actor himself. Hopkins and his associate, Stern, executed over 300 people, mostly women, over 2-3 years of witch-hunting. Considering that 500 people were executed for witchcraft in England between the late 15th and late 18th centuries, Hopkins was responsible for two-thirds of these executions.
- Vincent Price considered his role in this film to be the best of all his horror movie roles.
- Director Michael Reeves wanted Donald Pleasence to play the role of Matthew Hopkins, but American International Pictures, the film's American distributor and co-financier, insisted that Vincent Price take the lead role. Reeves reluctantly agreed, heavily rewriting the script to better suit Price. The character became more imposing and menacing, rather than pathetic and effeminate. Due to the company's decision, the relationship between Reeves and Price on set was strained.
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