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USA 1942
Directed by
René Clair
76 minutes
Rated G

Reviewed by
Bernard Hemingway
2 stars

I Married A Witch

As the success of the 1960s television series Bewitched demonstrated there is a sizeable market  (positively huge when combined with other shows like Mr Ed and My Favourite Martian) for inanity. In this, its precursor, Veronica Lake plays the incarnation of a witch from the 17th century who returns along with her father (Cecil Kellaway) to avenge themselves on an unsuspecting descendant (Fredric March) of the man who had them burnt at the stake 270 years previously.

If you are a fan of Bewitched then this may well delight, for Veronica Lake is enchanting and the cast all give good performances with that of March being at times very reminiscent of Edward Everett Horton’s fuddy-duddy character. But bar the occasional good line its main idea of humour is ingenuous silliness (and some women may find its sexism annoying). Based on a story The Passionate Witch by Thorne Smith (who wrote the thematically-related novel, Topper, which was turned into a film in 1937), and co-produced by Preston Sturges and Clair, one of the European expatriates working in war-time Hollywood, it’s given polished treatment under the latter's direction, but bar for those with a taste for such lightweight fare it will only be notable for Lake’s screen appeal.

DVD Extras: A gallery of theatrical posters

Available from: Madman

 

 

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