October Horror Movie Challenge: Cry of the Banshee (1970)

You can't go wrong with an American International Pictures film or Vincent Price. I am touch surprised I had never seen this one, I was very sure I had but I have no memory of it.

The title sequences were created by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame. It was a little jarring at first, I was expecting a Monty Python sketch.

Set in England at the time of the Witch trials (16th Century) we have corrupt magistrate Lord Edward Whitman (Vincent Price) determined to seek out and punish witches. It just happens that he and his men only find pretty witches to torment. 

He encounters a true coven of witches and has many of their members killed, leaving the old witch Oona (Elisabeth Bergner). She pleads to Satan to send her an avenger to kill Whitman and his family.  Which is weird because I thought they were supposed to be worshiping "The Old Religion?"

The first to die is the son, Sean, and then the Lady Patricia.

Oona is discovered by the Priest and Harry Whitman, but not before Maureen is attacked.  Oona is killed but she admits that Roderrick (Patrick Mower) is really a Sidhe sent to kill the Whitmans.

Roderrick convinces Maureen he won't harm her until he sees Lord Edward, then he transforms to some sort of beast creature. Maureen grabs a blunderbus and kills Roderick. Lord Edward says with Roderick dead their family curse is lifted and they can leave their home. 

Lord Edward goes to visit Roderrick's grave only to discover he isn't in his coffin. He goes back to his carriage to find Harry and Maureen dead and Roderick now driving the carriage.

Featured Monster: Groaning Spirit (Banshee)

Banshees are a creature out of folklore, but there have been some modern, pre-1977, interpretations. This is one, and "Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)" is another. Which was likely as much of a source for leprechauns how they are used in the Monster Manual in addition to folklore.  I can make this claim easy enough since they were the only two movies I could find prior to 1977 to feature a banshee.

 The Banshee here is not the folkloric one, but it is a spirit of sorts. The Banshee in Darby O'Gill was actually much more terrifying.

 

But it is not much of a horror movie really. Darby O'Gill that is. Cry of the Banshee is quite the classic, even if it doesn't have a "real" Banshee in it.

The Banshee in the Monster Manual is the spirit of an elf woman. This comes from the idea that Ban Sidhe or Ban Sith means "Faerie Woman" in Gaelic. It works as far as AD&D goes. But this film makes a good case that the Banshee could also be the spirit of a dead witch. 

Maybe that is where I need to take this for D&D and related games.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
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