Witches, The (1966)

Produced by Hammer and written by Nigel Kneale, who created Quatermass, The Witches tells of Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine), a teacher working in Africa who has a breakdown when a curse is put on her by a witch doctor.

She returns to England to teach in a sleepy village school but then discovers that the rural community is caught in the grip of a voodoo cult.

There is an interesting development halfway through when Gwen is trapped in a nursing home which claims she has been in a coma for a year, but it all goes off the rails when you see the hybrid voodoo-witchcraft ceremony at the end, which is inappropriately hilarious.

Former Hollywood star Fontaine reprises her “frightened lady” turn – first seen in Rebecca – as the cursed schoolmistress. It was to signal her career’s end and Joan never made another film, although she did show up on television every once in a while.

Released overseas as The Devil’s Own.

Gwen Mayfield
Joan Fontaine
Stephanie Bax
Kay Walsh
Alan Bax
Alec McCowen
Sally
Ann Bell
Linda
Ingrid Brett
Dowsett
John Collin
Valerie
Michele Dotrice
Granny Rigg
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Bob Curd
Duncan Lamont
Dr Wallis
Leonard Rossiter

Director
Cyril Frankel