I Married a Witch (1942)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

René Clair

Writers:

Thorne Smith (story)
Norman Matson (story)
(more)

Release Date:

30 October 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

She's a witch (and we do mean witch) who gets what she wants with hex appeal!

Plot:

A beautiful 17th-century witch returns to life to plague politician Wallace Wooley, descendant of her persecutor.

Plot Keywords:

Witch | Wedding | Puritan | Potion | Hospital

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Fredric March	...	Jonathan Wooley / Nathaniel Wooley / Samuel Wooley / Wallace Wooley
Veronica Lake	...	Jennifer
Robert Benchley	...	Dr. Dudley White
Susan Hayward	...	Estelle Masterson
Cecil Kellaway	...	Daniel
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Margaret
Robert Warwick	...	J.B. Masterson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beverly Andre	...	Girl at Country Club (uncredited)
Georgia Backus	...	Older Woman (uncredited)
Charles Bates	...	Wooley's Son (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Country Club Extra (uncredited)
Billy Bevan	...	Puritan Vendor (uncredited)
Marie Blake	...	Purity Sykes (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Policeman Arresting Daniel (uncredited)
Aldrich Bowker	...	Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Second Prison Guard (uncredited)
Ann Carter	...	Jennifer Wooley, Wooley's Daughter (uncredited)
Nora Cecil	...	Harriet Wooley (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Chester Conklin	...	Party Bartender (uncredited)
Georgie Cooper	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Onlooker in Crowd (uncredited)
Gordon De Main	...	Man with Masterson on radio (uncredited)
Emma Dunn	...	Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	First Prison Guard (uncredited)
Frank Elliott	...	Magistrate (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Country Club Extra / Man at Fire (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Nancy Wooley (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Matron of Honor (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Radio Voice (uncredited)
Florence Gill	...	Woman Playing Chess (uncredited)
Robert Greig	...	Town Crier (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Fred, Cop (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Policeman at Ambulance (uncredited)
Reed Hadley	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Tom, Bartender (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Fire Chief (uncredited)
Esther Howard	...	Extra (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Donivee Lee	...	Girl (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Jack Luden	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Eily Malyon	...	Tabitha Wooley (uncredited)
Renny McEvoy	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
David McKim	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
James Millican	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Joe, Cab Driver (uncredited)
Charles R. Moore	...	Rufus, Samuel's Servant (uncredited)
Viola Moore	...	Martha (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Allen, Hotel Owner (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Second Prisoner (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Mickey Rentschler	...	Boy at Country Club (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Country Club Extra (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Country Club Extra / Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Elderly Wife (uncredited)
Ernest Shields	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Country Club Extra (uncredited)
Helen St. Rayner	...	Singer at Wedding (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	First Prisoner (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Fireman (uncredited)

Directed by
René Clair		(as Rene Clair)

Writing credits
Thorne Smith		(story)
Norman Matson		(story completion)
Robert Pirosh		(screenplay) and
Marc Connelly		(screenplay)
René Clair		dialogue (uncredited)
André Rigaud		dialogue (uncredited)
Dalton Trumbo		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
René Clair	....	producer (uncredited)
Buddy G. DeSylva	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Preston Sturges	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
Ted Tetzlaff		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eda Warren

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegté

Set Decoration by
George Sawley

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist
Leonora Sabine	....	hair stylist supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management
E.D. Leshin	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur S. Black Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)
William Forsyth	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sam Comer	....	supervising set decorator (uncredited)
Royce Finley	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry D. Mills	....	sound recordist (as Harry Mills)
Richard Olson	....	sound recordist
Paul Boistelle	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Milton Bridenbecker	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Gene Liggett	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costumes

Other crew
Nesta Charles	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Farciot Edouart	....	transparencies (uncredited)
Jack Gage	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Norman Lacey	....	location manager (uncredited)
Jay Tucker	....	stand-in: Fredric March (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rene Clair Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (as United Artists Productions Inc.)
• Allgemeine Film-Verleihgesellschaft (1946) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1946) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Masterpiece Productions (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Masterpiece Productions (1950) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Castle Hill Productions (2003) (USA) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lightning Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Suevia Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (2006) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8351) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Rene Clair Productions

Trivia:

Joel McCrea was initially cast as the lead, but declined the role because he didn't want to work again with Veronica Lake, his co-star in Sullivan's Travels (1941).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film opens with a scene of Puritans in the Massachusetts colony burning witches. No-one was ever burned for witchcraft in America. The accused witches of Salem, Massachusetts, and its environs were hanged, with the exception of Giles Corey, who was pressed to death with rocks.

Quotes:

Jennifer: 'Twould be nice to have lips... lips to whisper lies... lips to kiss man and make him suffer. Father, why cannot I have lips, and eyes, and hair?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Hot Time in the Old Town

Whimsical comedy with wonderful Lake...wooden March...

Veronica Lake and Cecil Kellaway seem to get into the spirit of this whimsical comedy about witchcraft--while Fredric March (who reportedly disliked working with Lake whom he considered an inferior actress) does not come off well in comedy. Lake plays a witch whose ancestors burned her at the stake 300 years ago. March is engaged to Susan Hayward, but with the entry of Lake into his life, everything goes haywire. March is a gubernatorial candidate whose election to office is threatened by Lake's dexterity with broomstick magic.

Based on an unfinished novel by Thorne Smith (creator of "Topper"), the film emerges as a screwball romantic comedy well directed by Rene Clair and benefits from some good trick photography. The video print I have is on the murky side--I'm sure the original print featured better overall photography than the video version. With a cast that includes Robert Benchley among the supporting players, this is a comedy treat ideal for viewing on Halloween.

Warning: More enjoyable if the print quality is good!