One of three films Vincent Price made in England with the same director-writer team (along with "The Oblong Box" and "Scream and Scream Again"). AIP was coming to the end of a long string of horror films loosely adapted from Edgar Allen Poe -- as well as several co-productions with Hammer and Tigon. In one of those, "Witchfinder General" aka "The Conqueror Worm" (Tigon-AIP, 1968), Price gave one of his best performances as a cruel, corrupt witch hunter. In "Cry of the Banshee" he plays a nearly identical role and is also quite good. The story has similar elements as well, but manages to establish its own identity. It seems obvious AIP was trying to repeat the basic formula of "Witchfinder General." However, this production lacks its thoughtful direction, atmosphere, and feeling for historical accuracy. This is just a standard horror yarn, but Price's restrained, non-hammy performance comes close to making up for deficiencies in script and direction. An interesting side note: Monty Python fans should recognize Terry Gilliam's distinctive animation style used during the opening credits. Set in Elizabethan England, Lord Charles Whitman (Price) is a wicked, slightly decadent magistrate bent on wiping out every trace of witchcraft and paganism in his district. The story opens with him charging a woman with being a heretic. She is branded on the chest, flogged through the streets (an excuse for some topless exposure), and locked in the stocks. His zeal is driven not by religious fanaticism (as in "Witchfinder General") but a need to protect his power and authority. Trouble begins during a raid on a coven of witches holding a ritual ceremony. After several cult members are killed, the leader, an old crone named Oona, puts a curse on Whitman. Later, she calls upon a demonic spirit, a banshee, to destroy him and his family. (In mythology, a banshee is a fairy woman who wails when someone is about to die, but accuracy is usually ignored in horror movies of this ilk.)Here is where things go a bit off. The titular banshee starts killing members of Whitman's family. But the creature is really more of a wolf man (barely seen in a series of dark, shadowy encounters). They might as well have called this "Cry of the Wolf Man" for all that. Adding to the strangeness is the inclusion of voodoo type magic ceremonies where dolls representing the victims are stuck with pins. Was that really necessary?To its credit, the film does not have that cheap assembly-line look often associated with AIP product. Costumes, sets, location filming, and overall production is fairly plush looking. This seems like a deliberate move to compete with the high-quality British horror films from Hammer, Tigon, and Amicus. Had Roger Corman been given the same budget he would have cranked out three quickie films back-to-back with money left over. AIP also exploited its R-rating by including frequent scenes of semi-clad tavern wenches and witches being manhandled and mistreated.The film has a fairly satisfying ending. But one wishes Price's character had been given more depth, and more of an edge. Too much attention is given to a large cast of pedestrian supporting characters -- a curious practice that has bogged down countless Hammer films.

The film is set in Elizabethan England and revolves around a wicked magistrate who tries to kill all the members of a coven of witches. This makes the leader of the coven, Oona, sworn enemies of the lord and his family. To get revenge Oona calls up a magical servant, a "sidhe", to destroy the lord's family. The titular "cry of the banshee" is the signal that someone will die.The script went through a few revisions. Tim Kelly's script had witches who were all old women and set the story in the 1700s. Christopher Wicking moved the time to the 1500s (more accurate) and made the witches varying ages and genders. Wicking also changed the wife to a stepmother rather than a mother of the Whitmans, which gives her a bit of distance to see the actions of her cruel new family. Steve Haberman suggests that Wicking's re-write of Kelly was in part inspired by the Manson murders. The witches initially were more peaceful, but under Wicking actually invoke Satan by name. This takes the nature-worshiping cult to a whole new level... from nature to the devil himself. Director Gordon Hessler said he (and Wicking) wanted to get one more draft of the script in, but AIP was rushing the production. One wonders what might have happened with just a bit more spit and polish.The first thing you will notice when watching this film is that it looks like the opening is from a Monty Python movie. And there is a good reason you think that: it was, in fact, animated by Terry Gilliam, the American member of Monty Python and their animator. Unfortunately, this may be the highlight of the movie.Vincent Price carries this film, as there are no other big name actors to speak of. Unless you count AIP regular (and Academy Award winner) Hugh Griffith, who plays the drunken grave robber Mickey. Mike Mayo says Price is "not at his best" but "still fine", and that is a fair assessment. But even at just "fine", Price is more enjoyable to watch than most others of his generation.The remainder of the cast, as I said, is hardly notable. There is Stephen Rea, who was later nominated for an Oscar, appearing in his first film role (he did a couple of television appearances before that). And there is a man named Guy Pierce in a very small role, but it is not the guy you think it is. A shame, really. Hilary Dwyer had previously been in both "Witchfinder General" (1968) and "The Oblong Box" (1969) alongside Vincent Price, but is not known outside of the AIP fan niche.For some reason, there is a happy song sung by a man with a lute about a maiden who is raped by a huntsman, and then gets her revenge on him by castrating him. I do not know how to feel about this being sung as an uplifting ballad. Haberman says that this was a song that truly dated to the correct period, so I have to give them credit for that. And it does coincide with a maiden getting attacked by thuggish men... but no castration.Overall, the film is okay or good, but not the best. Vincent Price has better films where he plays a witch hunter (including "Conqueror Worm") and better films in general. Still worth seeing, but do not put it at the top of your list. And do not try to find the banshee in this film, because one does not exist. Sorry.Scream Factory, as always, has released the definitive version of this film on their Vincent Price box set. They give us both the AIP and unrated versions. So if you want to see a little extra violence, see a few more topless women, and hear the original score before AIP regular Les Baxter was hired to replace it, you now have that ability. Unfortunately, the director's cut does not substantially improve the movie's slow, poorly-conceived plot, and even director Gordon Hessler admits this is not some of his best work. (Amazingly, this was the biggest box office hit of the Hessler-Wicking team, even more than "Scream and Scream Again". Could it have been the misuse of the Poe name?)Scream also provides a Steve Haberman audio commentary, which is very informative. He not only gives biographical information on the various people involved, but took the time to read both Kelly's and Wicking's scripts, so he knows quite well what went into developing the plot. The disc also has an archive interview with director Hessler, which is well worth checking out.

Those familiar with the concept of banshees would probably agree that "Cry Of The Banshee" is an interesting title for this film. I think the film-makers probably just decided it was just too good a title to pass up. Nonetheless, those looking for a horror tale containing bona fide Celtic mythology should probably look elsewhere. There is horror to be had here however, and the film still does more or less what it promises."Cry Of The Banshee" is set during the height of Middle Ages England, where rampant ignorance and superstition meant anyone could be condemned and burned for alleged witchcraft, and anyone you didn't like could be targeted. However, this being in the horror genre rather than an Arthur Miller play, the local inhabitants' fears are not entirely unjustified. Nonetheless, the greater threat is the Witchfinder General (played by Price) and his family, who abuse their authority and keep the entire local population in their grip. 'Witches' are regularly found, and dispatched in the name of God. The witchfinder gets more than he bargained for however when he annoys a real witch, who decides to take revenge.Vincent Price is an actor you can rely on to take an average film up a notch, and he does so here. His presence, his voice, his face - he doesn't even have to try very hard. Not that the story is especially bad. It's fairly basic but entertaining enough. Even so, the pantomime acting and thinly-drawn characterisation made it hard to take everything seriously. A melodramatic situation shouldn't mean over-the-top theatricality, but that's what the script and the direction unfortunately settle for.Fortunately, the horror elements of the film are not so misplaced. Suspense is built up, the 'banshee' of the title is wisely heard rather than seen until the climax, and the end itself is very satisfying. The mood is bleak, the lighting is low, and the score helps the action along without ever being out of place. Like many Hammer Horrors, there's a lot of nudity. just in case everything else isn't enough to draw you in.Overall, "Cry Of The Banshee" is an enjoyable example of classic horror that fans of the genre should enjoy. It's not brilliant, but it has its moments, and one of the genre's star performers to breathe life into it.

The Monty Python-esgue opening credit sequence somehow doesn't fit with this tale about the decidedly NOT benevolent Lord Whitman (the late great Vincent Price), his quest to kill all those who practice witchcraft at the shock and horror of his wife, and the cursed fate that one of the surviving witches put upon him and his family.While certainly not Price's best work, it still remains very watchable. The film kinda lulls in the middle, but it starts to pick up again towards the end. I found the film to be very atmospheric and had good acting by all involved.My Grade: C+ Eye Candy: Sally Geeson, Jane Deady, Quinn O'Hara, and Essy Persson get topless