I Married a Witch (1942)

“We both saw our cows turn pink, then blue; our sheep dance a minuet”. That’s the kind of gossip that can get folks into trouble. Indeed, for “Daniel” (Cecil Kellaway) and daughter “Jennifer” (Veronica Lake) they find their eighteenth century neighbours especially unkind as they are burned for sorcery and witchcraft. Thereafter, their ashes are used for fertiliser under an oak tree that’s roots will keep their spirits trapped from causing any murther mischief. Well scoot on a few centuries and a lucky lightning strikes releases our two captives - and they are bent on revenge on the progeny of those who set them alight. Luckily, that family hadn’t moved very far from the site and they find an easy target in “Wallace” (Fredric March). He’s about to run for the job of Governor and be married to “Estelle” (Susan Hayward) so what better opportunity for them to wreak havoc? Die by fire, live by fire is their mantra and so dad starts a conflagration in the Pilgrim’s Hotel that allows “Jennifer” to take corporeal form and so set in motion her plans to ruin their quarry. Of course, it turns out that he isn’t such a bad egg after all and she takes a bit of a shine to him. Her father is having none of this romantic nonsense and so also takes human form to ensure she toes the line. Will true love win through? Though well down the billing, it’s Kellaway that steals this with his malevolent spiritual narration and then his mischievous spell casting as he refuses to allow any form of happiness to visit the family that cooked them generations ago. Lake is also confident and engaging and I also thought Robert Benchley did quite well here too as his incredulous “Dudley” character watches his friend “Wallace” slip into what would appear to be a world of dysfunctional and mystic hallucination. There’s some fun from the writing and if you’re a fan of things a-happening in Salem’s Lot then this light-hearted comedy ought to raise a smile.