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I Married a Witch | Year: 1942 Directed: - René Clair Actors/Actresses: - Fredric March - Veronica Lake Wow! What a witch! Veronica Lake reveals a glittering comic ability and proves that she was more than just a luscious film-noir femme fatale type in this gem, a talent she would further go on to display in the equally enjoyable "Sullivan's Travels." The peekaboo-tressed, doll-faced actress is flawless in the role of Jennifer--she manages at the same time to be warm, funny, endearing, vulnerable, and just plain adorable as the "witch" who alternately infuriates and enchants and ultimately is married by Fredric March. March is excellent as he plays off his somber, sedate persona to hilarious effect in his performance as Wallace Wooley, a gubernatorial candidate whose boring, orderly life is turned upside down by Jennifer. A pre-stardom Susan Hayward attracts much deserved notice and is very good in her role as March's beautiful though perpetually bad-tempered fiancee, as is Cecil Kellaway as Lake's mischievous father. To show what pros March and Lake were is evident in their illusory rapport onscreen; offscreen they detested each other--March called Lake a "talentless sexpot" and she called him a "pompous poseur" in return. During the fire scene where March carries her, lake attached 40-pound weights to her gown (which exhausted hims strenuously during the several takes) and in another whre they were filmed together from the waist up, Lake threateningly jiggled her knee between March's legs (she later said he gave her hell for THAT). Despite the hokey title, this is one film you should pop in your VCR whenever you're in the mood for a light-hearted, sparkling, feel-good comedy. THE JERSEY HILLS A delightful ghost-witch film which spoofs the genre. Kellaway and his fetching daughter Lake are branded witches in 1690 and condemned to a New England stake. In 1942, Lake comes back to life and marries Fredric March and the results are hilarious! Veronica Lake does amazingly well condsidering she had been in films only a year and Susan Hayward is both pretty and surly at the same time, no small feat of acting. This is indeed a film to keep on video, for it would repeatedly soothe away a wakeful night. Almost carelessly, it use the most professional means to entrance eye and ear throughout its running time. It's not the kind of film which requires roars of approving laughter: the occasional quiet chuckle is much more in its line, as it dispenses a delightful sense of oddity and enchantment. The film's only sin is that it more or less wastes Mr. Benchley, though he has one delightfully confused exit line after light has dawned on him that his friend's wife is really a witch: "Oh well, it's late, I've got to be getting into my strait jacket. "I'll call a broom". Rene Clair's direction is swift and sure and this is Hollywood moonshine, impeccably distilled. A Bewitching Comedy With Sexy Witch Veronica Lake It's rare nowadays when you can say that you have seen a totally delightful comedy in the cinemas. That rare marriage of charming scenerio, ideally cast players, and romantic setting seems to be sadly a thing of the past which is why I always find "I Married a Witch", such enjoyable viewing. Here we have two very famous performers in dramatic veteran Fredric March, and Film Noir siren Veronica Lake playing against their usual "type" and having a field day cutting loose with this romantic screwball tale that combines sexy humour with elements of the supernatural. Based on the unfinished novel by "Topper", author Thorne Smith, "I Married a Witch", gave us a whole new image of what witches were like minus the warts and crooked nose and in much the same vein as the later legendary series "Bewitched", showed us witches who were playful and extremely sexy. Veronica Lake had I feel her most appealing role here and proved herself adept at frothy comedy and capable of far more than just looking slinky hiding behind her famous peek a boo hairstyle. Her chemistry with Fredric March is magical here (no pun intended!), and goes a long way towards making "I Married a Witch", the great success it is. Veronica Lake plays a Salem witch who along with her father is burnt at the stake on charges of scorcery. Before her death however she places a curse on the decendants of the man responsible for the burning, one Wallace Wooley. They are all cursed to marry "unhappily", and then we are treated to a series of highly amusing "historical snippets" showing how each generation of the Wooley family falls victim to the curse with wives they would probably much prefer to see burnt at the stake! The action then moves to the present where we see aspiring political candidate for the State Senate Jonathan Wooley (March) fully involved in the run up to not only his wedding to the hot tempered Estelle (Susan Hayward), daughter of media big shot J.B. Masterson (Robert Warwick), but also the upcoming election financed largely by his overpowering future father in law who is calling the shots in the upcoming election. During a storm both Jennifer (Veronica Lake), and her no good father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) are freed from their imprisonment inside the tree that grew on the spot where they were burnt. Jennifer sets out to make life a complete misery for Jonathan during this important time in his life. She tries to create a scandal after Jonathan supposedly "rescues" her from a burning building by being "caught", in compromising positions in his bedroom right under the nose of both Estelle and disapproving housekeeper Margaret (Elizabeth Patterson). She tries to sabotage Jonathan's wedding day and in an hilarious scene causes a huge wind to come in and literally destroy the whole event. When she pretends to "die by gunshot", in an adjoining room causing an even bigger scandal which will set Jonathan up on a murder charge Jennifer however gets more than she bargained for. Earlier Buy I Married A Witch at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on I Married A Witch Search with the Priority Search Engine on I Married A Witch This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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