250_One_Movie_Punch_The_City_Of_The_Dead_1960

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to Film Buff Fridays! We’re headed a couple decades earlier than the last two weeks, and across the pond to the United Kingdom for a horror feature about New England witchcraft. For a few other witchcraft-related documentaries, check out “Häxan” (Episode #131), which has the same weird jazz vibe in the 1962 version, and “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” (Episode #144), which looks at modern notions of witchcraft. Don’t forget to check out one of the hottest films from this year, “Hereditary” (Episode #183), which deals extensively with ritual magic. I also felt there’s a strong connection between today’s film and “Carnival of Souls” (Episode #145), another female-led, black and white feature. And if you have any suggestions, let me know at onemoviepunch.com.

And now...

Today’s movie is “The City of the Dead” (1960), the classic horror feature directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and written for the screen by George Baxt, based on a story by Milton Subotsky. The film follows Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson), a young college student who uses her winter break to study witchcraft in the New England town of Whitewood, staying at the Raven’s Inn, managed by Mrs. Newless (Patricia Jessel). However, after Nan fails to return from her trip, her brother Richard (Dennis Lotis) and her boyfriend Bill (Tom Naylor) travel to Whitewood to investigate.

Spoilers ahead.

So, let me start by saying that the witches depicted in this film, and many of the films I’ve reviewed this year that deal with witchcraft, have taken the usual Hollywood tropes about witches, built off the same misconceptions that sparked both the Spanish Inquisition, and as referenced in this film, the Salem Witch Trials. I have a love/hate relationship with these depictions, because I love the caricatures as much as I loathe their depiction of today’s modern witches, a combination of nature lovers and ritual magic practitioners, wholly unconcerned with most Christian propaganda that have influenced those tropes. If there’s any area where today’s film fails, it’s furthering those tropes and linking them directly back to the social madness of the Salem Witch Trials. All that being said, I don’t think anyone would take this film too seriously when it comes to modern witchcraft.

“The City of the Dead” was made originally as a film called “Horror Hotel”, rebranded for better marketing. It is clearly influenced by not just the Salem Witch Trials, but also H.P. Lovecraft and his creepy writings about New England. The story comes from Milton Subotsky, a writer who would go on to be a major producer in the budding horror industry, and the screenplay from George Baxt, who had a smattering of features in the same time period. But what really drew me to this film was seeing the debut feature-length film from John Moxey, who would go on from this early work to be a giant in television writing. Just check out his filmography and you’ll see the lasting influence of his work, and the talent at work in this film that was buried underneath some pretty awful acting by the male protagonists.

By contrast, however, the female actors are all top notch. Venetia Stevenson is really good as Nan Barlow, despite her abbreviated role, and Bella St. John as Patricia Russell, the bookstore clerk in Whitewood, was also solid. Patricia Jessel is excellent as Elizabeth Selwyn/Mrs. Newless, a nice capstone for an extensive career. In fact, today’s film would be one of the last films for all three women, which seems unfortunate given the skill at work. The rest of the film has its struggles, especially with the almost ridiculous amount of fog used for both the town and the driving scenes. If the final act wasn’t so great, I would have been supremely disappointed by the film, but as it is, the film ends up being mediocre, struggling with obvious flaws, offset by some real strengths. Also, try to find a nice restored version of the film, because the version on Amazon Prime right now is pretty awful.

“The City of the Dead” (1960) is an excessively mediocre tale of witchcraft in New England, the debut feature-length film from the prolific John Moxey. While it has its noticeable flaws, it also has great strengths worth considering, and quite frankly, is an excellent film to watch on a lazy afternoon. Fans of old horror films, or films about witchcraft tropes, should definitely check out this film. Just be sure to find a nice restored version.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 6.8/10

Podcast: onemoviepunch.libsyn.com/episode-250-the-city-of-the-dead-1960

“The City of the Dead” (1960) is rated PG-13 and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Fandor.

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Joseph Dobzynski, Jr.

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