Director: Sidney Hayers
Screenplay: Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, George Baxt
Based on a Novel by: Fritz Leiber Jr.
Starring: Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Margaret Johnston, Anthony Nicholls, Colin Gordon, Kathleen Byron, Reginald Beckwith, Jessica Dunning
Country: UK
Running Time: 90 min
Year: 1962
BBFC Certificate: 12
The 1943 Fritz Leiber novel ‘Conjure Wife’ had been adapted into a film only one year after its release, under the title Weird Woman. Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont were fans of the book but believed a better job could be done of adapting it to the screen, so they approached American International Pictures with the idea. The company agreed to pay them to write a script and production was passed on to a British company, Independent Artists.
The resulting film, released in 1962, was called Night of the Eagle (or Burn Witch, Burn in the US). It was a relatively low-budget picture and didn’t make a huge splash at the box office but it’s a title that has remained fairly popular among fans of classic horror movies.
Now, Studiocanal are releasing Night of the Eagle on Blu-ray, DVD and digital as part of their Cult Classics range. I got hold of a copy and my thoughts follow.
The film is a psychological horror that follows Professor Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde), a staunch sceptic and psychology lecturer who dismisses superstition and the occult. His world is turned upside down when he discovers that his wife, Tansy (Janet Blair), has been secretly practising Obeah, a form of Jamaican folk magic, to protect him and further his career.
Convinced that her practices are irrational, Norman destroys Tansy’s magical artefacts, unknowingly unleashing malevolent forces. A series of inexplicable and terrifying events ensue, including accusations, threats, and a growing sense of paranoia. As the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, Norman is forced to confront his own disbelief and the potentially deadly consequences of his actions.
I enjoyed Night of the Eagle a great deal. Primarily, I was drawn to its taut, engrossing construction. It starts off innocuously enough but has an effective gradual build, as we learn the true extent of Tansy’s beliefs over time. The way it develops from there is impressive. Its grip on you tightens with each twist and turn and it’s often difficult to predict what will happen next, with a level of intensity building along the way.
The visuals get more interesting as the film moves on too. There’s a nice use of depth and some playful touches with POV.
There’s also a nice use of sound, particularly when Norman receives an unusual phone call and later when he plays back a lecture tape with some sort of spell embedded into it.
Whilst a lot of the horror here is psychological, there is a more graphic representation in the film’s climactic set piece. This scene gives the film its title and holds up well, with clever camera trickery and set design used to create a convincing ‘monster’ and a truly thrilling sequence.
If you dig a bit deeper beyond the surface thrills, there’s also an interesting power struggle between the husband and wife at the heart of the film. The pair love each other deeply and respect one another but they hold very different beliefs which causes a rift between them. It’s Tansy’s beliefs that are initially dismissed as being nonsense but by the end we realise the truth is quite the opposite. In this way, there’s a subtle feminist aspect to the film.
So, overall Night of the Eagle is a tremendously gripping chiller that keeps you on edge throughout, whilst offering a little extra meat to chew on, should you wish to imbibe.
Film: 
Night of the Eagle is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, released by Studiocanal as part of their Cult Classics range. I watched the Blu-ray version and the presentation is very good, with a clean image and decent textures. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed. It sounds great too.
Special Features:
– Brand new 4K restoration
– Audio Commentary with screenwriter Richard Matheson
– Burn Witch, Burn: Anna Bogutskaya on Night of the Eagle
– Archive Interview with Peter Wyngarde
– US Alternate Opening Credits
– Behind the Scenes stills gallery
– US Theatrical Trailer
– UK Theatrical Trailer
Co-writer Richard Matheson provides a commentary for the film. He leaves quite a few pauses and it’s perhaps not the most insightful commentary I’ve heard, with regard to the film itself, but he does have a few interesting stories to tell about the writing process and his career in general. Overall, it was quite disappointing though.
Peter Wyngarde is interviewed about his work on the film. He has some wonderfully amusing stories to tell, including his hilariously honest tale of why he accepted the role. He also talks about his time making The Innocents and some other classics.
Anna Bogutskaya provides an interview where she analyses the film, talking about different ways of approaching it. In particular, she talks about its interesting presentation of a marriage at the time. She also discusses the relevance of the type of magic the film explores. It’s a valuable piece.
Overall, whilst the extras are a little bit of a mixed bag, the two interviews are excellent and the film itself is well worth a watch, so the release comes warmly recommended.
Disc/package: 
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