I Married a Witch (1942)
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I Married a Witch Movie Review
I Married a Witch is a 1942 fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Rene Clair and starring Veronica Lake and Fredric March. It’s a lighthearted, charming romp.
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“Goodbye, Jennifer, be a bad girl“
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It follows a 17th-century witch who returns to life to plague politician Wallace Wooley, descendant of her persecutor. When it comes to today’s audiences, a similarly plotted film called ‘Hocus Pocus’ is much more famous than this infinitely better flick about witchcraft. It’s the kind of movie that needs to be rediscovered by modern moviegoers having in mind that it’s rather timeless in its quality.
My main issue with this movie is that it’s lighthearted to a fault. It has that 40s spirit and energy – a brisk pace, some goofy plot points and a highly innocent romantic relationship. This is certainly not for the cynical among us, but if you are in the right frame of mind, you will undoubtedly enjoy this endearing flick about the power of love.
The biggest reason to see it is for Veronica Lake herself. I know her most from ‘Sullivan’s Travels’, but this is probably the film that made the best use of her. When you think about Lake, you think about her otherworldly glow, almost resembling a ghostly apparition. She was probably employed here with that in mind, resulting in perfect casting.
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Her iconic hair, her gorgeous alien-like voice and her goofy and childlike demeanor are in full force here and it’s a shame that she wasn’t used once again in a fantasy flick, a genre best suited for her. She is so incredible here, in fact, that she entirely stole the show from the great Fredric March himself.
Apparently, he hated working with her and even called her relying on looks alone, which is ironic as she wasn’t very confident as a person. It’s also ironic because again she ended up on top here. March is great and also phenomenally cast, but it is Lake who is the true star here. Their dynamic is infectiously enjoyable and their chemistry is quite solid despite the circumstances.
I Married a Witch is problematic in its supporting players. It has so many minor roles, but not one of them is in any shape or form memorable, well maybe with the exception of Susan Hayward who was pretty memorable as this cold bitch. Others all faded into the background and whenever the story moved away from the main two people, it seriously struggled.
The pacing is pretty flawed as there were scenes in the second half that to me were very cheesy and they could have been left on the cutting room floor. The whole emphasis on the political career of Wallace was simply unnecessary. They should have cut those out and the movie would have flowed better.
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In terms of its technicalities, the score is beautiful, the cinematography is wonderful and the film has that otherworldly atmosphere to it that was really pleasant to watch. The special effects that they used were surprisingly strong for this time and those sequences were a joy to behold, though too fleeting. The dialogue is another standout. It’s very well-written, clever and at times even quite witty. The movie is more romantic than funny, but its humor is still quite solid, putting a smile on my face often.
I Married a Witch is such a charming fantasy romantic comedy that is lighthearted and innocent to a fault, but undeniably a pleasant watch. Veronica Lake was incredible here and perfectly cast as the witch having in mind that she had that otherworldly quality to her look and her voice. She stole the movie even from the great Fredric March himself. Their relationship is so endearing that it elevated what is otherwise a somewhat uneven and thinly plotted flick.
My Rating – 4
