Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
Horror film

Cry of the Banshee (1970): Cast & Plot

Cry of the Banshee (1970) movie poster

Cry of the Banshee is a 1970 horror film directed by Gordon Hessler, starring Vincent Price as Lord Edward Whitman, Essy Persson and Stephan Chase. It runs 1 hour 31 minutes.

Loading streaming availability…
Watch the trailer Read the plot summary
Cry of the Banshee (1970) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 31m (91 min)
Director
Gordon Hessler
Genre
Horror
Original language
English
Studio
American International Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Cry of the Banshee About?

The premise of Cry of the Banshee without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In seventeenth‑century England, Lord Whitman obsessively hunts witchcraft, exacting brutal punishment on villagers he deems witches. When a wronged sorceress survives his purge, she curses his family, manipulating one of his household servants to unwittingly aid her vengeance.

Cry of the Banshee Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • rape
  • england
  • elizabethan era
  • 16th century
  • witchcraft
  • folk horror
  • religious zealot
  • witch hunt
  • female nudity
  • chariot
  • priest
  • coffin
+38 more
  • empty coffin
  • hooded figure
  • whipping a horse
  • animal cruelty
  • horse
  • brown horse
  • psychotronic film
  • bare chested male bondage
  • arms tied overhead
  • mansion
  • female topless nudity
  • female full frontal nudity
  • brief female full frontal nudity
  • temple
  • violence
  • family relationships
  • village
  • man laughs
  • christianity
  • evil
  • religion
  • grave robber
  • gothic
  • voodoo doll
  • middle ages
  • sticking pinsinto a voodoo doll
  • medieval times
  • gore
  • cruelty
  • burned alive
  • occult
  • woods
  • tavern wench
  • drink
  • henchman
  • banquet
  • dancing
  • raid
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

Cry of the Banshee Cast & Characters

Vincent Price leads the cast as Lord Edward Whitman, with Essy Persson as Lady Patricia Whitman and Stephan Chase as Sean Whitman. Directed by Gordon Hessler; 41 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Cry of the Banshee

· 37 more
Show all 41 cast members
From the director

More from Gordon Hessler

More films directed by Gordon Hessler, best-rated first: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Journey of Honor, Out on Bail and The Girl in a Swing.

Full filmography
Plot

Cry of the Banshee Plot Summary

What happens in Cry of the Banshee from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Set in Elizabethan England, Lord Edward Whitman, Vincent Price, a cruel magistrate, presides over the brutal trial of a young woman. After branding her a witch, he orders her whipped through the streets and placed in the village stocks. That very night, he hosts a grand feast at his home while his henchmen scour the countryside for the killers of a sheep. Two poor teenagers are dragged into the hall, and a wolfish howl from outside warns they may be “devil-marked”; both meet a deadly fate in the ensuing struggle. Whitman’s wife, Lady Patricia Whitman, Essy Persson, cries out that he is a murderer, a charge that only hardens his resolve.

Full summary

The whole story of Cry of the Banshee, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Cry of the Banshee Trailers & Videos

4 videos: 2 trailers, 1 teaser and 1 featurette.

Official Trailer
  • Trailer 4K Restoration | Official Trailer
  • Teaser Cry of the Banshee 1970 TV trailer
  • Featurette Gorden Hessler Interview #1 - Cry of the Banshee (1970)
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Cry of the Banshee?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays the ruthless magistrate Lord Edward Whitman?
Details

Cry of the Banshee Also Known As

15 alternative titles, including “Κραυγές που Σκοτώνουν” and “Το Ουρλιαχτό της Κολάσεως”.

Also known as
  • Κραυγές που Σκοτώνουν
  • Το Ουρλιαχτό της Κολάσεως
  • O Chorar dos Mortos
  • El grito de la muerte
  • Les Crocs de satan
  • Satana in corpo
  • Der Todesschrei der Hexen
  • Hævnens ånd
  • Плач Банши
  • 鬼泣女妖
  • เจ้าชายหมาป่ามหากาฬ
  • 밴시의 울음소리
+3 more
  • Volání smrti
  • O Uivo da Bruxa
  • El crit de la bruixa

Seen Cry of the Banshee?
More like this

Movies Like Cry of the Banshee

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Cry of the Bewitched, The Blood on Satan’s Claw and Horror Rises from the Tomb.

FAQ

Cry of the Banshee FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Cry of the Banshee, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Cry of the Banshee?

Cry of the Banshee runs 1 hour 31 minutes (91 minutes).

When was Cry of the Banshee released?

Cry of the Banshee was released on July 22, 1970.

Who directed Cry of the Banshee?

Cry of the Banshee was directed by Gordon Hessler.

More films by Gordon Hessler

Who is in the cast of Cry of the Banshee?

Cry of the Banshee stars Vincent Price as Lord Edward Whitman, Essy Persson as Lady Patricia Whitman and Stephan Chase as Sean Whitman, among 41 credited actors.

Does Cry of the Banshee have a post-credit scene?

No. Cry of the Banshee has no extra scene during or after the credits.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app