Cry of the Banshee 1970
Directed by
Gordon Hessler
Made by
American International Pictures
Cry of the Banshee Plot Summary
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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. When Whitman’s oldest son, Sean Whitman, Stephan Chase, rapes Lady Patricia, the magistrate’s appetite for “cleaning up” the witches in the area grows even more ruthless.
Guided by his son, Whitman heads into the hills to hunt for witches. His armed posse disrupts a gathering that seems to be a witches’ Black Sabbath, and he kills several of the supposed witches, ordering the rest to scatter and never return. This violent act provokes Oona, the leader of the coven, who vows revenge on the Whitman family. To exact it, she summons a demonic spirit that ends up possessing the loyal servant Roderick, a man Maureen Whitman has loved for years. Roderick then begins a systematic campaign to wipe out members of the Whitman clan, including Sean and Lady Patricia.
Harry Whitman, Whitman’s son from Cambridge, and Father Tom, a local priest, track down Oona and the coven as they conjure Maureen’s death. They kill Oona and her coven, and Roderick—who has been attacking Maureen—briefly withdraws, leaving Maureen in safety for the moment. Yet soon he returns to strike again, turning his assault on Whitman himself. Maureen shoots the demon in the head, seemingly ending the curse.
Overjoyed at what seems to be the curse’s end, Whitman plans to leave the house by coach with his remaining children. On the way to safety, they stop at the cemetery to confirm that Roderick is truly dead. The coffin is empty, and panic sets in. Roderick, now driving the coach after killing the driver Bully Boy, is back in control and leading the team toward an unknown fate. The film closes on Whitman screaming the driver’s name in terror as the coach wheels away into an abyss of uncertainty. The eerie pull of the curse lingers as the countryside recedes, leaving unanswered questions about what truly awaits beyond the hills.
Cry of the Banshee Timeline
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Trial and punishment of the accused witch
In Elizabethan England, Lord Edward Whitman presides over a village trial and declares the young woman a witch. He orders her branded, whipped through the streets, and placed in the stocks as the crowd watches. The brutal display signals Whitman’s ruthless approach to enforcing superstition and order.
Feast at Whitman Hall and the hunt begins
That night Whitman hosts a feast at his home while his henchmen search the countryside for the killers of a sheep. Two poor teenagers are dragged into the hall and killed during a struggle after a wolf-like howl outside. The violent event marks the start of a village-wide hunt and foreshadows the brutality to come.
Lady Patricia confronts Whitman
Whitman's wife, Lady Patricia, accuses her husband of murder, calling him a monster and insisting his methods are corrupt. The exchange reveals the moral decay within the Whitman household. The accusation raises the stakes of the hunt and the looming violence.
Whitman contemplates a witch-hunt expansion
After his oldest son Sean rapes Lady Patricia, Whitman resolves to expand his 'clean up' of witches across the area. He embraces fear of sorcery as a weapon to consolidate power. The decision transforms personal grievance into a wider, sanctioned terror.
The hunting party storms the hills
Whitman, aided by Sean, leads an armed posse into the hills to flush out supposed witches. They disrupt a gathering, kill several witches, and order the rest to scatter and never return. The raid intensifies the coven’s fury and sets the stage for retaliation.
Oona's curse takes hold
Oona, leader of the coven, vows revenge for the massacre and summons a demonic spirit. The spirit possesses Roderick, a loyal servant, turning him into a deadly instrument against the Whitman family. The supernatural threat shifts the danger from mobs to a personal, living nightmare.
Roderick's killing spree begins
Under demonic possession, Roderick begins a systematic murder of Whitman family members, striking at Sean and Lady Patricia among others. Maureen Whitman grows increasingly anxious as the body count climbs. The possession converts trusted staff into agents of murder.
Harry and Father Tom confront the coven
Harry, Whitman’s son from Cambridge, and a priest named Father Tom locate Oona and her coven as they conjure death over Maureen. They kill Oona and the coven, breaking a portion of the curse. Yet the fight exposes the demon’s lingering hold on the Whitmans.
Maureen's stand against the demon
As Roderick attacks, Maureen shoots the demon in the head, seemingly ending the immediate threat. The moment offers a fragile spark of hope that the curse has been lifted. However, the supernatural danger remains and the path ahead is uncertain.
The plan to leave and the cemetery check
Whitman plans to depart by coach with his remaining children to escape the curse. He stops at the cemetery to confirm that Roderick is dead, only to find the coffin empty. The discovery shatters his confidence and deepens the looming dread.
Roderick drives the coach
Beneath the coach, Whitman discovers that his driver Bully Boy was killed by Roderick and the spirit now drives the carriage. The possessed servant seizes control and accelerates the deadly pursuit. Whitman realises the danger as the driver’s voice betrays the truth.
Final scream: terror on the road
Whitman screams the driver’s name in terror as the coach heads toward an unknown fate. The screen fades on an unresolved note, with the curse and danger hanging over the family. The ominous coach fades into the night, leaving the audience in suspense.
Cry of the Banshee Characters
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Lord Edward Whitman (Vincent Price)
A wicked magistrate who uses his office to persecute perceived witches and enforce brutal justice. He embodies patriarchal power and cold calculation, steering the family's fate through fear.
Lady Patricia Whitman (Essy Persson)
Whitman’s wife who challenges his actions and becomes entangled in the moral fallout of his cruelty. Her perspective reveals the personal cost of his tyranny.
Maureen Whitman (Hilary Dwyer)
Whitman’s daughter-in-law who has been in love with Roderick and joins the struggle against the coven's dark plans. She acts with courage but meets a tragic fate as the conflict intensifies.
Sean Whitman (Stephan Chase)
Whitman's oldest son who rapes Lady Patricia and participates in the witch-hunt hysteria, contributing to the family’s decline before the violence escalates.
Oona (Elisabeth Bergner)
Leader of the coven who summons a demonic spirit for revenge against the Whitman family. She embodies the occult threat and the ritual power driving the conflict.
Roderick (Patrick Mower)
A loyal servant possessed by the coven's demon, who begins to systematically kill Whitman family members. His arc centers on possession, manipulation, and murder.
Harry Whitman (Carl Rigg)
Whitman’s son from Cambridge who fights to stop the coven, ultimately sharing in the family tragedy as the conflict reaches its peak.
Father Tom (Marshall Jones)
A priest who aids in confronting the coven and works to end the demonic threat affecting the Whitman family.
Bully Boy (Andrew McCulloch)
The Whitman family's driver whose fate intersects with the unfolding horror, adding to the string of killings and misfortune.
Maggie (Quinn O'Hara)
A village resident who appears amid the fallout of the witch hunts and the Whitman family's crisis.
Cry of the Banshee Settings
Learn where and when Cry of the Banshee (1970) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Elizabethan era (late 16th century)
The events take place during the late 16th century, a time of religious tension and witchcraft rumors. Trials and executions are part of the social fabric, with authorities using fear to enforce order. The period’s strict hierarchies amplify the impact of any crime or perceived heresy on individuals and families.
Location
Elizabethan England
Set in Elizabethan England, the story unfolds in a rural village under the watchful eye of a brutal magistrate. The environment blends courtly pomp with superstition-driven fear, where public punishment is a tool of control. The setting emphasizes a community where power and tradition dictate life and death.
Cry of the Banshee Themes
Discover the main themes in Cry of the Banshee (1970). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Power & Tyranny
A central theme is how authority corrupts and enforces brutal justice. Lord Whitman uses his office to publicly persecute alleged witches, leveraging fear to maintain control. The film shows how power can justify cruelty and crush dissent within a close-knit community.
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Witchcraft & Superstition
Witchcraft acts as the spark that fuels fear and shapes behavior. The coven led by Oona conducts ritual acts and conjures a demonic force to strike at the Whitman family. Superstition drives reactions, justifying violence in the name of protection.
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Betrayal & Tragedy
Family loyalties fracture as brutal acts escalate. Roderick, under demonic influence, begins a deadly campaign against the Whitmans, while others either resist or participate. The violence culminates in the deaths of Maureen and Harry, leaving the family in ruins.
Cry of the Banshee Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the shadow‑laden valleys of seventeenth‑century England, superstition and authority intertwine like tangled brambles. The landscape is a tapestry of mist‑cloaked hamlets, ancient woods whispered about in fevered prayers, and looming manor houses that seem to drink the light. A pervasive dread hangs over the countryside, its tone equal parts gothic horror and austere historical drama, inviting the viewer to feel the weight of every superstition‑laden breath.
Lord Whitman presides over this world with a relentless zeal for rooting out witchcraft. A magistrate whose reputation for severity borders on legend, he commands both fear and respect, treating the hunt for the occult as a personal crusade. His household is a study in rigid hierarchy: the stern yet anguished Lady Patricia, his wife who watches his obsession with growing unease, and their children, each caught between duty and the looming specter of their father’s unyielding convictions. Their interactions hint at fractures beneath the polished veneer of aristocratic life.
When a sorceress who has escaped Whitman’s purges swears vengeance, the curse she unleashes begins to seep into the very foundations of the Whitman estate. She manipulates Roderick, a loyal servant whose quiet devotion makes him an unsuspecting conduit for the dark promise she has made. The servant’s role introduces a subtle, unsettling undercurrent: the ordinary can become the instrument of an ancient, unfathomable malice.
The film drifts through this oppressive atmosphere, allowing the audience to taste the tension that coils around every candlelit hallway and fog‑shrouded path. It poses lingering questions about how far a single man’s obsession can ripple through the lives of those around him, and whether the unseen forces he fears might, in turn, become the forces that shape his destiny. The promise of a lingering curse hangs over the narrative, leaving the future of the Whitman family cloaked in uncertainty.
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