Expert: 7devonapes - 10/27/2009

Question
Hi.  There was a movie I recall seeing in about 1974 or so which begins with a 17th century burning of an accused witch.  The action cuts to a modern college class where a young co-ed's assignment is to research the witch/occult history of this New England town.  There, she encounters modern day witches that have rituals that end in a dagger plunged through the mouth of the victim.  There is a deaf/mute girl named Ethie or Effie who tries to help but is strangled.  It seems like the rituals all took place in the dark creepy basement of a house.

Sound familiar?

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi arad,

Sorry for the delay with getting back to you, but have busy with work, etc.


The film you are looking for is a British film from 1960called "The City of the Dead" (aka Horror Hotel (USA)), starring the Hammer horror legend Christopher Lee.


A plot summary from imdb.com follows:

"A young coed (Nan Barlow) uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witchcraft in New England. Her professor recommends that she spend her time in a small village called Whitewood. He originally cam from that village so he also recommends she stay at the "Raven's Inn," run by a Mrs. Newlis. She gets to the village and notices some weird happenings, but things begin to happen in earnest when she finds herself "marked" for sacrifice by the undead coven of witches. It seems that the innkeeper is actually the undead spirit of Elizabeth Selwyn, and the "guests" at the inn are the other witches who have come to celebrate the sacrifice on Candalmas Eve. As one of them said when Nan (Venetia Stevenson) walked away, "HE will be PLEASED.""

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053719/


Here is the film's trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-NZckHJgjs


DVD copies are readily available from Amazon.com or ebay, among other online DVD retailers.


Best of luck!
Ryan