''White Witch Doctor'' is a 1953 American

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...

and starring

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

, and

Walter Slezak Walter Slezak (; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productio ...

. Made by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, it was produced by Otto Lang from a screenplay by

Ivan Goff Ivan Goff (17 April 1910 – 23 September 1999) was an Australian screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts including '' White Heat'' (1949), '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957), '' Legend of the Lone Ranger'' (1981), an ...

and Ben Roberts, based on the 1950 novel by Louise Allender Stinetorf (1900–1992). The music score (notable for its use of the serpent, an obsolete instrument) was by

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

, and the cinematography by

Leon Shamroy Leon Shamroy, A.S.C. (July 16, 1901 – July 7, 1974) was an American film cinematographer known for his work in 20th Century Fox motion pictures shot in Technicolor. He and Charles Lang share the record for most Oscar nominations for Cinematog ...

. The film was set in the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

in 1907.

Plot

The arrival of nurse Ellen Burton to the Belgian Congo is unwelcome to hunter John "Lonni" Douglas, who captures animals for zoos. He warns her against traveling upriver to join a female doctor who is working with native tribesmen. Short of money, Lonni is intrigued when partner Huysman tells him there is gold to be found in the region where Ellen will be traveling. Lonni volunteers to accompany her, along with gun bearer Jacques. Ellen is a widow who once discouraged her physician husband from his dream of coming to Africa to give medical aid. She talks a

witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...

out of killing a woman with an abscessed tooth. Upset with her, the witch doctor places a deadly tarantula in Ellen's tent. The doctor she is there to assist has died of fever. The king is pleased when his son is saved from a lion by Lonni, his wounds treated by Ellen, but then the king takes her hostage when Huysman, heavily armed, arrives to search for gold. Huysman's men knock Lonni unconscious and tie him up, but Jacques sacrifices his own life to save that of Lonni, who returns to Ellen's side for good.

Cast

as Lonni Douglas *

as Ellen Burton *

as Huysman *

Timothy Carey Timothy Agoglia Carey (March 11, 1929 – May 11, 1994) was an American film and television character actor who was typically cast as manic or violent characters who are driven to extremes. He is particularly known for his collaborations with S ...

as Jarrett * Mashood Olabisi Ajala as Jacques

Production

The film's original director was

Roy Ward Baker Roy Ward Baker (born Roy Horace Baker; 19 December 1916 – 5 October 2010) was an English film director. He was known professionally as Roy Baker until 1967, when he adopted Roy Ward Baker as his screen credit. Early life Baker was born i ...

. In his memoir ''The Director's Cut,'' Baker writes that at the start of production he spent four months shooting location footage in the

under arduous conditions. He returned to Hollywood exhausted, having lost much weight, and increasingly unhappy about the script, to find that Susan Hayward did not want him as director. A diplomatic solution was found by Lew Schreiber, described by Baker as the "hatchet man" for

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (; September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. Best known as a co-founder of 20th Century Fox, he played a ...

, head of

. Baker was designated "too ill" to continue directing the picture. He was replaced by

. Zanuck demanded that the original story of milyLouise Allender Stinetorf (who had been a Quaker

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

in Palestine) be jettisoned for action and a love story.p. 208 Behlmer, Rudy ''Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck: The Golden Years at Twentieth Century-Fox'' Grove Press, 1995

Notes

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:White Witch Doctor (Film) 1953 films 1950s English-language films 1953 adventure films 1953 horror films Films based on American novels 20th Century Fox films Films directed by Henry Hathaway Films scored by Bernard Herrmann Films set in Belgian Congo Films set in 1907 American action horror films American adventure films 1950s American films Films about witch doctors English-language adventure films