Lon the Witch!

 

 (imdb)

WITCHCRAFT-1964-Supernatural trouble brews when an ancient graveyard that hosted the Whitlock family for 800 years is bulldozed. Morgan Whitlock (Lon Chaney), head of the clan, gets upset and threatens the construction company run by Bill Lanier (Jack Hedley) and Miles Forrester (Barry Linehan). Of course, Lanier's brother Todd (David Weston) is in love with Morgan's daughter, Amy (Diane Clare). When Forester drowns taking a bath, a devil (voodoo) doll is found. It seems a witch has been resurrected by the bulldozing. She makes Bill's Aunt Helen (Viola Keats) drive off a cliff. All the Whitlocks, including Amy, are part of a coven. Fire spells their end before they can sacrifice Bill's wife. 

This is low budget but entertaining little supernatural tale that gives the aging Lon Chaney a good role in a decent film. Except for a few westerns and TV, he wouldn't get many more but always threw himself into whatever role he was playing. 

Director Don Sharp who directed Christopher Lee in DEVIL SHIP PIRATES the same year and would go on to work with Hammer, directing CURSE OF THE FLY (1965), RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK (1966) and two Fu-Manchu entries. He makes the most with what he has on WITCHCRAFT in a very short shooting schedule (the number of days it took varies on who's talking about it...). 

American Robert Lippert was the producer and backed THE LAST MAN ON EARTH the same year. Writer Harry Spauding worked a lot for producer Lippert (and director Maury Dexter).

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