MysteryHorror

The Ballad of Tam Lin

- She drained them of their manhood …and then-of their LIVES!

Based upon the Celtic legend Tam Lin, a young man is bewitched by a beautiful, heartless, aging sorceress to become her lover. When his attention wanders to a lovely girl, he is doomed to ritual sacrifice by the sorceress.

Release Date : 1970-12-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Commonwealth United EntertainmentWinkast Film Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles : The Ballad of Tam-LinThe Devil's WidowTam-LinThe Devil's WomanTam Lin

Cast

Character Name : Michaela Cazaret

Original Name : Ava Gardner

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tom Lynn

Original Name : Ian McShane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elroy

Original Name : Richard Wattis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vicar Julian Ainsley

Original Name : Cyril Cusack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Janet Ainsley

Original Name : Stephanie Beacham

Gender : Female

Character Name : Oliver

Original Name : David Whitman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Gibson

Original Name : Fabia Drake

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rose

Original Name : Sinéad Cusack

Gender : Female

Character Name : Georgia

Original Name : Joanna Lumley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Caroline

Original Name : Jenny Hanley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sue

Original Name : Madeline Smith

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alan

Original Name : Bruce Robinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vanna

Original Name : Victoria Fairbrother

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kate

Original Name : Rosemary Blake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Michael

Original Name : Michael Bills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lottie

Original Name : Virginia Tingwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guy

Original Name : Peter Hinwood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Andy

Original Name : Hayward Morse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Terry

Original Name : Julian Barnes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter

Original Name : Norman Oliver

Gender : Male

Character Name : Self

Original Name : Salena Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Jannice Dinnen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Andrew Grant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Don Hawkins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Delia Lindsay

Gender : Female

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Linda Marlowe

Gender : Female

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Michael Mundell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Yvonne Quenet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Erika Raffael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Jocelyne Sbath

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Christopher Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Coven

Original Name : Jimmy Winston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kip (uncredited)

Original Name : John Bawden

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-11-29

Using the baronial Traquair House in the Scottish borders and a fair smattering of Jacqui McShee's dulcet tones, Roddy McDowall attempts to re-create a story from 16th century folklore about a magical Queen of the Fairies who surrounds herself with youth and beauty. He's time-shifted the scenario to the 1960s though, and it's the enigmatic "Micky" (Ava Gardner) who is doing the alluring. Top of her target list is the handsome young "Tom" (Ian McShane) but fairly quickly you gather that his is bit of a transitory role in the life of his lover. What she isn't used to, though, is competition - and that comes in the form of local minister's daughter "Janet" (Stephanie Beacham). With most of her acolytes desperate to stay in favour and enjoy all the wealth that brings, "Tom" rather bucks the trend as he demonstrates an independence streak that evokes that even older adage: beware the woman scorned. For a time this works quite well as it marries the haunting soundtrack with a sense of the carefree existence she promotes for her "children", but after the umpteenth close up of Gardner and/or McShane whom the camera clearly love, the story grinds to an almost glacial pace with little effort made to develop the fantasy elements of the story. Richard Wattis turns in an interesting effort as the general factotum "Elroy" - a man who serves his mistress with a slightly menacing degree of loyalty, but that isn't really built upon either. The photography and limited use of visual effects can be quite effective at times, especially at the end but somehow I felt like I was watching their antics through a plate glass window. It's certainly a modernised critique on the human vices of venality and frivolousness but too much of it is padding and it's all somewhat lacking in substance.