Häxan (1922)

Country of Origin: Denmark/Sweden
Year of Production: 1922
Running Times: 87 mins/77 min (US 1968 Version)/104 min (DVD Version)
Length: 1800 metres
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white/Sepiatone
Ratio: 1.33:1
Sound: silent/mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Aljosha Production Company/Svensk Filmindustri
Copyright: © 1922 AB Svensk Filmindusri (1968 Version)

SCRIPT
Script: Benjamin Christensen

DIRECTION
Director: Benjamin Christensen

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Johan Ankerstjerne
Assistant Camera: Rudolf Frederiksen

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Edla Hansen

MUSIC
Music: Launy Grøndahl; Emil Reesen (1941 version); Daniel Humair (1968 version)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Richard Louw
Set Decorator: Richard Louw
Art Department Assistants: L. Mathiesen, Helge Norél

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Alice O'Fredericks

LOCATIONS
Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark
Studio: Hellerup Studios, Hellerup, Denmark

CAST
Benjamin Christensen (The Devil)
Ella la Cour (Karna, the witch)
Emmy Schönfeld (Marie, Karna's collaborator)
Kate Fabian (lovesick maiden)
Oscar Stribolt (the gluttonous monk)
Wilhelmine Henriksen (Apelone, a poor woman)
Elizabeth Christensen (Anna, bookprinter's wife's mother)
Astrid Holm (Anna, bookprinter's wife)
Karen Winther (Anna's younger sister)
Maren Pedersen (Maria, the witch)
Johannes Andersen (Pater Henrik, chief inquisitor)
Elith Pio (Johannes, the young inquisitor)
Aage Hertel (inquisitor)
Ib Schønberg (inquisitor)
Holst Jørgensen (Peter Titta)
Herr Westermann (Rasmus Bödel)
Clara Pontoppidan (Sister Cecilia, the nun)
Else Vermehren (self-torturing nun)
Alice O'Fredericks (nun)
Gerda Madsen (nun)
Karina Bell (nun)
Tora Teje (the hysteric)
Poul Reumert (jeweller)
H.C. Nielsen (jeweller's assistant)
Albrecht Schmidt (psychiatrist)
Knud Rassow (anatomist)
Ellen Rassow (servant girl)
Frederick Christensen (commoner)
Henry Seemann (commoner)
Karen Caspersen (woman)
Gudrun Barfoed (woman)
Holger Pedersen (man)

1968 Version

PRODUCTION
Producer: Antony Balch

PHOTOGRAPHY
Laboratory: The Rank Organization, Film Processing Division, USA (1968 Version)

MUSIC
Percussionist: Daniel Humair
Pianist / Organist: Bernard Lubat
Violinist: Jean-Luc Ponty
Flautist: Michel Portal
Double Bassist: Guy Petersen
Music Recorded at: Studios Europasonor

SOUND
Sound Recorded at: Newsreel and Dubbing Services

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles: The Rank Organization, Film Processing Division

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistants: Paul Brewer, Norman Glass

CAST
William Burroughs (narrator)

PLOT SUMMARY

A fake documentary about the history of witchcraft.

RELEASE NOTES

Director Benjamin Christiensen filmed a special introduction to the film for its 1941 Danish re-issue. The intertitles were also changed for this release and a new score written.

In 1968, the film was re-issued with a newly written jazz score and a narration by author William S. Burroughs.

AVAILABILITY

Brazil
DVD Distributors: Continental Home Vídeo

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: International Telefilm Enterprises (1974)

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: UFA

USA
Theatrical Distributors: BijouFlix Releasing; Janus Films; Kino International Corp.
Video Distributors: Embassy Home Entertainment; Grapevine Video; Hollywood's Attic; New York Film Annex; Something Weird Video; Vidimax Home Entertainment; Western Video; American International Video Search Inc
DVD Distributors: The Criterion Collection; Image Entertainment

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Canada
Rating: PG (Ontario); G (Quebec)

UK
Rating: X (1968); 15 (1994)

TIMELINE

1922
September
18: Sweden - theatrical release

November
7: Denmark - theatrical release

1924
February
Day Unknown: Germany - theatrical release

1929
May
27: USA - theatrical release

1940
November
21: Denmark - theatrical re-issue

1941
March
3: Denmark - theatrical release (sound version)

1958
February
Day Unknown: USA - shown at the Cinema 16 film society

2001
October
16: USA - DVD release (The Criterion Collection)

2004
November
2: USA - DVD release (The Criterion Collection (The Criterion Collection Gift Set 2004 (Amazon.com Exclusive)))

2006
October
24: USA - DVD release (Image Entertainment)

POSTER TAGS

Benjamin Christensens stora film.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

La Brujería a través de los tiempos - Spanish title
Häxan - A Feitiçaria Através dos Tempos - Brazilian title
O Haxan - Norwegian title
Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages - US DVD title
Heksen - Danish title
Die Hexe - German title
Hexen - German title
La Sorcellerie à travers les ages - French title
La Stregoneria attraverso i secoli - Italian title
The Witches - US title
Witchcraft Through the Ages - English language title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Arise! The SubGenius Video (1992)
Bride of Monster Mania (2000)
Campfire Tales (1991)
Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood (1996)
Kingdom of Shadows (1998)
Maniac (1934)
Scream Greats, Vol. 2: Satanism and Witchcraft (1986)
SexTV: Monstrous Desires: Sexuality and Horror/A Moment with... David Cronenberg (2005)
The Witch Hunt (1995)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Classic Images no.279 (September 1998) pp.43-44 (USA)
review (by Robert Klepper)

Kosmorama no.220 (December 1997) pp.42-59 (Denmark)
illustrated article (Et lille lands vagabonder by Casper Tybjerg)

Metro no.116 (September 1998) p.52 (USA)
credits

The Missing Link no.4 (October 1995) pp.8,9 (UK)
review

Wide Angle vol.19 no.2 (April 1997) pp.98-102 (USA)
Programme notes (by Gideon Bachmann)

KEYWORDS

children, demons, the devil, fake documentary, grave robbers, human sacrifices, the inquisition, jewellery, judges, kleptomania, love potions, magic, monks, nuns, Satanism, spells, torture, witches, witchcraft

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008