The 1937 film "Maid of Salem" is an early Hollywood version of the tragic events concerning the hysterical witch hunts of 1690s Massachusetts. Claudette Colbert plays Barbara Clarke, the "Maid" of the title, who is falsely accused by a young vindictive teenager (that bratty Bonita Granville) of casting evil spells on the male populace. Ms. Granville is aided and abetted by plenty of holier-than-thou Puritans including Gale Sondergaard, Donald Meek, and Sterling Holloway. There's only one person who can save poor Barbara from the hangman's knot and that's her fiancé Roger Coverman (played by Fred MacMurray). Unfortunately, Mr. Coverman is out of town at the moment and somewhere in upstate New York. Will he arrive back in Salem in time to save his lover?
"Maid of Salem" strives to be a legitimate historical work but its main casting is a bit array. Try as he might, Fred MacMurray looks more like he just walked off the last green at the LA Country Club than a 17th Century man-about-town. Ms. Colbert fares a bit better although she makes absolute sure that the camera only catches her "good" side. Actually Bonita Granville outshines the rest of the cast; she made a career out of playing mean-spirited teenagers and she's perfect for this meaty part. Sterling Holloway provides some comic relief as a ne'er-do-well Puritan who offers his hand in marriage to the distraught Ms. Colbert. He's convinced that he's a good candidate for her since he has two cows in his barn. Old time director Frank Lloyd handles his duties with professional care if not an eye for detail. "Maid of Salem" doesn't pack the wallop of "The Crucible" but it's not half bad either.
"Maid of Salem" strives to be a legitimate historical work but its main casting is a bit array. Try as he might, Fred MacMurray looks more like he just walked off the last green at the LA Country Club than a 17th Century man-about-town. Ms. Colbert fares a bit better although she makes absolute sure that the camera only catches her "good" side. Actually Bonita Granville outshines the rest of the cast; she made a career out of playing mean-spirited teenagers and she's perfect for this meaty part. Sterling Holloway provides some comic relief as a ne'er-do-well Puritan who offers his hand in marriage to the distraught Ms. Colbert. He's convinced that he's a good candidate for her since he has two cows in his barn. Old time director Frank Lloyd handles his duties with professional care if not an eye for detail. "Maid of Salem" doesn't pack the wallop of "The Crucible" but it's not half bad either.