Movie of the Week: Daughters of Satan (1972)

 Description

 

James Robertson buys a painting depicting witches being burned at the stake, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife, Christina (aka Chris). Chris, gradually taken over by the personality of the witch in the painting that she resembles, allies herself with two other reincarnated witches to plan James' murder.

Commentary 

Usually when I watch these movies, I look for three things. 1) a good story and 2) cool spells or rituals that I can add to my collection of Magic in Popular Culture 3) inspiration to live a more magical life. This movie has none of these. 

The premise of the movie is interesting in that it is about three witches who return from the dead possessing their modern lookalikes who could be either their reincarnation or descendants (it's never really made clear) to exact revenge on the descendent of the man who burned them at the stake 300 years earlier. However, it makes the mistake of equating witchcraft with Satanism. 

While there is talk of magic and witchcraft in this movie, there is very little practical witchcraft in the form of spells or rituals shown on screen. In one scene a nude woman is hung by her arms over bamboo spikes impaled in the ground. She is lowered onto the spikes and forced to recite the names of the nine principal powers of evil (demons) and to spit on a Holy Cross to show her loyalty to the assembly of Satan. 

There are really only two reasons to watch this movie. They are:

 

Tani Guthrie as Kitty Duarte in Daughters of Satan (1972)

An outstanding performance by Tani Guthrie as the High Priestess of the Manilla Assembly of Satan.  Tani is not what I would call a classic beauty. However, she possesses a certain charisma and cat-like playfulness as she attempts to seduce James (Tom Selleck). In fact, I believe she could have played a live-action verson of Cheetah from the Superfriends. Her clothes, her jewelry, he mannerism, her strength and vulnerability. I love everything about her in this movie.

 

Tom Selleck as James Robertson in Daughters of Satan (1972) 

The other reason to watch this movie is for a young Tom Selleck who read this script and played it straight. Don't watch this movie for his acting, watch it for his shirtless scenes baring his muscular, hairy chest. 

 

Girl, me too. 

- Carolina Dean