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WHITE WITCH DOCTOR – Bernard Herrmann
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
20th Century Fox executive Darryl F. Zanuck was fond of adapting novels for the big screen and when he came across the 1950 work White Witch Doctor by Louise A Stinetorf he purchased the film rights and assigned Otto Land to production with a $2.02 million budget. Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts were hired to adapt the novel, but Zanuck instructed them to deviate from a literal retelling of the novel, insisting that they infuse the tale with romance, sex, physical excitement, and physical violence set against beautiful African vistas. Roy Ward Baker was tasked with directing, but was replaced by Henry Hathaway when he fell ill in Africa. A fine cast was assembled, including Robert Mitchum as Lonni Douglas, Susan Hayward as Ellen Burton, Walter Slezak as Huysman, Timothy Carey as Jarrett and Mashood Olabisi as Jacques. Read more…
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