Strange that this film seems so tame today given it was heavily censored at the time it was first released and was regarded by some as morally bankrupt. There are some scenes that imply gratuitous violence and rape but you don’t see this. If it were made today it would be a lot worse. The lead role is played by Vincent Price, he plays the character Matthew Hopkins. A sadist really, self appointed witch finder for parliament during the English civil war.
A vicar is tortured and his daughter offers herself to Matthew Hopkins to prevent even worse torture. She is betrothed to a soldier (played by Ian Ogilvy who would later play The Saint in The Return Of The Saint in the 1970s) who returns to her village and swears revenge on Hopkins. Lots of horse riding scenes follow. He does eventually catch up with Hopkins in a town in East Anglia. No happy ending in this film, one of the reasons its regarded as a horror rather than a historical film. It’s definitely worth a watch for a Vincent Price performance if nothing else but Hilary Dwyer the vicar’s daughter also turns out a good performance.
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