The Ballad of Tam Lin (1970) Online

That's the tag-line American International Pictures used to exploit this fantasy/horror film. Based on the ancient Scottish ballad "Tam Lin" (one of it's many titles), the plot concerns an aging, beautiful woman Ava Gardner) who uses her wealth (and occasionally, witchcraft) to control a decadent pack of attractive young people she surrounds herself with. But when her latest young stud (Ian McShane) falls for the local vicar's daughter (Stephanie Beacham), she vows revenge. The plot is fairly simple, though first (and last) time director Roddy McDowall does his best to insert as much ambiguity and mysticism as he can get away with. More of a fairy-tale allegory than a terror film, it was completed in late 1969, but ended up on the shelf when it's production company, Commonwealth United, went bankrupt. Three years later, along came AIP, who bought it and edited it over McDowall's protests. Devising a typically lurid advertising campaign, they exploited it as one of those "aging glamour star horror films" so popular in the 60s. Dubbing it "The Devils Widow", it was spottily released in grind houses and drive-ins in late 1972, after which it promptly vanished. It did occasionally play on television, which is where I caught it, before landing on video back in the late 90's. Althoug it's not a "class" film, by any means, it deserved better treatment than this. The still-beautiful Gardner gives a striking, believably cruel performance, and the supporting cast includes several familiar faces who got their start here. Besides those already mentioned, Joanna Lumley ("The Avengers", "Absolutely Fabulous") is very much in evidence. The production is handsome, the photography well above average, and the movie improves as it goes along. Worth seeing, especially for Ava Gardner.

Based on Robert Burns' version of the Scottish folk tale "The Ballad of Tamlin," this modest but mesmerizing 1971 thriller concerns a young man, Tom Lynn ( Ian McShane), who becomes the romantic prisoner of an evil enchantress Michaela Cazaret ( Ava Gardner ). In a particularly arrestingly eerie and phantasmagorical set piece during which Tom, stoned out of his mind, is pursued by murderous acolytes of the bewitching Miss Cazaret, McDowall effectively punctuates the story's fairy tale quality with an entirely harmonious nightmarish and hallucinogenic tone that forever reflects the psychedelic sixties. McDowall's laudably creative panache as a filmmaker was embellished by a seductive performance from his star Ava Gardner. Though past her prime, she is nonetheless sultrily convincing as the irresistible, vampiric dominatrix insatiably commanding her hapless lovers to their eagerly desired doom.

Tam Lin (aka The Devil's Widow ) was also McDowall's solo directorial effort. Based on the splendid result (especially the aforementioned set piece), it was a great pity that Roddy did not pursue a career as a film director because - as with Charles Laughton, who blessed us with his only turn as a director, the superb "The Night of the Hunter" - he possessed a definite flair as a filmmaker. Produced in 1969, his film sat on the shelf for two years. In 1971, McDowall returned to his film to do some post-production work on it but 'twas all for naught because it was poorly distributed and sank into relative obscurity. In 1998 Republic Home Video, in collaboration with Martin Scorsese and McDowall, restored "Tam Lin" and rescued it from oblivion by releasing a stunningly superb widescreen print with an introduction by McDowall.

I highly recommend this stylishly directed and unjustly neglected gem to lovers of the macabre and mysterious. To all such, I strongly encourage you to seek it out.

One should be a fan of British cinema, retro pop culture, fantasy/folklore, and personal auteur-ship for maximum enjoyment of this likable but format-challenged film from the late 1960's/early 70's. I sure am, and as such quite savored this cinematic retelling of the Tam Lin ballad.

It's sufficiently enjoyable that I immediately transferred the VHS tape to DVD for future viewings. One suspects it had been slated for same, what with its 17 minute director's introduction, but remained lost in the ether of Republic Pictures' post-demise assorted distribution deals. One further suspects that its release under of aegis of an Ava Gardner tribute series was the ticket for its seeing light of day at all post theatrical debut. It's been written that Roddy McDowell lost control of this, his only directed film, with it subsequently languishing in drive-ins of the 1970's under such noms-du-exploitation as "The Devil's Widow!" As McDowell's sole direction job, this is a movie one ever so wants to be as good as Charles Laughton's similar solo effort "Night of the Hunter," which it isn't and cannot be, as few films can match "Hunter's" expert, mannerist weirdness. McDowell's is a B+ to Laughton's A+. What is it does share is the quirkiness of a singular vision, seeming unlike anything else of its respective era while still conforming to mainstream requisites, and the retelling of a dreamy but occasionally frightening fairy tale in modern clothes, with assorted decidedly odd touches. A true loss to cinema that both actors never directed another film.

Simply put, it's the ballad of Tam Lin (its original title in fact) retold with late '60's characters, and peopled with a cast of still working, familiar British names like Ian McShane (representing the titular captured knight Tam Lin,) Joanna Lumley and Stephanie Beacham (the Hammer horror ingénue, here as the ballad's Janet) with both Cyril and Sinead Cusack in tow. Gardner as the controlling "Faerie Queen" seems an apt focus of the swirling debaucheries and cruelties rationalized as group activity fun. This, strangely, isn't so much part of the fantasy as modern viewers might conclude: some of us who were adolescents in the '60's remember the genuine, wealthy older types lending their mansions to us young'uns in order to share in the decadent fun, whether vicariously or actively.

In "Tam Lin" you'll find a little seen but quite good updated fairy story, plus amusing music from jazz to the Pentangle, great costuming, retro period fun, gorgeous Scottish border scenery and an always great to watch cast. Time for whoever owns Republic's split assets this week to fund that DVD release.

I saw this film for the first time last night and loved it! After reading so many mixed or out- right negative reviews of it over the years, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, how well it was made, how well the Tam Lin legend was updated to a relatively contemporary setting, and, ultimately, how enthralled I was by Gardner's Fairy Queen.

I have to admit the first 15-20 minutes or so did take some work. Not that they were poorly spent minutes, but adjusting to the 1970s milieu of swinging London took some time, though it was great fun watching a very young Joanna Lumley in a film that somewhat prophesied her role as Patsy Stone on ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

Now that I've seen this, I wish Roddy had made more films. This is how I like my spooky fairy tales told. May be it all comes down to you're either on the SHREK bus or the TAM LIN bus. I'm definitely taking another ride on the latter.

The reputation of this one rests largely on the fact that it was the sole directorial effort of former child actor McDowall; for fantasy buffs, he had just appeared as Cornelius in PLANET OF THE APES (1968) and would feature in 4 of the movie sequels and even the spin-off TV series – indeed, he only missed out on BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970) because he was involved in making the film under review; his other genre efforts include IT! (1967), THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) and the two FRIGHT NIGHT pictures from the latter half of the 1980s.

Inspired by a Robert Burns poem, TAM-LIN (as it is better-known – another alternate title is the terminally silly THE DEVIL'S WIDOW!) deals with a Succubus-like wealthy woman called "Mickey" (played by Ava Gardner in pretty much her last leading role, which she naturally gives it her all and, even at 48, looks ravishing, apart from being decked-out in expensive clothes) who, as a means of preserving her own vitality surrounds herself by myriad youths in her vast country estate (this being the "Age Of Aquarius" these are hip, uninhibited – indulge in all sorts of charades to while away the time, including a fortune-telling bid which suddenly turns scary – but also aimless types, so that whenever she decides to let one of them go, they invariably plead with her to remain).

Occasionally, she even chooses a young man among them as her lover but holds the reins tightly on him, as if forever conscious of the volatile nature of the relationship; tending her affairs is waspish Richard Wattis (usually seen in comedies but perfectly cast here, especially effective when he provides details to Gardner's current partner about his predecessors' tragic deaths, subtly alluding to his own fate were he to break free of his mistress' clutches!). The latter (named Tom Lynn!) is played by Ian McShane and, needless to say, he falls for an outsider before long – minister Cyril Cusack's daughter Stephanie Beacham; though Gardner does not mind his attentions towards the latter initially – she is even protective of the girl when the latter pays them a visit and is taunted by the others (these include Cusack's real-life daughter Sinead, future film director Bruce Robinson, as well as Hammer starlets Joanna Lumley and Madeleine Smith, who demonstrates her immaturity by yearning for a puppy though she still gets to utter a line that perfectly encapsulates the predominant liberalism of the era, "I'll swallow anything as long as it's illegal"!) – but when things get serious, and Beacham becomes pregnant, she takes a different attitude altogether.

Consequently, Mickey becomes bored with her 'guests' and has them replaced – keeping only one young man who had most actively pursued McShane for his 'betrayal' – only these seem to be most receptive to her 'evil' nature. They kidnap the hero (just as he is about to elope with Beacham, whom he had even dissuaded from aborting her child), who is then let loose to literally be chased through the swamps; however, he has been drugged and he hallucinates himself at the center of a number of terrible predicaments: he is turned into a living teddy-bear(!), attacked by a giant snake and even engulfed in flames (unfortunately, the otherwise quite satisfactory widescreen VHS source is exceedingly dark during this sequence, so that one has to make an effort to discern just what is going on…though I wonder whether it was intentionally mystifying – again, shot by Billy Williams!). Anyway, with Beacham by his side, he manages to overcome these 'punishments', so that Gardner has no alternative but to give up and seek her 'life-affirming' kind of thrills elsewhere, with Wattis and the afore-mentioned hanger-on (who has effectively become McShane's replacement) in tow.

The pictorial Scottish setting and evocative folk score (by Stanley Myers and the group Pentangle – coincidentally, former band member Bert Jansch would pass away the very day after this viewing!) anticipate THE WICKER MAN (1973; whose co-star Diane Cilento, eerily enough, I have just learned died yesterday!); similarly, the depiction of a romantic idyll through a series of freeze-frames (a tell-tale sign of McDowall's passion for photography) look forward to the bloody murder set-piece in the recently-viewed WELCOME TO ARROW BEACH – released 4 years later and, as it happens, a film made by another actor-turned-director i.e. Laurence Harvey. By the way, THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN was originally released in the U.S. via a reportedly much-altered version that stressed the horror elements; this came to be because the company that financed it, Commonwealth, folded around this same time and the picture was subsequently bought and distributed by AIP! In the 1990s (the days of VHS and shortly before McDowall's death), the film was restored more or less to its original form by none other than Martin Scorsese – but, being currently unavailable on any official digital format, it remains an elusive beast...

I enjoyed Ava Gardner's sense of age of Aquarius presence for the film. I would have appreciated seeing more films directed by Roddy McDowall. True works of art always have always been birthed from turmoil. The male leads were memorable (Ian McShane)…."You wasted my life….You won't let me go…". The movie helped me respect my middle-age and desire to have something more to life than impending old age and empty nest syndrome. I can't wait to find a bright orange outfit like the one Ava wore in the opening scene. "Give him back……." (so memorable). The character's Scottish retreat appears to offer the viewer a permanent round of relaxation and welcome (along with a picnic basket of memorable one liners!) All the characters were interesting to watch unfold - male accountant; (my favorite was the fortune teller. The plot moves too quickly to convey very mature feelings in a immature world of valley of the doll babies. Tom makes the potentially fatal error of falling in love with the daughter of the local vicar – he should have stayed with Micky. This movie was not sluggish and uneventful; it gets better as it progresses into the story. I would recommend this film as a sleeper and a keeper! (smile)

Groovy! Roddy McDowell took the ancient fairy tale of TAM LIN -- a young knight captured by an evil witch, then saved by a fair damsel -- and turned it into a very demure slice of psychedelic romance. The daring camera angles and bizarre soundtrack make the movie work most of the time, but now and then the weird factor just turns funny.

Ava Gardner, well over forty, plays the "immortal" Mrs. Cazaret. She's still an attractive lady, sort of, but not enough to be "hypnotic" and "irresistable." Between her and the young man she's entrancing, there is not a trace of attraction or chemistry. The scenes between the young man and his fair young maid are a bit better, but still lacking a certain natural sexual punch.

The problem is, there are about a dozen gorgeous extras lounging around in most of the scenes, including a couple of famous faces. Watch for a luscious young Sinead Cusack and an even sexier young Joanna Lumley, both decked out in scrumptious Carnaby Street finery and looking ever so fresh and primly desirable. The movie would have worked much, much better if these two had had a larger part. Mrs. Cazaret should have used them to keep her young man satisfied. It's so easy to visualize him rising from her bed, seeing how tired and blowzy she looks in the morning light, and heading for the door -- only to be headed off by Sinead Cusack and Joanna Lumley. The two of them ask him to do something quite innocent and sweet -- like have some breakfast, or go for a walk in the garden. But as they ask, they also rub against him, licking his neck and purring into his ear, and before long he's forgotten all about escaping from Mrs. Cazaret!

I stopped this film 20 minutes in to look up the Scottish ballad the film was based on, "Ballad of Tam Lin", so I could make sense out of the film. Wikipedia has a thorough article on the song and the lyrics. Everything made much more sense after reading the article.

That said, this was one of Ava Gardner's few supernatural films, and was Roddy McDowell's only directorial effort. The screenplay sticks fairly close to the song's plot, with a look at "Swinging London" mod clothes, late 60's slang , and a so-so song overlaying all as an attempt at "relevance". Listen for the bits of ballad sung through the film .

Gardner gave an outstanding performance as the coven leader; the film lets the viewer decide if other fairy tale terms are applicable. Ian McShane is good as the Favored One, and Stephanie Beacham is good as his Human love.

AIP gave the film only a limited release. The misunderstanding arises from the fact that AIP promoted it as a horror film rather than as a poetic romance even reediting the film and retitiling it "The Devil's Widow" from the original "Ballad of Tam Lin" to try and achieve this effect. As a result, no one was happy, and the film sank without a trace, predictably losing money.

McDowell didn't direct another film, which is a real shame, because this one has startling photography, the music is interwoven to maximum effect, and McDowell did well by the actors.

This is one of Ava Gardner's least-seen, most underrated films. My opinion is that if you feel lost in the beginning, stay with the film anyways as it improves as it goes on.

Ok, so Ava Gardner isn't exactly a hag here, except maybe in character, seen in the first scene biting the buttocks of a sleepy, unwilling lover, then gently dumping him as he cries on her shoulder. It's a disgusting exposition, especially since he really doesn't seem all that into women. The next thing you know, she's onto the more manly Ian MacShane who is also seeing both the younger Joanna Lumley and Stephanie Beacham on the side. It's fascinating casting to see one of the most beautiful women of the 1940's and 50's up against the future Please Stone of "Absolutely Fabulous" and Sable Colby, but as glamorous as Ava still is, what she really lacks is a fully developed character, a decent story and a good script.

Sadly, the talented cast is under the thumb of an equally talented actor, but novice director. Roddy McDowall wasn't choosy about the script, thinking that everything would take care of itself. It's a convoluted story of an aging alleged witch tossed aside for youth, and being the vicar's daughter that she's tossed aside for sets her satanic heart raging in flames. There's no real elements of horror until the last reel, and then because of red tinted photography, it is extremely difficult to make out. The musical score is strangely inappropriate. This easily would have been a bomb had it not been for Gardner who photographs nicely but is missing the heat that such an evil character requires. One scene reminds me of Glenn Close in "Dangerous Liasons", but the rest of the film is far too cartoonish and downright boring.

What a terrible film! It's no wonder this is Roddy McDowall's only directorial effort ever; it's the kind of film nobody sees/likes/understands, and has only one category of possible defenders: those who like the "It's-incomprehensible-so-it-must-be-profound" school of filmmaking (examples: "Don't Look Now", "The Shout"). Has some tension at the end...enough for me to give it one star instead of none.

Ava Gardner (Micky) is a wealthy woman who surrounds herself with a young jet-set crew who she keeps within the confines of her huge estate. They hang out there until Ava gets bored with them and sends them away. Woe betide if you're her favoured lover, though, for if you cross her, you don't get a happy ending. Ian McShane (Tom) is in that role when he falls for vicar's daughter Stephanie Beacham (Janet).

Not really sure what this film is about. It makes no sense and it's pretty boring. The director – Roddy McDowell - is also a bit all over the place with his mish-mash of styles and in particular a photo montage that goes on for too long when McShane and Beacham first get it together in the great outdoors of Scotland. What is Ava's character meant to be – we never know, it's never clear. Can she live forever, is she going to get old – this isn't thought through and we get a silly folk-music soundtrack. The original song about this tale may have a supernatural interest but judging by this offering, keep it as a song. At least make it into a good film if you're going down that route. Big fail. Complete nonsense.

The whole acid trip sequence at the end is phoney – clearly, nobody involved in the film had any experience of taking LSD and we are also meant to believe that this upper-class posh set of hanger-on are some sort of savage gang of killers!! Pretty ineffectual killers if you ask me. This film sucks.

The only movie made by talented actor Roddy McDowall whose career began when he was a child ("how green was my valley" "Lassie come home" ),who gave a memorable portrayal of Octavian in the underrated "Cleopatra" ,but who is best remembered as Cornelius in "planet of the apes " (1968 and sequel except for the second one) This would have worked in a better way as a costume drama;transposed to the late sixties time and its hippies ,it does not really make it.If it had not been for Mrs Gardner,who,even when she was aging ,was a feast for the eye ,I would have quit before the end ;based on an old folk song "the ballad of Tam-Lin" ,as performed by Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention (which can be found on their "liege and lief" album) ,the screenplay tries to follow the words to the song but there's nothing romantic because there is no magic in the air :it's the story of a wealthy (and still attractive )woman who,like the Eagles sing ,has a lot a lot of pretty boys (and girls) she calls friends .

In her memoirs ,Ava Gardner does not write a single line about it.The fear of getting old had already been treated anyway,as far as she was concerned ,in John Huston's superb "night of the iguana",which she appreciated very much and which I recommend .

Michaela (Ava Gardner) is a rich middle-aged lady who lives in a mansion and filled with sycophants who don't do anything with their lives...they just party and answer to Michaela's bidding. She also has a boy-toy, Tom (Ian McShane) but when he stops worshiping Michaela and begins pursuing the local vicar's daughter (Stephanie Beachum), he incurs the wrath of his mistress. Ultimately, after LOTS of talking, they decide that the man's punishment should be death and they spend an inordinate amount of time tormenting him and chasing him about the British countryside instead of just offing him.

This film was the only picture directed by Roddy McDowell and it's a bizarre product of it's times--less a movie about witchcraft and more a film about Bohemian hippies. A strange and very, very slow moving film--one that must have played much better in the drug-soaked early 70s. Today, it just seems pretty dopey and bad.

Based on an old Scottish folktale about a young man (Tamlin) enamored of a fairy queen, the film's tagline "She drained them of their manhood...and then of their lives!" naturally created certain expectations. Even after all these years, I still tend to buy into this brand of hyperbole so I assumed it'd be something along the lines of Antinea, Aeisha, or Catherine Deneuve in THE HUNGER but what I got was a novice director's self-consciously arty attempt at enchantment starring a past-her-prime Hollywood glamour girl who admittedly couldn't act.

Former MGM goddess Ava Gardner plays a fabulously wealthy queen bee whose latest flame, "Tom Lynn" (duh), rebels after he knocks up the vicar's daughter and wants to (gasp) marry her. Obviously, this arouses Ava's anger and there's hell to pay ...or there should have been, anyway. "Bloodless" gialli have their place but the same can't be said for a horror film, even when the horror's psychological (which it isn't here). I don't know what this is and except for the '70s fashions and decor -and the sight of a legendary beauty's crumbling facade- there's really not much reason to tune in. Actor Roddy McDowell's no Charles Laughton and it's not a pity he never directed again. Just sayin'.