I Married A Witch (1942) is Veronica Lake’s movie. It belongs to her more than anyone else. Her short stature, feisty attitude, unique voice, iconic blonde hair and her general attitude makes her portrayal of the titular witch Jennifer the best of her career. No other actor, then or now, could approximate what Lake does with the character. Jennifer feels completely modern even today. It’s a tour de force.
I Married A Witch is so popular and well-covered critically that it’s hard to think of anything new to say about it. So I will start with the basics. It was director René Clair’s follow up to his much underrated Marlene Dietrich vehicle The Flame Of New Orleans (1941) and features the filmmaker at the height of his powers. I Married A Witch is a rather risqué comedy that cleverly manages to work within the restrictions laid out in the infamous Hays Code largely due to Clair’s own genius for hiding the raunchy in plain sight, so to speak.
I Married A Witch is a goofy movie. The production design and the dated, yet charming, special effects both evoke the wonder inspired by magic. In this milieu of witching hours, charms and spells René Clair deposits Veronica Lake, Fredric March, Cecil Kellaway, and Susan Hayward to act out a madcap, screw-ball premise. The joy of this excellent cast and Clair’s light touch ensure that I Married A Witch is a warm, soothing concoction for chilly autumn nights.
