The Ballad of Tam Lin main backdrop
The Ballad of Tam Lin main poster

The Ballad of Tam Lin

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5.1/10 • 15

1970-12-011h 46m

MysteryHorror

She drained them of their manhood …and then-of their LIVES!

Based upon the Celtic legend Tam Lin, a young man is bewitched by a beautiful, heartless, aging sorceress to become her lover. When his attention wanders to a lovely girl, he is doomed to ritual sacrifice by the sorceress.

Directors
Roddy McDowall
Editors
John Victor-Smith

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Ava Gardner

    Ava Gardner

    Michaela Cazaret

  2. Ian McShane

    Ian McShane

    Tom Lynn

  3. Richard Wattis

    Richard Wattis

    Elroy

  4. Cyril Cusack

    Cyril Cusack

    Vicar Julian Ainsley

  5. Stephanie Beacham

    Stephanie Beacham

    Janet Ainsley

  6. David Whitman

    David Whitman

    Oliver

  7. Fabia Drake

    Fabia Drake

    Miss Gibson

  8. Sinéad Cusack

    Sinéad Cusack

    Rose

  9. Joanna Lumley

    Joanna Lumley

    Georgia

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Nov 29, 2024

5/10

Using the baronial Traquair House in the Scottish borders and a fair smattering of Jacqui McShee's dulcet tones, Roddy McDowall attempts to re-create a story from 16th century folklore about a magical Queen of the Fairies who surrounds herself with youth and beauty. He's time-shifted the scenario to the 1960s though, and it's the enigmatic "Micky" (Ava Gardner) who is doing the alluring. Top of her target list is the handsome young "Tom" (Ian McShane) but fairly quickly you gather that his is bit of a transitory role in the life of his lover. What she isn't used to, though, is competition - and that comes in the form of local minister's daughter "Janet" (Stephanie Beacham). With most of her acolytes desperate to stay in favour and enjoy all the wealth that brings, "Tom" rather bucks the trend as he demonstrates an independence streak that evokes that even older adage: beware the woman scorned. For a time this works quite well as it marries the haunting soundtrack with a sense of the carefree existence she promotes for her "children", but after the umpteenth close up of Gardner and/or McShane whom the camera clearly love, the story grinds to an almost glacial pace with little effort made to develop the fantasy elements of the story. Richard Wattis turns in an interesting effort as the general factotum "Elroy" - a man who serves his mistress with a slightly menacing degree of loyalty, but that isn't really built upon either. The photography and limited use of visual effects can be quite effective at times, especially at the end but somehow I felt like I was watching their antics through a plate glass window. It's certainly a modernised critique on the human vices of venality and frivolousness but too much of it is padding and it's all somewhat lacking in substance.

Media

  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster
  • The Ballad of Tam Lin poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
witchcraftswinging 60s