Some of you may recall the 1960’s hit TV comedy series “Bewitched” starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, Dick York as Darrin #1 and later Dick Sargent as Darrin #2.  (It’s also been syndicated on the rerun circuit for years.) Samantha was a witch and Darrin was her mortal husband.  Hosting a literal cavalcade of comedic greats including Agnes Moorehead as Sam’s witchy mother, Endora, and Paul Lynde as the ever silly and cynical Uncle Arthur, not to mention the nosey neighbors, Alice and Abner Kravitz respectively played by Alice Pearce and George Tobias, every week for 254 episodes the show filled living rooms with rollicking laughter.

This year Nicole Kidman is starring in the movie version of “Bewitched”.  Also cast are Will Ferrell as Darrin and Shirley MacLaine as Endora.  I am excitedly awaiting its release.  I also saw that there is a Danny DeVito film slated for 2005 entitled “I’ll Married A Witch” but I don’t know if it is a remake of the original film.  I’m guessing it is.

But let’s go back sixty plus years to where all this bewitching magic began – the 1942 black and white feature “I Married A Witch” directed by Rene Claire and starring Fredrick March, Veronica Lake, Cecil Kellaway, Susan Hayward and Robert Benchley.  The opening scene is a witch burning in early New England America.  Jonathan Wooley, a respected Puritan, is witness to the scene and  the one who exposed the seductress witch, Jennifer, and her wonderfully wicked father, Daniel (familiar name, huh?), for what they were.  The father and daughter’s ashes are buried amongst the roots of an ancient Oak tree (similar to the Whomping Willow) and their souls are cursed to forever be bound by the coiling roots.  Ah, but this is not the end of Daniel or Jennifer and in revenge, Jennifer curses Jonathan Wooley and all of his descendents to never be happy in love.  Two hundred and fifty years later a branch of the Oak is cracked during a terrible storm and Jennifer and Daniel escape their prison grave and happily  resume their mischief on unsuspecting modern day mortals, including Wallace “Wally” Wooley.

Have broom, will fly… Father and daughter, who are mere puffs of smoke initially, quickly transfigure into flesh and pick up where they left off two hundred plus years earlier.  Enchantress Jennifer sets her femme fatale talents on luring unsuspecting Wally away from his spoiled fiancée, Estelle (played by Susan Hayward) with plans for him to fall in love with her while she intends to break his heart.  To help her carry out her plan Daniel tells her a spell and potion to use on Wally.  Yet as you might expect, Jennifer’s plans backfire when she accidentally drinks the bubbling brew herself, sparking her own love’s eternal flame.

And now let’s actually take a closer look at what these New England enchanters have in common with Harry Potter and gang.  Our trio of protagonists include Wally Woolly (similar to Harry Potter), Jennifer (another Ginny) and Wally’s best friend, Dr. Dudley White (hmmm, Dudley? and the last name, White, brings to mind Sirius's last name, Black.  Very colorful, ahem. ) Yes, they ride on brooms and in flying cars.  There's a scene where Jennifer talks to her father in the flames of the fireplace and a scene where Jennifer tries unsuccessfully to light a fire with matches but finds witchcraft is faster and easier. They can be trapped inside things:  bottles in “Witch,” trunks in "HP". They also incant spells, invoke curses, brew potions in cauldrons, apparate and disapparate, transfigure, and spark not only real flames but also our lasting enjoyment in their celluloid company.

This is a really delightful little film.  As yet it’s not on DVD.  It is still gettable on VHS on Amazon and E-bay.