There are times when I’m watching an older horror film and my first thought is “Why hasn’t this played on Svengoolie?” Mostly I get this sensation when the cast is made up of actors that appeared on classic TV series that run on MeTV. That’s exactly what hit me when an early shot in The Naked Witch featured two MeTV all-stars. While riding through a swamp, an old man is talking to a guy smoking a pipe. You know these two actors: Burt Mustin and Alvy Moore. Burt Mustin appeared in 200 films and TV shows including Leave It To Beaver (he was Gus the Fireman) to 14 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and even All In the Family. Strangely enough, it appears the iconic old man never appeared on Perry Mason. How did that happen? If you’re a fan of Green Acres, you’ll immediately point at Alvy Moore and scream, “It’s Hank Kimball, the county agricultural agent!” Moore did a lot in his career besides Green Acres including being a member of Marlon Brando’s motorcycle gang in The Wild One. But there’s something hilarious at first about seeing him play a paranormal investigator. Will he be able to find The Naked Witch on a journey into the swamps?
A boat captain (Burt Mustin) is guiding a group of tourists deep into the swamps. Ralph Hayes (Alvy Moore) tells him that they’re scouting for a movie and the old guy believes them. Turns out Hayes isn’t a filmmaker. He’s the head of a group investigating supernatural happenings in the swamp. We already know there’s something bad in the area. A woman takes a dip in the swamp water, dries off and gets sacrificed by the demonic Luther the Berserk (In Like Flint‘s John Lodge). We know this won’t be a fruitless pursuit like a certain cable TV show about ghost hunting. A key member of Hayes’ team is Anastasia (Myra Breckinridge‘s Thordis Brandt). She’s a sensitive who can pick up on things. Victor Gordon (Hawaiian Eye‘s Anthony Eisley) wants to her to pick up on his vibes. But she doesn’t have much time for him. Luther the Berserk has a strong desire to make Anastasia part of his coven. First he must eliminate Haye’s team to free her up. It’s like The Conjuring with a dating game aspect.
The Naked Witch probably sounds perfect for an episode of Svengoolie with its cast that also includes Shelby Grant (Our Man Flint), Robyn Millan (The Monkees), L.Q. Jones (Gunsmoke – also producer) and Sue Bernard (Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!). Beside the cast that popped up on so many shows from the MeTV schedule, there’s quite a bit of horror fun. This includes the “introduction” of the Coven by Luther the Berserk that’s like a Dean Martin Roast of evil. While the title might be too much for the 8 p.m. timeslot, the film was originally released in 1969 as The Witchmaster. MeTV can air that title. In the mid-70s, a distributor added more carnality to “earn” an R-rating and re-issued the film as The Naked Witch. Sounds like the extra nudity was not from the actual shoot, but stock naked footage. The version on the Blu-ray does not have the extra nudity although the opening contains The Naked Witch title card. I have no clue if Svengoolie will ever run The Naked Witch (as The Witchmaker). But if you’re a faithful view of his show and of MeTV, you’ll get a horror hoot out of seeing Hank Kimball battle evil spirits in the swampiness of The Naked Witch.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The transfer was taken from an archival 35mm print. There are an occasional green platter scratches, but nothing too visually destruction. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. Things sound great during the various rituals. The movie is subtitled.
DVD has the film and bonus features.
Audio Commentary by Robert Kelly has him feel for the actress who has to get in the swamp water before being the first victim. It does look nasty. He speaks of the mixture of mystic symbols. He gets into the confusion of the re-issue as The Naked Witch and how the wrong producer gets named on the title card. He had done a different Naked Witch movie. We get a history of L.Q. Jones and Alvy Moore’s production company that made A Boy And His Dog. He lists off the films that the movie was double featured with around the country.
1960’s Horror: A Decade of Innovation and Fear (4:05) talks about how the scares evolved with the cultural landscape. There’s a lot of great movie posters to accompany the narration.
Theatrical Trailer (1:13) is from the Witchmaker release.
Trailer For Television (1:00) wants to know if we’re ready to meet the Witchmaker.
Radio Spot (0:44) sells the black arts and the devil angle.
VCI Entertainment presents The Naked Witch. Directed by William O. Brown. Screenplay by William O. Brown. Starring Anthony Eisley, Thordis Brandt, Alvy Moore, Shelby Grant, Tony Benson, Robyn Millan, Warrene Ott, Helene Winston, Burt Mustin, Rudy Haydel, Sue Bernard, Patricia Wymer, Carolyn Rhodimer & Larry Vincent. Running Time: 99 minutes. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: May 14, 2025.
