The Bell Witch Legend: An Unforgettable American Ghost Tale

The Bell Witch story The Bell Witch story is a famous legend in American folklore that originated in Adams, Tennessee during the early 19th century. It is a tale of a malevolent and vengeful spirit that haunted the Bell family for several years with its supernatural powers and eerie activities. The story starts in 1817 when strange phenomena began to occur around the Bell household. John Bell, the patriarch of the family, reported hearing unexplained knocking sounds on the walls, objects moving by themselves, and the sound of scratching in the darkness. As time went on, the entity's actions escalated, and it started to physically attack members of the family. Betsy Bell, John Bell's daughter, was often the target of the witch's torment, with her hair being pulled and being slapped by an invisible force.

Soon it's "Ten Months Earlier," the merry Salem of winter 1691, apparently about as much fun as winter 2003 in metropolitan Washington. A long printed prologue ensues to tell us "it is seventy-one years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth" and that Salem is a community whose only government is the church.

Sanders, Kristin Booth, Katie Boland, Alan Bates, Rebecca De Mornay, Peter Ustinov, Shirley MacLaine, Shannon Lawson, Colin Fox, Camille Wainwright, David Hemblen, Susan Coyne, Nadia Litz, Dixie Seatle, Zachary Bennett, Bradley Reid, Tannis Burnett, Sophie Bennett, Elana Shilling, Amy Stewart, Mairon Bennett, Marisa McIntyre, Sarah Kanter, Nancy Beatty, Tabitha Lupien, Megan Bower, Jackie Laidlaw, Nicky Guadagni, David Christo, Cara Pifko, Hannah Lochner, Linda Prystawska, Arlene Mazerolle, Desmond Ellis, Heinar Pillar, Irene Poole, Adrian Hough, Lindsay Collins, Julian Richings, Chris Benson, Philip Sheperd, Aron Tager, Anne Anglin, Tom Bishop, Anne Page, Tammy Isbell, Paulette Sinclair, Oliver Becker, Araby Lockhart, Jean Daigle, Ned Vukovic, John Watson, Valerie Boyle, Bill Lake, Scotty Cook, Jim Feather, Ken Kramer, Sheldon Yamkovy, Clyde Whitham, Maggie Blake, Sally Clelford, Jason Sharman. The film is inordinately depressing because viewers even slightly familiar with the story know that a happy ending is pretty much out of the question and that the truly guilty won t be suitably punished.

Betsy Bell, John Bell's daughter, was often the target of the witch's torment, with her hair being pulled and being slapped by an invisible force. As word of the Bell's haunting spread, visitors flocked to their home to witness the strange occurrences for themselves. The witch was said to have an eerie voice, speaking in different languages and accurately predicting future events.

Kirstie aller salem qitch trials

In 1691 the winter has been harsh and Indians are restless. Small Puritan colony in Salem has a fire. Annie Putnam (Katie Boland) is traumatized when her mother Anne (Kirstie Alley) gives birth to a dead baby for the third time. Anne is depressed by losing the babies and does not know what sin she has done. The villagers suspect that evil forces are causing the accidents. Thomas Putnam (Jay O. Sanders) supports a fanatic priest Samuel Parris (Henry Czerny) who is whipping the sin out of the villagers. Samuel's wife Elizabeth (Rebecca De Mornay) is ill. Stubborn and zealous Putnams and Walcotts have a feud with more liberal-minded and business-oriented Porters and Proctors.

As church won't help Anne, she asks help from Herbalist Bridget Bishop (Shannon Lawson) who is thought to be a witch. Annie sees them meet and gets a hysteric fit and barks like a dog. Previously she saw young William Proctor (David Christo) imitating birds (that was considered unnatural!) so her behaviour was caused by this and the religious stress.

Joseph Putnam (Zachary Bennett) wants to marry Lizzy Porter (Kristin Booth). Her father Israel Porter (Colin Fox) is in shipping business and accepts the marriage. Joseph is the half-brother of Thomas and Thomas opposes the marriage. Joseph presses Reverend Parris to enforce Puritanism and purge the unclean. Secretly Parris has hots for his Indian slave Tituba (Gloria Reuben) who is the nanny of family's daughter Betty (Elana Shilling) and her cousin Abigail Williams (Sophie Bennett). Tituba is also a fortune teller so that makes her suspicious. Young girls get hysterical so it must be the work of the Devil. The girls blame various villagers for practicing witchcraft. Witch trials are organized to save the village. Not even everybody's pious friend Rebecca Nurse (Shirley MacLaine) is safe from the accusations. Witchfinders Increase Mather (Heinar Pillar) and William Stroughton (Peter Ustinov) arrive to conduct the trial. Scientifically oriented Governor Phips (Alan Bates) has his doubts about the validity of the trial. Thomas Putnam is a professional complainer and many of the accused are his opponents but the Governor is not interested in questioning the religious folks. Twenty villagers are hanged and more are imprisoned.

Loveless village and oppressive religion probably caused the psychiatric symptoms of the village children and some acted like possessed to gain attention. It has also been suggested that poisonous alkaloid producing ergot-fungi poisoned rye and caused the hallucinations and convulsions of some of the "possessed." The fungus explanation is actually vaguely hinted in one scene. The paranoid atmosphere gave Porters an opportunity to get rid of their political opponents and sexual frustrations and fanaticism of Parris helped to fuel the accusations. There is a film "Crucible" made of the topic, that is more focused on the girls and the trial. "Crucible" was based on Arthur Miller's play that combined Salem's history with an allegory of McCarthy's communist hunts in the 1950s. The mini-series goes deeper into the historic explanations of tensions in the village. "Salem Witch Trials" seems more historically accurate although it has also taken some artistic liberties.

It has good actors and a powerful story about one of the darkest moments in American history. Perhaps the most strongest performances are from Kirstie Alley, as Tom Putnam's wife, who overcomes her superstitions begins to see the real reasons behind the witch hunt and from Shirley MacLaine who finds her own version of religion. Peter Ustinov is also great in one of his last roles. If there is something to complain it is the bad special effects happening in the first few minutes.

Starring: Kirstie Alley, Henry Czerny, Gloria Reuben, Jay O. Sanders, Kristin Booth, Katie Boland, Alan Bates, Rebecca De Mornay, Peter Ustinov, Shirley MacLaine, Shannon Lawson, Colin Fox, Camille Wainwright, David Hemblen, Susan Coyne, Nadia Litz, Dixie Seatle, Zachary Bennett, Bradley Reid, Tannis Burnett, Sophie Bennett, Elana Shilling, Amy Stewart, Mairon Bennett, Marisa McIntyre, Sarah Kanter, Nancy Beatty, Tabitha Lupien, Megan Bower, Jackie Laidlaw, Nicky Guadagni, David Christo, Cara Pifko, Hannah Lochner, Linda Prystawska, Arlene Mazerolle, Desmond Ellis, Heinar Pillar, Irene Poole, Adrian Hough, Lindsay Collins, Julian Richings, Chris Benson, Philip Sheperd, Aron Tager, Anne Anglin, Tom Bishop, Anne Page, Tammy Isbell, Paulette Sinclair, Oliver Becker, Araby Lockhart, Jean Daigle, Ned Vukovic, John Watson, Valerie Boyle, Bill Lake, Scotty Cook, Jim Feather, Ken Kramer, Sheldon Yamkovy, Clyde Whitham, Maggie Blake, Sally Clelford, Jason Sharman

It also claimed responsibility for the death of John Bell, who mysteriously died in 1820. Even after his death, the witch continued to harass the Bell family until it abruptly stopped in 1821. Various theories surround the origins and motivations of the Bell Witch. Some believe it to be the ghost of a woman named Kate Batts, a neighbor of the Bells who had a dispute with John Bell. Others believe it to be a malevolent spirit summoned by an unknown source. Skeptics argue that it was a case of mass hysteria or a hoax perpetrated by the Bell family. Regardless of its true nature, the Bell Witch story has become one of the most famous ghost stories in American history. It has been the subject of books, movies, and even a Broadway play. The story continues to captivate audiences with its mix of supernatural terror and real-life mystery..

Reviews for "The Bell Witch: Fact, Fiction, or Something More Sinister?"

1. Jane - 2/5 stars - I have to say, "The Bell Witch Story" just didn't do it for me. I found the storyline to be choppy and confusing, with an excessive amount of characters that I couldn't keep track of. The scares were far from scary, and the attempts at suspense fell flat. Overall, the movie lacked depth and failed to engage me, leaving me disappointed and wanting more.

2. Mike - 1/5 stars - I can honestly say that "The Bell Witch Story" was a waste of my time. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, following the same tired formula of supernatural horror movies. The acting was subpar, with wooden performances and no real emotional depth. The special effects were laughably bad, making it hard to take the movie seriously. I would not recommend this film to anyone looking for a genuinely scary or thought-provoking horror movie.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As a fan of horror movies, I was excited to watch "The Bell Witch Story," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The scares were cheap and relied heavily on jump scares, which grew tiresome after a while. The characters were one-dimensional, making it difficult to root for any of them. The pacing was slow, with repetitive scenes that added no value to the storyline. Overall, the movie lacked originality and failed to deliver the thrills I was hoping for.

4. Tom - 2/5 stars - I was highly disappointed by "The Bell Witch Story." The plot was confusing and filled with plot holes, leaving me with more questions than answers. The acting was mediocre at best, with unconvincing performances that made it hard to invest in the characters. The scares were cliché and lacked any real tension. Overall, the movie felt like a wasted opportunity to explore the intriguing legend of the Bell Witch, and I walked away feeling unsatisfied.

The Bell Witch: Supernatural Terror in Early America