The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1987
Running Times: 121 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm     70mm (blow-up)     Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.20:1 (70 mm prints)     2.35:1
Sound: 70mm 6-Track (70mm prints)    Dolby (35mm prints)

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Guber-Peters Company / Kennedy Miller Productions / Warner Bros.
Executive Producers: Don Devlin, Rob Cohen
Producers: Jon Peters, Neil Canton, Peter Guber
Production Supervisor: Chrissie England
Unit Production Manager: Michael S. Glick
Production Coordinator: Spencer Howard

SCRIPT
Script: Michael Cristofer
Novel: John Updike

DIRECTION
Director: George Miller
1st Assistant Director: Chris Soldo
2nd Assistant Director: Bob Yannetti

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Camera Operators: Harald Ortenburger, Peter Norman, Ray Delamotte
1st Assistant A Camera: Joseph E. Thibo, Ken Nishino
2nd Assistant A Camera: Phil Abraham
1st Assistant B Camera: Gábor Kövér
2nd Assistant B Camera: Brian W. Armstrong, Vincent Galindez
Assistant Camera: Randy Johnson, Caris Palm, Patrick McArdle
Assistant Chief Set Lighting Technician: Paul Jacobsen
Gaffer: Colin J. Campbell
Best Boy: Michael Van Woert
Best Boy Grip: Tom D. May
Key Grip: Jim Sheppherd
Dolly Grip: Joe E. Hicks
Stills: Carol McCullough, Kerry Hayes
24-Frame Video Services: Inter Video
Lab: Technicolor
Colour Timer: Bob Noland
Processing: Todd Heindel

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Richard Francis-Bruce, Hubert C. de la Bouillerie
1st Assistant Editor: Ann Martin
Assistant Editor: Erica Flaum

MUSIC
Music: John Williams
Additional Music: Giacomo Puccini (Nessun Dorma from Turandot)
Additional Music Performed By: Luciano Pavarotti with The John Alldis Choir and The London Philharmonic Orchestra (Nessun Dorma from Turandot)
Additional Music Conductor: Zubin Mehta (Nessun Dorma from Turandot)
Songs: Carel Struycken (Peodora); George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin (Someone To Watch Over Me)
Orchestrator: Herbert W. Spencer
Music Supervisor: Keith Holzman
Score Mixer: Armin Steiner
Music Editor: Kenneth Wannberg

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Art Rochester
Boom Operator: Doug Schulman
Re-Recording Mixers: Tom Beckert, Tom E. Dahl, Wayne Artman
Supervising Sound Editor: Robert R. Rutledge
1st Assistant Sound Editor: George A. Martin
Supervising ADR Editor: James Beshears
ADR Editors: Lauren J. Palmer, Mary Andrews
Sound Effects Editor: Jerry R. Stanford, John R. Newlan, Susan M. Dudeck, Charles E. Smith, Robert Waxman
Foley Artists: Gary Hacker, Alicia Stevenson
Supervising Foley Editor: David B. Cohen

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Ben Nye III, Leonard Engelman
Hair: Lynda Gurasich, Marlene D. Williams, Renate Leuschner
Costume Designer: Aggie Guerard Rodgers
Costume Supervisor: Linda Henrikson
Mens Costumers: Eddie Marks, Eric H. Sandberg
Womens Costumers: Pamela Havens, Robin Borman
Special Wardrobe: Matsuda
Special Wardrobe For Cher: Matsuda
Special Wardrobe For Jack Nicholson: Cerutti 1881, Paris

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Rob Bottin
Rob Bottin's Effects Crew: Art Pimentel, Fernando Favila, Henry Alvarez, Richard White, Tamara Fites, Vincent Prentice

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Michael Lantieri
Special Effects: Donald Elliott, Louie Lantieri, Clay Pinney, Tom Ryba, Robert Spurlock

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Michael Owens
Visual Effects Coordinator: Kathryn Witte
General Manager: Warren Franklin
Visual Effects: Christopher Duddy
Creature Designer: Tony Hudson
Creature Construction: Eben Stromquist, Harold Weed
Puppeteers: Tony Hudson, Blair Clark
Tennis Sequence Animation Department Supervisor: Ellen E. Lichtwardt
Rotoscoping: Sandra R. Ford, Sandy Houston, Rebecca Heskes
Animators: John Armstrong, Chris R. Green
Matte Painting Artist: Sean Joyce
Matte Photography Supervisor: Craig Barron
Model Shop Supervisor: Barbara Affonso
Model Makers: John Reed, Victoria Lewis
Motion Control Camera Operator: Bruce Walters
Opticals: Pacific Title
Optical Coordinator: Lori J. Nelson
Optical Photography Supervisor: Ed Jones
Optical Camera Operator: Jon Alexander
Optical Line-Up: Brad Kuehn
Processing: Tim Geideman
Visual Effects Cameramen: Kim Marks, Pat Turner
Visual Effects Editor: Howard Stein
Assistant Visual Effects Editor: Terrence Peck
Stage Technicians: Bill Barr, Bob Finley III, David Heron, Lance Brackett, Tim Morgan
Production Support: Bob Fernley, Greg Beaumonte, Lanny Cermak, Udo Pampel, Vince Tilker
Visual Effects Art Director: Dave Carson
Title Designer: Anthony Goldschmidt

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Polly Platt
Art Director: Mark W. Mansbridge
Set Designers: Robert E. Sessa, Stan Tropp
Set Decorator: Joe D. Mitchell
Property Master: Mark Wade
Assistant Property Master: Randy Gunter
Construction Coordinator: Marvin Salsberg
Sculptor: Henry Alvarez
Production Illustrator: Sherman Labby

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisors: Joanie Blum, Karen Hale Wookey
Production Accountant: Susan Montgomery
Production Aides: Andrew Herman Weltman, Antonia Bogdanovich, James Chressanthis, Laurie Balton, Leo Murphy, Lisa Niedenthal, Lori A. Balton, Robin Wilf, William Messing
Production Supporters: Cheryl Durham, Chris Buddy, Jenny Fulle, Karen Dube, Leigh Blicher, Mike MacKenzie, Pam Kaye, Scott Squires
Assistant to Jon Peters: Barbara Kalish
Assistant to Neil Canton and George Miller: Lynn O'Hare
Production Secretary: Judy Proctor
Transportation Coordinator: Russell McIntyre
Transportation Captain: Wayne Stone
Unit Publicist: Don Levy
Animal Handler: Paul A. Calabria
Cello Coach: Virginia Burward-Hoy
Violin Coach: Richard Kaufman
Catering: Unique Catering

LOCATIONS
Locations: Abbott Hall, Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA; Cohasset, Massachusetts, USA; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, California, USA; Great House, Castle Hill, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA; Greystone Park and Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, USA; Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts, USA; Scituate, Massachusetts, USA; Wang Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Location Manager: Sam Mercer
Assistant Location Manager: Charlie Harrington

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Alan Gibbs
Stunts: Christine Anne Baur, Donna Evans, Paula Marie Moody, Spike Silver
Stunt Double For Michelle Pfeiffer: Debbie Evans

CASTING
Casting: Wallis Nicita

CAST
Jack Nicholson (Daryl Van Horne)
Cher (Alexandra Medford)
Susan Sarandon (Jane Spofford)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Sukie Ridgemont)
Veronica Cartwright (Felicia Alden)
Richard Jenkins (Clyde Alden)
Keith Jochim (Walter Neff)
Carel Struycken (Fidel)
Helen Lloyd Breed (Mrs Biddle)
Caroline Struzik (Carol Medford)
Michele Sincavage, Nicol Sincavage, Heather Coleman, Carolyn Ditmars, Cynthia Ditmars, Christine Ditmars (Ridgemont children)
Craig Burket, Abraham Mishkind, Christopher Verrette (string quartets)
Becca Lish (Mrs Nelf)
Ruth Maynard (Mrs Biddle's friend)
Lansdale Chatfield (doctor 1)
Carole Ita White (cashier)
Babbie Green, Jane A. Johnston, Merrily Horowitz, Harriet Medin (women at market)
Margot Dionne (nurse)
James Boyle (doctor 2)
John Blood (deli counterman)
Ron Campbell (ice cream counterman)
Eugene Boles (minister)
Corey Carrier, Kate Barret, Dan Edson, Anthony Falco, Kevin Goodwin, Tara Halfpenny, David Hazel, Melanie Hewitt, Matt Kane, Anne Lindgren, Jessica MacDonald, Corinna Minnar, Scott Nickerson, Stephen Oakes, Ann Senechal, James Staunton, Amy Warner (Lenox school band)

PLOT SUMMARY

Three bored widows in New England discover that they are witches. This discovery coincides with the arrival in town of devilishly handsome Daryl Van Horne, a wealthy playboy with an eye for the ladies. But Van Horne is much more than he seems and the women will need all their powers to ensure that they don't succumb to the ultimate evil.

AVAILABILITY

Argentina
Video Distributors: Argentina Video Home

Brazil
Video Distributors: Warner Home Vídeo
DVD Distributors: Warner Home Vídeo

Germany
Laserdisc Distributors: Warner Home Video (11741 LD)
DVD Distributors: Warner Home Video (11741)

UK
DVD Distributors: Warner Home Video (D011741)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Warner Bros.
Video Distributors: Warner Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: Warner Home Video (11741 A/B)
DVD Distributors: Warner Home Video (11741)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 16

Chile
Rating: 18

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 15

Portugal
Rating: M/16

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 16

AWARDS

1987
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, USA
Best Actor (Jack Nicholson) – winner (also for Ironweed (1987), tied with Steve Martin for Roxanne (1987))

New York Film Critics Circle Awards, USA
Best Actor (Jack Nicholson) – winner (also for Ironweed (1987) and Broadcast News (1987))

1988
Academy Awards, USA
Best Music, Original Score (John Williams) - nominated
Best Sound (Wayne Artman, Tom Beckert, Tom E. Dahl, Art Rochester) - nominated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Actor (Jack Nicholson) - winner

BAFTA Awards, USA
Best Special Effects (Michael Lantieri, Michael Owens, Ed Jones, Bruce Walters) - winner

BMI Film and TV Awards, USA
Film Music Award (John Williams) - winner

Grammy Awards, USA
Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television (John Williams) - nominated

Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

TIMELINE

1987
June
12: USA – theatrical release
25: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for theatrical release, with no cuts)
26: UK - trailer rated 15 by the BBFC (for theatrical release, with no cuts)

July
14: UK - trailer rated 18 by the BBFC (for theatrical release, with no cuts)
27: UK - trailer rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release, with no cuts)

August
5: UK - trailer rated U by the BBFC (for theatrical release, with no cuts)

September
10: Argentina – theatrical release

October
16: Finland – theatrical release
23: Sweden – theatrical release
29: West Germany – theatrical release

1988
February
26: UK - trailer rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release, with no cuts)

March
24: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release, with no cuts)

July
25: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release, with no cuts)

1997
September
3: USA - DVD release (Warner Home Video (11741))

1998
May
11: UK - DVD release (Warner Home Video (D011741))

1999
July
28: Germany - DVD release (Warner Home Video (11741))

POSTER TAGS

Something wicked this way comes.

Three beautiful Witches, One lucky Devil

Three Beautiful Women. One Lucky Devil.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Las brujas de Eastwick - Argentinian / Spanish title
As Bruxas de Eastwick - Brazilian / Portugese title
Carodejky z Eastwicku - Czech title
Czarownice z Eastwick - Polish title
Az Eastwicki boszorkányok - Hungarian title
Häxorna i Eastwick - Swedish title
Die Hexen von Eastwick - West German title
Noidat - Finnish title
Les sorcières d'Eastwick - French / French Canadian title
Le streghe di Eastwick - Italian title

LINKS

INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM
Beep, Beep (1952)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
40,000 Years of Dreaming (1997)
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)
Seriously Funny: An Argument for Comedy (1996)
The Witching Hour (1996)

SEE ALSO
The Bitches of Westwood (1987)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Première September 1987 p.21 (France)
review (by Michèle Halberstadt)

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Horror (2nd edition) pp.426-427
credits, review

KEYWORDS

animals, babies, balloons, black magic, book into film, cellos, chandeliers, churches, the devil, dogs, feathers, lightning, magic, musicians, the occult, pregnancy, rain, schools, the supernatural, tennis, violins, vomiting, voodoo, witchcraft

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009