Presumably, the main point of this film was to dramatize the insanity of the outbreak of accusations of witchcraft that occurred in 1692 Salem, Mass, resulting in the execution of a number of people condemned as witches. However, this theme is diluted by emphasis upon extraneous events in the first half, and by the unlikely romance between one of the accused(Claudette Colbert, as Barbara) and a renegade rebel from Virginia(Fred MacMurray, as Roger), hiding in the region of Salem. The witch trials are crammed into the last part of the film....Roger is eventually captured by forces from Virginia, and taken by boat to a prison in Virginia. But, next thing we know ,he is being chased through a woods and swamp by a group with dogs. Then, the next time we see him, he's riding a horse through Salem, dressed as a cavalier! Presumably, he had been pardoned by the new governor of Virginia. He had returned to hopefully save Barbara from execution(The rope was around her neck when he arrived!). He told the congregation the man they had seen with Barbara one evening was him, not the Devil. Surprisingly, that seemed to satisfy them. Prior to that, Barbara had tried to defend herself in court, giving a speech condemning the concept of witchcraft. However, when it was made known during her trial that her mother had been burned as a witch in England, this essentially sank her chance of acquittal....The frenzy of witchcraft accusations had begun by teenager Ann(Bonita Granville) accusing the slave Tituba of causing her to writhe. Ann later admitted that she had framed Tituba, who often dealt with the occult, because the slave had told her father that Ann had stolen her father's book on witchcraft. See it on YouTube.
Review of Maid of Salem
