16mm sound print of "Häxan: Witchcraft through the Ages" as narrated by Burroughs (1922/1968)

London, England: Antony Balch (16mm sound film), 1968 (after an original 1922 silent-film release).
12.25" diameter, three 1,200 ft reels, 16mm single-perf with magnetic strip.

Häxan: Witchcraft through the Ages, a 16mm black-and-white sound film prepared by British filmmaker and director Antony Balch, a re-release and edit of the 1922 35mm original Swedish silent film by Danish-born filmmaker Benjamin Christiansen. This print is on three 1,200 ft. reels, and includes the original British Board of Film Sensors rating.  This 1968 version was produced by Antony Balch, and was narrated by William S. Burroughs. The musical score was composed by Daniel Humair, recorded at Studios Europasoner (Paris). It was performed by Jean-Luc Ponty (violin), Michel Portal (flute), Bernard Lubat (piano organ), Guy Pedersen (double bass), and Daniel Humair (percussion).

The 1922 film was the brainchild of Danish director Benjamin Christensen, who wanted to create an original film rather than an adaptation of existing literature. He was deeply interested in the history of witchcraft and spent significant time between 1919 and 1921 conducting meticulous research. His primary source of inspiration was the Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches), an infamous 15th-century German guide for inquisitors. Christensen included a lengthy bibliography in the original playbill at the film's premiere to underscore its scholarly basis.

Christensen secured funding from the large Swedish production company Svensk Filmindustri, which promised him complete artistic freedom—something he felt local Danish studios could not offer. The production was a grand undertaking, with a total cost of nearly two million Swedish kronor (SEK), making it the most expensive Scandinavian silent film at the time. Although produced by a Swedish company, the film was shot entirely in Denmark, in the refurbished Astra film studio in Hellerup. Filming began in February 1921 and lasted until October of the same year, a lengthy production period for the era.

Post-production took another year, and Häxan premiered simultaneously in four Swedish cities on September 18, 1922. The film, which features dramatic vignettes and historical slides to connect medieval superstitions with the modern (for the 1920s) diagnosis of hysteria, was both critically acclaimed in Denmark and Sweden and highly controversial internationally. It was banned outright in the United States and heavily censored in other countries due to its graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion, as well as its anti-clerical themes. 

In the late 1960s, Burroughs' friend and collaborator (Towers Open Fire, The Cut-Ups, Bill and Tony) took an interest in Häxan. He asked Burroughs to provide narration, primarily based on the original inter-titles, many of which were cut in the edit. Some additional cuts to the original 1922 film were also made, likely to assuage British censors. A new score composed by percussionist Daniel Humair and performed by Jean Luc-Ponty and his band was added. 

The Balch shortened version with Burroughs' voice-over premiered in November 1968 at London's Times Cinema, paired with Un Chien Andalou (1929) by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. Initial release in the US was in February 1970. 

This print, in beautiful condition, was acquired from a private collector in Beaverton, Oregon. Images shown of the projected film were provided by the previous owner.

External Links: 

• YouTube: Häxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages (narrated by William S. Burroughs)