The White Witch of Rose Hall was on Hammer’s slate in 1990. The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films says that it was to be based on Harold Underhill’s “voodoo novel” Jamaica White. Having read the novel, I am now wondering whether this was an error made by someone who knew of the novel and just assumed that Hammer’s film about Annie Palmer was to be based on that source. For one thing, there’s no voodoo in the novel (sorry, CMM), apart from some background colour talk about “duppies” and “Obeah”. Annie Palmer is a Jamaican legend who sounds a lot more interesting than the character depicted in the novel so perhaps Hammer’s film was based on an account other than Underhill’s, either that or it would have needed to be quite a radical adaptation. There’s a brief but interesting article on Annie Palmer here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Witch_of_Rose_Hall and lots more on the internet, including videos. There have been further attempts to film the story.
Jamaica White
Jamaica White by Harold Underhill, published by W. H. Allen in 1968. My hardback copy is a 1972 reprint for The Novelty Trading Co. Ltd. (yes, really). The Jacket design by Barbara Walton depicts a stern, purple-robed brunette holding a whip with Rose Hall in the background. The back of the jacket shows two photographs of Rose Hall itself, one in a state of ruin and the other after it was restored. The novel runs to 256 pages.
In the 1830s, James Arthur (not that one) arrives in Jamaica to take up a position as bookkeeper at the sugar plantation at Rose Hall, near Montego Bay. The plantation is owned by the widow Annie Palmer and run by Irish overseer Broderick, both perverts and sadists who enjoy orgies with the slaves as well as torturing and murdering them. For, although the slave trade has officially been abolished by the British, slavery is still being practised in Jamaica. Arthur finds that his job is to oversee the slaves in the fields and the mill. He is soon beating the slaves too and even murders one of them for sabotaging the mill. He falls in love with Annie and murders Broderick in a jealous rage before Annie is strangled by vengeful slaves.
Basically, it’s 256 pages of graphic sex, sadism and racism. For this is a very, very racist novel indeed. Even our “hero” uses, abuses and murders the blacks without much qualm. I recognise of course that the actions of characters does not necessarily correlate to authorial intentions and I am not accusing Underhill as trying to justify slavery, far from it, but he does depict the blacks as barely human, almost incapable of thought, and driven by feelings alone. It beggars belief that Hammer would genuinely have tried to make a comeback with such a tawdry bit of slavesploitation, not least because the late 80s had seen a couple of unsuccessful adaptations of the popular Dragonard novels (with Oliver Reed no less).
Could Hammer’s project have been based on a different source instead?
The White Witch of Rosehall
The White Witch of Rosehall by Herbert G. de Lisser, published by Earnest Benn Limited in 1929. My edition was published by Macmillan Caribbean in 2007, running to 261 pages in paperback. The cover illustration by Judy Ann MacMillan depicts some people outside Rosehall at night with a sort of demonic bull’s head manifesting itself out of the darkness.
In the last month of 1831, Robert Rutherford arrives at the sugar plantation of Rosehall, near Montego Bay, Jamaica, to take up his new position as book-keeper. Robert wants to learn the ins-and-outs of running a plantation so that he can take over the management of one that his father has inherited in Barbados. Rosehall is owned by thrice-widowed Annie Palmer who immediately seduces Robert. Annie’s servant’s think the Great House is haunted by the ghosts of Annie’s husbands whom she is reputed to have murdered. Robert is also loved by free, black girl Millie who acts as his housekeeper and is the grand-daughter of African witch-doctor Takoo. Annie, on learning of Millie’s relationship with Robert assaults her and banishes her from the estate. Annie was raised in Haiti and also has at her disposal voodoo powers, as a demonstration of which she causes to manifest the huge, phosphorescent Three-footed Horse of Jamaican legend. Later, Annie attacks Millie in the form of an Old Hige, a sort of vampire hag. Takoo performs a voodoo exorcism on Millie but the ceremony is interrupted by the manifestation of the Rolling-Calf - a giant bull. Robert threatens Annie that, if she does not release Millie from her curse, he will go to the authorities and charge her with practising obeah and murdering her husbands. Annie resolves to have Robert murdered before he can do this. Millie dies, her heart fatally weakened by the idea that she has been cursed. As the first act of an uprising of the slaves, Takoo leads an attack on Rosehall and strangles Annie in front of Robert even though, at the last, he tries to help her.
Now this seems much more like Hammer material with its voodoo ceremonies and demonic manifestations that fit nicely with the studios Dennis Wheatley adaptations.If this wasn’t going to be the source for the planned Hammer film it probably should have been.