Widely regarded as one of the best British films ever made, it is a tantalizing and strange mix of horror, thriller and musical with one of the most memorable endings in cinema history.
As The Wicker Man celebrates its 50th anniversary, superstar Britt Ekland, who played the mysterious female lead, has spoken of her pride in the film's longevity.
The plot is a sinister tale of a police officer lured to a remote island community, and the story builds to its unforgettable climax in picturesque locations in south-west Scotland.
However, Ms. Ekland, now 81, remains a little sad about the famous dance scene in which a stripper acted as her body double.
She said: 'At the time I made some comments about how difficult the film was and it was interpreted that I had bad feelings towards it.
Widely regarded as one of the best British films ever made, it is a tantalizing and strange mix of horror, thriller and musical with one of the most memorable endings in cinema history.
As The Wicker Man celebrates its 50th anniversary, superstar Britt Ekland, who played the mysterious female lead, has spoken of her pride in the film's longevity.
The plot is a sinister tale of a police officer lured to a remote island community, and the story builds to its unforgettable climax in picturesque locations in south-west Scotland. However, Ms. Ekland, now 81, remains a little sad about the famous dance scene in which a stripper acted as her body double.
'The reality is that the filming took place when I was young, alone and pregnant. It was a very hard shoot and anyone who took part would say the same.
'We walked for hours and hours to reach remote cliffs for some scenes. But time changes things and I'm proud of the film because people love it so much.”
Ms Ekland has had a stellar career, including starring in the James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun a year after the release of The Wicker Man.
The film, which also starred horror icon Christopher Lee, hit theaters on December 6, 1973 and has now been re-released for its 50th anniversary. It retains the naked dance scene and Ms Ekland said: 'I didn't ask for a body double.
'I had no problem dancing naked, but I didn't want my butt photographed.
'When I went to London on my day off, they brought in a local stripper. I didn't know anything about it.
'When I saw that part of the film, I was shocked. Not only did she look nothing like me, but her body didn't look anything like mine either. Her butt was huge and it was embarrassing.
“At the time, no one believed in the movie except Christopher Lee, who absolutely loved it. He always said it was the best thing he had ever done.
'However, I have only seen the film for the second time this year and I found it entertaining and intriguing.'
She added of the film's conclusion: 'It's really shocking and that's the appeal of the film. There aren't many films from that period that still have such a profile today. I'm very happy that I was able to be part of that.'
The film, which also starred horror icon Christopher Lee, hit theaters on December 6, 1973 and has now been re-released for its 50th anniversary. It retains the naked dance scene and Ms Ekland said: 'I didn't ask for a body double (2019 photo)