William Marshall, born in 1924 in San Francisco, made a significant impact on cult cinema with his performances in Blacula (1972) and Scream Blacula Scream (1973). His portrayal of the titular character brought a unique gravitas to the genre, blending horror with a poignant exploration of race. Marshall also appeared in Abby (1974), further cementing his status in the exploitation film landscape. With a background in theater, including roles in Shakespearean productions, he infused his film work with a commanding presence that resonates in the cult film community.
Abby
The film's use of the Yoruba religion distinguishes it from The Exorcist. In the story, Abby is apparently possessed by Eshu, a West African orisha of chaos and whirlwinds. He is also a trickster and the guardian of roads, particularly crossroads. In the opening scene of the film, Dr. Garrett Williams (William Marshall) explains to his students, "Eshu is the most powerful of all earthly deities. Eshu is a trickster, creator of whirlwinds... chaos." While on an archaeological dig in a cave in Nigeria, Dr. Williams finds a small, ebony puzzle box, carved with the symbols of Eshu: the whirlwind, the cock's comb, and the erect phallus. When Dr. Williams discovers the mechanism to open the box and unlatches it, a tremendous wind blasts out, knocking Dr. Williams and his men against the cave walls and floor. The spirit released by Dr. Williams crosses the Atlantic to Louisville, Kentucky to the new home of Dr. Williams' son, Emmett Williams (Terry Carter) and Abby Williams (Carol Speed). Why and how the spirit travels the globe is not explained. After Abby becomes possessed, her behavior becomes exponentially bizarre and dangerous. In the movie, the dialogue doesn't specify whether the spirit inside Abby is Eshu. The plot's final resolution leaves the point unclear. In And You Call Yourself A Scientist, Elizabeth A. Kingsley wrote "from a theological point of view, the final section of Abby is quite fascinating. Toward the end of the film, having spent some time taking the demon's measure, Garret decides that it is not in fact Eshu, but a rather pathetic Eshu wannabe... who presumably was imprisoned by Eshu." Living with her pious pastor husband, and her equally religious mother, the polite Christian marriage counsellor, Abby, is about to have a close encounter with the supernatural, when her archaeologist father-in-law, Bishop Garnet Williams, inadvertently unleashes an ancient spirit.
