Abby (film)

Abby
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Girdler
Written by	G. Cornell Layne
Produced by	William Girdler Mike Henry G. Cornell Layne
Starring	Carol Speed William Marshall Terry Carter Austin Stoker
Cinematography	William Asman
Edited by	Henry Asman Corky Ehlers
Music by	Robert O. Ragland
Distributed by	American International Pictures
Release date	December 25, 1974 (1974-12-25)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$100,000 (inflated figure reported as $472,529)
Box office	$2.6 million[1]

Abby is a 1974 American blaxploitation supernatural horror film about a woman who is possessed by a Yoruba sex spirit. The film stars Carol Speed as the title character, William H. Marshall and Terry Carter. It was directed by William Girdler, who co-wrote the film's story with screenwriter Gordon Cornell Layne.

The film was a financial success, considering its modest budget at the time. It grossed $4 million in a month, but was pulled from theaters after the film's distributor, American International Pictures, was accused of copyright violation by Warner Bros., which saw the film as being derivative of The Exorcist and filed a lawsuit against AIP.^[2] Girdler himself told the Louisville Courier Journal: "Sure, we made Abby to come in on the shirttail of The Exorcist." The film is also inspired by 1968's Rosemary's Baby.^[3]