NIGHT OF THE DEMON (CURSE OF THE DEMON)
UK, 1957, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall Mac Ginnis, Athene Seyler, Liam Redmond, Maurice Denham.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur.
The Curse of the Demon/The Night of the Demon is an excellent small horror thriller with an emphasis on the supernatural. Made in the late fifties, it was ahead of its time and would have found its place in the trends of the seventies.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur, who had worked with Val Lewton in the forties in such films as Cat People, the Leopard Man and I Walked With a Zombie. The film, set in England, has contemporary atmosphere as well as an eerie opening towards the influence of evil and the Devil. The special effects used for the actual appearance of the demon are quite effective especially with his destruction of the villain played by Niall Mac Ginnis and a train crash.
Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins were rather ordinary in the leads but there was a strong English supporting cast to give the film value, with Athene Seyler as MacGinnis' sister. Not only is the plot effective and the suspense taut, but the exploration of the supernatural and the playing of God and Evil is interesting and effective.
1. Audience interest in horror stories? The appeal of horror - the visualising of the unknown, evil? Shocks and fright, fear, mystery? How successful a horror film was this?
2. Audience interest in Satanism, witches, the Devil himself? The age-old images of evil, antiquity and folklore? Their seemingly remote, seeing them in modern contexts? The credibility of Satan in the contemporary world? The use of Stonehenge and its history and its mystery, Runic letters and their power, the drawings of the Devil and witchcraft from early times and the Middle Ages?
3. The title of the film and audience response to it, the actual visualising of the devil at the beginning, the suggestion of fire and his reappearance at the end? The technical success of the visualising of the Devil? Contribution to the plot, the effect on the audience? Its linking with traditional drawings and appearances?
4. The atmosphere of the opening with Karswell and his Satanism, yet his being the modern English gentleman with an agreeable mother? Harrington and the sense of urgency in his driving? The fear just prior to his death, the appearance of the Devil himself and Harrington's death? The background of Devil-worship, the publicity and the investigation and the diabolical revenge?
5. The film's presentation of Karswell as magician? the scenes with the children and his playfulness yet the transition to his creating the storm? His presence and appearance, especially his beard? The encounters with John and Joanna? His passing the runic letters in the British Museum? The atmosphere of magic, the seance? His friendship with his mother yet his gradual threat to her and the audience seeing how sinister he was? The incident with the cat attacking John in his house? His getting away scot free at the end - the comic touches in his evading getting the letters from John? His relying on his power, wealth? And yet the fragility of his power and his foolishly taking the letters? The Devil not being faithful to his own and taking him?
6. The contrast with the ordinary world? psychologists, conventions about hypnotism, the investigation? The plane and John attempting to sleep, Joanna and her writing? Their encounters, talk? And the transition because of the Harrington connection? John and his rationalism but his curiosity, going to the British Museum, the encounter with Karswell, the prophecy about his death, the pages missing from his diary and the similarities of his experience with that of Harrington? The séance and Harrington's voice?
7. The background of the police and their interrogations, presence - the ordinary world of law, order and investigation?
8. Joanna as heroine, as niece to Harrington, in love with John? Her help, her presence at Karswell's party, arranging the séance, her finally being captured and luring John to the train? The happy ending?
9. The very British touch of having Mrs Karswell - her genial presence, her knowledge of what her son was doing, her ignorance? At the party and the ice cream? At the seance and her urgency in wanting to help? Finally at home and her wanting to be rid of the evil?
10. The importance of the visit to the criminal's family, their witchcraft background, signing the document, the build-up to the criminal's coming to the convention, the hypnosis, his experiencing the night of the Demon and his suicide? This sequence in the atmosphere of Karswell's magic, the experience of the seance (and the ironic humour of the personalities at the seance?)
11. The build-up of suspense, fear, John in the woods, searching Karswell's house and being attacked, being chased by the Devil's ball of fire? The build-up of time, trying to get the letters across to Karswell?
12. The build-up of the ending and the appearance of Satan, his killing of Karswell and its being linked with the trains and death on the railway lines?
13. The possibility and plausibility of such a story? The value of imagining this kind of story?
