DEVIL DOLL
UK, 1964, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Bryant Haliday, William Sylvester, Yvonne Romain, Sandra Dorne, Karel Stepanek, Francis de Wolff.
Directed by Lindsay Shonteff.
Devil Doll comes from a period in British film-making when small-budget horror films were becoming popular. Already, Hammer Studios had revived horror films in the late 1950s. Many more films like Devil Doll were produced in the 60s and 70s.
The film owes a great deal to Dead of Night with a hypnotist and his puppet (called Hugo as was the puppet in Dead of Night). Anthony Hopkins was to do a similar role in the 1970s in Richard Attenborough’s Magic.
Bryant Haliday is The Great Vorelli, a sinister character, who it emerges has killed one of his associates and the spirit of the dead man has gone into the doll. There is a rivalry between hypnotist and puppet as the two go on tour. The hypnotist becomes greedy, wanting to control an heiress in order to kill her and gain all her fortune. Her boyfriend, a journalist, is suspicious of the hypnotist and investigates him.
The film was directed by Lindsay Shonteff who made a number of exploitation films.
1.The impact of this British horror film? Of the 60s? Audience interest in hypnotism? Puppets – with lives of their own? Sinister uses of hypnotism?
2.The British settings, London, the countryside? The black and white photography? Musical score?
3.The portrait of The Great Vorelli? Gaunt figure, bearded? On stage, his manner, his interactions with Hugo the puppet? Sinister? Rivalry? The hypnotist putting down the puppet? The audience, Marianne and her becoming a subject for hypnosis – and her being persuaded to dance the twist on stage but not knowing? Mark and his being in the audience, his puzzle? The Great Vorelli and his relationship with Magda, as an associate on stage, the personal relationship? The jealousies? His pursuing of Marianne, going to the charity ball, the performance, Aunt Eva and the others admiring him? His decision to pursue Marianne? Confiding in Hugo? His voice in Marianne’s mind? Calling to her? The investigations and discovery of his life in Berlin, after the war, the woman and her brother associates, the death on stage of her brother, his spirit going into the puppet? The build-up to the confrontation between The Great Vorelli and his puppet? His trying to get Marianne as another puppet? Hugo, his walking, his fight with Vorelli, Vorelli going into the puppet – and Hugo released into Vorelli’s body?
4.Marianne, wealthy, her relationship with Mark, falling in love with Vorelli, the performance on stage, at her aunt’s party? The effect of Vorelli on her, her illness, hearing him in her mind, her wanting him out of her mind? The consultations with the doctors? Mark and his support? The final threats from Vorelli?
5.Mark, the decent Englishman, journalist, love for Marianne, concerned, pursuing the truth? Finding the woman from Berlin and investigating? The final confrontation with Vorelli?
6.Magda, her being the assistant, on stage, the personal relationship? Her being killed? Her successor?
7.The doctors, their expertise, their interest in hypnotism? Their concern about Marianne?
8.The supporting cast, British society of 1964? Audiences? Socialites at parties? A realistic and authentic world for this kind of horror story?
