Night of the Demon (1957)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

M.R. James (story)
Charles Bennett (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

July 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Who will be the next in line to defy the curse?

Plot:

Dr. John Holden ventures to London to attend a paranormal psychology symposium with the intention to expose devil cult leader...

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Curse | London | Witchcraft | Demon

Cast

Dana Andrews	...	Dr. John Holden
Peggy Cummins	...	Joanna Harrington
Niall MacGinnis	...	Dr. Julian Karswell
Maurice Denham	...	Professor Henry Harrington
Athene Seyler	...	Mrs. Karswell
Liam Redmond	...	Professor Mark O'Brien
Reginald Beckwith	...	Mr. Meek
Ewan Roberts	...	Lloyd Williamson
Peter Elliott	...	Professor K.T. Kumar
Rosamund Greenwood	...	Mrs. Meek
Brian Wilde	...	Rand Hobart
Richard Leech	...	Inspector Mottrarn
Lloyd Lamble	...	Detective Simmons
Peter Hobbes	...	Superintendent
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Chemist (as Charles Lloyd-Pack)

Also Known As:

Curse of the Demon (USA) (recut version)
Haunted

Runtime:

95 min | USA:83 min (cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #18459)

Filming Locations:

Associated British Picture Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Sabre Film Production

Trivia:

In interviews regarding this film, Dana Andrews credits the story to Oliver Onions. The story is actually based on "Casting the Runes" by M.R. James.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Harrington hits and destroys the power-line pole, the charge meant to separate the upper and lower half actually explodes blowing out smoke and debris instead of simply cracking the pole.

Quotes:

Dr. John Holden: Well, what do you expect me to do? Nobody's free from fear. I have an imagination like anyone else. It's easy to see a demon in every dark corner. But I refuse to let this thing take possession of my good senses. If this world is ruled by demons and monsters we may as well give up right now.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ghost Rider (2007)

To demon or not to demon

I thought I had heard awhile back that Jacques Tourneur didn't want to show the demon. Does anybody know if this is so? Having worked with Val Lewton, this would seem possible. If so, it's a shame Tourneur isn't around to put a director's cut on the DVD instead of Curse Of The Demon which is a little redundant being on the same DVD as Night Of The Demon. I found the demon scary when I was 12 years old and would not have enjoyed the film as much without it. Now, of course, the film would seem better without it. The atmosphere of Tourneur's work that I've seen; this,I Walked With A Zombie, Out Of The Past, and that Twighlight Zone episode (one of the best) of the elderly lady getting calls from her deceased husband consistently has that great nocturnal, shadowy and mysterious quality to it. This body of work alone is enough to make him one of my favorite directors. Even if this isn't one of Dana Andrews best performances, his stubborn skepticism is convincing enough to contrast nicely with Carswell's over politeness. As old horror movies go; this ranks up there with The (original) Haunting, Eyes Without A Face, Black Sunday and early Universals as the best among the old black and whites for me. Strangely enough, I happened to have watched it earlier this (yesterday now) evening October 28th which IS the night of the demon. Coincidence? **** out of *****