My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always- some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Twins of Evil, The Pit and the Pendulum and many, many more.
One of the films I'd seen only in passing was the Hammer horror film 'To the Devil a Daughter.’ I'd read the book by Dennis Wheatley in my teens but couldn't remember much about it. The film I only partially remembered as it featured Christopher Lee and a young Natassja Kinski, daughter of the legendary (and later found to be highly problematic for many reasons) Klaus Kinski. I remember her being beguiling in the film but grew to know her later through Paris, Texas. With the dark nights coming in, I thought I'd give 'To the Devil a Daughter' another watch as it had been about 30 or so years since I'd last seen and read it.
The story involves a battle between good and evil, as an excommunicated priest who has turned to Satanism (Christopher Lee as the understated yet evil Father Michael) battles against those who wish to stop his nefarious plans (Richard Widmark playing it straight as occult author John Verney). They want to use a young nun (an ingenue Kinski playing as Catherine) to act as a vessel for Satan's return. There is a constant game of cat and mouse as the opposing forces battle it out during the course of the film for the control of Catherine.
I thought that the premise was interesting enough but it lacks something - a bit of personality maybe. The characters are played straight and there is no hammy acting as in some of the earlier Hammer horror films but it feels very straight-laced and uptight. However, with many great British actors from the time, including a glamorous Honour Blackman and a suitably sweaty Denholm Elliot, so there is still a benchmark of quality.
It's an effective story, feeding into the whole 'Satanic Panic' that emerged from the counter-culture movement in the 1970s but lacks the bite of 'The Exorcist' or 'Rosemary's Baby'. However, the stock footage of old London is quaint and gives me a feeling of nostalgia, even though I was born 5 years after the film was made, as there were many buildings and sights I recognised, even though modern skyscrapers now dominate the skyline.
Overall, it's a strange film and was to be Hammer horror's last before it went into hibernation for over 30 years. It’s an interesting curio and well worth your time.
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