Lisa and the Devil [Lisa e il diavolo] *** (1973, Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Alida Valli, Sylva Koscina) – Classic Movie Review 8936

Italian horror maestro Mario Bava directed his horror film Lisa and the Devil [Lisa e il diavolo] (1973) in Spain between 10 September and 28 November 1972, though it was never properly released as there was no joy in gaining a distributor.

So in 1975 producer Sergio Leone re-cut and re-edited it, and renamed it The House of Exorcism with footage newly shot between 2 April and 18 April 1974 involving Robert Alda as a priest and a demon-possessed Lisa. The original cut was edited and used as flashback material to surround the The Exorcist-style possession/ exorcism story. Bava’s original film Lisa and the Devil also received a very limited theatrical release, as well as TV showings.

The now restored, much more coherent, much more satisfying version features Telly Savalas as Leandro the butler in an old dark house, Elke Sommer as Lisa, the woman who discovers a creepy mannequin of herself, and Alida Valli as the Countess, the head of a house of horrors where there are satanic goings-on among the wax dummies.

Bava’s tongue-in-cheek attitude to his bizarre material is refreshing and amusing, the film is full of arresting images, and the cool, lollipop-sucking Savalas gets by with a devilish twinkle in his eye. But be prepared for some wooden acting. And, with poor dubbing and some non-sequiturs in the plot too, it is not one of Bava’s best, though it is still fascinating.

Also in the cast are Robert Alda (The House of Exorcism), Gabriele Tinti, Alessio Orano, Kathleen Leone, Eduardo Fajardo, Franz von Treuberg and Espartaco Santoni.

Lisa and the Devil [Lisa e il Diavolo [The House of Exorcism] Mario Bava, runs 95 minutes, is made by Leone International, Euro America Produzioni Cinematografiche, Roxy Film and Tecisa, is released by Procinor (1974) (Spain) and Allied Artists Pictures (1975) (US), is written by Mario Bava and Alfredo Leone, is shot by Cecilio Paniagua, is produced by Sergio Leone, is scored by Carlo Savina and is designed by Nedo Azzini.

The film was shot without sound and the dialogue was dubbed in after principal photography. It was shot at Barcelona Airport, Madrid, and Toledo.

Savalas added the lollipop-sucking habit to his character as he had recently quit smoking and used the lollipops as an alternative. They became a popular character trait on his next job, the American TV show Kojak (1973).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8936

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Elke Sommer in Lisa and the Devil [Lisa e il diavolo] (1973).