The Devil Rides Out **** (1968, Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Patrick Mower, Paul Eddington, Sarah Lawson) – Classic Movie Review 1,938

Director Terence Fisher’s thrilling and scary 1968 Hammer Films occult horror film The Devil Rides Out stars Christopher Lee, who relishes being cast against type as the hero Duc de Richleau, and Charles Gray as the powerful, evil satanist Mocata.

At his home somewhere in the English countryside, Richleau welcomes his loyal old friend Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene) who has flown in to meet him with the son of a recently passed old friend, young Englishman Simon Aron (Patrick Mower). Soon Richleau learns that 12 mysterious guests are members of a satanic cult and that Simon and his friend, foreign beauty Tanith Carlisle (Niké Arrighi) will be baptised by the Satanists’ leader Mocata to serve the Devil. Finally Richleau and Mocata end up fighting a battle to the death over the souls of  Simon and Tanith.

In Hammer’s devilishly suspenseful adaptation of the 1934 Dennis Wheatley black magic novel, fair maidens are to be sacrificed at a 13-member coven, a giant spider arrives to take away a little girl, the Devil appears in a supporting role and time itself is severely warped. Richleau combines with Simon and married couple Richard and Marie Eaton (Paul Eddington and Sarah Lawson) to form a magic circle, where they spend the night to try to rid the world of the Devil.

Lee and Gray shine brilliantly in well-honed, understated performances as each other’s alter ego and nemesis, investing their distinguished turns with just the right gravitas. Though the movie has a 1950s feel about it, it’s made in the 1960s and set in April and May 1929 with vintage cars of the twenties about the only reminders of the period of the setting.

With a fine and imaginative screenplay by Richard Matheson and Fisher’s stylish direction, everything is just right in this movie, though of course it cries out for a remake with today’s special effects.

Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Rosalyn Landor, Russell Waters and Keith Pyott co-star.

Lee says it is his favourite Hammer film. It was made at his insistence, and he was hoping for a Wheatley franchise, which alas didn’t happen as the box office wasn’t brilliant. In America, the film required $1,150,000 in rentals to break even, but by December 1970 it made only $575,000, making it a loss to 20th Century Fox. On the other hand, it was cheap to make, on a budget of only £285,000.

It is called The Devil’s Bride in the US because they thought The Devil Rides Out sounded like a Western.

The Devil Rides Out is directed by Terence Fisher, runs 95 minutes, is made by Hammer Film Productions and Seven Arts Productions, is distributed by Warner-Pathé (UK) 20th Century Fox (US), is written by Richard Matheson, based on the novel The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley, is shot by Arthur Grant, is produced by Anthony Nelson Keys, and is scored by James Bernard.

Release dates: 20 July 1968 (UK) and 18 December 1968 (US).

It is the final film produced by Seven Arts Productions as the company merged with Warner Bros as Warner Bros.-Seven Arts on 15 July 1967.

Leon Greene’s voice is dubbed by Sarah Lawson’s husband Patrick Allen, who also did the voiceover for the UK trailer.

The film offers a rare good movie chance for Sarah Lawson, as Richleau’s niece Marie Eaton, hypnotised by Mocata and possessed by the spirit of Tanith, bringing her back to life and saving her own kidnapped daughter.

Fisher directed Lawson again, along with her husband and Christopher Lee, in the sci-fi thriller Night of the Big Heat (1967),

Gert Fröbe was considered for Mocata before Charles Gray was chosen. Both men were Bond villains: Gert Fröbe in Goldfinger and Charles Gray in Diamonds are Forever, Goldfinger and so was Christopher Lee in The Man with the Golden Gun.

English film, TV and stage actress and audio book narrator Rosalyn Landor (born 7 October 1958) began her career at the age of nine in The Devil Rides Out. As of 2023, she is still working.

The great Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee died on June 7, 2015, aged 93.

Sarah Lawson was born on 6 August 1928 and died on 18 August 2023, aged 95.

The cast are Christopher Lee as Nicholas, Duc de Richleau, Charles Gray as Mocata, Niké Arrighi as Tanith Carlisle, Leon Greene (dubbed by Patrick Allen) as Rex Van Ryn, Patrick Mower as Simon Aron, Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Countess d’Urfe, Sarah Lawson as Marie Eaton, Paul Eddington as Richard Eaton, Rosalyn Landor as Peggy Eaton, Russell Waters as Malin, Eddie Powell as The Goat of Mendes, Yemi Ajibade as The African, and Keith Pyott.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1,938

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