Peter Viney's Blog

The Devil Rides Out
1968

(aka The Devil’s Bride, USA)

Directed by Terence Fisher
Screenplay by Richard Matheson
Based on the novel by Dennis Wheatley

 Music by James Bernard

The 60s Retrospectives continued … 

CAST:
Christopher Lee- Nicholas, Duc de Richleau
Charles Gray – Mocata
Nike Arrighi – Tanith aka Miss Carlisle
Leon Greene – Rex van Ryan
Patrick Mower- Simon
Sarah Lawson – Marie Eaton
Paul Eddington – Richard Eaton
Rosalyn Landor- Peggy Eaton
Gwen ffrangcon Davies – The Countess
Russell Waters – Malin, the Eatons’ servant

I can recollect  the cinema in Hull where I saw it in 1968. It had the steepest rake of any cinema or theatre I’ve ever been in. Terrifying looking down the steps from the top, and far more frightening than the film itself.

There was a cultish kitsch thing about Hammer horror films of the Sixties. You went to see them in large groups and laughed about them. This one was different as Christopher Lee was playing a goodie. It made a change not to see protruding eye teeth dripping with blood. I never thought Hammer Horror held a candle to the great Universal black & white Frankenstein and Dracula films of the 1930s. However, Hammer Horror had its place, and The Devil Rides Out was at the point where the horror genre was just about to change. Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby was the same year, and set the marker for really disturbing films. It’s a genre I avoid. I’ve seen few of the classics even. The Devil Rides Out  harks back to a time when satanic forces could be defeated by a good sock on the jaw, daylight and the odd silver cross. Sometimes plain water does the trick. The American distributor changed the name to The Devil’s Bride not that it fits the story particularly.

The Devil Rides Out was based on a 1934 Dennis Wheatley novel, and Dennis Wheatley churned out vast quantities of this sort of thing, inspiring generations of heavy metal bands with the iconography (Icarus did a song called The Devil Rides Out in 1968)… though they didn’t go to a lot of trouble with the black cloth on the sacrificial altar. It was simply the signs of the zodiac. Our local library was full of Dennis Wheatley books, and I fought my way through a couple in my mid-teens.

Rex (Leon Greene) and the Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee)

There were a dozen books in the Duc de Richleau series alone.  They featured the occult expert, the Duc, his beefy, dim and sceptical sidekick Rex van Ryan (hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo, black magic!) , his young friend Simon and married pal Richard Eaton. This is the most-rated story in the series, and Christopher Lee regarded the film as one of his best roles. The preceding book, The Forbidden Territory was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock back in 1934.

The Hammer film is faithful to period, very early 1930s, or late 1920s (IMDB says 1929) judging by the splendid collection of vintage cars. One of the things that stood strongest in my memory was the Duc’s bright yellow Rolls Royce.  The DVD transfer is sharp and bright, though the soundtrack synching is poor. The English scenery (none of it far from Elstree Studios) looks sunny and clear, the houses are magnificent. Direction is taut and pacy. Judging it next to the other films in my 60s Retrospective series is difficult, because it makes no pretence to being of the 60s, nor does it have any art house inclinations anywhere. Apparently, Hammer lost money on it too.

Scene 1: Rex arrives by biplane to meet the Duc with his yellow Rolls-Royce

So what’s it about? A very cool looking Christopher Lee as the Duc (ducks, to you, but Nicholas to his friends) is seeking the son of a friend he promised to look after. This is Simon (Patrick Mower, in his first major role). The faithful tough but slightly dim sidekick, Rex van Ryan, (Leon Greene) accompanies him to Simon’s new house. Simon is  there with his twelve pals in an “astronomical group” (12+ 1 = 13) and wants Nicholas and Rex to leave right away. The Duc is suspicious and bounds upstairs to look at Simon’s telescope in the observatory, only to find a diabolic occult mosaic on the floor, and a basket of chickens in the closet ; Ah! He exclaims … A black cock and a white hen! (Let’s not go there).

As he says:

“Simon is playing the most dangerous game known to mankind …”

I laughed out loud re-watching, because I recalled the Hull accented voice calling out in 1968:

‘Bugger me! Rugby League!”

Simon wants them to leave because ‘If we stay, there’ll be more than thirteen.” (13? Geddit?) Then a black devil in an orange loincloth materializes and tries to lure Rex with his red hypnotic eyes. Fortunately a silver cross gets rid of him.  So, as one does when a pal has been groomed by a cult, they knock Simon out cold and carry him downstairs.

Tanith (Nike Arrighi), Rex (Leon Greene) and the Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee)

Rex has taken a fancy to the ethereal Tanith (Niké Arrighi, who might have given her name to the running shoes). The Duc has realized that these Satanic types take new names on joining the cult, and Tanith was a “Carthaginian Goddess” (in fact the Phoenician serpent lady, a sex and fertility goddess ; thank you, Wiki.)  The protective manly Rex remembers her as Miss Carlisle and decides to save her too. She has been groomed by a cackling countess. Who never stops cackling through various orgies and rituals. Rex goes off in the Duc’s powerful Bentley to fetch her. Unaccountably, though she is in thrall to the Master who is sending her telepathic thoughts, she goes with him.

Meanwhile, back at the Duc’s, the sleeping Simon finds himself being strangled by the protective cross around his neck, the servant takes it off and he nips through the window to return to the Master … cult leader Monsanto … or rather Mocato (Charles Gray). It is easy to confuse two Satanic things.

Rex thinks he’ll take Tanith to Richard and Marie’s delightful half-timbered country house to keep her safe; they’re ideal candidates as hosts, having a young daughter who will then be endangered. Richard is Paul “The Good Life” and “Yes Minister”  Eddington. Richard is highly sceptical throughout, enabling the actor to perfect the deeply perplexed look that was later to accompany Mr Eddington through so many successful sitcoms. As soon as Rex gets out of the car, she (still being controlled mentally by Mocato) steals the Bentley and  Rex pursues her in another vintage car. It is in fact an extremely good car chase sequence through tiny country lanes, even if the close ups of the drivers are with projected film. They manage to get Rex’s car to leap in the air after a humpback bridge. Rex car crashes when mysterious magical satanic occult mist envelopes the road, but he staggers on to Mocato’s house in pursuit.

As soon as the speeches finish, we’ll get on with the orgy …

Simon and Tanith are off to a Satanic ceremony in the night time open air. Rex smuggles himself there in the boot of one of the many exquisite vintage cars, walks to a phone box, and phones The Duc. It’s dark at the ceremony. The Duc answers with daylight outside and then drives to meet Rex, then they drive in and break up the orgy. You’d think an hour or three had passed, but it seems to be seconds. Apart from goat’s blood being poured on Tanith (no goats were harmed during the filming of this sequence), everyone seems to be having fun. The coven has African and Indian members to give it an exotic air in the orgy. In 2019 it would be ethnic balancing, but in 1968 was probably just the sort of unsavoury thing British people expected foreigners to do. BUT the Goat of Mendes or Menzies or Menthol has appeared and it is the devil! Fortunately, tossing a small metal cross at it causes it to disappear in a puff of smoke. Simple, effective, yet for some reason not used later when confronted with similar issues. It enables them to bundle Simon and Tanith into the car and retreat to Richard and Marie’s abode.

Trust me … I know Sumerian incantations

Both our victims get tucked up in bed. Tanith is guarded by burly Rex. Simon is guarded by the Prime Minister, I mean Paul Eddington, I mean Richard. But the wily Monsanto turns up at the house.  He hypnotizes Marie, possibly through the use of genetically modified eyes. Though he could detect Tanith from many miles away in the car, he needs a few clues to work out she’s right above his head. So Tanith is then forced by his telepathic willpower to stab Rex (the house is decorated with knives and swords on every wall, conveniently), but fortunately she wakes just before inserting the blade.

Rex and Tanith (Niké Arrighi) in the straw with leather thongs.

Tanith and Rex flee to a barn (she doesn’t really want to kill him), where he binds her hand and feet with leather straps, as you do, then stays to watch her carefully, whilst she’s writhing in the straw. Wispily clad victims writhing around were a Hammer Film trademark. OK. Leave that one. I will note that the posters show her as a victim in a thin petticoat. That doesn’t happen. Also some of the online stills of her writhing as a sacrifice are more explicitly underclad than in the film itself.

Then Monsanto has kidnapped the Eatons’ daughter, Peggy. Age 11. She will be the sacrificial “untainted girl” as the word “virgin” was not liked by censors pre-Richard Branson.

L to R: Simon (Patrick Mower), Richard (Paul Eddington), the Duc (Christopher Lee), Marie (Sarah Lawson)

The Duck (or Duc) draws a circle in chalk with the Lord’s Prayer in Latin. It’s not just your life you risk, he warns, it’s your very soul! He stays in the circle with Richard, Marie and Simon where they are confronted by a hairy spider, an image of Peggy and finally the Angel of Death prancing about on horseback. Yes, shit happens. A quick bit of Sumerian, or Egyptian or Carthaginian or even Phoenician, incantation rescues them from that one, though later Rex turns up with a dead Tanith in his arms. The angel can’t return without a soul.

Stay in the circle!

Off they go to confront Monsanto / Mocato who is about to sacrifice young Peggy Eaton in front of his coven. They beat him. No plot spoilers … hang on, who cares? OK, Marie channels the dead Tanith via hypnotism by the Duc.

Then time is turned back, Rex turns up with a live Tanith. She can revert to being Miss Carlisle, her name before satanic baptism.

The credits roll …

Charles Gray as Mocato

I noted contemporary reviews that felt that apart from the ever-magnificent Christopher Lee, the acting was somewhat “large.” Be fair, given the director’s note “You are a mad satanist with staring eyes in a purple nylon gown about to stab a young girl on an altar” you cannot expect the actor to think themself into a back story, or play it subtle.

Hmm – I don’t think that exact shot is in the film

I thought they all performed just as they should. The casting was good. Apart from Lee, taking Peter Cushing’s normal role, we have Charles Gray, fresh from playing Henderson in You Only Live Twice. Later he played Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever. Gray, a marvellous actor, is also a Bournemouth School For Boys old boy, like myself, Benny Hill, John Wetton, Christian Bale and Alex James from Blur.

The cast went on to greater things … Charles Gray, Paul Eddington and Patrick Mower in particular.

Niké Arrighi as Tanith

I wondered about Niké Arrighi. She is an Italian princess and oil painter now. She gave up acting in the 1970s, and married a prince, but given some of the later roles listed (Gypsy Girl, Party Guest #5, Portuguese waitress) she was unlucky in film. In an amusing example of the limits of Wiki, it notes that she paints now, and early on She moved to London where she studied Art at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. No, she didn’t. Note “Dramatic.” That’s RADA, the most famous acting school in Britain if not the World. Patrick Mower also graduated from RADA.

The soundtrack.
The flimsy petticoat appears on the poster, but NOT in the film

James Bernard’s was Hammer’s regular composer and the music is a MAJOR part of its effect. Way louder than the dialogue, single terrifying chords. Karen had not seen any of this Hammer stuff in the 60s and declared it to be crap. But she watched right through.

I enjoyed seeing it again. Nostalgia?

THE 60s REVISITED REVIEWS …

A Taste of Honey (1961)
Sparrows Can’t Sing (1963)
Tom Jones (1963)
The Fast Lady (1963)
Cat Ballou (1965)
The Ipcress File (1965)
Darling (1965)
The Knack (1965)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Morgan – A Suitable Case For Treatment (1966)
Alfie (1966)
Harper (aka The Moving Target) 1966
The Chase (1966)
The Trap (1966)
Georgy Girl (1966)
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Modesty Blaise (1966)
The Family Way (1967)
Privilege (1967)
Blow-up (1967)
Accident (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘Is Name (1967)
How I Won The War (1967)
Far From The Madding Crowd (1967)
Poor Cow (1967)
Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (1968)
The Magus (1968)
If …. (1968)
The Devil Rides Out (aka The Devil’s Bride) (1968)
Work Is A Four Letter Word (1968)
The Party (1968)
Petulia (1968)
Barbarella (1968)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Bullitt (1968)
Deadfall (1968)
The Swimmer (1968)
Theorem (Teorema) (1968)
The Magic Christian (1969)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)
Performance (1970)