Thanks Tony for a marvellous review of my favourite Hammer film! Richard Matheson's screenplay really honed down Dennis Wheatley's rather verbose novel. A great shame that TDRO wasn't successful at the box office because Christopher Lee persuaded Wheatley to let Hammer have the rights to his most of his black magic novels including, 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg' and 'The Satanist'. Hammer did of course film, 'To The Devil A Daughter'in 1976, as one of their last films. Not a patch on TDRO but not bad either and Chris Lee was back as the evil Father Rayner. Hammer's 'The Lost Continent' in 1968 was fun but it was not one of Wheatley's better books either. When I originally read TDRO in the late 60's and had not seen the film, I pictured Peter Cushing as the Duc De Richleau not Chris Lee as the the Duc as Wheatley describes him is a rather slight man. Chris did make a rather commanding presence (as he always did) in the film though as did Charles Gray as the Crowleyesque Moccata. I think Terence Fisher described Gray's performance as "the charm of evil". I sincerely hope that TDRO is never remade particularly by flavour of the month horror reimaginer, Mike Flanagan, whose 'horror' films are truly horrible..and not in the good sense.
Wheatley was so incensed by the screen version of To The Devil A Daughter he insisted Hammer were never to make one of his books into a film again. He needn't have worried, because Hammer folded as far as theatrical releases were concerned and by 1977 he was dead. Hammer, the brand name anyway, resurfaced again in 2008 with Wake Wood. Apparently, the Amicus brand is due to return soon - so The Guardian newspaper reports. It will never be the same, of course not, but it's good to see the old dogs legacy kept alive, even if it is in name only. Thanks for commenting, Mike. Appreciated. T.
Absolute classic, Tony, and a nicely edited review too. I'm not getting notifications from the YT rotters, BTW. One of the best Hammers with great casting choices, particularly suave but sinister Charles Gray. That creepy voice and those mesmeric cold blue eyes were essential for the Ipsissimus role. Niall MacGinnis could've reprised his Night of the Demon role at a pinch too, I suppose. Agree with Christopher Lee about the quaint superimposition/bloke in a costume creature effects which probably cost a bomb in the 60s but now look a bit naff, but the film in general couldn't be improved otherwise. Still creepy and atmospheric if watched today. It was Patrick Mowers film debut role and he must've been pis*ed it wasn't a big hit. Loved watching him as Cross in the old Callan series (replacing the Toby Mears role?) Unless my memory's up the shoot I remember him in a Chinese Traid-themed series as a late 70's/early 80s kid. No sign of such a thing on G**gle so maybe it's early-onset senility. Cheers and cheerio. P.S. Congrats on reaching 2,000 subs, Tony. Not your primary concern I'm sure (especially as videos of pugs being dressed can get millions of views).
Yeah, thanks, Clive. 2000 subs. I've calculated that at this rate, should it continue, I'll have 50,000 subscribers by my 111th birthday. Something to look forward to. So, you're right, not my primary concern. No notifications? If you've got notifications switched on I have no idea what the problem might be. Unless YT just don't like me. Don't think Mower was in Gangsters - Maurice (Howards Way) Colbourne was the lead. He died youngish of a heart attack aged 49. Many thanks for commenting and your continued support. Appreciated. T.
Perfect timing for this one Tony, just in time for May Eve ‘one of the great Sabbath’s of the year’ (best said in Christopher Lee’s voice though!). Big fan of this since childhood and read the book a number of times, which Richard Matheson did a superb job in streamlining down to working film script. Hammer we’re making another Dennis Wheatley adaption at the same time called The Lost Continent (which I’ve never seen). They would later make To The Devil a Daughter with Christopher Lee (back in villian mode) with Richard Widmark in the role that would have been normally have been played by Peter Cushing trying to save the soul of young nun played by the a young Nastasja Kinski. Wheatley hated it, it was too modern and genuinely quite nasty at times and sadly didn’t save the studio turning it into the their last horror film until the their resurrection in 2000’s. Great review as a ways Tony!!
I remember seeing To the Devil a Daughter after Devil Rides Out and being hugely disappointed. They were trying for an Omen/Exorcist vibe but fell flat, even the gratuitously gory scenes were sub-par and certainly lacked the coolness of the Omen scenes - the decapitation by sheet of glass and impalement by metal spike being classics of the genre. Think how many great ficton novels and film screenplays Richard Matheson had a hand in? The go-to guy for sci-fi/fantasy adaptations.
I was disappointed with the first time I saw sometime in the late 90’s on TV, but a decade or so later I re-watched it and actually quite liked it, flaws and all. Lee was particularly good in it, the Hammer House of Horror Episode ‘Guardian if the Abyss’ had a few references to both Devils Rides Out and ….A Daughter in it making a fun watch. Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay for Night of the Eagle I think also, another favourite 60’s horror classic.
@@jnrazic Yes, Night of the Eagle was on Talking Pictures TV recently. A slow-burner and rather dated, but Peter Wyngarde - even pre-Department S campness - is watchable and the plot's interesting. The Hammer House of Horror series were rather good for TV dramas and, like you say, had some knowing hints to classic horror - and Peter Cushing in one of them, I recall.
The Peter Cushing episode was called Silent Scream if I remember, He played a former Nazi doctor who still carrying out his experiments in unsuspecting subjects, one who played a very young Brian Cox ( the actor obviously!). I seem to remember a young Pierce Brosnan popping up in an episode too. Might need to give the whole series a rewatch at some point.
Miss Kinski was fourteen when the film went into production in 1975. She appeared fully nude in the movie and how Hammer got away with that I'll never know. It was a troubled shoot. Screenwriter Christopher Wicking thought it a chaotic mess and Richard Widmark got so frustrated he threatened to leave on numerous occasions. Dennis Wheatley called it "obscene." So, not perhaps the best pedigree. i saw it when it was released around 1977 and I have never seen it since. Might be due a re-watch. Thanks for commenting, jnrazic, always a pleasure to read. T.
One of my favourite Hammer films of all time, an annual watch. There was talk in the late 80s or 90s about Joe Dante doing a remake, recasting Christopher Lee in the same role and with better fx for the pentagram scene. Never happened but might have been good. This is still an absolute classic, though.
Man, see ESOTERICA channel. I think his name is Dr. Justin Sledge. He mentions the 4th dimension angle to this movie. The Devil Rides Out is profound. I'm working on doing the same thing that Christopher Lee & friends did in this movie. It's been years but I recall that Mocata had them where he wanted them and there was no escape so Lee & friends went back in time for hours or days and did it over again because they had to. Soon after the end of this movie Lee & friends will realize that they were in 2 places at the same time for awhile and they'll just have to accept that fact and live with it. I think the past can be changed
It was a shame that Hammer never got to make 'I am Legend' due to the censors making a fuss. Also it would have been great to see them tackle an HP Lovecraft tale, 'At the Mountains of Madness' perhaps?
Hammer's failure to produce the I Am Legend script is a great loss to horror/fantasy cinema. I'd have loved to see their version of the story. Thanks for commenting, Peter. Appreciated. T.
Another good review TB The last thing you said before you left was Christopher Lee said they should remake this for modern audience I'm going to disagree with that they're the screw it up anyway leave it as it is a classic
The Class of Hammer studios…British Satanic cults are especially creepy!.. but the local Texas satanic cult of Ride with the Devil aren’t much better but they have very different styles..great review 🍷cheers
There was actually a flourishing of Pagan cult worship including Wicca and outright satanism in Britain from the mid-60s and into the 70s alongside the general counter-culture/ anti-authority vibe of the era. The easier availability of mind-altering drugs might have helped too, man.
The Devil Rides Out... Ye Ha! Er, better change the name for the North American release to "The Devil's Bride", just in case audiences mistake it for another Western Flick. This reminds me of "The Madness of King George III" being renamed "The Madness of King George", because North American test audiences hadn't seen the first two films. (Maybe just an urban myth). Excellent review Tony. Devil (By any other name) is a fun romp. The intended orgy scene was drastically changed due it being filmed in the middle of soddened field, at night, in the bloody freezing cold
Another of Christopher Lee's classic films The Wicker Man was also filmed at an unseasonably chilly time of year and trees in bloom were moved into scenes to make Summer Isle appear summery. The Wicker Man night-time orgy scene was filmed but the air was so frigid the couples were literally embracing to keep warm!
Apparently not a myth (of course the distributing people knew here were no other 2 films, but they were afraid the audience would assume those were sequel numerals and be confused, and that King George is pretty famous as the independence war one so they could just get away with "King George").
Great review of one of many hammer classics. Target. Football manager wrote that. Whose name evades me. Cracking series. I like TDRO idea of remake awful. Probably set in NY with all Americans. And OTT special effects -like the awful Jan devbont remake The haunting. I think cast really good Nicci riiccci particularly fetching. And the girl in it appears in excellent Guardians of the abyss (Hammer mystery and suspense ) 80 I think one of best episodes anyway. Great review of hammer at professional peak
I've never had root canal work done. I opted to have a tooth removed instead. Watching the re-make of 'The Haunting was the closest experience, although I think the nauseous feeling from root canal work would have remitted sooner. It's a complete bust as a film.
@@CaminoAir What is it, I wonder, that makes sub-standard talents look upon a classic cinematic masterpiece and think: "you know what, room for improvement there and I'm just the genius to do it?" I mean, no one looks at plays by Shakespeare or paintings by Rembrandt and realistically thinks: "Hand me that quill/paintbrush, I'll rewrite that play/re-paint that painting because it's just not up to snuff." Or if they do, someone or something, like the voice of reason or common sense intervenes to put them off. Movies, though, a whole different aspect of hell.
Always fun for a chance to see Lee playing the good guy role in his long storied career !
Yes, indeed, Keith. Thanks for commenting. T.
This and theatre of blood are my comfort movies. Christopher Lee always brought gravitas and class whatever role he was in
He certainly did, Feisty Fairy. Thank you for commenting. Appreciated. T.
@@tonybush555 i really enjoyed your video, want to start working through your other
@@fiestyfairy4471 Interested in seeing your future comments. Many thanks. T.
Thanks Tony for a marvellous review of my favourite Hammer film! Richard Matheson's screenplay really honed down Dennis Wheatley's rather verbose novel. A great shame that TDRO wasn't successful at the box office because Christopher Lee persuaded Wheatley to let Hammer have the rights to his most of his black magic novels including, 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg' and 'The Satanist'. Hammer did of course film, 'To The Devil A Daughter'in 1976, as one of their last films. Not a patch on TDRO but not bad either and Chris Lee was back as the evil Father Rayner. Hammer's 'The Lost Continent' in 1968 was fun but it was not one of Wheatley's better books either.
When I originally read TDRO in the late 60's and had not seen the film, I pictured Peter Cushing as the Duc De Richleau not Chris Lee as the the Duc as Wheatley describes him is a rather slight man. Chris did make a rather commanding presence (as he always did) in the film though as did Charles Gray as the Crowleyesque Moccata. I think Terence Fisher described Gray's performance as "the charm of evil".
I sincerely hope that TDRO is never remade particularly by flavour of the month horror reimaginer, Mike Flanagan, whose 'horror' films are truly horrible..and not in the good sense.
Wheatley was so incensed by the screen version of To The Devil A Daughter he insisted Hammer were never to make one of his books into a film again. He needn't have worried, because Hammer folded as far as theatrical releases were concerned and by 1977 he was dead. Hammer, the brand name anyway, resurfaced again in 2008 with Wake Wood. Apparently, the Amicus brand is due to return soon - so The Guardian newspaper reports. It will never be the same, of course not, but it's good to see the old dogs legacy kept alive, even if it is in name only. Thanks for commenting, Mike. Appreciated. T.
Great flick and great review on it. A good f*cking May Day to you, Tony.
And to you, Vitor. T.
Absolute classic, Tony, and a nicely edited review too. I'm not getting notifications from the YT rotters, BTW.
One of the best Hammers with great casting choices, particularly suave but sinister Charles Gray. That creepy voice and those mesmeric cold blue eyes were essential for the Ipsissimus role. Niall MacGinnis could've reprised his Night of the Demon role at a pinch too, I suppose. Agree with Christopher Lee about the quaint superimposition/bloke in a costume creature effects which probably cost a bomb in the 60s but now look a bit naff, but the film in general couldn't be improved otherwise. Still creepy and atmospheric if watched today.
It was Patrick Mowers film debut role and he must've been pis*ed it wasn't a big hit. Loved watching him as Cross in the old Callan series (replacing the Toby Mears role?) Unless my memory's up the shoot I remember him in a Chinese Traid-themed series as a late 70's/early 80s kid. No sign of such a thing on G**gle so maybe it's early-onset senility. Cheers and cheerio.
P.S. Congrats on reaching 2,000 subs, Tony. Not your primary concern I'm sure (especially as videos of pugs being dressed can get millions of views).
Yeah, thanks, Clive. 2000 subs. I've calculated that at this rate, should it continue, I'll have 50,000 subscribers by my 111th birthday. Something to look forward to. So, you're right, not my primary concern. No notifications? If you've got notifications switched on I have no idea what the problem might be. Unless YT just don't like me. Don't think Mower was in Gangsters - Maurice (Howards Way) Colbourne was the lead. He died youngish of a heart attack aged 49. Many thanks for commenting and your continued support. Appreciated. T.
Perfect timing for this one Tony, just in time for May Eve ‘one of the great Sabbath’s of the year’ (best said in Christopher Lee’s voice though!). Big fan of this since childhood and read the book a number of times, which Richard Matheson did a superb job in streamlining down to working film script. Hammer we’re making another Dennis Wheatley adaption at the same time called The Lost Continent (which I’ve never seen). They would later make To The Devil a Daughter with Christopher Lee (back in villian mode) with Richard Widmark in the role that would have been normally have been played by Peter Cushing trying to save the soul of young nun played by the a young Nastasja Kinski. Wheatley hated it, it was too modern and genuinely quite nasty at times and sadly didn’t save the studio turning it into the their last horror film until the their resurrection in 2000’s. Great review as a ways Tony!!
I remember seeing To the Devil a Daughter after Devil Rides Out and being hugely disappointed. They were trying for an Omen/Exorcist vibe but fell flat, even the gratuitously gory scenes were sub-par and certainly lacked the coolness of the Omen scenes - the decapitation by sheet of glass and impalement by metal spike being classics of the genre. Think how many great ficton novels and film screenplays Richard Matheson had a hand in? The go-to guy for sci-fi/fantasy adaptations.
I was disappointed with the first time I saw sometime in the late 90’s on TV, but a decade or so later I re-watched it and actually quite liked it, flaws and all. Lee was particularly good in it, the Hammer House of Horror Episode ‘Guardian if the Abyss’ had a few references to both Devils Rides Out and ….A Daughter in it making a fun watch. Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay for Night of the Eagle I think also, another favourite 60’s horror classic.
@@jnrazic Yes, Night of the Eagle was on Talking Pictures TV recently. A slow-burner and rather dated, but Peter Wyngarde - even pre-Department S campness - is watchable and the plot's interesting. The Hammer House of Horror series were rather good for TV dramas and, like you say, had some knowing hints to classic horror - and Peter Cushing in one of them, I recall.
The Peter Cushing episode was called Silent Scream if I remember, He played a former Nazi doctor who still carrying out his experiments in unsuspecting subjects, one who played a very young Brian Cox ( the actor obviously!). I seem to remember a young Pierce Brosnan popping up in an episode too. Might need to give the whole series a rewatch at some point.
Miss Kinski was fourteen when the film went into production in 1975. She appeared fully nude in the movie and how Hammer got away with that I'll never know. It was a troubled shoot. Screenwriter Christopher Wicking thought it a chaotic mess and Richard Widmark got so frustrated he threatened to leave on numerous occasions. Dennis Wheatley called it "obscene." So, not perhaps the best pedigree. i saw it when it was released around 1977 and I have never seen it since. Might be due a re-watch. Thanks for commenting, jnrazic, always a pleasure to read. T.
One of my favourite Hammer films of all time, an annual watch. There was talk in the late 80s or 90s about Joe Dante doing a remake, recasting Christopher Lee in the same role and with better fx for the pentagram scene. Never happened but might have been good. This is still an absolute classic, though.
Agreed, an absolute classic. Cheers, Richard. T.
good review of a great film, one of hammer's best for sure, of course the fantastic patrick allen dubs rex's voice in the film
Thanks for commenting, Simon. Appreciated. T.
My favorite Lee film
Lord knows, you could do a lot worse.
Mine, as well!
This movie gave me the heeebie jeebies big time as a kid 😂
That spider did it for me 😮
Brilliant and intriguing as always! It is a great film and sadly largely forgotten about nowadays.
Thanks for commenting, Jon. T.
They had to time travel into the past and do it again to survive Mocata.
Thank you for commenting, Han. T.
Man, see ESOTERICA channel. I think his name is Dr. Justin Sledge. He mentions the 4th dimension angle to this movie. The Devil Rides Out is profound. I'm working on doing the same thing that Christopher Lee & friends did in this movie. It's been years but I recall that Mocata had them where he wanted them and there was no escape so Lee & friends went back in time for hours or days and did it over again because they had to. Soon after the end of this movie Lee & friends will realize that they were in 2 places at the same time for awhile and they'll just have to accept that fact and live with it.
I think the past can be changed
It was a shame that Hammer never got to make 'I am Legend' due to the censors making a fuss. Also it would have been great to see them tackle an HP Lovecraft tale, 'At the Mountains of Madness' perhaps?
Hammer's failure to produce the I Am Legend script is a great loss to horror/fantasy cinema. I'd have loved to see their version of the story. Thanks for commenting, Peter. Appreciated. T.
I just saw this on TCM not to long ago, I enjoyed it. It was a nice Saturday night movie top see.
Another good review TB The last thing you said before you left was Christopher Lee said they should remake this for modern audience I'm going to disagree with that they're the screw it up anyway leave it as it is a classic
Agreed, Ronald. T.
The Class of Hammer studios…British Satanic cults are especially creepy!.. but the local Texas satanic cult of Ride with the Devil aren’t much better but they have very different styles..great review 🍷cheers
There was actually a flourishing of Pagan cult worship including Wicca and outright satanism in Britain from the mid-60s and into the 70s alongside the general counter-culture/ anti-authority vibe of the era. The easier availability of mind-altering drugs might have helped too, man.
Cheers back at you, Oilergreg. Appreciated. T.
The Devil Rides Out... Ye Ha! Er, better change the name for the North American release to "The Devil's Bride", just in case audiences mistake it for another Western Flick.
This reminds me of "The Madness of King George III" being renamed "The Madness of King George", because North American test audiences hadn't seen the first two films. (Maybe just an urban myth).
Excellent review Tony. Devil (By any other name) is a fun romp. The intended orgy scene was drastically changed due it being filmed in the middle of soddened field, at night, in the bloody freezing cold
Another of Christopher Lee's classic films The Wicker Man was also filmed at an unseasonably chilly time of year and trees in bloom were moved into scenes to make Summer Isle appear summery. The Wicker Man night-time orgy scene was filmed but the air was so frigid the couples were literally embracing to keep warm!
@@PaIaeoCIive1684 Excellent.
Apparently not a myth (of course the distributing people knew here were no other 2 films, but they were afraid the audience would assume those were sequel numerals and be confused, and that King George is pretty famous as the independence war one so they could just get away with "King George").
@@vitorafmonteiro An excellent point. George did indeed lose the Colonies (After expending a small fortune defending it from invasion).
Any movie with Christopher Lee in it you cannot go wrong
The best film made by Hammer in my humble opinion.
Lee was fantastic in this 😯
Looks good
Great review of one of many hammer classics.
Target. Football manager wrote that. Whose name evades me. Cracking series.
I like TDRO idea of remake awful. Probably set in NY with all Americans.
And OTT special effects -like the awful Jan devbont remake The haunting.
I think cast really good Nicci riiccci particularly fetching.
And the girl in it appears in excellent Guardians of the abyss (Hammer mystery and suspense ) 80 I think one of best episodes anyway.
Great review of hammer at professional peak
Thanks as always, Graeme. Appreciated. T.
I've never had root canal work done. I opted to have a tooth removed instead. Watching the re-make of 'The Haunting was the closest experience, although I think the nauseous feeling from root canal work would have remitted sooner. It's a complete bust as a film.
@@CaminoAir it is dire. It even worse than SPEED2. at least the late Brian McArdle bits made that sufferable
@@CaminoAir What is it, I wonder, that makes sub-standard talents look upon a classic cinematic masterpiece and think: "you know what, room for improvement there and I'm just the genius to do it?" I mean, no one looks at plays by Shakespeare or paintings by Rembrandt and realistically thinks: "Hand me that quill/paintbrush, I'll rewrite that play/re-paint that painting because it's just not up to snuff." Or if they do, someone or something, like the voice of reason or common sense intervenes to put them off. Movies, though, a whole different aspect of hell.