Daily Archives: June 25, 2016

Curse of the Demon (AKA Night of the Demon)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Written by Charles Bennett and Charles E. Chester from the story “Casting the Runes” by M.R. James
1957/UK
Columbia Pictures Corporation/Sabre Film Productions
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Dr. John Holden: Well, after this afternoon, I must confess there are a few things I don’t know. [/box]

This scary movie would have been even scarier without the demon.  Nonetheless, it is pretty darn scary.

As the movie opens, Professor Harrington pays a call on Julian Karswell (Niall MacGuiness) to tell him he was absolutely right.  But it is too late.  As he leaves, he sees a flash of light, followed by the apparation of a huge demon which slays him.  His death is chalked up to electrocution by a falling power pole.

Segue to the arrival of Dr.  John Holden (Dana Andrews) in London.  Holden is a famous skeptic about paranormal activities and was invited to present a paper at a conference hosted by Harrington.  He goes to the British Museum to do some research in a rare book on witchcraft.  He is informed that the book is missing and was the only one of its kind.  But Karswell appears in the reading room to tell Holden that he has a copy and, by the way, he will die on Oct. 28.  Holden remains a skeptic.  He meets Harrington’s niece Joanna (Peggy Cummins) at the funeral. Joanna is a believer and they team up to visit Karswell.

On arrival at Karswell’s country estate, the couple finds him performing magic tricks for children as the world’s creepiest clown.  The rest of the movie follows the many horrifying events that eventually persuade Holden of the error of his ways.

Tourneur didn’t want to show the demon but he was vetoed by the studio.  The studio was wrong.  The demon isn’t half bad but is obviously mechanical.  Tourneur could have done much more with his lights and shadows.  Nonetheless, Curse of the Demon delivers several genuine thrills. It is my second favorite of the director’s films after Cat People.  Highly recommended.

Trailer

Bitter Victory
Directed by Nicholas Ray
Written by Rene Hardy, Nicholas Ray, and Gavin Lambert from Hardy’s novel
1957/France/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation/Transcontinental Films/Robert Laffont Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental

Capt. Leith: You’re afraid to go in and kill with your bare hands. That’s what makes a soldier and destroys you as a man.

I wasn’t crazy about this one.

The setting is WWII Cairo.  A general must decide which of two men will head a highly dangerous mission to Bengazi to steal Nazi secrets.  Major Brand (Curd Jürgens) is a career soldier and doesn’t speak Arabic.  Captain Leith (Richard Burton) is a recruit and spent years in the Middle East as an archaeologist.  Early on we discover that Leith had an affair with Brand’s wife Jane (Ruth Roman) before the war and her marriage.  She is still in love with him.  Their reunion was pretty public so the whole base knows.  In the end, the general decides to send both men on the mission, with Brand in command.

On the mission, several Nazi guards must be knifed and Brand proves himself to be incapable of killing at close range.  Leith needles him about his cowardice for the rest of the movie.  Brand finds numerous ways to retaliate.

I felt that this movie didn’t have enough story to fit the running time.  We get the same situation and even approximately the same dialogue over and over again.  Curd Jurgens casting did not help.  He just can’t help coming off as darned macho and stolid, probably more so than Burton.  He doesn’t make you believe in his cowardice or his treachery.

Clip