Devil's Partner
| Devil's Partner | |
|---|---|
Filmgroup | |
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Devil's Partner is a 1958 American film starring
Plot summary
Set in rural Furnace Flats, New Mexico, the film opens with a hunched old man, Pete Jensen, slaughtering a goat and daubing its blood within a
Meanwhile, further animal-related incidents occur. A local drunk is trampled by a horse. A plastic surgeon dies when a cow lays down in the road in front of his speeding car, causing him to crash. Later, a rattlesnake threatens David in his bedroom, but he shoots the varmint before it escapes. Eventually, the town doctor finally guesses that Nick, the victim of demonic possession, is behind the hostile animal incidents. He further theorizes (correctly) that the old man, Pete, and his nephew Nick are actually one and the same. In the film's climax, the doctor and the sheriff, along with Nell and David, witness Nick transforming into a stallion. As he gallops away, however, the sheriff brings him down with several gunshots. At this point, David's facial wound miraculously disappears and the film ends on a happy note with the townsfolk standing over Nick's body in a field.
Cast
- Ed Nelson as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen
- Edgar Buchanan as Doc Lucas
- Jean Allison as Nell Lucas
- Richard Crane as David Simpson
- Spencer Carlisle as Sheriff Tom Fuller
- Byron Foulger as Papers
- Claire Carleton as Ida
- Brian O'Hara as Harry Matthews
- Harry Fleer as John Winters
- Joe Hooker as Deputy Joe
- Hugh Hooker as Mr. Johnson
- Riley Hill as Frank
Critical reaction
Author/critic Bryan Senn wrote that director Charles R. Rondeau "cuts through the bull to deliver an atmospheric, intimate little supernatural thriller." Praising the "earnest" cast members, including Jean Allison and Edgar Buchanan, Senn continues that even if the film is "perhaps predictable...you could do far worse than to shake hands with The Devil's Partner.[2]
Horror-film scholar Eric Michael Mazur has identified Devil's Partner as part of a scary sub-genre that took advantage of the early 1960's obsession with "hysteria over juvenile delinquency and the accessibility of strange new religions." As a result of these social concerns, an environment resulted where "the Devil film became nearly ubiquitous."[3]
Commenting on Devil's Partner, critic David Goldweber was delighted by the film's blending of "sweet 1950s small-town ambience with shape-shifting devil worship." While admitting that he "might be overrating it because I like this kind of thing...the acting, directing, script, and dialogue are all above average."[4]
References
- ^ p. 40 Ray, Fred Olen The New Poverty Row: Independent Filmmakers as Distributors McFarland, 1 Jan 1991
- ^ Seen, Bryan. Twice the Thrills, Twice the Chills: Horror and Science Fiction Double Features, 1955-1974. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2019. p. 194.
- ^ Mazur, Eric Michael. Encyclopedia of Religion and Film. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2011. p. 153.
- ^ Goldweber, David Elroy. Claws and Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film 1902-1982: A Complete Guide. Lulu.com (E-book), 2016.
External links
- Devil's Partner at IMDb
- Devil's Partner is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
