"Eye of the Devil" and Dark Shadows

[Philippe Cordier]

As I posted on the announcement board, the eerie thriller "Eye of the Devil" with Deborah Kerr and David Niven aired on TCM last Friday.  I had only seen the last 45 minutes or so of the movie some years ago, was fascinated by it, and then it was about two more years before I finally discovered the title of the movie, and have been watching for it the past two or three years!

The long wait did not disappoint -- in fact I even viewed my tape of the movie twice.  This is a very masterful, subtle, artistically produced film that some have compared to "The Haunting" in its tone ... but I much prefer "Eye of the Devil"!  The movie also precedes "The Wicker Man" with the theme of pagan sacrifice, here in a festival called "Les Treize Jours."

What is of interest here are some of the similarities I noted with Dark Shadows.  For example:

Most of the film is set in the ancestral home of the main characters; ancestral portraits play an important function in the mystery.

(Note:  The summary on imdb.com erroneously says the early scenes take place in London.  They do not; the setting and filming was Paris for the opening scenes.)

Madness is passed down to the male heirs from generation to generation.  I'm a bit hazy on this, but doesn't this function in the 1841 storyline?  (As well as in the movie version "The Fall of the House of Usher".)

There's a tower of course, and it's later revealed that someone is living in "the tower room" ...

One of the themes is the corruption of a child by evil (which DS probably borrowed from "The Turn of the Screw.")

Finally, the strongest resemblance -- which I do NOT think coincidental -- is the final scene, when Deborah Kerr and her children are about to leave the chateau.  They are in the car -- and the little boy "remembers" he forgot something and runs back inside.  I immediately thought of the ending of "Night of Dark Shadows."

[Cassandra Blair]

Wow, that sounds like an interesting movie.  I'm sorry I didn't see your earlier posting on it...would love to have watched it.

It does sound like there are several similarities between this film and DS.  But then such similarities are inherent in much work from the horror genre.   And goddess knows DCP borrowed (cough - ripped off - cough) lots of storylines from classic horror films and books while making our favorite show.

[Philippe Cordier]

I wasn't familiar with the announcement board until just recently, Cassandra Blair -- so I wonder what I may have missed out on this past year ...

 

If "Eye of the Devil" airs again, I'll post a notice (and try to remember you in particular!)    But I have been watching the TV listings for at least two years and this is the first it has aired in that time that I know of.

You're right -- many of the elements I mention are "stock" elements of the dark old house genre, so DC & Co. didn't necessarily borrow from this movie -- except for the final scene, which is too similar to the ending of "Night of Dark Shadows" to be coincidence.  While such borrowings and influences are often subconscious on the part of a writer, "Eye of the Devil" came out in 1967, which wasn't many years before "Night of Dark Shadows."

The novel on which it was based, "Day of the Arrow," was published in 1964, so I feel sure that "The Wicker Man" owes a major debt to it (either the novel or the movie).  (A blatant lifting was the brief image of an "all-seeing" eye.)

One other motif in common with DS was hypnotism -- there was an undercurrent of trancelike states in the movie, as well as narcotic-induced states from belladonna ...

If anyone reading this is more "pagan literate" than I am, I'd be curious to know if the ritual of this movie was based on anything historically accurate.  It involved 12 men dancing around a 13th man in the center of the circle -- the one who was marked for sacrifice.

I'm surprised by the rather lukewarm ratings many people (on the Internet) seem to give this film, but I also take exception to many of their comments.  For example, one reviewer says that "Satanism" and vineyards (the movie is set in the Bordeaux region of France) don't mix.  First off, the movie is NOT about Satanism, but paganism -- but even if it were, who's to say "they don't mix"?  Others criticize the film for having too much dialogue -- it's true, this is a movie that demands one's careful attention both visually and aurally ...

I would recommend it to those who liked "The Innocents."

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I wasn't familiar with the announcement board until just recently, Cassandra Blair -- so I wonder what I may have missed out on this past year ...

Don't worry, Vlad - we just created those boards this past May when we launched the new Calendar feature. The posts on them that are dated prior to May 12th were all on the Current Talk boards originally.

I would recommend it to those who liked "The Innocents."

The Innocents is one of my favorite movies.

[Patti Feinberg]

Vlad, I had seen your orig. post (during when you said the movie was on); I had been watching Turner Classic Movie (is that right or is it Turner Movie Classic), and a different movie was on

TMC is the one which occassional shows HODS; I know because I DON'T get this channel, neither does my father in law (who generously tapes me lots o movies).

Hmmm....I'm confused...and I'm not even related to Vicki!

Patti

[Patti Feinberg]

Vlad...I went to IMDB; it doesn't state if this movie is for sale? Do you know (and price)?

Thanks,
Patti

(love D. Niven and like Kerr)

[Midnite]

Vlad, I had seen your orig. post (during when you said the movie was on); I had been watching Turner Classic Movie (is that right or is it Turner Movie Classic), and a different movie was on

It was on TCM on June 6 as he said, Patti, but you had to check your listings for the time.  It aired at 1 p.m. Eastern.

TMC is the one which occassional shows HODS; I know because I DON'T get this channel, neither does my father in law (who generously tapes me lots o movies).

Hmmm....I'm confused...and I'm not even related to Vicki!

Poor Patti.  You mean TCM (Turner Classic Movies); TMC is The Movie Channel.

Unfortunately I can't get TCM (blasted Comcast!), but I found a few nuggets on their website.  I hope I'm not crossing into Announcements/Events territory, but if you have Real Player or Windows Media you can watch the Eye of the Devil trailer or a groovy (and tragic when you consider what happened to that beautiful girl, and funny-- check out her voice coach!) featurette about the making of the movie that's appropriately called All Eyes on Sharon Tate.  "I can't see myself doing Shakespeare," snort.   Enjoy!

[Patti Feinberg]

Midnite...YOU have Comcast???

Patti

[Philippe Cordier]

Unfortunately I can't get TCM (blasted Comcast!), but I found a few nuggets on their website.  I hope I'm not crossing into Announcements/Events territory, but if you have Real Player or Windows Media you can watch (URL) or a groovy (and tragic when you consider what happened to that beautiful girl, and funny-- check out her voice coach!) featurette about the making of the movie that's appropriately called (URL).  "I can't see myself doing Shakespeare," snort.   Enjoy!

Midnite (if you read this) ... thanks for the link; I'm not able to play the video on this computer but I may try another computer tomorrow night (in a different lab).  In any event, it won't have sound, though, so could you tell me:  Was that really Sharon Tate's voice in "Eye of the Devil"?  The smoky, silky quality of her voice (and accent) greatly enhanced the effectiveness of her performance, but it looked to me as though she was dubbed.  I will be very impressed with Ms. Tate if that was in fact her own voice.  (It's also to her credit, IMO, that I never thought once while viewing the movie "Oh, that's Sharon Tate -- what a terrible fate she had.")

If you get TMC, I'd gladly "swap" TCM access once in a while    because I know TMC sometimes airs "Return from the Ashes" -- a memorable 60s flick from the same director, which sadly is not on video or DVD.

Patti, a poster on the imdb said "Eye of the Devil" wasn't available on video or DVD, but I haven't checked into this myself yet.

Speaking of the title of the movie, I may have been too hard on a commentator I referred to above, since the title does suggest that the movie has something to do with Satanism.  Pagan rituals, yes, but not Satan.  (In the movie, Alain Montfaucon says the town is a center of "heresy" -- which is interesting, since the heretical Cathar sect was active in France in the Middle Ages.)  The title of the movie was actually "13" up until its release, when studio execs changed it.  "Eye of the Devil" is not a very accurate title.  Also, according to Leonard Maltin, continuity errors resulted from last-minute studio-mandated cuts.  Sound familiar?   

[Midnite]

Of course I would see this, Vlad. 

That was her voice.  The director raved about her performance in what he said was a difficult role and predicted she'd be a "big big star", and this was her first movie, btw.  Included is the clip that takes place on top of the castle in which S.T. hypnotizes Kerr's character and leads her to the edge.  She really was very good, and that wasn't dubbed.  It'd be a shame if you have to view the video without sound.

Tell me when RFTA airs on TMC and I'll tape it for you.

[Gothick]

Vlad!  I saw this topic a few days back, but stupidly thought you were talking about the Lara Parker flick, Race for the Devil.  I wish I had realized you were talking about Eye of the Devil; I'd have had a friend tape it for me.  I used to have a tape of it (from an AMC showing of many years ago, back when they aired movies without commercial interruption) but loaned it to a friend who never returned it, and who is no longer in contact.

Interestingly I have an old magazine (from around 1965) that has a publicity article on the making of Eye of the Devil, or 13 as it was then known.  When I finally got to see it, I thought it was a real gem.  Niven, Kerr, and Flora Robson all shine in their respective roles.  I thought David Hemmings and Sharon Tate were both remarkable in what they were given to do.  I think Tate had real promise.  It's a shame she met Roman Polanski and moved to Hollywood. I have a bizarre fondness for Tate's performance in Valley of the Dolls.  Edith Efron (the evil beeyotch who wrote a nasty article about Grayson in TV guide) interviewed Tate for an infamous Look magazine spread on Dolls and implied that Tate was a brainless bimbo.

So far as I know, Eye of the Devil is not available on video or DVD.  It's a pity, because I think it is a beautifully crafted film.  It is really a mood piece that evokes the inner power that lives within the Earth, and how people in traditional communities hold that power and the sacrifices they make to honor that strength and to allow their communities to survive.  It was of course far too thoughtful and unusual a film to achieve any real critical recognition, then or now.

I'll bet David Niven and Deborah Kerr wish this had become better known than Casino Royale, a fun fluffy film they did together shortly after this.

Best wishes,

Steve

[Philippe Cordier]

That was her voice.
...

She really was very good, and that wasn't dubbed.  It'd be a shame if you have to view the video without sound.

I was able to view most of the clip on another computer, although without sound, unfortunately.  So I appreciate your responding with this information! 

Tell me when RFTA airs on TMC and I'll tape it for you.

They seem to have removed "Return from the Ashes" from their database.      



Gothick wrote:

I used to have a tape of it (from an AMC showing of many years ago, back when they aired movies without commercial interruption)

I'm glad I was able to tape as many movies as I have before AMC changed their format.  Most of their movies now run well over two hours because of all the commercials, meaning that I can't tape something I really want in SP on a standard 2-hour video cassette.  (For some reason those 8-hr EP videocassettes don't seem to be sold much anymore -- that's what ALL of my DS is on!)


Gothick continued:

It is really a mood piece that evokes the inner power that lives within the Earth, and how people in traditional communities hold that power and the sacrifices they make to honor that strength and to allow their communities to survive.

Very interesting commentary.

[Carol]

For some reason those 8-hr EP videocassettes don't seem to be sold much anymore -- that's what ALL of my DS is on!

You should be able to get them at BJ's Warehouse. I've seen both 6 & 8 hour tapes by Fujifilm. SAM's may even have them, too.

[Philippe Cordier]

I've just received a used copy of the original book from the 1960s on which the movie was based.  Fairly easy to find inexpensive paperback versions; the title is "Day of the Arrow."

To my horror, the book seems to be marketed as a "lady's romance" novel -- complete with a reference on the back cover to the effect that it's "in the manner of Victoria Holt"!!     Also an intriguing reference on the back saying that the story deals with "witches and homosexuals"!! Umm, O.K. ...

I'm quite curious to see whether the book bears any relation to the movie that followed ...

[Gothick]

Oooh, Witches and Homosexuals!  *my* kind of people...

G.