The Devil's Daughter (1939)

Sylvia Walton returns from Harlem to take over a Jamaican plantation from her vindictive half-sister, amid the growing sound of drums.

Director:

Arthur H. Leonard

Writer:

George Terwilliger (story)

Stars:

Nina Mae McKinney, Jack Carter, Ida James

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nina Mae McKinney	...	Isabelle Walton
Jack Carter	...	Philip Ramsay
Ida James	...	Sylvia Walton
Hamtree Harrington	...	Percy Jackson
Emmett 'Babe' Wallace	...	John Lowden (as Emmett Wallace)
Willa Mae Lang	...	Elvira
Leon Lee	...	Narrator

Storyline

Sylvia Walton of Harlem inherits a Jamaican banana plantation and returns to manage it. Since her arrival, there's been no sign of her disinherited half-sister Isabelle, who ran the plantation until their father's death. But Sylvia, her two rival suitors, and her comic- relief servant Percy are disturbed by the constant, growing sound of drums. Meanwhile, in hiding, Isabelle schemes to regain her former place by manipulating local 'obeah' superstition. All-black cast.

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Plot Keywords:

plantation | island | half sister | banana plantation | drums | 

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Taglines:

MAGIC...Black MAGIC!! MYSTERY...Dark MYSTERY!!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pocomania

Filming Locations:

Kingston, Jamaica

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min 67 min (original release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Variray Blue Seal Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like the other releases from Sack Amusement, this film featured an "all colored cast" and was booked into theaters that catered almost exclusively to black audiences.

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Goofs

When Isabelle Walton (Nina Mae McKinney) tells Percy Jackson (Hamtree Harrington) that she is transferring his soul to a pig, she refers to the pig as "he" - but she's holding the pig upside down and its nipples are clearly visible, showing that the pig is female.

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Connections

Remake of Ouanga (1936)

User Reviews

Interesting as a Gimmick, But Poor on the Horror

A young woman from Harlem inherits a Jamaican plantation, but has to contend with her half-sister for the rights. Unfortunately, the half-sister is involved in voodoo and is not afraid to use it for her own ends.

Nina Mae McKinney appears as the "star" of this production. While notable in her own day (as an actress, dancer and musician), McKinney has since faded into obscurity. Having now been dead over forty years, one would be hard-pressed to meet anyone who was knowledgeable of her work. I, for one, am not familiar with it beyond this picture.

"Devil's Daughter" should be noted for its all-black cast, though sadly the movie isn't particularly good. Without the printed summary on the case, I would likely have been lost. The cock fights drew my attention more than the human actors. Another reviewer compared this film to "White Zombie", favoring "Zombie". I agree -- as far as films about voodoo go, "White Zombie" is hard to top. This one does not come close.

One should certainly consider watching this film if they find it in their collection (I acquired it as part of a box set), but beyond that there's little reason to seek it out. I found the film bland and not able to stand the test of time. Which is too bad, but the sad truth.