The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Richard Matheson (writer)
Dennis Wheatley (novel)

Release Date:

20 July 1968 (UK)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The beauty of woman . . . the demon of darkness . . . the unholy union of "The Devil's Bride"

Plot:

Some followers of Satan want to sacrifice the niece of the Duke of Richeleau. But they did not think...

Plot Keywords:

Sacrifice | Car Chase | Black Magic | Blood | Giant Spider

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Duc de Richleau
Charles Gray	...	Mocata
Nike Arrighi	...	Tanith Carlisle (as Niké Arrighi)
Leon Greene	...	Rex Van Ryn
Patrick Mower	...	Simon Aron
Gwen Ffrangcon Davies	...	Countess
Sarah Lawson	...	Marie Eaton
Paul Eddington	...	Richard Eaton
Rosalyn Landor	...	Peggy Eaton
Russell Waters	...	Malin

Also Known As:

The Devil's Bride (USA)

Runtime:

Spain:96 min | USA:95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:15 | Finland:K-16 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Black Park Country Park, Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Associated British-Pathé

Trivia:

The movie's US title was changed to "The Devil's Bride" because its original title made it sound much too much like a Western.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the observatory, when Simon lands on the head of the Goat of Mendes after being punched by de Richleau, it is clear the floor is made of foam rubber in order to cushion his fall.

Quotes:

Rex Van Ryn: [sadly walks in carrying the body of Tanith] She's dead!
Duc de Richleau: [apologetically] I know Rex. The Angel of Death was summoned. He cannot return empty-handed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Rumpole of the Bailey: Rumpole and the Children of the Devil (#7.1)" (1992)

A very enjoyable and entertaining blend of action thriller and Satanic shocker.

'The Devil Rides Out' is easily one of the most entertaining of Terence Fisher's Hammer movies. While best known for his Dracula and Frankenstein movies, this fascinating blend of adventure thriller and Satanic shocker is not to be overlooked. While technically a horror movie with strong supernatural elements, the movie's use of old fashioned thrills and Lee's dashing heroic character Duc de Richleau, gentleman and occult expert, give this one quite a unique flavour unlike most of the other Hammer classics. Lee is brilliant throughout, as is his nemesis the evil magician Mocata played by Charles Gray (Blofeld in 'Diamonds Are Forever'). The rest of the cast are also very effective. Leon Greene as Richleau's loyal friend Rex, Nike Arrighi as Tanith the mysterious girl rex becomes besotted with, and Patrick Mower as Simon, Richleau and Rex's young friend who foolishly dabbles with Satanism and soon finds himself under the control of Mocasta. The film is consistently interesting, with lots of excitement and some unpredictable plot twists. The Satanism is treated more seriously and realistically than many 1960s horror movies (and wait til you see "The Goat Of Mendes"!) , and this is a credit to Richard Matheson who adapted Dennis Wheatley's original novel. I am becoming increasingly aware of just how many movies I admire that Matheson had a hand in writing - many of Roger Corman's Poe series, 'The Legend Of Hell House' and 'The Last Man On Earth' to name a few. Matheson is one of the most talented and imaginative horror writers to ever work in Hollywood, and rarely gets the credit he deserves. 'The Devil Rides Out' is yet another fantastic movie from the Hammer studio, and highly recommended.