To the Devil a Daughter (1976)

Director:

Peter Sykes

Writers:

Christopher Wicking (screenplay)
John Peacock (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Warning! This Motion Picture Contains The Most Shocking Scenes This Side Of Hell!

Plot:

An American occult novelist battles to save the soul of a young girl from a group of Satanists, led by an excommunicated priest, who plan on using her as the representative of the Devil on Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Occult | Priest | Catholic | Satanist | Cult

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	John Verney
Christopher Lee	...	Father Michael
Honor Blackman	...	Anna
Denholm Elliott	...	Henry Beddows
Michael Goodliffe	...	George de Grass
Nastassja Kinski	...	Catherine
Eva Maria Meineke	...	Eveline de Grass
Anthony Valentine	...	David
Derek Francis	...	Bishop
Izabella Telezynska	...	Margaret (as Isabella Telezynska)
Constantine Gregory	...	Kollde (as Constantin de Goguel)
Anna Bentinck	...	Isabel
Irene Prador	...	German Matron
Brian Wilde	...	Black Room Attendant
Petra Peters	...	Sister Helle
William Ridoutt	...	Airport Porter
Howard Goorney	...	Critic
Frances de la Tour	...	Salvation Army Major
Zoe Hendry	...	1st. Girl
Lindy Benson	...	2nd. Girl
Jo Peters	...	3rd. Girl
Bobby Sparrow	...	4th. Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Devereaux	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Bill Horsley	...	Curator (uncredited)
Peter Sykes	...	Man at airport (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Sykes

Writing credits
Christopher Wicking		(screenplay) (as Chris Wicking)
John Peacock		(adaptation)
Dennis Wheatley		(novel)
Gerald Vaughan-Hughes		additional material (uncredited)

Produced by
Roy Skeggs	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Glass

Cinematography by
David Watkin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Trumper

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Art Direction by
Don Picton

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
George Blackler	....	makeup artist
Jeanette Freeman	....	hairdressing supervisor

Production Management
Ron Jackson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Barry Langley	....	assistant director
Mike Higgins	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Roy P. Stevens	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wag Hammerton	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Mike Le Mare	....	sound editor
Tony Lumkin	....	recording director
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Dennis Whitlock	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects

Stunts
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Hallows	....	gaffer
Ron Robson	....	camera operator
Steve Birtles	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Nightingale	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ken Gordon	....	production accountant
Sally Jones	....	continuity
Mike Russell	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions (as Hammer Film Productions Ltd. London)
• Terra-Filmkunst (as Terra Filmkunst GMBH Berlin)

Distributors

• Cine Artists Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1977) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Astral Video (Canada) (VHS)
• Continental Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Olympus Video (USA) (VHS)
• Planet Video (198?) (USA) (video)

Other Companies

• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Child of Satan" - USA (video title)
"To the Devil... a Daughter" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

Germany:91 min | USA:95 min

Country:

UK | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:(Banned) (1977-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Germany

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Olivia Newton-John was a candidate for Catherine.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where Catherine is about to be injected with morphine, he doesn't fill the syringe properly, the plunger staying at the bottom. Then it suddenly switches to a full syringe with the plunger fully extended.

Quotes:

Father Michael Rayner:It is not heresy, and I will not recant!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Perfect Scary Movie (2005) (TV)

Behind the scenes.

Denis Wheatley had become a close friend of Christopher Lee who had starred in 'The Devil Rides Out', and made over to him, at no cost, the rights to a number of his occult novels.

Lee offered the rights of 'To the Devil—A Daughter' to Hammer.

There were many production difficulties. Richard Widmark, who had script approval, demanded a number of changes, and on a couple of occasions threatened to walk out.

When the film was eventually completed, Hammer refused the money for The ending to re-shot. The completed film bore little resemblance to Wheatley's original story, and so unhappy was Wheatley with the final result that he refused to allow Hammer to film any more of his books.

To the Devil—A Daughter' proved to be the last of Wheatley's books to be filmed and the last horror film made by Hammer Studios.