The Devil and Max Devlin (1981)

Director:

Steven Hilliard Stern

Writers:

Mary Rodgers (story) and
Jimmy Sangster (story) ...

Release Date:

6 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

A new high in being lowdown.

Plot:

When Max dies in an accident, he goes straight to hell. But the devil Barney makes him an offer: if...

Plot Keywords:

Deal With The Devil | Afterlife | Supernatural | Kids And Family | Character Name In Title

Cast

Elliott Gould	...	Max Devlin
Bill Cosby	...	Barney Satin
Susan Anspach	...	Penny Hart
Adam Rich	...	Toby Hart
Julie Budd	...	Stella Summers
Sonny Shroyer	...	Big Billy Hunniker
David Knell	...	Nerve Nordlinger
Chuck Shamata	...	Jerry Nadler
Deborah Baltzell	...	Heidi
Ronnie Schell	...	Greg Weems
Jeannie Wilson	...	Laverne Hunniker
Stanley Brock	...	The Counterman
Ted Zeigler	...	Mr. Billings
Vic Dunlop	...	Brian
Reggie Nalder	...	Chairman of Devil's Council

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

During the UK 'video nasty' scare of the 1980's anti-censorship journalist Liam T. Sanford wrote a false letter petitioning against this film to the Police Watch Committee, claiming the movie to be 'sick and horrific', in an attempt to discredit local police forces and expose their lack of film knowledge. Sure enough the film was briefly seized by officers from video retailers before being hastily returned to the shelves.

Soundtrack:

Roses And Rainbows

Disney mis-fire.

Elliott Gould's career slowed down after a string of R-rated films in the 60's and 70's...and came to a screeching halt in 1981. Disney's attempt in the eighties to modernize their films included casting Bill Cosby and Elliott Gould as The Devil and Max Devlin respectively. The plot involves Gould signing up three good souls for the Devil so as to replace his own soul from going down South. In concept, this is basically the flip side of Oh God! (George Burns and John Denver). Bill Cosby probably seemed like a hip if not fair replacement for George Burns (both being beloved stand-ups) but Elliott Gould was too much of a bad boy to be considered sympathetic in any film. The sort of sympathy evoked by John Denver in "Oh God!" Together, Cosby and Gould had no chemistry with little if any comic opportunities. Cosby was not very believable as the Devil and we could care less if Gould spent eternity in Hell. Singer Julie Budd was cast as one of the "good" souls (the in-joke here is that Julie Budd is a look-alike, sound-alike clone of Barbara Streisand and Streisand is the former Mrs. Gould. Of course kids who saw this film in 1981 didn't have a clue who she was...oh heck, most adults didn't know who she was...so why the trouble in casting Julie Budd?) To make things worse she sings one song "Rainbows and Roses" over and over and over and over and over again. Disney turns out more music than any film studio, couldn't they write a few songs for this film? Adam Rich (former "Eight Is Enough" social tragedy) and David Knell round out the trio in appearances that are a notch below a below-average Love Boat guest spot. Susan Anspach ("Montenegro") plays Adam Rich's mom and Gould's love interest and deserves the most sympathy for that alone.