After years of languishing in the archives, Francis Searle's 'Talk Of The Devil' has just resurfaced on Talking Pictures T.V. It is a half-hour comedy about a hapless man called 'Stephen Wallace' ( Tim Barrett ) who is in love with the beautiful 'Wendy' ( and who would not be, seeing how she's played by the stunning Suzan Farmer ). But Wendy hates him. So Stephen strikes a pact with 'Young Nick' ( Hugh Latimer ) a.k.a. the Devil. Stephen gets to marry the woman of his woman of his dreams. But things do not go according to plan...
Made in 1969, the film shows its age, albeit rather charmingly. Why complain if a 1969 film looks like it was made in 1969? Yes, it was done on the cheap, but so then were a lot of other good movies. Today's audiences demand that every film that they see be a mega- blockbuster, and that is tiresome.
This film is reminded me of 'The Twilight Zone', as well as the Stanley Donen masterpiece 'Bedazzled', made two years before. The performers are all good, particularly Barrett, who surely must have appeared in every British sitcom ever made, usually cast as pompous twits. The main difference between this and 'Bedazzled' is that here the Devil is outwitted by the man whose soul he has taken. 'Talk Of The Devil' is a pleasant way to kill thirty minutes - gently amusing rather than hilarious - and has a cracking theme song to boot!
Made in 1969, the film shows its age, albeit rather charmingly. Why complain if a 1969 film looks like it was made in 1969? Yes, it was done on the cheap, but so then were a lot of other good movies. Today's audiences demand that every film that they see be a mega- blockbuster, and that is tiresome.
This film is reminded me of 'The Twilight Zone', as well as the Stanley Donen masterpiece 'Bedazzled', made two years before. The performers are all good, particularly Barrett, who surely must have appeared in every British sitcom ever made, usually cast as pompous twits. The main difference between this and 'Bedazzled' is that here the Devil is outwitted by the man whose soul he has taken. 'Talk Of The Devil' is a pleasant way to kill thirty minutes - gently amusing rather than hilarious - and has a cracking theme song to boot!