The Devil-Doll (1936)

An escaped convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those that framed him.

Director:

Tod Browning (uncredited)

Writers:

Garrett Fort (screen play), Guy Endore (screen play)

Stars:

Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lionel Barrymore	...	Paul Lavond
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Lorraine Lavond
Frank Lawton	...	Toto
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Malita
Robert Greig	...	Emil Coulvet
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mme. Lavond
Henry B. Walthall	...	Marcel
Grace Ford	...	Lachna
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Charles Matin
Arthur Hohl	...	Victor Radin
Juanita Quigley	...	Marguerite Coulvet
Claire Du Brey	...	Mme. Coulvet (as Claire du Brey)
Rollo Lloyd	...	Detective
E. Alyn Warren	...	Commissioner (as E Allyn Warren)

Storyline

Paul Lavond was a respected banker in Paris when he was framed for robbery and murder by crooked associates and sent to prison. Years later, he escapes with a friend, a scientist who was working on a method to reduce humans to a height of mere inches (all for the good of humanity, of course). Lavond however is consumed with hatred for the men who betrayed him, and takes the scientist's methods back to Paris to exact painful revenge.

---

Plot Keywords:

miniaturization | disguise | mind control | manhunt | convict | 

---

Taglines:

Greater Than "The Unholy Three"

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film had its first television showing in Los Angeles Friday 14 December 1956 on KTTV (Channel 2), followed by Seattle Sunday 16 December 1956 on KING (Channel 5); it first aired in Hartford CT 16 January 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), in New York City 28 January 1957 on WCBS (Channel 2), in Minneapolis 16 March 1957 on KMGM (Channel 9), in Chicago 23 March 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2), in Syracuse 1 April 1957 on WHEN (Channel 8), in Philadelphia 2 April 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6) , in Lubbock TX 1 May 1957 on KCBD (Channel 11), in San Francisco 13 January 1958 on KGO (Channel 7), and in Altoona PA 11 March 1958 on WFBG (Channel 10).

---

Goofs

The shrunken animals do not cast shadows when they move. This is obvious with the dogs on the lab table and the horse galloping on Radin's desk.

---

Quotes

Lavond (as Madame Mandelip): [with emotion] Then he said
[clearing his throat]
Lavond (as Madame Mandelip): that was the most important thing of all. He told me to tell you to forget him, to find happiness and keep it, to marry and give your children all the love you might have given him if he hadn't been taken from you.

---

Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer-colorized version.

---

Connections

Featured in The Late, Late Show: The Devil-Doll (1962)

---

Soundtracks

Valse des rayons
(uncredited)
from the ballet "Le Papillon"
Music by Jacques Offenbach
Played on a music box

User Reviews

Genuinely Scary, Though It Veers Into Stella Dallas Territory

This could as easily have been given the name of Browning's previous movie: "Freaks."

Lionel Barrymore demonstrates more range than we're accustomed to, playing an escaped convict and, much of the time, a sweet old lady.

Ottiano is scary as the widow of his jail buddy, who has the patent on making live people into dolls.

The print shown this week on Turner Classics is beautiful but seems to have gaps in its continuity, as if all that survives may be something cut up for commercials in the days when local stations showed old movies.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Witch of Timbuctoo

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1