IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
The black sheep of a family and the local minister discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War.The black sheep of a family and the local minister discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War.The black sheep of a family and the local minister discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War.
- Directors
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 nomination total
Neil McCallum
- Christie Dudgeon
- (as Neil Mc Callum)
Joe Beckett
- British Officer
- (uncredited)
Steven Berkoff
- British Corporal
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured review
Laurence Olivier is a British general surrounded by mediocrity and outnumbered by rebel forces who won't give him a fair fight. Burt Lancaster is a pacifist minister trying to protect his innocent parishioners, most of whom haven't yet taken any side in the Revolutionary War. Kirk Douglas is a bright-eyed ne'er-do-well, interested only in himself. Put three great actors like this together and you're bound to get great results, right?
Wrong. I completely fail to see how this movie can get such good reviews here. The first 50 minutes of the movie just barely avoid being downright awful. Olivier and Lancaster do next to nothing, while Douglas hams it up so bad that even the audience should feel embarrassed. Janette Scott, as Lancaster's wife, is forced to play a character with no discernible intelligence or personality whatsoever.
Have some patience, however, and you will eventually be rewarded. Lancaster and Douglas both experience sudden character changes. Lancaster gets a chance to be entertaining while Douglas' performance becomes excellent once he tones it down a bit. Allowed finally to interact with these two, Olivier becomes a valuable asset. The resulting 30 minutes is a high-spirited action adventure film with a light comedic touch and occasional witty dialogue. With the handicap of the terrible start, however, this is still nothing more than a pleasant but unremarkable diversion.
Wrong. I completely fail to see how this movie can get such good reviews here. The first 50 minutes of the movie just barely avoid being downright awful. Olivier and Lancaster do next to nothing, while Douglas hams it up so bad that even the audience should feel embarrassed. Janette Scott, as Lancaster's wife, is forced to play a character with no discernible intelligence or personality whatsoever.
Have some patience, however, and you will eventually be rewarded. Lancaster and Douglas both experience sudden character changes. Lancaster gets a chance to be entertaining while Douglas' performance becomes excellent once he tones it down a bit. Allowed finally to interact with these two, Olivier becomes a valuable asset. The resulting 30 minutes is a high-spirited action adventure film with a light comedic touch and occasional witty dialogue. With the handicap of the terrible start, however, this is still nothing more than a pleasant but unremarkable diversion.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe character of The Reverend Anthony Anderson was loosely based on the historical figure of Peter Muhlenberg, known as the "Fighting Parson of the American Revolution".
- GoofsSeveral times while going through the forest, the British refer to "snipers." However, the term sniper didn't come into being until about 40 years after the American Revolutionary War. The term came into usage in 1824, while the war ended in 1783.
- Quotes
Major Swindon: What will history say, sir?
General John Burgoyne: History, sir, will tell lies, as usual!
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits appear over a map of North America during the Revolutionary War, which then zooms into an animated battle played out by paper models.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Bells Are Ringing (1960)
- SoundtracksYankee Doodle
(uncredited)
traditional 18th Century Anglo-American folk song
Heard under main title
- How long is The Devil's Disciple?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Djavolov ucenik
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
