The Devil's Hand (1961)

A man is haunted by visions of a beautiful woman. When he finally meets her, he winds up involved in a Satanic cult.

Director:

William J. Hole Jr.

Writer:

Jo Heims (screenplay)

Stars:

Linda Christian, Robert Alda, Ariadne Welter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Christian	...	Bianca Milan
Robert Alda	...	Rick Turner
Ariadne Welter	...	Donna Trent (as Ariadna Welter)
Neil Hamilton	...	Francis Lamont
Gere Craft	...	Mary the Nurse
Jeanne Carmen	...	The Blonde Cultist (as Jeannie Carman)
Julie Scott	...	Cult Member
Diane Spears	...	Cult Member
Gertrude Astor	...	The Elderly Cultist
Bruno VeSota	...	Lindell's Sponsor (as Bruno Ve-Sota)
Dick Lee	...	Cult Member
Jim Knight	...	Cult Member
Coleen Vico	...	Cult Member
Roy Wright	...	Doctor
Romona Ravez	...	Cult Member

Storyline

Rick Turner is engaged of Donna Trent and is having nightmares with a beautiful blonde woman dancing in the sky. One night, he is mysteriously driven to a doll shop, and in the next morning he returns to the place with Donna. He finds a doll that resembles his fiancé, but the owner Francis Lamont delivers another doll to him, with the face of the woman of his dreams, Bianca Milan. Rick looks for Bianca and is seduced and convinced by her to join a sect that worships the diabolic Camba, while the health of Donna is threatened by Francis and Bianca.

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Plot Keywords:

cult | devil worship | human sacrifice | voodoo | drinking | 

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Taglines:

The men she loved lived to love no others!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bongo/conga player is Chaino, aka Leon Johnson, who made several albums in the '50s and '60s taking advantage of the popularity of exotica music.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rick Turner: Who're your friends?
Donna Trent: My *date* for the afternoon. You're twenty minutes late.
Rick Turner: Sorry.
Donna Trent: You hear that? He says he's sorry. Do you think I should marry a man who is late for his appointments?
Rick Turner: She's proposing again.
Donna Trent: Only for the seventeenth time.
Rick Turner: You've waited all your life for the perfect mate; what's twenty minutes more?
Donna Trent: You should get over that inferiority complex.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Witches (1996)

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Soundtracks

Theme from 'The Devil's Hand'
(credited as "Dance Theme")
Written by Baker Knight

User Reviews

Likable early 60's occult horror

A man has strange visions of a mystery woman. One day he notices a doll in a shop window which exactly resembles the enigmatic lady who inhabits his dreams. He ventures in and is soon entwined in an underground voodoo cult.

The Devil's Hand in another low budget offering from Crown International Pictures, who were one of the main B-movie producers of their time. This one is on the whole fairly standard stuff with not a huge amount to differentiate it from the crowd. It focuses on occult practices, yet, aside from the dastardly leader, we never really see the cultists do much in the way of evil. We see their ceremonies in action though, which consisted of a revolving sword device that members of the cult spun like they were trying to win money on a game-show. Not only that but there was also a seemingly ever-present bongo player who ensured that a voodoo vibe was maintained at all times. The dolls themselves were quite a cute idea and certainly were the most memorable part of the cult's practices. The film itself has an early 60's charm about it that buys it some credit, while it is short and fast-paced enough to never outstay its welcome. It should please those with a taste for old school horror flicks, at least some extent.

Details

Official Sites:

Crown International Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Witchcraft

Filming Locations:

MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rex Carlton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1