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IMDbPro

The Possession of Joel Delaney

  • 1972
  • R
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Shirley MacLaine in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
An upper-class Manhattan divorcee comes to believe that her brother is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer who beheaded young women in Spanish Harlem.
Play trailer3:01
1 Video
50 Photos
DramaHorrorThriller

An upper-class Manhattan divorcee comes to believe that her brother is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer who beheaded young women in Spanish Harlem.An upper-class Manhattan divorcee comes to believe that her brother is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer who beheaded young women in Spanish Harlem.An upper-class Manhattan divorcee comes to believe that her brother is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer who beheaded young women in Spanish Harlem.

  • Director
    • Waris Hussein
  • Writers
    • Matt Robinson
    • Irene Kamp
    • Ramona Stewart
  • Stars
    • Shirley MacLaine
    • Perry King
    • David Elliott
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Waris Hussein
    • Writers
      • Matt Robinson
      • Irene Kamp
      • Ramona Stewart
    • Stars
      • Shirley MacLaine
      • Perry King
      • David Elliott
    • 41User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:01
    Watch Trailer

    Photos50

    Shirley MacLaine, David Elliott, Perry King, and Lisa Kohane in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine and Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine and Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine and Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Barbara Trentham in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    David Elliott, Perry King, and Lisa Kohane in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
    Shirley MacLaine in The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shirley MacLaine
    Shirley MacLaine
    • Norah Benson
    Perry King
    Perry King
    • Joel Delaney
    David Elliott
    David Elliott
    • Peter Benson
    Lisa Kohane
    • Carrie Benson
    Lovelady Powell
    • Erika
    Barbara Trentham
    Barbara Trentham
    • Sherry
    Miriam Colon
    Miriam Colon
    • Veronica
    Edmundo Rivera Álvarez
    • Don Pedro
    • (as Edmundo Rivera Alvarez)
    Teodorina Bello
    • Mrs. Perez
    Robert Burr
    Robert Burr
    • Ted Benson
    Ernesto Gonzalez
    • Young Man at Seance
    Peter Turgeon
    Peter Turgeon
    • Detective Brady
    William Hawley
    Aukie Herger
    • Mr. Perez
    Earle Hyman
    Earle Hyman
    • Charles
    • (as Earl Hyman)
    Marita Lindholm
    • Marta Benson
    Paulita Iglesias
    • Brujo at Seance
    Stan Watt
    • James
    • Director
      • Waris Hussein
    • Writers
      • Matt Robinson(screenplay)
      • Irene Kamp(screenplay)
      • Ramona Stewart(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Shirley MacLaine turned down the lead female role in The Exorcist (1973) in order to make this movie.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to edit shots of Carrie being threatened with a knife and forced to eat dog food from a bowl. The cuts were fully restored in the 2007 Sound & Media DVD release.
    • Connections
      Featured in Cinemacabre TV Trailers (1993)

    User reviews41

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    A unique and chilling forerunner of the 'possession' sub-genre.
    Manhattan socialite begins to fear for her troubled younger brother when he starts behaving bizarrely and he seems to have been friends with a backstreet murderer.

    The Possession of Joel Delaney is a dark horror film with much going for it. For one, it's among the earliest horror films to deal with the theme of spiritual possession. Also, it's one of those horror gems that doesn't need to resort to special effects or overt gore and violence to be effectively unsettling. It's a thoroughly well-written film as it blends eerie supernatural horror with a strong social commentary. The plot is compelling and quite off-beat as it builds to some chilling peaks and a finale that's splendidly suspenseful. It's a truly disturbing tale.

    The direction, cinematography, and urban locations are all good but the true highlight is the stars. Veteran actress Shirley MacLaine is great as her bewildered, yet unsympathetic character. However the show is truly stolen by young Perry King who puts on an excellent dynamic performance as his potentially unhinged character. It's easy to see why King went on to a notable career after this debut.

    All around The Possession of Joel Delaney is one of the finer low-key horror films of the 70's. It's a film that wisely chooses the intelligent, non-camp approach to its subject matter and it comes off a solid effective chiller because of it.

    *** 1/2 out of ****
    helpful•16
    4
    • Nightman85
    • Nov 12, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 24, 1972 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sapık ruhlar
    • Filming locations
      • The Pines, Fire Island, New York, USA(Beach house)
    • Production companies
      • Haworth Productions
      • Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $1,300,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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