Night Of The Demon

Night Of The Demon (AKA Curse Of The Demon - U.S. Release)
1957 - Sabre Films
Directed By Jacques Tourneur



SYNOPSIS

Psychologist Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) heads to England for a conference designed to further debunk paranormal activity. When a colleague/ friend dies under peculiar circumstances, Holden takes over his research into a satanic cult led by Karswell (Niall McGinnis.) Holden has some assistance from the deceased's niece (Peggy Cummins) Karswell slips Holden a parchment which is a death curse and he has only a few days to live. Holden dismisses the supernatural mumbo-jumbo but a series of strange events begin to change his mind as the hours tick ever closer.



MY THOUGHTS

This somewhat obscure horror gem needs to be seen by more people!

Night of the Demon was made with a small budget, but all it needed was a great director to make look
Director Jacques Tourneur weaves a tight, tense plot among the atmospheric visuals. Tourneur uses light and shadow so well, he makes most artistic shots in noir films look like garbage. He makes the beautiful English countryside look like a nightmare. With a mix of lighting and editing, he creates a great ominous sense of dread and tension. And some genuine scares!
Already accomplished as a director of moody horror films and some noir, this has to be his masterwork.



A usual horror villain in a low budget film like this would almost always be over the top and too silly to be menacing. Niall McGinnis plays Karswell as charming, down to earth, and likable. The fact that he's not menacing at all, makes him more mysterious and unsettling than a standard portrayal.
He is likable, but we never side with him since we see supernatural happenings from the start of the film.
We are meant to side with Dana Andrews' Dr. Holden. Andrews usually played tough guys and Holden fits the bill. A solid, but not remarkable, performance.



The titular demon looks a little corny to modern audiences. There are some great smoke special effects added around it to diffuse the cheesiness, which are very effective at great distances (see above.)
The only fault with the film is they revealed the demon (in a close up) so early in the film, so when it returns at the end, it lacks the punch to the story.

Night Of The Demon is one of the best horror films of the 1950s.

The film was released in America, shortened by 13 minutes, and under the title Curse Of The Demon (both versions are available together on 1 DVD.)