To the Devil a Daughter
Encyclopedia
To the Devil... A Daughter is a 1976
horror film made by Hammer Film Productions
, taken from the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley
, directed by Peter Sykes
. It stars Richard Widmark
, Christopher Lee
, Honor Blackman
, Nastassja Kinski
and Denholm Elliott
. The original music score was composed by Paul Glass
.
writer John Verney is asked by Henry Beddows to pick up his daughter Catherine from the airport. Catherine is a nun with The Children of the Lord, a mysterious Heretic order located in Bavaria and is allowed to come to visit once a year on her birthday. But after Catherine arrives, Beddows then insists that she stay with Verney. But the order, under the sinister Ex-Communicated Heretic Father Michael Rayner, makes all efforts to get Catherine back and marshals black magic
to stop Verney as he protects her. Verney learns that the order really harbours a group of practicing Satanists who have prepared Catherine to become an avatar of Astaroth
upon this, her eighteenth birthday.
and John Peacock from the 1953 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley
. It was the second of Wheatley's "black magic" novels to be filmed by Hammer, following The Devil Rides Out
, released in 1968.
This was Michael Goodliffe
's last film just shortly before he committed suicide
while suffering from depression.
Christopher Lee
's line "It is not heresy... and I will not recant!" was sampled by heavy metal
band White Zombie
for the song "Super-Charger Heaven
".
The film was marketed with the tagline "...and suddenly the screams of a baby born in Hell!"
A controversy involved Nastassja Kinski's fully frontal nude scene in the film; she was 15 at the time of shooting.
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
horror film made by Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
, taken from the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
, directed by Peter Sykes
Peter Sykes
Peter Sykes, FRSC was a British chemist and a former Fellow and Vice-Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. He is the author of highly popular undergraduate-level organic chemistry textbook A Guidebook to Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry, now in its sixth edition.-References:...
. It stars Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
, Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
and Denholm Elliott
Denholm Elliott
Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE was an English film, television and theatre actor with over 120 film and television credits...
. The original music score was composed by Paul Glass
Paul Glass
-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Glass was the son of silent film actor and film executive Gaston Glass. He was educated at the University of Southern California , and was taught by Ingolf Dahl, and Goffredo Petrassi in Rome...
.
Plot
OccultOccult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
writer John Verney is asked by Henry Beddows to pick up his daughter Catherine from the airport. Catherine is a nun with The Children of the Lord, a mysterious Heretic order located in Bavaria and is allowed to come to visit once a year on her birthday. But after Catherine arrives, Beddows then insists that she stay with Verney. But the order, under the sinister Ex-Communicated Heretic Father Michael Rayner, makes all efforts to get Catherine back and marshals black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
to stop Verney as he protects her. Verney learns that the order really harbours a group of practicing Satanists who have prepared Catherine to become an avatar of Astaroth
Astaroth
Astaroth , in demonology, is a Crowned Prince of Hell. He is a male figure named after the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth.-Background:...
upon this, her eighteenth birthday.
Cast
- Richard WidmarkRichard WidmarkRichard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
as John Verney - Christopher LeeChristopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
as Father Michael Rayner - Honor BlackmanHonor BlackmanHonor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
as Anna Fountain - Denholm ElliottDenholm ElliottDenholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE was an English film, television and theatre actor with over 120 film and television credits...
as Henry Beddows - Michael GoodliffeMichael GoodliffeLawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts....
as George De Grass - Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
as Catherine Beddows - Eva Maria Meineke as Eveline de Grass
- Anthony Valentine as David
- Derek FrancisDerek FrancisDerek Francis was an English comedy and character actor.He was a regular in the Carry On film players, appearing in six of the films in the 1960s and 1970s. He appeared in Roger Corman's last film of his Edgar Allan Poe series The Tomb of Ligeia...
as The Bishop - Constantine GregoryConstantine GregoryConstantine Gregory is an actor and dialect coach. Gregory was born in New York City in 1942 as Constantine Liebert, or Leebaert, of a Dutch father and Russian–born mother. On their divorce, he was given his mother's surname of de Goguel...
as Kollde - Brian WildeBrian WildeBrian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
as Black Room Attendant - Howard Goorney as Critic
- Frances de la TourFrances de la TourFrances de la Tour is an English actress perhaps best known for her role as Miss Ruth Jones in the British sitcom Rising Damp, and as Madame Olympe Maxime in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.-Early life and family:De la...
as Salvation Army Major
Production
The film was adapted by Christopher WickingChristopher Wicking
Christopher Wicking was a screenwriter often in the horror and fantasy genres, notably for the British arm of American International Pictures and with Hammer Film Productions, for whom he was the last 'resident script editor'.-Background:Wicking was educated at Coopers' Company's...
and John Peacock from the 1953 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
. It was the second of Wheatley's "black magic" novels to be filmed by Hammer, following The Devil Rides Out
The Devil Rides Out (film)
The Devil Rides Out is a 1968 British film based on the 1934 novel The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley...
, released in 1968.
This was Michael Goodliffe
Michael Goodliffe
Lawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts....
's last film just shortly before he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
while suffering from depression.
Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
's line "It is not heresy... and I will not recant!" was sampled by heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band White Zombie
White Zombie
White Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
for the song "Super-Charger Heaven
Super-Charger Heaven
"Super-Charger Heaven" is the third and final single off White Zombie's 1995 studio album, Astro-Creep: 2000...
".
The film was marketed with the tagline "...and suddenly the screams of a baby born in Hell!"
A controversy involved Nastassja Kinski's fully frontal nude scene in the film; she was 15 at the time of shooting.