1. Plot

2. Cast
     Uncredited    Others  

3. Production

4. Reception
    Box Office 

5. References
    Bibliography 

6. External links

The Devil Rides Out, known as The Devil's Bride in the United States, is a 1968 British horror film, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. It was written by Richard Matheson and directed by Terence Fisher. The film stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi and Leon Greene.

Plot

Set in London and the south of England in 1929, the story finds Nicholas, Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee), investigating the strange actions of the son of a friend, Simon Aron (Patrick Mower), who has a house replete with strange markings and a pentagram. He quickly deduces that Simon is involved with the occult. Nicholas de Richleau and Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene) manage to rescue Simon and another young initiate, Tanith (Niké Arrighi), from a devil-worshipping cult. During the rescue, they disrupt a ceremony on Salisbury Plain, in which the Devil, the "Goat of Mendes" (Baphomet) appears.

They escape to the home of the Eatons, Marie (Sarah Lawson) and Richard (Paul Eddington), friends of Richleau and Van Ryn, and are followed by the group's leader, Mocata (Charles Gray), who has a psychic connection to the two initiates. After visiting the house while Richleau is absent to discuss the matter and an unsuccessful attempt to influence the initiates to return, Mocata forces Richleau and the other occupants to defend themselves through a night of black magic attacks, ending with the conjuring of the angel of death. Richleau repels the angel, but it kills Tanith instead (as once summoned, it must take a life).

His attacks defeated, Mocata kidnaps the Eatons' young daughter Peggy (Rosalyn Landor). The Duc has Tanith's spirit possess Marie in order to find Mocata, but they only are able to get a single clue, and Rex realizes that the cultists are at a house he visited earlier. Simon tries to rescue Peggy on his own, but he is recaptured by the cult. De Richleau, Richard, and Rex also try to rescue her, but they are defeated by Mocata. Suddenly, a powerful force (or Tanith herself) controls Marie and ends Peggy's trance. She then leads Peggy in the recitation of a spell which visits divine retribution on the cultists and transforms their coven room into a church.

When the Duc and his companions awaken, they discover that the spell has reversed time and changed the future in their favour. Simon and Tanith have survived, and Mocata's spell to conjure the angel of death has been reflected back on him. Divine judgement ends his life, and he is subject to eternal damnation for his unholy summoning of the angel of death. Nicholas de Richleau comments that it is God to whom they must be thankful.

Cast

• Christopher Lee – Nicholas, Duc de Richleau
• Charles Gray – Mocata
• Niké Arrighi – Tanith Carlisle
• Leon Greene – Rex Van Ryn (dubbed by Patrick Allen)^[3]
• Patrick Mower – Simon Aron
• Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies – Countess d'Urfe
• Sarah Lawson – Marie Eaton
• Paul Eddington – Richard Eaton
• Rosalyn Landor – Peggy Eaton
• Russell Waters – Malin

Uncredited

• John Bown – Receptionist
• Yemi Ajibade – African
• Ahmed Khalil – Indian
• Zoe Starr – Indian girl
• Willie Payne – Servant
• Keith Pyott – Max
• Mohan Singh – Mocata's servant
• Liane Aukin – Satanist
• John Falconer – Satanist
• Anne Godley – Satanist
• Richard Scott – Satanist
• Peter Swanwick – Satanist
• Bert Vivian – Satanist
• Eddie Powell – The Goat of Mendes (uncredited)

Others

• John Brown
• Richard Huggett

Production

First proposed in 1963, the film eventually went ahead four years later once censorship worries over Satanism had eased. Production began on 7 August 1967, and the film starred Christopher Lee (in a rare heroic role), Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi and Leon Greene. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Matheson from Wheatley's novel. Christopher Lee had often stated that of all his vast back catalogue of films, this was his favourite and the one he would have liked to have seen remade with modern special effects and with his playing a mature Duke de Richleau.^[4]

The A-side of British rock band Icarus's debut single "The Devil Rides Out" was inspired by the advance publicity for the film of the same title. Though the song does not appear in the film, the single's release was timed to coincide with the film's premiere and the band was invited to the premiere.^[5]

Reception

Reviews of the film have been widely favorable. It currently has a 93% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[6]

Box Office

According to Fox records the film required $1,150,000 in rentals to break even and by 11 December 1970 had made $575,000 so made a loss to the studio.^[10]

References

Bibliography

• {{cite book|author=Rigby, Jonathan,|title=English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema|publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd|year=2000|isbn=1-903111-01-3}}

External links

• {{IMDb title| 0062885 }}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes| devil_rides_out }}
• {{BritMovie title| The-Devil-Rides-Out }}

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