Night of the Demon DVD Review

Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews), an American uber-skeptic psychologist, flys to England to work alongside Professor Henry Harrington (Maurice Denham), to discredit devil worshipping cult leader Julian Karswell (Niall McGinnis). Holden discovers on arrival that Harrington has been killed in an car accident. Harrington’s niece, Joanna (Peggy Cummins), is convinced that his death was far from innocent and that dark forces were involved. Holden remains skeptical and is intent on exposing Karswell as a fraud and debunking the existence of witchcraft and demons, but Karswell is determined to stop him and passes Holden a rune script parchment and warns him that he has only days to live. Holden begins to realise that there is something diabolical afoot, so he and Joanna race against time to catch up with Karswell, who has done a runner on the last train out of spooky town.

Based on ”Casting the Runes“ by M. R. James, Night of the Demon was an audacious project for it's time, dealing with Occult themes in a very serious manner. There's been a lot of speculation as to whether the character of Julian Karswell was based on Aleister Crowley, and although there are some superficial similarities, I personally don't share that view. Karswell is actually quite an agreeable fellow, certainly not the blaggard that many other films portray Occultists as, Niall MacGinnis is absolutely perfect in the role. Another interesting characterisation is that of John Holden as a scientist, an expert in the occult and a professional debunker of all that proposes to be supernatural. Although not up to the standard of the British actors in the film, Dana Andrews is entertaining as the skeptical prof.

Night of the Demon is fabulous movie on many levels; it has a gripping story, great characters, superb directing by Jacques Tourneur and from an Occultists point of view, it touches upon some truths. Night of the Demon is one of my very earliest cinematic memories, and I still get that twinge of excitement when the sparks crackle as the demon manifests in the woods... ”It's in the trees, it's coming!“ S.J.T.

Night of the Demon. 1957

Directed by Jacques Tourneur.