To the Devil a Daughter (1976)
Christopher Lee plays a defrocked, devil-worshipping Catholic priest who convinces a man (Denholm Elliott) to sign over his daughter (Nastassja Kinski) so she will become the devils' representative on earth on her 18th birthday. As the time draws near the two become locked in a deadly battle over possession of the innocent girl's soul.
The final horror film from the studio that dripped blood. To The Devil a Daughter is one of Hammer's unsung great films. Based on a Dennis Wheatley novel, as was 1968's The Devil Rides Out* also starring Lee but this time as the heroic Duc de Richleau rather than the worshipper of the occult he portrays here.
As with The Devil Rides Out, To the Devil a Daughter has strong occult influences, but this films modern day setting takes it out of any fantasy story and as with The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976) the contemporary setting makes it all the more believable and indeed terrifying. Unusually for Hammer the film sports strong gore and is often unsettling, - see the sequence of the hallucinating Catherine running across Tower Bridge - as well as sexual scenes in a satanic orgy meaning for once the 18 certificate or X as it was back in the 70's is just as relevant now.
The film sports a fine cast. Joining Lee, who exudes true malevolent evil, and Elliott are American legend Richard Widmark who's fine performance steal the film from under Lee's nose, and former Avenger Honor Blackman as well as Colditz star Anthony Valentine. Also appearing in one scene is Brian Wilde, best known as Foggy from Last of the Summer Wine, acting out a scene with Richard Widmark was definitely something to tell the grand kids about.
To tie in nicely with watching it in October, the film is set during the run up to All Hallows Eve when the satanic ritual will take place. The final showdown between Lee and Widmark is unfortunately a bit of a let down and it passes by in a blur of wildly coloured film stock, however there's plenty of occult nastiness before hand to make up for it including a naked Lee (probably a stand in) taking the virginal Catherine on the altar and a frankly disgusting sequence with a demonic baby literally giving her head. These sequences are genuinely grim and should have inspired Hammer's direction into the 80's but alas it was not to be.
To the Devil a Daughter is one of those films that gets better and better the more times i watch it.
*Wheatley's story Uncharted Seas was also adapted by Hammer but wasn't a horror film.
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