''Eye of the Devil,'' also known as ''13,''
is a 1966 British
mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
directed by
J. Lee Thompson
John Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 – 30 August 2002) was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'', ''Ice Cold in Alex'' and ''The Guns of Navarone (film), Th ...
and starring
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...
,
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...
,
Donald Pleasence
Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...
,
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
and
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1966 mystery film ' ...
. The film is set in rural France and was filmed at the
Château de Hautefort
The Château de Hautefort is a French château and gardens located in the town of Hautefort in the Dordogne. The castle was originally a medieval fortress that was reconstructed in the 17th century, and embellished with a jardin à la française. I ...
and in England. ''Eye of the Devil'' is based on the 1964 novel ''Day of the Arrow'' by
Robin Estridge
Robin Estridge, a.k.a. Robin York and Philip Loraine (1 May 1920 – 24 October 2002) was a British author of suspense fiction and a screenwriter.
Biography
He was born Robin Phillip Lorraine Estridge on 1 May 1920, in London, England.
His rea ...
and was initially titled ''Thirteen''.
Plot
Philippe de Montfaucon,
Marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
de Bellenac,
[Although TCM.com gives the name of the estate as “Bellac”, this is an error. It appears on the Festival banner and is pronounced by many characters. The New York Times' review of the original book gives the name of the estate as Bellac. This may be the source of this error.] (
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...
) hereditary owner of an ancient estate in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
whose vineyards have produced no fruit for three years, lives in Paris with his devoted wife and two young children. He is abruptly summoned to Bellac, where a sinister priest (
Donald Pleasence
Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...
) gives him a strange amulet. After their son, Jacques, dreams that his father needs him, the
Marquise (
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...
) takes their children to the chateau. When they arrive, archer Christian de Caray (
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1966 mystery film ' ...
) shoots a dove, which falls at Catherine's feet. Questioned, Philippe’s Aunt Estelle observes that Christian is “a very wicked boy” and his sister Odile (
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
) is “no better.” She dismisses Catherine, telling her maid “This time, I can't be involved.”
Late at night, Catherine discovers Odile and Christian ceremoniously carrying the impaled dove into a candlelit room where robed figures sit. They present the dove first to an altar whose cross resembles the amulet and then to the figure sitting at the head. The doors close in Catherine's face, and an old man warns her to take her children and never return.
Philippe dismisses Catherine's concerns—the valley is steeped in ancient superstition. He speaks of his family's 1000-year history in Bellenac: He has grave responsibilities. His Aunt tells him she would “rather die” than “say anything” to Catherine, and begs him to flee. Meanwhile, Odile enchants Jacques by changing a toad into a dove.
A family friend, Jean-Claude, helps Catherine discover the Montfaucon history: 22 heads of the family have died in “mysterious circumstances”, going back to the 1200s. Meanwhile, Philippe visits the blighted vineyards and returns to learn that Catherine has ridden out to the tomb of Edouard de Montfaucon. There she finds a carving matching a painting in the chateau and an inscription referring to twelve dancers. Emerging from the mausoleum, she is pursued by robed figures, faints, and revives in her bed. Philippe gives her a sedative and kisses her. She wakes from nightmares to find herself locked in. Breaking open the window shutter, she signals Estel, who sends her maid.
Catherine wakes, and all is normal. The doctor tells her she was given
belladonna, a hallucinogen. The community is celebrating “Les 13 Jours”. People fill the church, where Père Dominic prays in Latin. Philippe kneels alone; Estelle and the children sit in the front pew. Philippe pauses when he sees Catherine, but the priest repeats “Procedamos in pace” (Proceed in peace). Outside, 12 robed figures form a circle in front of Philippe and sway from side to side. Philippe kisses Jacques; the crowd gasps. Philippe welcomes all to the Festival, paraphrasing
Genesis 1:11: “Let the Earth bring forth vines, yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth, and the Word was God”. Estelle screams.
In her room, for Jacques's sake, Estelle reveals to Catherine that her brother Alain, Philippe's father, did not die, but ran away, to escape. He now lives in the tower above. Upstairs, she recognizes Alain, who warned her. He explains: Les Treize Jours/Jouyeurs, the 13 days/dancers, are the 12
apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
dancing around
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, or in the case of the heretic town of Bellenac, a living god suitable for blood sacrifice. Père Dominic, a pagan, celebrates a Black Mass. When Philippe kissed Jacques, it showed that Philippe was doomed.
Elsewhere, Jacques watches the priest praying over his father. The priest brings Catherine to Philippe. Detached, he tells her it can't be stopped. No one will believe her—No one ever has. He is dying for what he believes, for his people and his faith. He rides away with 12 robed figures and Christian. Catherine escapes, but is too late. Philippe's body is brought home through the vineyards. Jacques watches.
Cut to torrential rain, Jean Claude reading a newspaper account of the “accident”. As he drives the family away, Jacques insists he left his watch behind. Inside, the priest is waiting for him. Jacques kisses the amulet and runs back to the car.
Cast
*
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...
as Catherine de Montfaucon,
Marquise de Bellenac
*
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...
as Philippe de Montfaucon, Marquis de Bellenac
*
Flora Robson
Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...
as
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
ess Estelle, Alain's sister
*
Donald Pleasence
Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...
as Père Dominic
*
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1966 mystery film ' ...
as Christian de Caray
*
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
as Odile de Caray
*
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare (8 April 1923 – 24 May 1997) was an Irish actor whose career spanned five decades. He is best known for his starring roles in two television series: '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' and ''Knight Rider''.
Early life and career
Mulha ...
as Jean-Claude Ibert
*
Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor.
Early life
Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintsh ...
as Alain de Montfaucon, Philippe's father
Production
Development
Anthony Boucher
William Anthony Parker White (August 21, 1911 – April 29, 1968), better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher (), was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio d ...
praised the novel ''The Day of the Arrow'' (1964) in his Criminals at Large column in
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
' March 1, 1964 edition. Observing that, although “men can enjoy them very much indeed”, “the
Daphne Du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...
—
Mary Stewart—
Victoria Holt
Eleanor Alice Hibbert (née Burford; 1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993) was an English writer of historical romances. She was a prolific writer who published several books a year in different literary genres, each genre under a different pen ...
sort of novel of mystery, menace and romance, is addressed primarily to a feminine audience...(Therefore) It is somewhat comforting...to encounter (this novel) which tells very much the same kind of brooding, atmospheric story, in very much the same kind of setting (an ancestral castle in the Auvergne), but from a male viewpoint and with a mind working in a completely masculine manner. And I hope that women may enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed, say,
Norah Lofts
Norah Lofts, ''née'' Norah Ethel Robinson, (27 August 190410 September 1983) was a 20th-century British writer. She also wrote under the pen names Peter Curtis and Juliet Astley. She wrote more than fifty books specialising in historical fict ...
or
Evelyn Berckman
Evelyn Domenica Berckman (18 October 1900 – 18 September 1978) was an American writer noted for her detective and Gothic horror novels. In addition to her novels and screenplays, she also wrote four non-fiction titles about British naval hi ...
—with both of whom the tale shares certain affinities...The castle and its village are called Bellac, but this is very far (geographically and spiritually) from the birthplace off
Jean Giraudoux
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II.
His work ...
. This is a setting for highly civilized and aristocratic nightmare, as a young Scottish painter tries to identify the sinister forces that are taking control of his friend the Marquis. The answer will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever leafed through ''
The Golden Bough
''The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion'' (retitled ''The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion'' in its second edition) is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by the Scottish anthropologist Sir ...
'', but its obviousness in no way diminishes its power. The book is as full of tantalizing and terror‐hinting symbols as a pack of tarot cards, and as oddly vivid in its invented folklore as
Ngaio Marsh
Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966.
As a crime writer during the "Golden Age of Det ...
's
''Death of a Fool''. The character of the young painter is not in the film,
Martin Ransohoff
Martin Nelson Ransohoff (July 7, 1927 – December 13, 2017) was an American film and television producer, and member of the Ransohoff, Ransohoff family.
Early life and education
Ransohoff was born on July 7, 1927 in New Orleans, New Orleans, ...
of
Filmways
Filmways, Inc. (also known as Filmways Pictures and Filmways Television) was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff and Edwin Kasper in 1952. It is probably best remembered as the production c ...
bought the film rights; he had a multi-picture deal with
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
.
Robin Estridge
Robin Estridge, a.k.a. Robin York and Philip Loraine (1 May 1920 – 24 October 2002) was a British author of suspense fiction and a screenwriter.
Biography
He was born Robin Phillip Lorraine Estridge on 1 May 1920, in London, England.
His rea ...
, who wrote the novel under the pseudonym “Philip Loraine”, wrote the screenplay. Dennis Murphy is also credited on screen.
Terry Southern
Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style. Part of the Paris postwar literary movement in the 1950s and a companion to ...
was brought in to do an uncredited "tighting and brightning" of the screenplay.
Kim Novak
Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired film and television actress and painter.
Novak began her career in 1954 after signing with Columbia Pictures and quickly became one of Hollywood's top box office stars, ...
was originally signed to play the lead. (Novak had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff in 1961.) David Niven joined her as co-star. It was the first feature film for
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
, who had been discovered by Ransohoff when she went to audition for ''
Petticoat Junction
''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and B ...
''; he was impressed and put her under a seven-year contract.
Tate had spent months studying and playing small roles at Ransohoff's expense before making her debut. "Everybody should make an effort to show a new face in every major picture," Ransohoff said.
The original director was
Sidney J. Furie
Sidney Joseph Furie (born February 28, 1933) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his extensive work in both British and American cinema between the 1960s and early 1980s. Like his contemporaries Norman Jewison ...
, who had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff. In August 1965, shortly before filming was to begin, Furie was replaced by
Michael Anderson. When Anderson fell ill, he was replaced in turn by
J. Lee Thompson
John Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 – 30 August 2002) was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'', ''Ice Cold in Alex'' and ''The Guns of Navarone (film), Th ...
. Shortly before filming started, the title of the movie was changed to ''13''.
Shooting
Filming started on 13 September 1965. Filming location was in and around
Château de Hautefort
The Château de Hautefort is a French château and gardens located in the town of Hautefort in the Dordogne. The castle was originally a medieval fortress that was reconstructed in the 17th century, and embellished with a jardin à la française. I ...
in France and at M.G.M. British Studios, Borehamwood, England. In November, with only two weeks of shooting to be completed, Novak injured her back when she was thrown from a horse while doing an important scene on location in France.
The film was shut down while Novak sought treatment. She tried to resume filming two weeks later, but she was exhausted after only one day of work and was unable to go on. "There is no permanent damage to Kim's back," her husband, Richard Johnson, said. "It is not something that will trouble her for the rest of her life. She will recover eventually. It is going to take time and will not be an easy matter."
(Novak later said the injury was a broken vertebra.)
"It is tragic, but without Kim or a replacement, we cannot go on," David Niven said. "The person I feel most sorry for is director J. Lee Thompson. He has put everything into this picture."
Novak was replaced by Deborah Kerr.
As a result, many scenes had to be reshot, with Novak seen only in some long shots.
Filming resumed with Kerr in December.
However, David Hemmings recalls in his autobiography that he witnessed a bitter argument between Kim Novak and
Martin Ransohoff
Martin Nelson Ransohoff (July 7, 1927 – December 13, 2017) was an American film and television producer, and member of the Ransohoff, Ransohoff family.
Early life and education
Ransohoff was born on July 7, 1927 in New Orleans, New Orleans, ...
near the end of filming and that led Kim Novak to be sacked and the film to be reshot with Kerr.
When asked what it was like to act with such a distinguished cast, Sharon Tate said "Of course I was nervous but I was flattered rather than intimidated because everybody put me at such ease. They are such pros. You don't see their technique but when you are surrounded by the best it brings out the best in you."
Alex Sanders, an English
occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
ist and
Wicca
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
n, was hired as a consultant to give the pagan rites some authenticity.
Notably, it was the last black-and-white film released by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
. All the major studios effectively abandoned the process by 1967.
Critical reception and box office
The film features Sharon Tate's first speaking role in a feature film; she was cast by Filmways executive Martin Ransohoff, who hailed her as his great discovery (he had already given her a recurring role on ''
The Beverly Hillbillies
''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...
''). The film attracted little attention and had little impact on Tate's career. A review in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' referred to Tate's "chillingly beautiful but expressionless" performance.
Although ''Eye of the Devil'' was not a commercial success in the United States when first released, it was popular in Europe, and it has acquired a degree of cult status, largely due to its surreal themes and the
1969 murder of Tate. The film is also notable for its distinguished supporting cast,
which includes veteran actors
Donald Pleasence
Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...
,
Flora Robson
Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...
,
Emlyn Williams
George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor.
Early life
Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintsh ...
,
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare (8 April 1923 – 24 May 1997) was an Irish actor whose career spanned five decades. He is best known for his starring roles in two television series: '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' and ''Knight Rider''.
Early life and career
Mulha ...
and
John Le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation co ...
.
In 1968, the film was listed as one of only three Ransohoff films that did not make money, the other two being ''
Don't Make Waves
''Don't Make Waves'' is a 1967 American sex comedy (with elements of the beach party genre) starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendrick a ...
'' and ''
The Loved One
''The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy'' (1948) is a short satirical novel by British novelist Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry.
Conception
''The ...
''.
Home media
''Eye of the Devil'' was released to DVD by Warner Home Video on 21 February 2011 via its Warner Archive DVD-on-demand service as a Region 1 widescreen DVD.
See also
*
List of British films of 1966
A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1966 (see 1966 in film):
1966
See also
*1966 in British music
* 1966 in British radio
* 1966 in British television
* 1966 in the United Kingdom
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSOR ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eye Of The Devil
1966 films
1966 horror films
1960s mystery thriller films
1960s supernatural horror films
British black-and-white films
British horror thriller films
British mystery thriller films
British supernatural horror films
British supernatural thriller films
1960s English-language films
Films about cults
Films about wine
Films about witchcraft
Films based on British novels
Films directed by J. Lee Thompson
Films set in castles
Films set in France
Films shot in France
Films shot in Hertfordshire
Filmways films
Folk horror films
Films about human sacrifice
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Mystery horror films
Films shot at MGM-British Studios
1960s British films