''The Devil's Man'' ( it, Devilman Story) is a 1967 Italian

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

directed by

Paolo Bianchini Paolo Bianchini (born 1931) is an Italian director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Rome, Bianchini began his career in 1953 working as assistant director of a number of notable directors, including Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, ...

Plot

Journalist Mike Harway decides to help his friend Christine Becker in her search for her father, professor Baker. Her father, a leading brain specialist, is in Rome for a conference but has mysteriously disappeared. After some time, their investigation brings them to Africa. While in Africa as they're traversing a deserted they are captured by nomads and brought to the abandoned fort at El Faiu . Within the fort is a hidden laboratory designed by the twisted mind of Devilman, Devilman dreams of swapping his natural brain with an artificial one that he believes will make him perfect. Mike, Christine and Professor Baker make a desperate attempt to escape from the fortress before the transfer occurs. They are rescued by an army of Moors.

Cast

Guy Madison Guy Madison (born Robert Ozell Moseley; January 19, 1922 – February 6, 1996) was an American film, television, and radio actor. He is best known for playing Wild Bill Hickok in the Western television series ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hicko ...

as Mike Harway * Luisa Baratto as Christine Becker * Alan Collins as Kew *

Diana Lorys Diana Lorys (born ''Ana María Cazorla Vega''; 20 October 1940) is a Spanish actress. She appeared in more than fifty films since 1960. Filmography References External links * 1940 births Living people Spanish film actresses Actr ...

as Yasmin *

Giovanni Cianfriglia Giovanni Cianfriglia (born 5 April 1935) is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1958. Born in Anzio, Cianfriglia debuted as the body double of Steve Reeves in ''Hercules'', then he started appearing, often unc ...

as The Professor

Production

''The Devil's Man'' was the first of three films director

directed for producer Gabriele Crisanti. Crisanti stated that the film was designed to recover costs and recycle scenes from his other production '' I predoni del Sahara'' (1965) directed by

Guido Malatesta Guido Malatesta (1919 – 14 June 1970), born in Gallarate, Italy, was a film director and screenwriter. He began working as a professional journalist. After he moved to Rome, he was drawn to cinema, as creator of treatments, then scriptwriter ...

. Bianchini was allowed a lot of freedom while making the film, stating that Crisanti had already sold the title of the film and as long as he used footage he had of the riders from the previous film.

Style

Film historian Roberto Curti noted that the film is often misleadingly described as a

spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...

. Curti described it as mixture of "adventure, mystery and science fiction" that was closer to 1930s and 1940s American film serials.

Reception

In a contemporary review, the ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' declared the film as a "routine formula of the power-crazed scientist whose manic schemes are thwarted by an inevitable final holocaust" while noting that the film had "some splendid desert locations and some "austere chrome and glass SF sets." Paolo Bianchini spoke negatively about the production and the film, stating that "

was the only one who took the whole thing seriously. It was such crap!" In

Phil Hardy Philip Hardy (born 9 April 1973) is an English-born former Ireland under-21 footballer who played as a left-back. With Welsh club Wrexham from 1990 to 2001, he played more than 450 games under manager Brian Flynn. He was named on the PFA ...

's book ''Science Fiction'', ''The Devil's Man'' was referred to as a "routine mad scientist offering. The plot is so traditional that it wouldn't have been out of place in a thirties serial" The review praised the sets of the film, specficially Devilman's secret laboratory noting that "as is so often the case in Italian science fiction films of the sixties, are delightfully futuristic."

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

gave the movie one out of five stars.The Devil's Man review. TV Guide. retrieved 6/16/20 https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-devils-man/review/112893/

References

Footnotes

Sources

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Devils Man, The Italian science fiction adventure films 1960s science fiction adventure films Films directed by Paolo Bianchini Films set in Rome 1960s Italian films