Philippe de Montfaucon, Marquis de Bellenac,[5] (David Niven) hereditary owner of an ancient estate in Bordeaux whose vineyards have produced no fruit for three years, lives in Paris with his devoted wife Catherine and two young children. He is abruptly summoned to Bellac, where a sinister priest (Donald Pleasence) gives him a strange amulet. After their son, Jacques, dreams that his father needs him, the Marquise (Deborah Kerr) takes their children to the chateau. When they arrive, archer Christian de Caray (David Hemmings) 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) 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 dancing around Christ, 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.
In his New York Times column Criminals at Large, Anthony Boucher praised the 1964 novel Day of the Arrow, written by Robin Estridge under the pen namePhilip Loraine. Boucher compared the book to the works of Daphne du Maurier, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Norah Lofts and Evelyn Berckman, writing that it "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.... This is a setting for [a] highly civilized and aristocratic nightmare, as a young Scottish painter[lower-alpha 1] 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, 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's Death of a Fool."[6]
Estridge adapted his own novel for the screen. Dennis Murphy shared credit for the screenplay.[8]Terry Southern did additional "tightening and brightening" of the script, uncredited.[9]
Kim Novak, who had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff in 1961,[10] was signed to play the lead,[11] with Niven co-starring.
Tate had been discovered by Ransohoff when she auditioned for Petticoat Junction. Impressed, he signed her to a seven-year contract.[12] She then spent months studying and playing small roles at Ransohoff's expense, such as a recurring role on The Beverly Hillbillies, before making her feature film debut in Eye of the Devil.[13] Said Ransohoff, "Everybody should make an effort to show a new face in every major picture".[14]
Sidney J. Furie, who had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff, was originally slated to direct Eye of the Devil.[15] In August 1965, shortly before filming was to begin, Furie was replaced by Michael Anderson.[16] Anderson fell ill, and was replaced, in turn, by J. Lee Thompson.[17]
In November, two weeks before filming was scheduled to conclude, Novak was thrown from a horse while performing in a key scene, and injured her back. The production shot around Novak while she recovered, filming scenes that did not require her. Novak returned to the set after two weeks, but was exhausted after only a day's work, and forced to take more time off. When the production was told that she would need another eight weeks to recover before returning to work, it was decided to replace her with Kerr, even though this meant reshooting a significant amount of footage, since Novak appeared in nearly three-quarters of what already had been filmed.[20][21][22]
"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."[1] As to Novak's injury, 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."[1] Novak would later say that she had fractured a vertebra.[23]
Filming resumed in December 1965 with Kerr.[24] Some long shots of Novak, filmed before her injury, did make it into the movie.[22]
In his autobiography, Hemmings disputed that Novak had been replaced because of an injury. He said that he had seen a bitter argument take place between Novak and Ransohoff near the end of filming, and that Novak had been sacked as a result.[25][26]
When asked about working with such a distinguished cast, Tate responded, "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."[12]
Release
Eye of the Devil received little notice. In 1968, the film was listed as one of only three by Ransohoff that had not made money, the other two being Don't Make Waves and The Loved One.[27] Although it was not a commercial success in the United States when first released, Eye of the Devil was popular in Europe. It has acquired a degree of cult status since, largely due to its surreal themes and the murder of Tate in 1969, as well as the distinguished supporting cast.[22]
Tate's debut did not do much for her career. A New York Times review characterized her performance as "chillingly beautiful but expressionless".[28]
Eye of the Devil was the last black-and-white film released by MGM. By 1967, all of the major studios had effectively moved entirely to colour.
Home media
Eye of the Devil was released as a Region 1, widescreen DVD on 21 February 2011 by Warner Home Video, via its Warner Archive DVD-on-demand service.
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she appeared in advertisements and small television roles before appearing in films as well as working as a model. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers.
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE, known professionally as Deborah Kerr, was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Young Bess is a 1953 Technicolor biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England. It stars Jean Simmons as Elizabeth and Stewart Granger as Thomas Seymour, with Charles Laughton as Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, a part he had played 20 years before in The Private Life of Henry VIII. The film was directed by George Sidney and produced by Sidney Franklin, from a screenplay by Jan Lustig and Arthur Wimperis based on the novel of the same title by Margaret Irwin (1944).
Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak is an American retired film and television actress and painter.
Bonjour Tristesse is a 1958 British-American Technicolor film in CinemaScope, directed and produced by Otto Preminger from a screenplay by Arthur Laurents based on the novel of the same name by Françoise Sagan. The film stars Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Jean Seberg, Mylène Demongeot and Geoffrey Horne, and features Juliette Gréco, Walter Chiari, Martita Hunt and Roland Culver. It was released by Columbia Pictures. This film had color and black-and-white sequences, a technique unusual for the 1950s, but widely used in silent movies and early sound movies.
Martin Nelson Ransohoff was an American film and television producer, and member of the Ransohoff family.
Don't Make Waves is a 1967 American sex comedy starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and is based on the 1959 novel Muscle Beach, by Ira Wallach, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
Kim Darby is an American actress best known for her role as Mattie Ross in the film True Grit (1969).
Jefferson in Paris is a 1995 historical drama film, directed by James Ivory, and previously entitled Head and Heart. The screenplay, by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, is a semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France before his presidency and of his alleged relationships with British artist Maria Cosway and his slave, Sally Hemings.
Mary Janice Rule was an American actress and psychotherapist, earning her PhD while still acting, then acting occasionally while working in her new profession.
Eva Barbara Novak was an American film actress, who was quite popular during the silent film era.
Of Human Bondage is a 1964 British drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Kim Novak and Laurence Harvey in the roles played by Bette Davis and Leslie Howard three decades earlier in the original film version. This MGM release, the third screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1915 novel, was written by Bryan Forbes from the novel by Somerset Maugham.
Benjamin is a 1968 French comedy film directed by Michel Deville who co-wrote the screenplay with Nina Companéez.
Ask Any Girl is a 1959 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring David Niven, Shirley MacLaine, and Gig Young. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and based on a novel by Winifred Wolfe.
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. In 1853 the landscape architect the Count of Choulot redesigned the gardens, adding a landscape garden, geometric flower gardens, topiary gardens imitating the domes of the château, and a long tunnel of greenery. Next to the formal gardens is a hill with an Italian garden with winding shaded paths. Notable trees in the park include a Magnolia grandiflora and a Cedar of Lebanon. The gardens are listed by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the Ministry of Culture of France as one of the Notable Gardens of France.
Lady L is a 1965 comedy film based on the novel by Romain Gary and directed by Peter Ustinov. Starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, David Niven and Cecil Parker, the film focuses on an elderly Corsican lady as she recalls the loves of her life, including an anarchist and an English aristocrat. The ending of the film is very different from the ending of the novel.
The Legend of Lylah Clare is a 1968 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Robert Aldrich. The film stars Peter Finch, Kim Novak, Ernest Borgnine, Michael Murphy, and Valentina Cortese. The film was based on a 1963 DuPont Show of the Week TV drama co-written by Wild in the Streets creator Robert Thom.
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe.
The Return of Dracula is a 1958 American horror film directed by Paul Landres, and starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, and Ray Stricklyn. It follows Dracula, who murders an artist aboard a train in Central Europe, and proceeds to impersonate the man, traveling to meet with his extended family in a small California town. The film is primarily in black and white, aside from one brief color sequence.
Babette Goes to War is a 1959 French CinemaScope film starring Brigitte Bardot. It was Bardot's first movie since becoming a star where she did not take off her clothes.
References
1 2 3 Palmer, Raymond E. (27 November 1965). "Kim Novak Not Able to Continue Film Role". Los Angeles Times. p.18.
1 2 3 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.
↑ "Kim Novak's Injury Assessed". New York Times. 14 December 1965. p.55.
↑ "'Thunderball' Stirs Box Office Storm". Los Angeles Times. 18 December 1965. p.a13.
↑ Hemmings, David (2004). Blow Up... and Other Exaggerations: The Autobiography of David Hemmings. Robson. p.125.
↑ Statman, Alisa; Tate, Brie (21 February 2012). Restless Souls: The Sharon Tate Family's Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice. Harper Collins.
↑ Haber, Joyce (14 January 1968). "'Baggy Pants' Ransohoff Changes Suits, Image". Los Angeles Times. p.d8.
↑ King, Greg (2000). Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders. Barricade Books. p.79. ISBN1-56980-157-6.
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