Poor Devil (1973 film)

Last updated
Poor Devil
GenreComedy
Fantasy
Screenplay by Richard Baer
Earl Barret
Story byRichard Baer
Earl Barret
Arne Sultan
Directed by Robert Scheerer
Starring Sammy Davis Jr.
Christopher Lee
Jack Klugman
Adam West
Music by Morton Stevens
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersEarl Barret
Arne Sultan
Producer Robert Stambler
Production location San Francisco
Cinematography Howard Schwartz
Editors Robert James Kern
Michael Vejar
Running time73 minutes
Production company Paramount Television
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseFebruary 14, 1973 (1973-02-14)

Poor Devil (1973) is an NBC television film that served as an unsold pilot of a comedy series. The film was first broadcast on NBC on February 14, 1973.

Contents

Sammy Davis Jr. starred as "Sammy", a demon from Hell who desires a promotion from working in the furnace room. Lucifer, played by horror veteran Christopher Lee, tells Sammy that he must first convince a San Francisco accountant named Burnett J. Emerson (Jack Klugman) to sell his soul. The film also starred Adam West. [1] [2]

Synopsis

Sammy, a demon in desperate need of a promotion, uses the scanners in Hell - the place looks like Mission Control in Houston - to watch as Burnett (Klugman) makes an inept attempt to rob the safe in the department store where he works. Sammy decides Burnett is prime pickings to be recruited for Hell. The Devil gives Sammy a chance, but warns that if he fails he'll be shoveling coal in the furnace room for 1,000 years! He appears to Burnett later that night, literally zapping into his bed next to him, and makes his pitch: seven years of anything he wants in exchange for his soul. At first, Burnett doesn't believe him, but eventually does, and signs the contract. His first wish is for Sammy to steal everything in the department store where he works in one night. This presents a problem for Sammy as his powers are quite limited. He calls a meeting of damned souls in a conference room in Hell and gets ideas from the likes of Al Capone and Blackbeard. That night he drugs the security guard and then his fellow demons clean out the store. As he and Burnett are walking through the store they stop at a jewelry counter and Sammy puts a nice new watch on Burnett's wrist. He also sees someone he knows helping with the robbery - his father-in-law! He says to Burnett, "I won't tell if you won't."

Later, as the store is almost cleaned out Burnett has second thoughts. He wanted to punish the company, but realizes that taking all the merchandise will harm the workers, his friends, and so tells Sammy to put everything back! It's not easy, but they manage, and the next day Burnett wishes for a mink for his wife and happily speaks of how he and his wife will spend the next seven years going places and doing things, and then spend eternity together. Sammy breaks the bad news to Burnett: his wife is scheduled to go "up there." Sad and despondent, Burnett doesn't know what to do, and then Sammy asks him for the time. He tells him and Sammy points out that Burnett is still wearing the watch he gave him, which technically means he didn't put everything back from the robbery. As he didn't fulfill Burnett's wish his contract is null and void, and he's free. The Devil then appears, only Sammy can see and hear him, and scolds his lowly demon for letting a soul get away. As Burnett tries to explain to the Dark Lord, he zaps Sammy and himself back to Hell. Later, Sammy is sharing a nice meal with his girlfriend, but then has to get back to work shoveling. In defiance he throws the shovel into the furnace, and Bligh, the Devil's assistant zaps another into Sammy's hands warning him that his 700 year sentence can easily become 800! Sammy gets back to work.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mephisto (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Mephisto is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Silver Surfer #3, and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and based on Mephistopheles: a demon character from the Faust legend, who has sometimes been referred to as Mephisto. Introduced as a recurring adversary of the Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider, Mephisto has also endured as one of Spider-Man's most prominent adversaries, being responsible for Norman and Harry Osborn's respective transformations into the Green Goblin and Kindred; and for the superhero's loss of his marriage to Mary Jane Watson, considering their future daughter Spider-Girl his archenemy. Mephisto has often come into conflict with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, Scarlet Witch and other heroes of the Marvel Universe, being responsible both for the creation of the Cosmic Ghost Rider and the descents of Phil Coulson and Otto Octavius into villainy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Friar's Tale</span> Part of the Canterbury Tales

"The Friar's Tale" is a story in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, told by Huberd the Friar. The story centers on a corrupt summoner and his interactions with the Devil. It is preceded by The Wife of Bath's Tale and followed by The Summoner's Tale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IV</span> 5th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+12 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".

<i>Hood of Horror</i> 2007 film directed by Stacy Title

Hood of Horror is a 2006 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Stacy Title, and written by Jonathan McHugh, Tim Sullivan, Jacob Hair and Chris Kobin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satana (Marvel Comics)</span> Comics character

Satana Hellstrom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and John Romita Sr., she first appeared in Vampire Tales #2. Satana belongs to the species of magical beings called demons, who are born with supernatural abilities, as a human-demon hybrid. She is the younger sister of Daimon Hellstrom and the daughter of Marduk Kurios.

<i>The Killian Curse</i> 2006 New Zealand TV series or program

The Killian Curse is a New Zealand kidult horror-fantasy television show, directed by Thomas Robins and Wayne Vinton. Starring Nick Blake and local New Zealand children, The Killian Curse tells the 21 stories of the students from Room 21, who must each face an evil curse placed on them by the sinister Charles Killian. Killian wants to get revenge on the people who caused his death shortly after founding the school in 1906. He needs to capture eleven souls to rise from the dead. There are two series which first aired in 2006 and 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Singer</span> Fictional character in the TV series Supernatural

Robert Steven Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's horror-drama television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Named after the show's executive producer, Bobby first appears in the first season finale "Devil's Trap." Although Beaver believed his role would merely be a "one-shot deal," Bobby has become a recurring character on the series, and is one of three characters who has appeared in every season of the show. The character, a "rough but warmhearted" working-class man who hunts supernatural creatures, has evolved over time into a father figure for series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester. Critics have responded favorably to the character.

A Mad World, My Masters is a Jacobean stage play written by Thomas Middleton, a comedy first performed around 1605 and first published in 1608. The title had been used by a pamphleteer, Nicholas Breton, in 1603, and was later the origin for the title of Stanley Kramer's 1963 film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

<i>Night of the Demons 3</i> 1997 Canadian horror film directed by Jim Kaufman

Night of the Demons 3 is a 1997 Canadian comedy horror film directed by Jimmy Kaufman and starring Amelia Kinkade, Vlasta Vrána, Gregory Calpakis, Tara Slone, Christian Tessier, Joel Gordon, Larry Day, Kris Holden-Reid, Stephanie Bauder, and Patricia Rodriguez. It is the third and final film in the Night of the Demons series before the 2009 remake, and follows a group of teenagers who are pursued by the demon-possessed Angela Franklin while hiding out in Hull House on Halloween night.

<i>Reaper</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

Reaper is an American comedy television series that focuses on Sam Oliver, a "reaper" who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deals with the Devil in popular culture</span>

The idea of making a deal with the devil has appeared many times in works of popular culture. These pacts with the Devil can be found in many genres, including: books, music, comics, theater, movies, TV shows and games. When it comes to making a contract with the Devil, they all share the same prevailing desire, a mortal wants some worldly good for their own selfish gain, but in exchange, they must give up their soul for eternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Devil (DC Comics)</span> Fictional Superhero

Blue Devil is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert published in Fury of Firestorm #24. That story led directly into Blue Devil #1, also cover dated June 1984. He was created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, and Paris Cullins. The Blue Devil comic book ran for 31 issues and one annual. Blue Devil later appeared as a regular character in Shadowpact which ran for 25 issues.

<i>Claudelle Inglish</i> 1961 film by Gordon Douglas

Claudelle Inglish is a 1961 American film directed by Gordon Douglas and based on the 1958 novel by Erskine Caldwell. It stars Diane McBain and Arthur Kennedy. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1962 for Best Costume Design. The film was cast with many Warner Bros. Television contract stars, including Diane McBain who replaced the original choice for the lead Anne Francis. McBain was then co-starring in Surfside 6 and had previously appeared in Parrish.

<i>Hell and Back</i> (film) 2015 American film

Hell and Back is a 2015 American stop motion adult animated black comedy fantasy film directed by Tom Gianas and Ross Shuman and written by Gianas, Hugh Sterbakov, and Zeb Wells. It stars the voices of Nick Swardson, Mila Kunis, Bob Odenkirk, T.J. Miller, Rob Riggle, Susan Sarandon, and Danny McBride. It follows three friends who break a blood oath over a mint, causing a portal to open and sucks one of them into Hell. This leads to the other two friends going through the portal and must save him from demons and even the Devil himself. The film was released October 2, 2015, by Freestyle Releasing.

<i>Alleluia! The Devils Carnival</i> 2015 American film

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival is a 2015 American musical fantasy horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Terrance Zdunich. It is a direct sequel to Bousman's 2012 film The Devil's Carnival. Production commenced in August 2014 and the film was released on August 11, 2015 by Cleopatra Films.

"Reichenbach" is the second episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 10, and the 197th overall. The episode was written by Andrew Dabb and directed by Thomas J. Wright. It was first broadcast on October 14, 2014 on The CW. In the episode, Sam escapes from his captor, Cole Trenton, who is holding a vendetta against Dean for something that happened 12 years ago while Crowley begins to lose control of Dean. Meanwhile, Hannah notices Castiel's health and decides to ask Metatron for help.

"Sacrifice" is the twenty-third and final episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's season 8, and the 172nd overall. The episode was written by Jeremy Carver and directed by Phil Sgriccia. It was first broadcast on May 15, 2013 on The CW. In the episode, Sam makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to complete the trials to lock the demons from Earth with the last trial being Crowley himself. Meanwhile, Dean allies with Castiel and Metatron ordered to finish the Heaven trials but they were ambushed by Naomi and her Angels, finally finding out what will happen when the spells are finished.

My Guardian Debil is a 1998 Philippine comedy film written and directed by Jun Urbano. The film stars Jimmy Santos in the title role.

References