Night of the Demon 1957
7.4 / 10
Night of the Demon
American professor John Holden arrives in London for a conference on parapsychology only to discover that the colleague he was supposed to meet was killed in a freak accident the day before. It turns out that the deceased had been investigating a cult lead by Dr. Julian Karswell. Though a skeptic, Holden is suspicious of the devil-worshiping Karswell. Following a trail of mysterious manuscripts, Holden enters a world that makes him question his faith in science.
American professor John Holden arrives in London for a conference on parapsychology only to discover that the colleague he was supposed to meet was killed in a freak accident the day before. It turns out that the deceased had been investigating a cult lead by Dr. Julian Karswell. Though a skeptic, Holden is suspicious of the devil-worshiping Karswell. Following a trail of mysterious manuscripts, Holden enters a world that makes him question his faith in science.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 36 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Dr. John Holden
... Joanna Harrington
... Dr. Julian Karswell
... Mrs. Karswell
... Professor Mark O'Brien
... Professor K.T. Kumar
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
You know, the devil has something here. Very pleasant. Dr. John Holden arrives in England to attend a paranormal convention where the recently deceased Professor Harrington had intended to expose Dr. Julian Karswell as being the leader of satanic cult. Upon learning of Harrington's death, Holden finds that the only link to the mysterious death and Karswell's alleged cult is an accused murderer called Rand Hobart, who is currently in a catatonic state. While Harrington's niece Joanna is convinced her uncle was felled by supernatural forces, Holden sets about debunking it all as pure hogwash. Something that may yet prove to be fatal to his well being? Prior to 1957, director Jacques Tourneur could boast on his résumé psychological horror classics I Walked With A Zombie & Cat People, the simmering pot boiling Western Canyon Passage and the rightly heralded film-noir piece that is Out Of The Past. He was in short the perfect choice to direct this loose adaptation of M.R. James' story "Casting the Runes". Why then? That producer Hal E. Chester chose to interfere and not let Tourneur have full rein to deliver a supernatural picture that is more about what you don't see is actually what scares you? Is open for scornful debate. The problem, and the source of much discussion over the years, concerns the demon of the title. Goofy looking and at once taking away the quizzical factor for the audience, Chester had the demon appear both at the beginning and the end of the piece. It was also featured heavily in the film's advertising material (it's on the poster for instance), which quite frankly killed off the minuscule chance the less than scary vision had of shocking the audience. It's now all the years later considered across the board that it would have been better to not have seen the demon at all, certainly at the least to not see it at the beginning of the film. Thankfully though, and with much credit to Tourneur, his team and the cast, Night Of The Demon is still a nerve pulling piece of work that shines bright today as a true classic horror picture. After the demon has shown its unremarkable face, we follow Holden (a knowingly effective and stoic turn from Dana Andrews) as he delves deeper into murky waters that he's convinced do not exist. Only to realise he's in a devilish trap laid by the creepy Karswell (Niall MacGinnis), a trap from which he must escape or face the dire consequence. The tension has been built up beautifully by Tourneur, tension given an added dimension by Ken Adam's spookily adroit set designs. So come the glorious train station finale, nobody can be quite sure what will happen, and this in spite of us knowing the existence of the said demon thanks to the appearance of "it" at the beginning. The film was cut by 12 minutes and retitled Curse Of the Demon for the American market, but both versions have readily been available in disc form in the US. Odd then that in the country where the film is proudly called one of its own better horror entries, it had to wait till 2010 for a home disc release! That is almost as criminal as Chester's insistence on the demon appearing at the start of the film. Only almost mind you. 9/10
Release Date:
Nov 09, 1957 (United Kingdom)
Run Time:
1hr 36`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United Kingdom
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Night of the Demon
You know, the devil has something here. Very pleasant. Dr. John Holden arrives in England to attend a paranormal convention where the recently deceased Professor Harrington had intended to expose Dr. Julian Karswell as being the leader of satanic cult. Upon learning of Harrington's death, Holden finds that the only link to the mysterious death and Karswell's alleged cult is an accused murderer called Rand Hobart, who is currently in a catatonic state. While Harrington's niece Joanna is convinced her uncle was felled by supernatural forces, Holden sets about debunking it all as pure hogwash. Something that may yet prove to be fatal to his well being? Prior to 1957, director Jacques Tourneur could boast on his résumé psychological horror classics I Walked With A Zombie & Cat People, the simmering pot boiling Western Canyon Passage and the rightly heralded film-noir piece that is Out Of The Past. He was in short the perfect choice to direct this loose adaptation of M.R. James' story "Casting the Runes". Why then? That producer Hal E. Chester chose to interfere and not let Tourneur have full rein to deliver a supernatural picture that is more about what you don't see is actually what scares you? Is open for scornful debate. The problem, and the source of much discussion over the years, concerns the demon of the title. Goofy looking and at once taking away the quizzical factor for the audience, Chester had the demon appear both at the beginning and the end of the piece. It was also featured heavily in the film's advertising material (it's on the poster for instance), which quite frankly killed off the minuscule chance the less than scary vision had of shocking the audience. It's now all the years later considered across the board that it would have been better to not have seen the demon at all, certainly at the least to not see it at the beginning of the film. Thankfully though, and with much credit to Tourneur, his team and the cast, Night Of The Demon is still a nerve pulling piece of work that shines bright today as a true classic horror picture. After the demon has shown its unremarkable face, we follow Holden (a knowingly effective and stoic turn from Dana Andrews) as he delves deeper into murky waters that he's convinced do not exist. Only to realise he's in a devilish trap laid by the creepy Karswell (Niall MacGinnis), a trap from which he must escape or face the dire consequence. The tension has been built up beautifully by Tourneur, tension given an added dimension by Ken Adam's spookily adroit set designs. So come the glorious train station finale, nobody can be quite sure what will happen, and this in spite of us knowing the existence of the said demon thanks to the appearance of "it" at the beginning. The film was cut by 12 minutes and retitled Curse Of the Demon for the American market, but both versions have readily been available in disc form in the US. Odd then that in the country where the film is proudly called one of its own better horror entries, it had to wait till 2010 for a home disc release! That is almost as criminal as Chester's insistence on the demon appearing at the start of the film. Only almost mind you. 9/10
Cast & Crew of
Night of the Demon
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Dr. John Holden
... Joanna Harrington
... Dr. Julian Karswell
... Mrs. Karswell
... Professor Mark O'Brien
... Professor K.T. Kumar
... Lloyd Williamson
... Mr. Meek
... Mrs. Meek
... Rand Hobart
... Professor Henry Harrington
... Inspector Mottrarn
... Detective Simmons
PH
Peter Hobbes... Superintendent
... Chemist
... Librarian
JB
Janet Barrow... Mrs. Hobart
... Farmer
LT
Lynn Tracy... Air Hostess
... Hobart's Brother
Produced By
RLMD
R. L. M. Davidson... Production Manager
HEC
Hal E. Chester... Executive Producer
FB
Frank Bevis... Producer
Videos & Photos of
Night of the Demon
Videos ( 1)
Photos ( 36 )
Related Movies To
Night of the Demon
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
0 /10
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Run Time: 1hr 50` . MMPA: R . Release: 14 May 2025
Director: Mackenzie McElligott , Timothy Paul Coderre , Mia Bolton
Producer: Richard Brener , Rino Pace , Sheila Hanahan Taylor
Stars: Melissa Barrera , Tony Todd , Anna Lore , Renata Vaca , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Teo Briones
The Legend of Catclaws Mountain (2024)
0 /10
Mindy adopts Angel, a high-spirited pony that—according to legend—will lead its owner to gold hidden in the nearby mountains. When Angel is kidnapped by a mad treasure hunter, Mindy and her school friends head into the hills to rescue the pony and hunt for the lost gold. But Mindy meets a mountain man that warns her the treasure is part of an ancient curse—if they remove the gold, they'll destroy the beautiful forest.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: PG . Release: 27 May 2024
Director: Ritchie Greer
Producer: Adrienne McQueen , Russell Brannan , Malou Greer
Stars: Hayden Hishaw , James Duval , Robert Davi , Dee Wallace , Ilia Volok , Ricco Ross
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
0 /10
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: PG . Release: 06 Jun 2025
Director: Fraser Fennell-Ball , Lizzie Pritchard , Dean DeBlois
Producer: Lucy Bevan , Adam Siegel , Michael A. Connolly
Stars: Mason Thames , Nico Parker , Gerard Butler , Nick Frost , Julian Dennison , Gabriel Howell
The Cult (2024)
0 /10
When a young woman relocates to a small town in Europe, she notices the place has something weird. As time goes by, she starts to fear for her life. Based on actual events and in the book the day she became plastic.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Jun 2024
Director: Alexandre Alonso
Producer:
Stars:
28 Years Later (2025)
0 /10
Twenty-eight years since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one member departs on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.
Run Time: 1hr 55` . MMPA: R . Release: 18 Jun 2025
Director: Emily Perowne , Richard Styles , Sarah Mulberge
Producer: Peter Rice , Andrew Macdonald , Bryony Chaplin
Stars: Cillian Murphy , Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Charlie Hunnam , Ralph Fiennes , Jack O'Connell
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
0 /10
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2025
Director: Elizabeth Schantz , Maggie Kang , Sean Tadlock
Producer: Roohi Kamal , Jacky Chrisp , Ilia Sargent-Barba
Stars: Arden Cho , Rolando Davila-Beltran , May Hong , Ji-young Yoo , Ahn Hyo-seop , Yunjin Kim
Santa Isn't Real (2023)
0 /10
After suffering a brutal attack on Christmas Eve, Nikki struggles to convince her friends that the assailant was none other than Ol' Kris Kringle. When Santa returns to terrorize the group in their remote cabin the next Christmas, Nikki and her friends must overcome disbelief as they fight to stay alive.
Run Time: 1hr 16` . MMPA: R . Release: 08 Dec 2023
Director: Zac Locke
Producer: Jordan Michaud-Scorza
Stars: Scarlett Sperduto , Kaya Coleman , Dana Millican , Cissy Ly , Michelle Damis , William Earl Ray
The Accountant² (2025)
0 /10
When an old acquaintance is murdered, Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax, to help. In partnership with Marybeth Medina, they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
Run Time: 2hr 13` . MMPA: R . Release: 23 Apr 2025
Director: Alina Gatti , Mariela Comitini , Fernando Chien
Producer: Sasha Veneziano , Lynette Howell Taylor , Walt Perez
Stars: Ben Affleck , Jon Bernthal , J.K. Simmons , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Daniella Pineda , Alison Robertson
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Sophie Calver , Jon Valera , Rosie Vavasour
Producer: Brian Andrew Mendoza , Eleanor Calder , Jon Berg
Stars: Jack Black , Jason Momoa , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Danielle Brooks , Jennifer Coolidge
Sinners (2025)
0 /10
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Run Time: 2hr 18` . MMPA: R . Release: 16 Apr 2025
Director: Gio Paredes-Utforskare , Steve Gehrke , Marvin Williams
Producer: Anthony Tittanegro , Sev Ohanian , Pete Chiappetta
Stars: Michael B. Jordan , Jack O'Connell , Delroy Lindo , Jayme Lawson , Wunmi Mosaku , Hailee Steinfeld
Crypto Legacy (2020)
2.5 /10
Troy Morgan doesn't like his family's farm. The place creeps him out. After spotting some strange lights one evening, Troy and his little sister Carrie go to investigate the creepy barn.
Run Time: 1hr 11` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Oct 2020
Director: Charles Townsend
Producer: Charles Townsend
Stars: Sheri Gill Dixon , Brian Kunz , Brandon Young , Nathaniel Barton , Linzi Gray , Thalia Reynolds
Conjuring the Cult (2024)
0 /10
After discovering his blood-soaked daughter dead in the bathtub, David Bryson attends a self-help group to help save him from his ghostly nightmares. But when a group of mysterious cult-like women offer to help him resurrect his daughter. David's choices will not just decide his fate... but the fate of his dead daughter's SOUL.
Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Oct 2024
Director: Calvin Morie McCarthy
Producer:
Stars: Neil Green , Elissa Dowling , Chynna Rae Shurts , BJ Mezek , Jason Brooks , Brad Littlefield