The Devil's Hand

I discovered this movie on a cheap horror movie box set and this is one of those movies that surprised me. It is definitely a cult type of movie and could become a "gulity pleasure". It is obviously dated and perhaps a little "goofy" in parts,being over 40 years old,but it is better than it has a right to be. The movie is aided immeasurably by the performance of Neil Hamilton as the leader of a cult of devil worshipers. He would later go on to be Commissioner Gordon on the Batman television series. It also has one of the catchiest instrumental theme songs I have heard from a movie of this type and era. If you are a fan of older movies and this genre,it is worth seeking out in my opinion. It can certainly be had cheaply enough.

A man has strange visions of a mystery woman. One day he notices a doll in a shop window which exactly resembles the enigmatic lady who inhabits his dreams. He ventures in and is soon entwined in an underground voodoo cult.

The Devil's Hand in another low budget offering from Crown International Pictures, who were one of the main B-movie producers of their time. This one is on the whole fairly standard stuff with not a huge amount to differentiate it from the crowd. It focuses on occult practices, yet, aside from the dastardly leader, we never really see the cultists do much in the way of evil. We see their ceremonies in action though, which consisted of a revolving sword device that members of the cult spun like they were trying to win money on a game-show. Not only that but there was also a seemingly ever-present bongo player who ensured that a voodoo vibe was maintained at all times. The dolls themselves were quite a cute idea and certainly were the most memorable part of the cult's practices. The film itself has an early 60's charm about it that buys it some credit, while it is short and fast-paced enough to never outstay its welcome. It should please those with a taste for old school horror flicks, at least some extent.

I've seen 10-12 Crown International Pictures now and this is by far their most polished work. It plays like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and I would not be surprised if the writers pulled this story from a similar source as Mr Serling himself. It's very short, at just an hour and 10 minutes, and is definitely worth a watch for anyone looking into campy horror stories from the 50s (even though this was made in the 60s it doesn't have the free-love feel and was shot in black and white). Appropriate music, good acting, and surprisingly good cinematography all work in concert to make an enjoyable film.

As a side note, the DVD that Mill Creek put out has a cool feature where you can watch this in 'Drive Thru' mode and has everything from an animated short to a few commercials. Nice little bit of nostalgia!

Rating: 24/40

An early effort from Crown International Pictures, The Devil's Hand stars Robert Alda (Alan's dad) as Rick Turner, who is visited nightly in his dreams by a beautiful blonde woman. After finding a doll in a shop window that is the exact likeness of the mysterious woman, Rick is able to track down his nocturnal visitor, Miss Bianca Milan (Linda Christian), but, hypnotised by her beauty, finds himself lured away from his longtime girlfriend Donna (Ariadne Welter) and into a devil worshipping cult run by sinister doll-maker Francis Lamont (played by Neil Hamilton, TV Batman's Commissioner Gordon).

A cheap and cheerful piece of '60s Satanic horror, The Devil's Hand is undemanding drive-in fodder that benefits from a brisk pace (and a not-too-long running time), reasonable performances, and a fun plot that includes voodoo, bongo drums, a traitor in the cult's midst, ritualistic gyrating, Russian roulette with swords, and a fiery demise for the baddies at the end. All this and a cool twangy surf guitar number during the opening credits make for a reasonably fun, if not all that memorable, time.

Favourite moment: when Rick sneaks into the doll shop, a front for the cult, and proceeds to make a total racket whilst bumbling around their place of worship. Way to go, twinkletoes!

"The Devil's Hand" is a truly bizarre little horror movie. It's very short and to the point… But what a point! Supernatural themes, romantic love triangles and voodoo! That's all pretty courageous and ambitious for a low-budget horror effort from that time. Too bad it eventually didn't turn out to be a very good movie… Rick Turner is an ordinary man, with loads of appeal to the ladies, whose dreams are disturbed by the reoccurring image of a beautiful blond girl. The odd thing is that his soon-to-be wife supports him without the slightest bit of jealousy. I wonder how my girlfriend would react when telling her I repeatedly dream of a hot blond calling out to me from the skies? Rick's uncomfortable situation grows even weirder when he's led to a toy store where they sell a doll with a face identical to the woman of his dreams. It all turns out to be a conspiracy of a satanic cult, ruled by the shop owner, and the blond uses voodoo and hypnosis to conquer Rick's heart. How's that for seduction techniques? Despite the silly and utterly implausible storyline, "The Devil's Hand" is occasionally atmospheric and several sequences are quite suspenseful, notably the ones set in the cult's headquarters where the members' loyalty to Gamba (the evil God) is tested. Still, there's way too much talking and confusion going on and only the climax contains horrific action. William Hole's directing is very neutral and the only real good performance is given by Neil "Commissioner Gordon" Hamilton. Linda Christian is a beauty, but her acting skills are rather forgettable. Worth a look if you run out of other options.