Parceiro do Diabo

The phrase Don't judge a book by its cover certainly applies to this movie. The cover of the DVD shows a naked woman riding a centaur, in a storm, through a cemetery. Forget all of that. You won't see it. It doesn't exist in this movie. It has nothing to do with the movie. The movie is actually very tame. My copy of 'The Devil's Partner' is by Alpha Video. There are some problems with the actual quality of the film. This is primarily in the beginning of the movie. For me, it wasn't bad enough to be a major problem and I quickly forgot about it. With that being said, I really liked the movie and enjoyed it more than I expected. It's an old B movie, and it does have some problems with the plot, but the acting is pretty good and it is an enjoyable, entertaining film. In my opinion 'The Devil's Partner' is an average 1950s B horror movie, is under rated, and is worth viewing.

In a small rural town an unpopular old hermit sells his soul to the devil. He dies and his mysterious nephew subsequently turns up. A string of bad events follow in his wake.

This low-budget occult horror film is pretty decent considering its obvious lack of resources. It has a fairly by-the-numbers set-up but it maintains the interest just the same. Ed Nelson, who plays the evil nephew, is good and certainly looks the part. Interestingly, he uses animals to do his evil bidding - sometimes, possessing them, other times shape-shifting into them. This includes a dog, a horse and a snake. The scene with the horse is the best one in the film. In it, a wino is chased in the moonlight by a black stallion, which catches up with him and tramples him to death.

The movie on the whole is well handled and should please those with a taste for old cheap black and white horror flicks. Although a word of warning – don't be fooled by the cover art that is often used. It has a scantily clad woman riding a centaur…sadly, there's none of this to be seen anywhere.

This movie is beyond weird. I guess this is the reason we watch these old films, they are whack! While I watched this I kept thinking about the mythical city of Mayberry. You have the usual cast of characters, with a few borrowed from the Bevery Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. We have the down to earth country sheriff, we have Ellie May who spends her time milking goats, we got the town drunk, we got Opie who finds a dead body,and of course we have a broken down old man who is worshiping Satan. I agree with other reviewers who said you want to keep watching... true.

The best thing this movie has going for it is the outrageous, off the farm plot. Its also pretty well directed. The last few scenes deliver a big payoff that even includes some VERY weird symbolism. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I thought the cast was very good. I thought Richard Crane was very good and Ed Nelson seemed perfect for his part although if I'd written this, or anybody had today, the girl would have certainly fallen for the handsome fiend. This movie works almost liked a Twilight Zone episode that was rejected because it was just to freaking bizarre. This would be a cool movie to show at a Halloween party. I watched this after watching another Ed Nelson horror film called Night of the Blood Beast. I never realized he had such a cool horror film resume.

Made in 1958, but not released until 1961 (and then in a cut version), The Devil's Partner turns out to be an interesting variation on Faust, despite a number of script and story inconsistencies (and welcome plot twists from the rather bland pressbook synopsis). Helped by sympathetic acting and moody photography, director Rondeau grippingly creates a suspensefully eerie, small-town atmosphere which fully engages the attention while the film is actually unwinding. Ed Nelson does a commendable job in his dual role and is well supported all the way down the line, especially from Byron Foulger in a most unusual part as the local wino. The film also provides a rare opportunity to see the fine television player Jean Allison in a big-screen movie. Much of the film was obviously shot on actual locations. The heat-struck town of "Furnace Flats", New Mexico, seems vividly real. Photographer Edward Cronjager lends the visuals an attractive shine and, aside from one or two lapses, the make-up and special effects are generally convincing. And by the humble standards of the independent "B", production values are fairly impressive.

DEVIL'S PARTNER is a forgotten little American horror flick that looks and feels like a contemporary western with a few horror touches added to the mix. I'd never heard of it before I sat down to watch it, and while it's certainly no classic, it's an adequate time waster that's difficult to dislike. The film was shot by TV director Charles Rondeau who creates a cosy atmosphere despite all the supposed horror going on.

The story is about a guy who makes a Faustian pact with the devil for eternal youth. There are shades of Dorian Gray here along with all the old-time deal-with-the-devil movies of the 1940s. Unfortunately youth isn't enough for this guy and he also enlists the black arts to help bump off anyone who opposes him. There are some cheesy animal attack scenes mixed in but most of the film concentrates on the resolutely dull heroic characters trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Again, no classic, but this is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type movie.