When his ward, Simon Aron, fails to turn up at a reunion, the Duc de Richleau drives down to his house with his friend Rex. When they get there, Simon is somewhat disturbed by their arrival, as he has a house full of guests, a meeting of what he describes as an ‘astronomical society’ led by the sinister Mocata. However, the Duc, who has made a study of esoteric doctrines, soon realises that he and Rex have in fact stumbled in on a black magic circle and that Simon is shortly to undergo his final initiation into the devil-worshipping cult. A terrifying battle of the forces of good and evil ensues, as de Richleau and Mocata vie for control of Simon’s very soul!
Production Details
A Hammer film production presented by Associated British Pathe Limited and released through Warner-Pathe Distributors Limited (UK) and Twentieth Century-Fox (USA)
Copyright MCMLXVII Hammer films Productions Limited – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 21721
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
From the classic novel by Dennis Wheatley
RCA Sound System
Made at the Elstree Studios of Associated British Productions Limited, Boreham Wood, Herts, England
Technicolor 95 mins
Filming Began: 7th August 1967
UK Release: 21st July 1968
Studio:
Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, Hertfordshire
Location:
Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire – Sabbat ceremony
Edgwarebury Hotel, Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire – Richard’s house-exterior
High Canons, Buckettsland Lane, Well End, Hertfordshire – Home of Macato
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Assistant Boom Operator | Peter Margrave | 8 | 8 | ||||||
Assistant Director | Bert Batt | 38 | 25 Apr 1930 | 6 Nov 2011 | 81 | 13 | 13 | ||
Associate Producer | Michael Stainer-Hutchins | 46 | 1922 | 5 Mar 1983 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Associate Producer | Peter Daw | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Camera Operator | Moray Grant | 50 | 13 Nov 1917 | 17 Sep 1977 | 59 | 29 | 29 | ||
Casting | Irene Lamb | 10 | 10 | ||||||
Choreographer | David Toguri | 34 | 25 Oct 1933 | 15 Nov 1997 | 64 | 1 | 1 | ||
Clapper Loader | Peter Carmody | 24 | 1944 | 01.01.1944 | 80 | 6 | 6 | ||
Continuity | June Randall | 41 | 26 Jun 1927 | 18 Jan 2015 | 87 | 6 | 6 | ||
Continuity Assistant | Jimmy Spoard | 48 | 14 Sep 1919 | Aug 1998 | 78 | 2 | 2 | ||
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 64 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | ||
Director of Photography | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-grant/# | 53 | 1915 | 1972 | 57 | 33 | 33 | ||
Editor | Spencer Reeve | 44 | 10 Dec 1923 | 15 Dec 1975 | 52 | 8 | 2 | 10 | |
Focus Puller | Bob Jordan | 29 | 29 | ||||||
Gaffer | Steve Birtles | 53 | 12 Nov 1914 | 2003 | 88 | 14 | 15 | 29 | |
Hair Stylist | Pat McDermot | 38 | 1930 | 2015 | 85 | 5 | 5 | ||
Make-up | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-knight/# | 43 | 14 Mar 1925 | 27 Aug 1996 | 71 | 31 | 31 | ||
Music Composer | James Bernard | 42 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 25 | 1 | 26 | |
Musical Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 60 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Painter | Michael Finlay | 20 | 23 Apr 1948 | 23.04.1948 | 76 | 1 | 19 | 20 | |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 56 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 55 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Production Manager | Ian Lewis | 35 | 23 Nov 1932 | 23.11.1932 | 91 | 5 | 5 | ||
Production Staff | Stephen Hyde | 17 | 1951 | 01.01.1951 | 73 | 3 | 3 | ||
Recording Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/aw-lumkin/# | 55 | 1 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 | 30 | ||
Screenplay | Richard Matheson | 42 | 20 Feb 1926 | 23 Jun 2013 | 87 | 3 | 3 | ||
Second Assistant Director | Christopher Neame | 25 | 24 Dec 1942 | 12 Jun 2011 | 15 | 9 | 24 | ||
Sound Editor | Arthur Cox | 4 | 1 | 5 | |||||
Sound Recordist | Ken Rawkins | 50 | 1 Jan 1918 | 1971 | 53 | 18 | 18 | ||
Special Effects | Michael Stainer-Hutchins | 46 | 1922 | 5 Mar 1983 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Special Effects | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/les-bowie/# | 54 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 30 | 13 | 43 | |
Special Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 59 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Stunt Coordinator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-powell/# | 41 | 9 Mar 1927 | 11 Aug 2000 | 73 | 2 | 14 | 16 | |
Stunt Driver | Jack Silk | 45 | 10 Sep 1922 | 12 Mar 2005 | 82 | 3 | 3 | ||
Stunt Driver | Mike Reid | 28 | 19 Jan 1940 | 29 Jul 2007 | 67 | 2 | 2 | ||
Supervising Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 55 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 48 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Third Assistant Director | Bill Westley | 29 | 1939 | 01.01.1939 | 85 | 6 | 6 | ||
Wardrobe Mistress | Janet Lucas | 22 | 1946 | 01.01.1946 | 78 | 1 | 1 | ||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
African | Yemi Ajibade | 38 | 28 Jul 1929 | 24 Jan 2013 | 83 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Chauffeur | Jeff Silk | 42 | 23 Dec 1925 | 19 Oct 1999 | 73 | 3 | 3 | ||
Countess | Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies | 77 | 25 Jan 1891 | 27 Jan 1992 | 101 | 2 | 2 | ||
Duc de Richeleau | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/sir-christopher-lee/# | 46 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 | 22 | ||
Indian | Ahmed Khali | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Indian Girl | Zoe Starr | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Malin | Russell Waters | 60 | 10 Jun 1908 | 19 Aug 1982 | 74 | 4 | 4 | ||
Marie | Sarah Lawson | 39 | 6 Aug 1928 | 18 Aug 2023 | 95 | 2 | 2 | ||
Max | Keith Pyott | 66 | 9 Mar 1902 | 6 Apr 1968 | 66 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Mocata | Charles Gray | 39 | 29 Aug 1928 | 7 Mar 2000 | 71 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mocatas Servant | Mohan Singh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Peggy | Rosalyn Landor | 9 | 7 Oct 1958 | 7.10.1958 | 65 | 2 | 2 | ||
Receptionist | John Brown | 34 | 1 Jul 1934 | 5 Nov 2017 | 83 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Rex | Leon Greene | 37 | 15 Jul 1931 | 19 Jun 2021 | 89 | 2 | 2 | ||
Rex Van Ryn (voice) | Patrick Allen | 41 | 17 Mar 1927 | 28 Jul 2006 | 79 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
Richard | Paul Eddington | 41 | 18 Jun 1927 | 4 Nov 1995 | 68 | 1 | 1 | ||
Satanist | Peter Brace | 43 | 30 Aug 1924 | 29 Oct 2018 | 94 | 5 | 5 | ||
Satanist | Anne Godley | 38 | 1930 | 30 Sep 2017 | 87 | 1 | 1 | ||
Satanist | John Tatham | 56 | 29 Jul 1911 | Dec 1996 | 85 | 1 | 9 | 10 | |
Satanist | Liane Aukin | 31 | 17 Aug 1936 | 18 Aug 2016 | 80 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Satanist | John Falconer | 53 | 9 Dec 1914 | 16 Nov 1994 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Satanist | Peter Swanwick | 45 | 29 Sep 1922 | 14 Nov 1968 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Satanist | Bert Vivian | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Satanist | Fred Stroud | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Satanist | Richard Scott | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Servant | Willie Payne | 45 | Sep 1922 | 2017 | 94 | 2 | 2 | ||
Simon | Patrick Mower | 29 | 12 Sep 1938 | 12.09.1938 | 86 | 2 | 2 | ||
Tanith | Nike Arrighi | 21 | 9 Mar 1947 | 9.03.1947 | 77 | 2 | 2 | ||
The Goat of Mendes | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-powell/# | 41 | 9 Mar 1927 | 11 Aug 2000 | 73 | 2 | 14 | 16 | |
With | Richard Huggett | 39 | 25 Apr 1929 | 7 Apr 2000 | 70 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
This was the first of three adaptations of novels by prolific author Dennis Wheatley which Hammer brought to the screen, the other two being The Lost Continent (the book was called Uncharted Seas) (1968) and To the Devil a Daughter (1976).
The voice of Leon Greene was dubbed by actor Patrick Allen, who can be seen in Hammer’s When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1969).
Paul Eddington became a firm favourite with television audiences with his roles in BBC TV’s sitcoms The Good Life, Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.