To the Devil a Daughter – 1976

A co-production by Hammer film Productions Ltd., London and Terra Filmkunst GmbH, Berlin, released through Anglo-EMI Film Distributors Limited Copyright MCMLXXVI Hammer film Productions Limited – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 24371
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
RCA Sound System
Made at EMI Elstree Studios Hertfordshire, England and on location in the Federal Republic of Germany
Technicolor 93 mins
Storyline
Occult writer John Verney is asked by Henry Beddows to look after his daughter Catherine when she arrives in London. Catherine has been brought up in Germany as a member of a ‘church’ headed by the self-styled ‘Father’ Michael Rainer, but, as Verney soon discovers, Rainer is in reality a devil-worshipper with a sinister and dangerous purpose. He plans to sacrifice Catherine so that she will be reborn as a child of Satan and Verney will need all his strength and faith if he is to stop him…..
Watch the trailer on YouTube
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits |
Adaptation by | John Peacock | 31 | 1945 | 1 Jun 2017 | 72 | 13 |
Art Director | Don Picton | 59 | 22 Feb 1916 | 1 Nov 1981 | 65 | 15 |
Assistant Director | Barry Langley | 1 | ||||
Camera Operator | Ron Robson | 49 | 17 Sep 1926 | 1981 | 64 | 1 |
Construction Manager | Wag Hammerton | 1 | ||||
Continuity | Sally Jones | 31 | 1945 | 1 Oct 2009 | 64 | 1 |
Directed by | Peter Sykes | 36 | 17 Jun 1939 | 1 Mar 2006 | 66 | 2 |
Director of Photography | David Watkin | 50 | 23 Mar 1925 | 19 Feb 2008 | 82 | 1 |
Dubbing Mixer | Bill Rowe | 44 | 2 Feb 1931 | 29 Sep 1992 | 61 | 10 |
Film Editor | John Trumper | 52 | 7 Mar 1923 | 13 Feb 2004 | 80 | 1 |
From the novel by | Dennis Wheatley | 78 | 8 Jan 1897 | 10 Nov 1977 | 80 | 3 |
Gaffer | Ted Hallows | 3 | ||||
Hairdressing Supervisor | Jeanette Freeman | 4 | ||||
Make-up | Eric Allwright | 51 | 1925 | Living | 96 | 1 |
Make-up | George Blackler | 63 | 7 Mar 1912 | 1 Oct 1986 | 74 | 7 |
Music Composed by | Paul Glass | 41 | 19 Nov 1934 | Living | 86 | 2 |
Musical Supervisor | Philip Martell | 68 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 103 |
Produced by | Roy Skeggs | 41 | 1 Apr 1934 | 29 Dec 2018 | 84 | 45 |
Production Accountant | Ken Gordon | 1 | ||||
Production Manager | Ron Jackson | 34 | ||||
Publicist | Mike Russell | 1 | ||||
Recording Director | A.W. Lumkin | 62 | 2 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 |
Screenplay by | Chris Wicking | 32 | 10 Jan 1943 | 13 Oct 2008 | 65 | 3 |
Sound Editor | Mike Le Mare, GBFE | 37 | 31 Oct 1938 | Living | 82 | 1 |
Sound Recordist | Dennis Whitlock | 48 | 1928 | 2008 | 80 | 13 |
Special Effects | Les Bowie | 62 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 32 |
Wardrobe Supervisor | Laura Nightingale | 35 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
1st Girl | Zoe Hendry | 1 | ||||
2nd Girl | Lindy Benson | 23 | 1953 | Living | 68 | 1 |
3rd Girl | Jo Peters | 1 | ||||
4th Girl | Bobby Sparrow | 1 | ||||
Airport Porter | William Ridoutt | 48 | 1928 | 26 Jun 2014 | 86 | 1 |
Anna | Honor Blackman | 50 | 22 Aug 1925 | 5 Apr 2020 | 94 | 3 |
Bishop | Derek Francis | 52 | 7 Nov 1923 | 27 Mar 1984 | 60 | 3 |
Black Room Attendant | Brian Wilde | 48 | 13 Jun 1927 | 20 Mar 2008 | 80 | 1 |
Catherine | Natassja Kinski | 15 | 24 Jan 1961 | Living | 60 | 1 |
Critic | Howard Goorney | 54 | 11 May 1921 | 29 Mar 2007 | 85 | 2 |
David | Anthony Valentine | 36 | 17 Aug 1939 | 2 Dec 2015 | 76 | 2 |
Eveline de Grass | Eva-Maria Meineke | 52 | 8 Oct 1923 | 7 May 2018 | 94 | 1 |
Father Michael | Christopher Lee | 53 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 |
George de Grass | Michael Goodliffe | 61 | 1 Oct 1914 | 20 Mar 1976 | 61 | 5 |
German Matron | Irene Prador | 64 | 16 Jul 1911 | 8 Jul 1996 | 84 | 2 |
Henry Beddows | Denholm Elliott | 53 | 31 May 1922 | 6 Oct 1992 | 70 | 2 |
Isabel | Anna Bentinck | 1 | ||||
John Verney | Richard Widmark | 61 | 26 Dec 1914 | 24 Mar 2008 | 93 | 1 |
Kolide | Constantin De Goguel | 33 | 16 Sep 1942 | Living | 78 | 1 |
Margaret | Isabella Telezynska | 47 | 9 Dec 1928 | 12 Apr 2013 | 84 | 1 |
Salvation Army Officer | Frances De La Tour | 31 | 30 Jun 1944 | Living | 76 | 1 |
Sister Helle | Petra Peters | 50 | 31 Mar 1925 | 31 Jul 2004 | 79 | 1 |
Footnotes
So we come to the last of the Hammer Horrors, a production beset with budget and script problems, so much so that Dennis Wheatley made it plain that he would never again allow Hammer to film any of his novels and Richard Widmark kept threatening during filming to board the next plane home to Los Angeles!
Widmark was, of course, a major Hollywood star. His first film was “Kiss of Death” in 1947 and since then his films have included “Pickup on South Street” (1953), “The Alamo” (1960), “Two Rode Together” (1961), “Judgement at Nuremburg” (1961), “How the West was Won” (1962), “Madigan” (1968), “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974), “Coma” (1978) and “Who Dares Wins” (1982).
Denholm Elliott was a marvellous character actor. His many films include “The Cruel Sea’” (1953), “King Rat” (1965), “Alfie” (1966), “The House that Dripped Blood” (1970), “Vault of Horror” (1973) (these last two both for Amicus), “A Bridge Too Far” (1977), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “Trading Places” (1983) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989).
His television appearances include the title role in the BBC’s chilling adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story “The Signalman” (1976). He died in 1992.
Anthony Valentine became a familiar face to TV viewers as upper-class thief “Raffles” in the Granada TV series.
Frances de la Tour’s most famous part to date is probably that of the frustrated Miss Jones in Yorkshire TV’s seventies sitcom “Rising Damp”.
Brian Wilde is best known as Foggy in the record-breaking BBC TV sitcom “Last of the Summer Wine”.
After “To the Devil a Daughter” Roy Skeggs left Hammer to form his own production company, Cinema Arts.
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection