Grade: B
Synopsis: An American scientist (Dana Andrews) travels to London to expose the leader (Niall MacGinnis) of a satanic cult.
Night of the Demon (Curse of the Demon in the USA) is a taunt, well-acted thriller that should have been even better.
Though Dana Andrews has top billing, this movie really belongs to Niall MacGinnis who steals the show as the villainous Dr. Karswell. His deceptively charming performance echoes George Sanders’ classic turn in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and is every bit as entertaining.
The only real problem with the film is one director Jacques Tourneur (of Out of the Past (1947) fame) saw coming. He shot much of the film without ever intending to show the monster, knowing that it would inevitably look like exactly what it is: a special effect. Unfortunately, the studio insisted. It’s a real shame because Tourneur does such a great job of building believable tension and not showing the monster would have added another layer of ambiguity that would have only heightened the film’s impact.
Bottom Line: Even with a studio-mandated blunder, this one is pretty good. Recommended.
