Ryan O'Neal Passes On

Ryan O'Neal, who starred in such movies as Love Story (1970), What's Up, Doc? (1972), and Paper Moon (1973), died yesterday, December 8 2023, at the age of 82.

Ryan O'Neal was born on April 20 1941 in Los Angeles. His father was novelist and screenwriter Charles "Blackie" O'Neal, who wrote screenplays for such films as The Seventh Victim (1943) and The Unknown (1946). as well as the novel The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin. Ryan O'Neal was only a teenager when he took up boxing. He competed in Golden Gloves events in Los Angeles in 1956 and 1957. It was in the late Fifties that his family moved to Munich. There he became a stand-in and stuntman on the syndicated TV series Tales of the Viking.

After Ryan O'Neal returned to the United States, he made his television debut in the Dobie Gillis episode "The Hunger Strike." It also marked the television debut of Marlo Thomas. That same year he guest starred on the shows The Untouchables and General Electric Theatre. In the Sixties he was a regular on the short-lived show Empire and the night-time soap opera Peyton Place. He guest starred on the shows The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Bachelor Father, Laramie, Two Faces West, Westinghouse Playhouse, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, The Virginian, Perry Mason, and Wagon Train. He made his film debut in The Big Bounce (1969). He appeared in the movie The Games (1970) before making his big break with the hit movie Love Story (1970).

In the Seventies Ryan O'Neal appeared in the hit films What's Up, Doc? (1972) and Paper Moon (1973), as well as the movies Wild Rovers (1971), The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973), Barry Lyndon (1975), Nickelodeon (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), The Driver (1978), Oliver's Story (1978), and The Main Event (1979). In the Eighties he appeared in the films Green Ice (1981), So Fine (1981), Partners  (1982), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), Fever Pitch (1985), Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987), andChances Are (1989).

In the Nineties Ryan O'Neal starred in the short-lived sitcom Good Sports and the short-lived drama Bull (not to be confused with the 2016 series of the same name). He guest starred on The Larry Sanders Show and appeared in the TV movie The Man Upstairs. He appeared in the films Faithful (1996), Hacks (1997), An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997), Zero Effect (1998), Coming Soon (1999), Gentleman B. (2000), and The List (2000).

In the Naughts Ryan O'Neal was a regular on the short-lived comedy TV series Miss Match and had a recurring role on the TV series Bones. He guest starred on the shows Desperate Housewives and 90210. He appeared in the films People I Know (2001) and Malibu's Most Wanted (2003). In the Teens he continued to appear on Bones. He appeared in the movies Slumber Party Slaughter (2012) and Knight of Cups (2015).

Ryan O'Neal was a talented actor who played a wide variety of roles. He played the musicologist Dr. Howard Bannister, who becomes involved with an eccentric woman (Barbara Streisand) in What's Up Doc?. He was also the easy-going con man Moses Pray who agrees to deliver a little girl (Tatum O'Neal) to her aunt in St. Joseph in Paper Moon. He was the rogue of the title in Barry Lyndon, who marries a rich widow to better his social position. On the TV series Bones he played Max, the father of the main character Temperance "Bones" Brennan, a former, non-violent bank robber. Ryan O'Neal played a number of roles throughout his career and he gave many good performances.

"In My Life" by The Beatles

It was 43 years ago today that John Lennon was murdered. I learned the news the following morning, and I cried more over John than any other celebrity except for my dearest Vanessa Marquez. Today then seems a suitable time to post what is not only my favourite John Lennon song, but my favourite Beatles song of all time.

"In My Life" appeared on The Beatles' album Rubber Soul, released on December 3 1965 in the United Kingdom and December 6 1965 in the United States. The song was mostly written by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney contributing either the harmony and the middle-eight (according to John Lennon) or having set John Lennon's lyrics to music (according to Paul McCartney).

Regardless, the song's inspiration stems from a suggestion by English journalist Kenneth Allsop that John Lennon write a song about his childhood. The original lyrics to "In My Life" took the form of a bus journey that John Lennon took from his child hood home at 251 Menlove Avenue in Woolton to Liverpool, with such places as Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the tram sheds, and so on named in the lyrics. John Lennon decided the whole thing was ridiculous, describing it as "...the most boring sort of 'What I Did on My Holiday's Bus Trip' song..." John Lennon then gave up writing lyrics about a bus trip and then instead focused on memories of the friends and lovers of his past. These new lyrics may have taken some inspiration from the 18th Century poem by Charles Lamb "The Old Familiar Faces," the final lines of which read, "How some they have died, and some they have left me,/And some are taken from me; all are departed--/All, are gone, the old familiar faces."

I have loved "In My Life" since childhood, and, if anything, my love for it has only grown since I have gotten older. Vanessa also loved the song, and I am not sure that it wasn't her favourite Beatles song. Regardless, I cannot think of the song without thinking of her. John Lennon, who could be critical of his own work, thought highly of the song. He counted it as his "first real major piece of work."

Marisa Pavan Passes On

Marisa Pavan, best known for her Oscar-nominated role in The Rose Tattoo (1955), her role in The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956), and numerous television guest appearances, died yesterday, December 6 2023, at the age of 91. She was the twin sister of actress Pier Angeli.

Marisa Pavan was born Maria Luisa Pierangeli on June 19 1932 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Kingdom of Italy. She was born a few minutes after her fraternal twin Anna Maria Pierangeli, later to become known as Pier Angeli. They had a younger sister, Patrizia Pierangeli, who also became an actress. Their mother had wanted to become an actress, and she was a huge fan of Shirley Temple. She took the Pierangeli twins to see all of Shirley Temple's movies.The family moved to Rome in the mid-Thirties.

Her sister Pier Angeli was discovered by directors Léonide Moguy and Vittorio De Sica while walking home from art school when she was 16. She was cast in Vittorio De Sica's film Tomorrow is Too Late (1950). The role brought her to the attention of MGM, who cast her in her first American film, Teresa (1951). Marisa Pavan and Pier Angeli then moved to Los Angeles. Marisa Pavan then followed her sister into acting, and was signed to 20th Century Fox even though she had no acting experience. She made her film debut in What Price Glory? in 1952.

In the Fifties Marisa Pavan appeared in several movies, including her role in The Rose Tattoo (1955) for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in the movies I Chose Love (1953), Down Three Streets (1954), Drum Beat (1954), Diane (1956), The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956), The Midnight Story (1957), John Paul Jones (1959), and Solomon and Sheba (1959). She made her television debut in an episode of Fireside Theatre in 1954. She guest starred on the shows Studio One, Front Row Center, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, ITV Television Playhouse, Climax!, The Frank Sinatra Show, and Playhouse 90.

With the Sixties Marisa Pavan's career largely shifted towards television. She guest starred on the shows Naked City, Breaking Point, 77 Sunset Strip, Combat!, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The F.B.I., Court Martial, and Seaway. She appeared in the movie Three Faces of Sin (1961). In the Seventies she guest starred on the TV shows Wonder Woman, McMillan, Switch, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, and La vie des autres. She starred in the mini-series Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers. She appeared in the movie A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973).

In the Eighties Marisa Pavan had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope. She guest starred on the show Cinéma 16. In the Nineties she guest starred on the TV Shows Renseignements généraux and Haute tension.

Marisa Pavan was an immensely talented actress. She gave an incredible performance was the headstrong  Rosa Delle Rose, the daughter of Serafina Delle Rose (Anna Magnani), in The Rose Tattoo. She also gave a good performance as Maria Montagne, the Italian girl who had an affair with corporate executive Tom Rath (Gregory Peck) years ago. She was also impressive as the blind wife of Vince Angelino (Gene Reynolds), an average guy who found himself with a car theft ring, in the classic noir Down Three Dark Streets (1954). Marisa Pavan also gave great performances on television. In the Naked City episode "No Naked Ladies in Front of Giovanni's House!," she was good as the title character's long-suffering girlfriend Francesca. She also gave a great performance as a young housewife terrorized by a prison escapee in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "You Got Yo Have Luck." Marisa Pavan was a versatile and talented actress who was equally adept at both comedy and drama.

The Late Great Norman Lear

Norman Lear, the legendary television producer who developed the classic sitcom All in the Family and created the sitcoms Maude, The Jeffersons, and One Day at a Time, died yesterday at the age of 101.

Norman Lear was born on July 27 1922 in New Haven Connecticut. His family later lived in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Brooklyn, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut. He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, and then Weaver High School in Harford, from which he graduated. He won a scholarship to Emerson College through a speech he had written, "The Constitution and Me." He dropped out of college to enlist in the United States Army Air Forces. He flew 52 missions over Europe in a B-17 bomber.

After being discharged from the service in 1946, he got a job with a Broadway publicity firm. After being fired from that job, he worked for his father, after which he moved to Los Angeles to try to find another job in publicity. It was after stumbling upon a performance of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara at the Circle Theatre on his first night in Los Angeles that he and his cousin Ed Simmons began writing comedy bits. They sold Danny Thomas a routine for $500, after which they became part of the writing staff for Jack Haley, who as launching a variety show on NBC.

Norman Lear and Ed Simmons found work on The Colgate Comedy Hour, and later worked on The Martha Raye Show. The partnership between Norman Lear and Ed Simmons ended when Bud Yorkin asked them to work on The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show. Norman Lear accepted the offer, but Ed Simmons refused it. Afterwards Norman Lear worked on The George Gobel Show.

It was in the early Sixties that Norman Lear created his first show with Roland Kibbee, the Western The Deputy. It debuted in 1961 and ran for two seasons. He worked on television specials, including The Danny Kaye Special, Henry Fonda and the Family, and The Andy Williams Special. He wrote or co-wrote the movies Come Blow Your Horn (1963), Divorce American Style (1967), and The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968).

It was in the late Sixties that Norman Lear began developing an American version of the British television show Till Death Do Us Part. The original pilot, titled Justice for All, was developed for ABC and taped in 1968. ABC decided to have a second pilot filmed. The second pilot, Those Were the Days, was completed in 1969. Unfortunately, the controversy over the sketch comedy show Turn-On, which was so great that it only aired once in February 1969, made ABC nervous about airing a show whose main character was a racist. It was afterwards that CBS picked the show up and retitled it All in the Family. All in the Family was revolutionary in tackling serious subjects that had been rarely addressed on American television, and never before on a situation comedy. Over the years All in the Family tacked such subjects as antisemitism, abortion, homosexuality, rape, racism, the Vietnam War, and yet other subjects. Receiving modest ratings in its first season, it became the no. 1 show on American television in its second season.

With the success of All in the Family, Norman Lear was able to develop or create several other socially relevant sitcoms, including such hits as Sanford and Son, Maude, and One Day at a Time. He also created the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spinoff Fernwood 2 Night. Other shows which Norman Lear either created or developed in the Seventies included The Dumplings, Hot L Baltimore, All's Fair, All That Glitters, and Sanford Arms. While the classic sitcom Good Times was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, Norman Lear was involved in its development. The Jeffersons was created by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West, but Norman Lear was also involved in its development. He also wrote the feature film Cold Turkey (1971).

In the Eighties Norman Lear created the short-lived sitcom a.k.a. Pablo with Rick Mitz. He also served as an executive producer on such shows as Palmerstown U.S.A. and Square Pegs. He was also an executive on the movie The Princess Bride (1987). In the Nineties he created the shows Sunday Dinner and 709 Hauser. He was an executive producer on the show The Powers That Be. He was also an executive producer on the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). In the Naughts he was one of the writers on Chapelle's Show. In the Teens, he served as an executive producer on a reimagining of One Day at a Time with a Cuban American family.

There can be no doubt that Norman Lear revolutionized American television, Prior to All in the Family, such subjects as abortion, homosexuality, politics, racism and so on might be addressed in such dramas as The Defenders or East Side/West Side, but they were never, ever addressed on situation comedies. All in the Family ushered in an era of socially relevant comedies, many of which would be developed, created, or produced by Norman Lear himself. Norman Lear's willingness to push the envelope as to the subject matter of American television sitcoms also made him very successful as a producer. At one point during the Seventies three out of the four top rated shows on American television were produced by Norman Lear. It is a mark of the impact that Norman Lear had on American television that he was one of the first seven inductees into the TV Hall of Fame in 1984, alongside such heavyweights as David Sarnoff, William S. Paley, Edward R. Murrow, Paddy Chayefsky, Lucille Ball, and Milton Berle. Few people ever had the impact on television history that Norman Lear did.

Godspeed Denny Laine

Denny Laine, founder, original lead singer, and guitarist of The Moody Blues and co-founder and guitarist for Wings, died today, December 5 2023, at the age of 79. The cause was interstitial lung disease.

Denny Laine was born Brian Frederick Hines in Tyseley, Birmingham, England on October 29 1944. He took up guitar when he was still very young. He was only 12 years old when he made his first solo performance. He started his career as a professional musician as the leader of Denny Laine and The Diplomats. The name "Denny" was a nickname and he took the surname Laine from his sister's favourite singer, Frankie Laine. Denny Laine simply felt that his given name, Brian Frederick Hines, "...wouldn't work."

It was in 1964 that he left The Diplomats. It was not long afterwards that Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder formed a new band with Graeme Edge and Denny Laine. They were originally called the M & B Five after the Mitchells & Butlers Brewery in Smethwick, which is near Birmingham. It was by the end of August 1964 that they became The Moody Blues, taking inspiration from the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo." Their first single, a cover of "Steal Your Heart Away" by Bobby Parker, was released in September 1964. It would be their second single, a cover of the Bessie Banks song "Go Now," that would become their first major hit. It reached no. 1 on the UK singles chart and no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Moody Blues released a self-titled EP and the album The Magnificent Moodies.

Unfortunately, The Moody Blues were unable to follow up on the success of "Go Now." After several singles failed to reach the UK singles chart, Denny Laine left The Moody Blues in October 1966. After leaving The Moody Blues, he formed The Electric String Band. He also released two singles as a solo artist on the Deram label, "Say You Don't Mind" and "Too Much in Love." Both failed to chart. The Electric String Band broke up, after which Denny Laine joined Trevor Burton's supergroup Balls. That band broke up towards the end of 1969.

In 1970 Denny Laine played for a time with Ginger Baker's Air Force. In 1971 he formed Wings with Paul and Linda McCartney, and was the only member to remain with the band for all ten years of its existence. Wings proved to be successful, releasing seven studio albums and 29 singles. Both their albums and their singles regularly reached the tops of the charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In the U.S. alone, six of their singles hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Even as he was part of Wings, Denny Laine released solo albums. Ahhh...Laine was released in 1973, Holly Days in 1977, and Japanese Tears in 1980. He released nine more solo albums from 1982 to 2008. He also played guitar and other instruments on many of Paul McCartney's solo albums in the Eighties.

Denny Laine was certainly a talented musician, singer, and songwriter. he co-wrote many of the B-sides of The Moody Blues' early singles, as well as various songs for Wings (including the hit "Mull of Kintyre."  As a singer he was capable of powerful, soulful vocals. If "Go Now" was a success, it may have well been because of Denny Laine's singing. He was also a bit of a pioneer. While The Electric String Band saw little success, it was one of the first rock bands to use electrified strings, pre-dating The Electric Light Orchestra by several years. Regardless, he was an integral part of The Moody Blues in their early days and an integral part of Wings throughout their career.

It's Trad, Dad! (1962)

(This post is part of the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweedgiemidget Reviews)

Amicus Productions is best known for the many horror movies they made, particularly such portmanteau films as Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), Torture Garden (1967, and From Beyond the Grave (1974). While they remain best known for their horror output, Amicus did not start out that way. In fact, the first official Amicus production was a musical featuring both jazz and rock 'n' roll artists. Not only was It's Trad, Dad! (1962) the very first official Amicus movie, but it was also the first feature film directed by Richard Lester, soon to become famous for directing The Beatles' movies A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965).

It's Trad, Dad! stars Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas as a girl and a boy living in a small English town. They both love traditional jazz (hence the "trad" of the title), as do many of the young people in the town. Unfortunately, the mayor of the town dislikes traditional jazz and even removes the television set and the jukebox from the coffee shop the young people frequent. Helen and Craig then decide to organize a jazz festival in hope that this will change the mayor's mind. The two of them go to Television Centre to find a deejay to host the festival. Of course, this paper thin plot is just an excuse for musical performances by such rock 'n' roll artists as Gene Vincent, The Brooks Brothers, Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, John Leyton, and others, as well as such jazz artists as Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazz Band, The Temperance Seven, Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band, Chris Barger's Jazz Band, and others.

Both Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas get to perform some songs as well. For those unfamiliar with early to mid-Sixties British pop music, Helen Shapiro was one of the most popular female singers of the time, who had a string of hits on the UK singles chart starting in 1961. Craig Douglas was also a popular British pop singer, who had hits with covers of such American songs as "A Teenager in Love and "Only Sixteen" going back to 1959. It's Trad, Dad! also featured deejays, who would have been well known to Brits, playing themselves. Pete Murray had hosted the BBC rock 'n' roll television program Six-Five Special. David Jacobs was the presenter on the BBC TV show Juke Box Jury. Alan Freeman hosted the BBC radio  show Pick of the Pops.

If it seems odd that the very first Amicus production was a pop musical, it really should not. The very first movie that Amicus founders Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky produced together, prior to founding Amicus,  was a pop musical, Rock, Rock, Rock! from 1956. Like It's Trad, Dad!, Rock, Rock, Rock! had a paper thin plot that was primarily an excuse for musical performances, in its case by such artists as Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, and others. And while a musical that features both jazz and rock 'n' roll might seem unusual, when one knows the history of popular music in Britain in the early Sixties, it really doesn't. A traditional jazz craze took place in the United Kingdom from 1960 to 1962, headed by such artists as Kenny Ball, Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, and The Temperance Seven. It's Trad, Dad! was conceived to take advantage of this craze by featuring several jazz artists, while at the same time including rock 'n' roll artists for good measure. As to traditional jazz, it is a form of jazz that drew upon New Orleans, Dixieland jazz. In Britain a revival of traditional jazz had begun during World War II and continued into the Sixties. Traditional jazz is often simply called "trad jazz" for short.

Of course, as noted earlier, It's Trad, Dad!  was the first feature film directed by Richard Lester. He had already made a name for himself with the short film "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film" (1959), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject. He came to the attention of Milton Subostsky through a thirty minute documentary he had directed, "Have Jazz, Will Travel." As it was, It's Trad, Dad! would largely be Richard Lester's creation. According to an interview Mr. Lester did with Stephen Soderbergh in The Guardian, Milton Subotsky had written a 24 page script which he then sent to Mr. Lester. Richard Lester told  Mr. Subotsky, "I’ve been around this kind of music all my life. I think I know how to deal with it. As soon as you get a first draft screenplay I’d be delighted to read it." It was then that Milton Subostky informed him that the 24 pages was the shooting script and he would start in three weeks. Richard Lester then gathered together jazz and pop artists. He used an array of moveable sets and he shot three artists a day. He also added various comic bits throughout the movie. It was filmed in three weeks at a cost of £50,000.

Of course, It's Trad, Dad! is notable for an appearance by Chubby Checker, performing his song "Lose-Your-Inhibitions-Twist." It was Richard Lester's idea to include Chubby Checker in the film. It was during the last week of shooting that "The Twist" dance craze began. Richard Lester told Milton Subotsky that it would be a great idea to get Chubby Checker in the film, stating, "We could be the first film to have the Twist in it. He's in New York. I could go over and shoot him." Milton Subotsky gave his consent, but told Richard Lester that he would to pay his own way. Unfortunately for Richard Lester and Milton Subostky, It's Trad, Dad! would not be the first film to feature the Twist, as American producer Sam Katzman, "the King of the Bs," beat them to the punch. Never one to pass up a fad, Sam Katzman's Twist Around the Clock (1961), starring Chubby Checker, was released on December 30 1961, three months before It's Trad, Dad! was released in the United Kingdom and nine months before it was released in the United States.

While It's Trad, Dad! may not have been the first movie to feature the Twist, it was the first of its kind in many ways. Anyone familiar with Richard Lester's work would recognize the style he would later use in The Beatles' movies A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). For Terry Lightfoot and His New Orleans Jazz Band's performance of "Tavern in the Town," Richard Lester would at times cut the screen into sections, so that the focus would be on individual musicians. The Brooks Brothers performed "Double Trouble" side by side with oversized photos of themselves. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band's performance of "Frankie & Johnny" is intercut with humorous photos related to the plot of the song. In other sequences Richard Lester focuses on various details, such as a close-up of the neck of a guitar. Yet other sequences in It's Trad, Dad! Richard Lester utilizes sped up footage and freeze frames. Even the narrator breaks the fourth wall multiple times. It's Trad, Dad! is not only a sharp contrast to other pop musicals made before A Hard Day's Night, it is very much a forerunner of both A Hard Day's Night and Help!.

Beyond seeing many of Richard Lester's directorial techniques prior to A Hard Day's Night, the main attraction in It's Trad, Dad! is the music. Indeed, many descriptions of the film fail to grasp the sheer variety of music in the film, summing it up as a musical that features Dixieland jazz and rock 'n' roll. Certainly many of the jazz bands in It's Trad, Dad! draw upon Dixieland jazz for inspiration, to the point that Bob Wallis and His Storyville Jazzmen even dress like riverboat gamblers, but then there is also The Temperance Seven, whose speciality was 1920s jazz (one of the songs they perform is the song "Everybody Loves My Baby" from 1924). It's Trad, Dad! also features a wide variety of rock 'n' roll performers, from Gary U.S. Bonds to the girl group the Paris Sisters to R&B singer Gene McDaniels.

It's Trad, Dad! premiered in London on March 30 1962 in the United Kingdom. It also did moderately well at the box office. Made for only £50,000, it earned £300,000 at the British box office. It was released in the United States in September 1962 under the tile Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!. One could assume its distributor, Columbia Pictures, thought Americans would not know what "trad" was. On both sides of the Pond It's Trad, Dad! received largely positive reviews, to the point that Richard Lester would later say, "I’ve had the best reviews out of It’s Trad, Dad! that I’ve ever gotten."

Amicus would follow It's Trad, Dad! with another musical, Just for Fun, whose paper thin plot was also an excuse for musical performances. Their third film would be in the genre for which they are best known, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). Today It's Trad, Dad! is largely forgotten, although there is every reason it should be better remembered. It was not only Richard Lester's first feature film, but it also features techniques that he would later use in A Hard Day's Night, The Knack...and How to Get It (1965), and Help! (1965). It also features some superb performances from such diverse artists as Del Shannon, Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band, John Leyton, Chris Barber's Jazz Band, and yet others. Of course, it was also the first official film from Amicus Productions, and, given its success, it was a rather auspicious first film at that.

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

(This post is part of the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweedgiemidget Reviews)

When Boomers, Gen Xers, and even Millennials think of Sir Christopher Lee, his first role that is likely to come to mind is that of Dracula in the many Hammer horrors in which he played the character. For Zoomers the first role that comes to mind may be Saruman in the Lord of the Rings films or Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Sir Christopher Lee played many villains in his long career and he was very good at playing villains, so much so that it is sometimes hard to believe he ever played a hero. One notable film in which he did play the hero was The Devil Rides Out (1968), originally released as The Devil's Bride in the United States.

The Devil Rides Out (1968) stars Sir Christopher Lee as adventurer and occultist the Duc de Richleau. The Duc de Richleau's protege Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) had broken off contact with him. It is for that reason that the duke and Simon's father, Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene, dubbed by Patrick Allen), visit Simon at a manor house he recently purchased. There they find Simon in the company of others, and getting ready for some event to be held that evening. An investigation of the manor house's observatory reveals a pentagram and various strange markings, and it becomes obvious that Simon has become involved with Satanists. The Duc de Richleau then finds himself in conflict with a Satanic cult, led by Mocata (Charles Gray).

The Devil Rides Out  was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. It was the second novel by Mr. Wheatley to feature the Duc de Richleau, the first being The Forbidden Territory, published in 1933. In all, the Duc de Richleau would appear in eleven novels by Dennis Wheatley, with the last novel, Gateway to Hell, being published in 1970. As to the Duc de Richleau himself, he was an aristocrat who engaged in a variety of adventures. The Duc de Richleau novels range in genre from adventure (The Forbidden Territory) to mystery (Three Inquisitive People) to the occult (The Devil Rides Out and Gateway to Hell). The Devil Rides Out would not be the first Duc de Richleau novel to be adapted as a a film. The Forbidden Territory was adapted by none other than Alfred Hitchcock in 1934, although the character of the Duc de Richleau was replaced by an Englishman named Sir Charles Farringdon (Ronald Squire). Sales for Dennis Wheatley's books remained strong throughout the years, and in the Sixties they sold in the millions.

It would be Christopher Lee himself who led Hammer Film Productions to adapt The Devil Rides Out as a movie. Christopher Lee was a huge fan of Dennis Wheatley's work, and had even met the author at one of his lectures in the mid-Fifties. He then persuaded Hammer to adapt Dennis Wheatley's novels. It was then in 1963 that Hammer optioned The Devil Rides Out, as well as some of Dennis Wheatley's other novels on the occult. Hammer ultimately decided against adapting The Devil Rides Out at the time, as they felt that because The Devil Rides Out dealt with Satanism it might not receive a certificate from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

Fortunately, as the Sixties passed concerns about censorship over devil worship in movies abated, so Hammer Film Productions felt secure enough to adapt the novel The Devil Rides Out. The original script for The Devil Rides Out was written by John Hunter, who co-wrote the Hammer adventure film Pirates of Blood River (1962) with John Gilling. Hammer was unhappy with John Hunter's adaptation, so they hired legendary science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer Richard Matheson to write a new script. Even in 1967 Hammer Film Productions had concerns over any possible censorship, so they submitted the script for The Devil Rides Out to the BBFC. The BBFC made it plain that they did not want to see "...any misuses of Christian emblems or any parodies of Christian prayers." Hammer was then very careful as to what was shown on screen in The Devil Rides Out.

Christopher Lee was set to play the Duc de Richleau from the very beginning. For the all important role of the villain Mocata, Hammer had originally wanted Gert Fröbe, best known for playing Auric Goldfinger in the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964). The role would ultimately go to an actor who would later play another villain in a James Bond movie. Charles Gray would go onto play Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Still later he would play the Criminologist in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). The Duc de Richleau's friend Rex Van Ryn was played by Leon Greene, who had appeared in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). His voice would be dubbed by Patrick Allen (more on that in a bit).

The Devil Rides Out was directed by perhaps the director most associated with Hammer Film Productions, Terence Fisher. He directed the film that turned Hammer into the premier studio for horror movies, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), as well as Dracula (1958--AKA Horror of Dracula), The Mummy (1959), and yet other Hammer horrors. Special effects on The Devil Rides Out were provided by Michael Stainer-Hitchens, a situation which was not of Hammer's choosing. Michael Staivers-Hutchins co-owned the rights to the novel The Devil Rides Out, and demanded that he provide the special effects in return for his rights to the book. As it turned out, some of the bigger special effects in The Devil Rides Out would be completed by an uncredited Les Bowie,  who had provided effects for such Hammer films as The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), Dracula (1958), The Kiss of the Vampire (1963), and yet others. He would later be part of the special effects team on the movie Superman (1978).

The Devil Rides Out completed shooting in the summer of 1967, but its path to the big screen would not be smooth. It was producer Anthony Nelson Keys, who also served as producer on such Hammer films as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), who decided that Leon Greene's voice would have to be redubbed. Leon Greene's voice was then dubbed by Patrick Allen, who had appeared in the Hammer swashbuckler Captain Clegg (1962) and narrated the Hammer adventure film The Viking Queen (1962). He would also provide the voice-over for the British trailer for The Devil Rides Out. In the United States, the American distributor for The Devil Ride's Out, 20th Century Fox, cut several seconds of some of the film's more controversial scenes. They also retitled it The Devil's Bride for its American release, as they feared The Devil Rides Out made it sound like a Western.

The Devil Rides Out was released in the United Kingdom on July 7 1968 as the lead feature in a double bill with Slave Girls (1967), as the Hammer film Prehistoric Women had been retitled for its British release. It was released on December 18 1968 in the United States. While The Devil Rides Out has gone on to become a favourite with Hammer Film fans, it did poorly at the box office on both sides of the Pond. In the United Kingdom, much of the reason for its poor performance at the box office may have been because it was paired with Prehistoric Women.  Not only did Prehistoric Women  belong to a completely different genre (fantasy adventure), but Hammer counted it among their worst motion pictures ever made and actually delayed its release in the United Kingdom for two years. It had been released in the United States on January 24 1967.

In the United States, The Devil's Bride (as it was titled in the States) may have simply been the victim of bad timing. Rosemary's Baby (1968), which also dealt with devil worship, had been released on June 19 1968. Witchfinder General (1968), produced by Hammer rival Trigon British Film Productions, was released under the title The Conqueror Worm, in the United States on August 14 1968. Even though The Devil Rides Out had originally been conceived in 1963 and filmed around the same time as Rosemary's Baby and shortly before Witchfinder General (which was filmed in autumn 1967), it was then beat to American cinemas by two other movies that dealt with Satanism. For Americans, then The Devil's Bride may have felt like an afterthought.

Fortunately, The Devil Rides Out would find new life on television and still later on home media. No less than Sir Christopher Lee himself named The Devil Rides Out as one of his favourite films and he said that he would like to have seen it remade with modern special effects with him playing a more mature Duc de Richleau. Over the years it has developed a cult following and has become a favourite among the Hammer horror movies. In many ways it was a pioneer in its genre. Conceived in 1963 and released the same year as Rosemary's Baby and Witchfinder General, it was among the first in a new occult horror cycle that would last into the Seventies.