User reviews

Occult novelist John Verney (veteran American star Richard Widmark) has his hands full. He has to keep safe the daughter (Nastassja Kinski) of an associate (Denholm Elliott). You see, eighteen years ago Elliott made an unholy pact, and now the girl is intended for use in something depraved by heretic priest Father Michael Raynor (Sir Christopher Lee).

At the time, this was the final theatrical horror film for Britains' renowned Hammer Studios. It was actually pretty successful, but the studio was simply too much in debt to completely reap the benefits. Based on the novel by Dennis Wheatley, it's a commendably low-key, restrained film, with occasional moments of violence / gore as well as cheesiness. As directed by Peter Sykes, the film has the potential to bore some members of the audience, but it's generally got enough interesting material in it to make it palatable.

The cast provides the principal value. Widmark at first seems really out of place, but he does a solid job. Lee delivers what is one of his all-time best villainous performances for Hammer. The supporting cast is pretty eclectic: Honor Blackman, Michael Goodliffe, Eva Maria Meineke, Anthony Valentine, Derek Francis, Frances de la Tour, etc. However, many eyes will be on Kinski, in one of her earliest roles; she does convey an essential naivety and innocence, and the audience will automatically be on her side. Those who are interested should note that she has a controversial few seconds' worth of full frontal nudity near the end.

Although not on the level of another Wheatley shocker ("The Devil Rides Out") produced by Hammer, this does show its viewers a fairly good time, operating with its approach of subtlety. One problem, however, is the ending, which is over too quickly, and robs us of real satisfaction.

All things considered, Hammer could easily have signed off with a much worse horror film. This, at least, is generally compelling.

Seven out of 10.

"To The Devil A Daughter" of 1976 is on of the last films from the great Hammer studios, and, as it seems, it was a disappointment to many of my fellow Hammer fans. For understandable reasons, since this is the second of two Hammer films about Satanism and black magic based on novels by Dennis Wheatley. Both films star Christopher Lee and the first, namely "The Devil Rides Out" of 1968 is easily one of the most brilliant films ever released by this great Production Company. And "To The Devil A Daughter" can not nearly compete with "The Devil Rides Out", but, as far as I am considered it is still a creepy film that is more than worth watching for a Horror fan.

The performances are exceptional, and I am not only talking about the great Christopher Lee. Lee is brilliant as always, of course, but the cast includes quite a bunch of other great actors. Richard Widmark also delivers a great performance and so do Denholm Eliott, Michael Goodliffe and the great Honor Blackman. Young Nastassia Kinski is also exceptional in one of her very first roles. The cinematography is great, and the film is often very eerie, but it sadly lacks the wonderful Gothic atmosphere that Hammer fans love so much. The film has atmosphere, no doubt, but sadly not the typical Hammer-style. This may be the main reason why many fellow Hammer fans are disappointed with the film. And it was also the lack of Gothic elements that I disliked about the film. But even though it is definitely one of the lesser films from Hammer and it may disappoint on a certain level, the film is definitely a creepy flick that fans of the studios should not miss. If you expect a shining finale to 20 years of brilliant Hammer rule, you run risk of being disappointed. Just expect a creepy little film with a great cast and enjoy!

Underrated thriller that despite being slow and meandering still manages a few nice shocks and is never less than interesting. This attempted to match The Exorcist for near-the-knuckle images and themes, and although it lacks that film's lasting power to haunt it does have a strong line in perversity that may surprise the most jaded unshockable viewer. Christopher Lee is great as the smiling, gentlemanly paganist - Natassja Kinski looks great and goes through the film like a day-dreaming naive child, which is exactly what she is supposed to be. Admittedly the creature at the end could easily have climbed out of a cornflakes packet as the depths of hell, but it doesn't ruin the film. Channel 4 recently showed a wide-screen version. It was well worth taping.

This is not a film for the occult horror film aficionado. "To the Devil...a Daughter" has already received a few whithering reviews that are all justified. Dennis Wheatley, the author of the book, condemned it because there was little resemblance to his novel and what appears on screen, except for the title. Currently available on wide screen 16X9 anamorphic transfer, the DVD contains a 24 minute documentary with recent commentary by Peter Sykes, the director, and Roy Skeggs, the producer. "To the Devil...a Daughter" is a well done film that demonstrates what a first rate director is capable of with a limited budget. This film turns out to be the horror film equivalent of "Casablanca" because the movie as originally scripted was not filmable. Hence, with the start of production, the script was continually being written on a day to day basis by Gerald Vaughan-Hughes, an uncredited screen writer. "To the Devil...a Daughter" followed the genre setting "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby" and was the last Hammer film because it was too little and too late.

"To the Devil...a Daughter" is one of the earliest Nastassja Kinski films and must have been seen by Roman Polanski who realized her potential. It is not a chessey film, but does have a few pieces of cheese in it. The most obvious one is the full frontal nudity scene of a very young Nastassja. Yes, it is cheesey, but from an editing view, is more shocking than titillating. In her first scene, it is apparent that there is more than a passing resemblance between Nastassja and Ingrid Bergman - innocent, clean beauties. In one of the scenes, Nastassja was having a problem actually getting the tears that the director wanted and there had been quite a few retakes. Richard Widmark said to the director, "when I say turnover, turnover, it's going to happen." Sykes started the film rolling and Widmark hit her right "in the chops" and the tears came and he said, "OK, now act." The cast is first rate and included Richard Widmark (who was pretty disgusted with the film and threatened to walk out on it), Christopher Lee (of horror film fame), Honor Blackman a renown actress at the time in Britain (known to American audiences as Pussy Galore of the James Bond "Goldfinger," and Denholm Elliot as the German bad guy in "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

It is best to watch "To the Devil...a Daughter" with no expectations and let the film naturally unfold, without preconceived mental baggage. If one is steeped in the occult traditions, then this movie is not for you because of its glaring errors - all made up by the afore mentioned screen writer. Otherwise, the mood of the picture is quickly set by Richard Widmark's,

"98% of so called satanist are nothing but pathetic freaks who get their kicks out of dancing naked in freezing church yards and use the devil as an excuse for getting some sex, but then there is that other 2%, I'm not so sure about them."

Christopher Lee's role as the maniacal, ex-communicated priest brings to mind the great performance of Boris Karloff as Imhotep in the 1932 "The Mummy," who had the supernatural power to project thought over space and time. "To the Devil...a Daughter" is well paced with its race against time.

The reputation of Hammer’s last horror film has always been fairly maligned (for a variety of reasons) but, when I finally watched it – via a pan-and-scan PAL VHS – some years back, I recall being reasonably impressed by it. Somewhat perversely, I chose it to end my month-long tribute to the recently deceased Richard Widmark – given that he was notoriously cantankerous throughout the film’s shooting and would subsequently single it out as the one regret of his 44 year-long film career!

Re-acquainting myself with TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER by way of the Anchor Bay R1 DVD, I was pleased to discover that my initial reaction to it remained pretty much intact – though, obviously, I no longer felt that initial shock to some of its more intense and bizarre sequences. Anyway, the film was a companion piece to Hammer’s previous Dennis Wheatley adaptation – THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1967) – in which Christopher Lee had atypically played the hero; however, the author wasn’t as enthused this time around – since his novel was considerably bowdlerized in the transition – and declined the company further access to his works (they had previously acquired the rights to yet another of Wheatley’s occult tales, “The Satanist”)! Lee co-stars in this one as well – but, here, he reverts to his favored (on-screen) element i.e. The Dark Side: his character of Father Michael is actually among the most believably sinister he ever played (going about his diabolic business with a thoroughly calm demeanor and, often, a chilling smile on his lips!). As for Widmark, I’m glad he was sensible enough to understand that, whatever his personal feelings (the Hollywood star clearly seemed to consider the material beneath him), he still owed the public a good performance – and there’s no denying the fact that his no-nonsense occult novelist emerges as a most fitting opponent to Lee.

The convoluted plot involves the rebirth of the demon Astaroth in human form – its vessel being a nubile girl (played by the luscious Nastassja Kinski), brought up in seclusion as a nun! Lee is a priest who has been excommunicated for challenging the belief that Man depends on the ‘presence’ of God to guide him through life – contending that Man is perfectly capable of making his own Destiny (with a little help from the Forces of Darkness). Aiding him in his scheme is veteran Michael Goodliffe, the wonderful Denholm Elliott is featured as Kinski’s recanting wimpish father, and Derek Francis as the Church official who has barred Lee from service. In Widmark’s corner are his husband-and-wife agents, played by Honor Blackman and Anthony Valentine – both of whom eventually find themselves on the receiving end of Lee’s evil powers.

Among the film’s notable sequences: the unnatural birth of the demon child (displaying a harrowing intensity quite uncommon to Hammer’s usual output), the two scenes depicting the monstrous appearance of the baby itself (one in which it slobbers all over 17-year old Kinski’s bloodied naked body Lee slams as “obscene” in the accompanying documentary!), the would-be depraved rite/orgy (presented as a nightmare in the vein of the not-too-dissimilar ROSEMARY’S BABY [1968]) and, of course, the much-debated climax (nowhere near as godawful as many seem to think, the scriptwriters having at least put an extra effort into coming up with a mystical explanation for the denouement, but the rushed execution of it is decidedly limp!). In essence, then, this is not at all a bad send-off for Hammer Films – and, easily, among their better offerings of the decade (incidentally, I’ve just acquired the obscure Sci-Fi/Western hybrid MOON ZERO TWO [1969] from this legendary brand, which promises to be fairly goofy)…

To get to Anchor Bay’s DVD edition, the one quibble I have with it concerns the ‘processed’ quality of the sound effects (background noise, gunshots) in a couple of sequences. Whilst serving as a moving valediction to a bygone era, the 24-minute featurette is a great account of the nerve-racking making of the film (with its last-minute revisions to the script, problems securing a director, and Widmark’s temper-tantrums). Apart from over-hyped trailer, extensive poster/still gallery and detailed biographies for both Widmark and Lee, one is able to access a hilarious Easter Egg from the “Extras” menu – an excerpt from an interview with leading Hammer Films stunt-man Eddie Powell, wherein he discusses his multi-purpose duties on this particular title (which included doubling for Lee in a scene requiring his character to appear in the nude!).

In London, an occult novelist (Richard Widmark) is asked to protect a man's daughter, a young nun (Nastassja Kinski), from a cult of satanists led by a towering man who seems to possess supernatural powers (Christopher Lee). They require her for some diabolical ritual. Honor Blackman has a peripheral role.

The story of "To the Devil a Daughter" (1976) is loosely based on Dennis Wheatley's 1953 novel. It was Hammer's answer to American horror hits like "The Exorcist" (1973) and "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), but Wheatley was furious with the numerous changes and called the film "obscene."

It's a slow-burn occult-oriented mystery with good locations and a notable cast. Producers seemed to have more money to work with in this regard than most Hammer films. Speaking of Hammer, "To the Devil a Daughter" doesn't FEEL like a Hammer picture from the '60s and early '70s, which is a nice (and unsuspected) change, I guess.

For those who care, Kinski is shown completely naked from the front near the end, which was/is controversial since she was still 14 years-old during shooting, almost 15. Unfortunately Lee is also show in the nude, albeit from behind. One thing I never cared to see in life was Christopher Lee's butt (actually, it was his stunt double, Eddie Powell).

There's a fairly shocking and obscene "devil baby" sequence. The creators obviously wanted to take "Rosemary's Baby" to the next level. In any case, they did a good job with the infant F/X, at least for the mid-70s.

While the mystery is sometimes interesting the story is flat and the last act somehow doesn't work. Yes, they throw in some bizarre things - the aforementioned "devil baby" scene and a wild satanist orgy (which is more silly than shocking) - but I was left feeling disappointed.

This was Hammer's penultimate film and their final horror production. Surprisingly, "To the Devil a Daughter" was a hit and made lots of money, at least in Europe, but Hammer Studios had debts to pay and the movie's success couldn't save 'em.

At the end of the day, it's okay at best, but not as good as flicks like "Bay Coven" (1987), "The Crimson Cult" (1968), "The Devil Rides Out" (1968) and "Race With the Devil" (1975).

The DVD includes an informative and entertaining 24-minute "making-of" documentary that discusses the film and the demise of Hammer Studios called "To the Devil... The Death of Hammer." It features interviews with Lee, Blackman, the director, the producer and many more. By all accounts Widmark was arrogant and a real bastage to work with. The Hollywood "star" frequently insulted the English filmmakers (calling the picture a "Micky Mouse production"), walking off the set, arguing, brawling and kicking over expensive equipment (!). Every aspect of the movie is addressed, including changes from the novel, Wheatley's objections, the ending's failure, etc.

Needless to say, the documentary is way more compelling than the film itself and is available on Youtube for those interested.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot mostly in the greater London area of England, including Elstree Studios, with a bit in Bavaria, Germany.

GRADE: C-

An American occult novelist (Richard Widmark) battles to save the soul of a young nun (Nastassja Kinski) from a group of Satanists, led by an excommunicated priest (Christopher Lee), who plan on using her as the representative of the Devil on Earth.

As a White Zombie fan, I was thrilled to hear the Latin of the excommunication scene and finally know where one of their best songs took its clips from. That alone makes the movie satisfying (though it hardly carries the entire film).

Despite being a Hammer film and featuring Christopher Lee, the film does not seem well-liked by many people. IMDb rates it below a 6 and Rotten Tomatoes has it holding a 17% approval rating. I feel obligated to defend it, if even just a little bit. I mean, wow, what a truly creepy and disturbing birthing ritual -- the blood, the bondage, Lee's diabolical grin... Oh, and that other ritual...

I would say this film is a winner, despite the harsh criticism people seem to have for it. Some parts are a bit slow or bland, but the overall story is interesting and the imagery is fascinating. A lot of work was put into this one.

In London, the occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) is contacted by a stranger named Henry Beddows (Denholm Elliott) during a lecture in a private gallery of his friends David Kennedy (Anthony Valentine) and Anna Fontaine (Honor Blackman). Henry asks John to meet his daughter, the nun Catherine Beddows (Nastassja Kinski), in the airport since she is coming from Munich and lodge her in his apartment since Henry has had a problem with Satanists and he would like to protect his daughter. In return, John could write a book with his experience with the Satanists.

John brings Catherine to his apartment and sooner he learns that she belongs to the church "The Children of Our Lord" from Germany, and she will be eighteen years old on the All Hallows Eve. While she is sleeping during the night, John realizes that Catherine, and not her father Henry, is actually in danger. Sooner he finds that the excommunicated Catholic priest Father Michael Raynem (Christopher Lee), who is Catherine's godfather, and a group of Satanists that worship the Devil plan to use Catherine to become Astaroth through a ritual. John visits the bishop, who is his friend, and asks permission to read the same pages of The Book of Abramelin that Father Michael had read in the 50's. Now John battles against the powerful Father Michael to save the life and soul of Catherine.

"To the Devil a Daughter" is the last film from Hammer with a promising story and a great cast with Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott. Unfortunately they are wasted in a lame screenplay with many flaws and a disappointing conclusion. The gorgeous Nastassja Kinski (officially born on 24 Jan 1961, but sources tell that she was born in 1959) naked does not seem to be only fifteen years old; seventeen would be more acceptable. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Filha para o Diabo" ("A Daughter to the Devil")

This is the final horror film from the legendary Hammer Studios in England. It is in the same vein as Rosemary's Baby and The Omen. This film has some problems and is not in the same class or quality of either of those films. It is however, in the same genre of satanic themed horror. This was a large budget movie for Hammer, but it required much more time and money to tackle Dennis Wheatley's novel properly. With limited budgets and time, director Peter Sykes tried to make the best film he could. I feel a large amount of material that would have made the story flow better was cut out and some substandard material was quickly thrown together to try and replace it. The story was set in contemporary London and some of the sequences were shot in Germany as well, which gives it a different feel from the old Hammer sets and Gothic style. The film itself looks good and is beautifully shot. The score is also effective as it provides a sinister ambiance as well. The cast is excellent and I will provide no complaints about the quality of acting in this production. Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliot and Klaus Kinski's gorgeous and talented daughter Natassja Kinski round up the principal cast. The lovely Natassja gets naked for us also, which is a treat. This production has more blood and nudity than the usual Hammer production. But there are certain scenes that come across as cheesy that don't match up to the rest of the film. There are some scenes that would be more effective if less was shone. Some of the special f/x flat out look like crap and don't belong in a film where everything else seems to be taken seriously. The cast however is awesome, especially Christopher Lee. His presence and power as an actor is immense and one of a kind. He really brings menace and pure evil to diabolical heretic priest Father Michael. To The Devil...A Daughter is a very flawed production, but still has enough good stuff to entertain most horror fans.

Over the years, Hammer studios have provided us with some true classics within the horror genre. However, if this is the only Hammer film you've ever seen, then you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise. All the things that make Hammer horror great are absent from this movie; it lacks charm, originality and it isn't intelligent or imaginative. It's a shame too, because the plot isn't a bad one. It involves a satanic cult that is posing as a Christian church and has chosen a child to 'become the devil' upon her eighteenth birthday. However, now that time has come and her father has decided that he wants to back out of the deal, only the cult isn't going to let him. So, as you can see, we have devil worshippers, sacrifice, Christopher Lee as the head of the cult, the devil himself even makes an appearance... this is great horror stuff, and if it had the right handling, it might have been able to capitalise on it's premise; but as it happens, it did not.

The main reason it fails is that it's just so DULL. The film takes ages to get anywhere, and by the time something does happen, you don't care because you're so bored. Speaking of being bored, Christopher Lee doesn't exactly approach his role in this film with gusto and his performance, although still malevolent as Lee always is, pretty much is the epitome of this film; bored. As usual with Hammer, the production values are low; but usually it doesn't matter as you can forgive the film for it, and even like it, depending on the film; but here, since the rest of the film is so bad; it's hard to forgive the bad production values. When the devil does appear, it's so ridiculous that all you will be able to do is laugh. I never thought I'd see the devil as a glove puppet! There are no real standout moments in this film, and even the ending isn't any good. I was expecting it to at least end with a bang after making us sit through nearly ninety minutes of boredom, but no.

I recommend this film to people that want to see every Hammer Horror movie ever made. Everyone else should avoid like the plague.

With the filming of Dennis Wheatley's novel in To the Devil a Daughter, Hammer films tried to cash in on the cycle Satanic films that seemed to be out about every third week in the seventies. It wasn't exactly a crashing success.

Denholm Elliott has pledged his daughter Natassia Kinski to the Devil as a bride on her 18th birthday and now he wants out of the deal. He seeks the help of Richard Widmark who is a writer and authority on the occult. Widmark is taking the place of the role Peter Cushing would normally have. I'm sure Widmark was getting fewer and fewer good scripts at this time and probably thought this one and only venture into horror films might give him a new direction for his career.

Natassia however is in the charge of a defrocked priest played by Christopher Lee in all his Satanic glory. He's got his own satanic church and young Natassia has been raised in it as a nun and she goes around in complete habit of same. Of course after the rite of passage she will be viewing life from a different perspective and we do get a glimpse of her fully frontally nude to whet our appetites as well as the devil's.

A pleasant prospect and as good a reason as any to see this film. Lee is his usual grandly horrific self so his fans will be pleased. Hammer did so much better work with their Dracula, Frankenstein, and Mummy films from the previous two decades though.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

Father Michael Rayner (CHRISTOPHER LEE) was ex-communicated from the Church of England for attempting to bring a personification of the devil to Earth. Twenty years on and Rayner has settled in Germany with his devil-worshiping followers under the facade of the "Children of the Lord" cult. Rayner sends his godchild Catherine Beddows (NASTASSJA KINSKI) to England to join her father Henry Beddows (DENHOLM ELLIOT) for her 18th-birthday. Rayner intends to fulfil his old ambition and rebaptise Catherine into the service of evil. Henry who was forced into the cult's evil-doings because his wife was a member of the cult attempts to recant and places his daughter in the care of occult novelist Jim Verney (RICHARD WIDMARK) who must confront and destroy Rayner before he succeeds in making the devil walk the Earth in the form of an innocent girl.

TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER was Hammer's final horror film and the company's second attempt to bring one of Dennis Wheatley's occult novels to the screen. Wheatley was overjoyed by the company's filming of his novel THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968), but was apparently less pleased with Hammer's version of his popular TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER novel which Hammer had considered adapting for the screen as early as 1963. The film took a very respectable £13, 375 on it's opening week at the Odeon Leicester Square and it reached number three in the London Film Charts. On it's general release the film's takings were estimated at about £200,000.

Yet despite this success, Hammer's plans to film Wheatley's THE SATANIST were sadly scrapped. Thus continued Hammer's trip into oblivion which came to a head with an ill-advised remake of Alfred Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES in 1979.

TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER is a most enjoyable film. The script may be a little confused but the gore scenes are suitably erotic (more so than in most other Hammer films) and it benefits from good production values and an exemplary cast. Lee is excellent as the disgraced priest, a complete contrast to his portrayal of the Duc De' Richeleau in THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, while Richard Widmark shines as the hero. His performance is up to the standard of the Hammer heroes portrayed by Peter Cushing and Andre Morell even though his character only conflicts with Lee's once. The direction of Peter Sykes is good even if his other feature film credits like STEPTOE AND SON RIDE AGAIN (1973) may cause some initial doubts. Hammer purists consider this to be the company's worst film. It is more graphic than the earlier Hammer horrors and more or less ignores all the traditions of the company's earlier films, which makes it all the more better.

With a cast like this, this film should've been one of the best Hammer films of the 70's. Unfortunately a weak ending and an unlikeable lead character ( Widmark ), make this a more humdrum affair. Thankfully a lot of great UK actors are in this film ( Lee, Valentine, Blackman and Elliott, to name a few ), to make this an enjoyable movie for the British viewer. Hard not to mention the fact that Nastassja Kinski was 14/15 when making this film, her scenes wouldn't happen now I think.

This Horror Movie is much Better than it Ought to be Considering its Troubled Production. Hammer Studios was in Dire Straits and this was the One that was going to Save the Beloved British Studio. Although it made a Tidy Profit, it was Not to be.

It was Hammer's Biggest Budget Movie, went on Multiple Locations, but it wasn't in the Tarot Cards as the Studio Closed it Doors just one Film Later (a non Horror Film, a remake of The Lady Vanishes).

The Film has a Cast of well Knowns including Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman and Nastassja Kinski (her age is referenced anywhere from 15-17 depending on the source). This is Significant because the Actress has some Daring Sex Scenes.

After Completion Chris Lee, Richard Widmark, and Author of the Source Material Dennis Wheatley all but Disowned the Movie. One can see why, but then again, it seems Like a bit of Insincere Embarrassment and Over Reaction.

Sure it is Lurid, Gross, Bloody, and Disturbing in its Seventies Exploitation kind of way. After all, it was "The Exorcist" (1972) that made oodles of Money and Everyone, including the Cash Hungry Hammer were trying to Emulate. Even Today "The Exorcist" and this one are Lurid, Gross, Bloody, and Disturbing. So...What The?

The Movie is Worth a Watch for a number of reasons and will Deliver the Goods to Horror Fans and Fangoria Types. It may not be as Good as its Inspirations but the Movie is Odd enough and Gory enough and with that Cast, it finds itself in Cult Film Status despite the Rushed and Disappointing Ending and the on the Set Bickering.

It's a Nasty Bit of Business this, and a number of Things make it Interesting, and a Good Try for Hammer. It was just that Their Time was Up and Others would have to Carry On the Tradition. R.I.P. Hammer Horror.

"Alright, can I go now? I don't know what the hell's expected of me." It's remarkable how one early throwaway line of dialogue, among Richard Widmark's first in the picture, so handily describes the entirety of the feature. Sequencing, dialogue, scene writing, and the narrative as a whole are astoundingly disordered, sometimes downright rancid, and struggle to attain a baseline level of cohesiveness or coherence. The movie can't decide if its characters are incredibly knowledgeable, or blithely ignorant. The story does gradually come together, and there are some good ideas here, but it's an astoundingly rough and frankly unconvincing ride. I'm not sure that anyone involved actually knew what they were doing; it certainly doesn't seem like it. Not the cast, including Widmark, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliott, and Natassja Kinski; not director Peter Sykes; not screenwriters Chris Wicking, John Peacock, or Gerald Vaughan-Hughes; not composer Paul Glass. From top to bottom this is sloppy, and weak, and 'To the devil a daughter' may well be a critical low point in the careers of everyone who participated in the production.

It speaks volumes about the picture that screenwriter Wicking and Hammer Films maestro Michael Carreras are apparently on record bad-mouthing it, and I'm amazed that still more participants have not publicly echoed such sentiments. For a company renowned for exquisite production design and art direction, even these elements are uneven as we see them here. Not that it would much matter even if they were reliably strong, for in every way that is of real consequence this is unfocused, scattered, flimsy, and an outright mess. Kernels of meaningful value crop up irregularly and infrequently, but are not nearly enough to counterbalance the rotten, careless "craftsmanship" that comes across in pretty much every last regard. And it's all made still worse for the fact that we know what these folks are capable of - what happened here?!

In every instance where the movie seems to have stumbled onto something good, in the next moment it demonstrates the same flailing lack of mindfulness that made such a poor impression from the very beginning. This could have been good, entertaining, a splendid slice of horror cinema. Instead, it's only godawful, floundering, empty baloney. Among this title's predecessors, contemporaries, and successors, there are many great and worthwhile genre flicks. 'To the devil a daughter' is not one of them, and by whatever means it caught your eye, you don't need to watch this. Two thumbs way down.

This movie is in the top 10 movies I've ever seen. I don't understand the poor ratings what's not to like about 1970s satanic horror movies they're all good. I've watched this four times it's stunningly good....

Before having seen "To The Devil A Daughter", it'll definitely remind you of Hammer's 1968 classic "The Devil Rides Out". Christopher Lee is present again (no surprises here, though) but it's also the legendary horror studios' second attempt to a black magic occult thriller (both were based on Dennis Wheatley novels, by the way). Yet, you'll soon discover that the two bear very little comparison. "The Devil Rides Out" might easily be Hammer's finest effort whereas "To The Devil A Daughter" ranks among the worst… The screenplay is very inherent, a lot of plot-twists and events don't make the slightest bit of sense and – most of all – the film has the most unsatisfying ending in horror history. The basic premise is promising, though, and introduces a satanic cult neatly disguised as a Catholic Church community. The leader, who else than the almighty Christopher Lee, comes to claim the pure soul of soon-to-be 18 virgin Catherine, as agreed with her father in a devilish pact when she was born. After performing a bloody ritual, she'd become Satan's representative on earth, but her father tries to avoid this from happening by asking the help of an occult novelist. He manages to hide Catherine for a good while, but can she really escape her occult fade? Despite a couple of seriously unsettling moments and great acting performances of the entire cast, this film lacks a whole lot of impact. Much more like a good old engaging Hammer film, "To The Devil A Daughter" feels like a typical 70's Satan-flick in the trend of "The Exorcist". As a matter of course, it's much better than all the contemporary rip-off's featuring mad-raving nuns, sexually perverted priests and possessed babies but, to real Hammer fans, it'll definitely be a disappointment.