| Eye of the Devil | |
|---|---|
from the film's trailer |
|
| Directed by | J. Lee Thompson |
| Produced by | John Calley Martin Ransohoff |
| Screenplay by | Robin Estridge Dennis Murphy |
| Starring | Deborah Kerr David Niven Donald Pleasence David Hemmings Sharon Tate |
| Music by | Gary McFarland |
| Cinematography | Erwin Hillier |
| Editing by | Ernest Walter |
| Distributed by | Filmways Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | July 1966 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Eye of the Devil is a 1966 British film with occult and supernatural themes directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr and David Niven. The film was set in rural France and filmed in England.[1]
Contents |
David Niven plays the owner of a vineyard, who is called back to the estate when it falls on hard times. Accompanied by his wife (Deborah Kerr), the couple are confronted by a beautiful witch (Sharon Tate), who also lives on the estate with her brother (David Hemmings). As time passes it becomes clear that a blood sacrifice is expected to return the vineyard to its former glory.
Filmed in 1965, it featured the first film performance of Tate, who was cast by Filmways executive Martin Ransohoff who hailed her as his great discovery. Finally released two years later it attracted little attention. However, The New York Times wrote of Tate's "chillingly beautiful but expressionless" performance. Although it was not a commercial success in the United States when first released, it was popular in Europe, and it has acquired a degree of cult status, largely due to its surreal themes, and the 1969 murder of Tate. The film is also notable for its distinguished supporting cast, which includes veteran British actors Donald Pleasance, Flora Robson, Emlyn Williams, Edward Mulhare and John Le Mesurier.
The film is also known by the titles Thirteen and 13.