The Devil's Daughter

I was in the 5th grade at Lighthouse Elementary School when they were filming "The Devil's Daughter" across the street in a beautiful old mansion in Pacific Grove, CA, and also at a cemetery across the street from where I lived. There was a small part of a schoolgirl that I almost got, except they decided to go with a 3rd grader because she was wearing a red sweater which would show up better on screen! I remember going across the street every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jonathan Frid whom I loved on "Dark Shadows." I was lucky enough to meet both Jonathan Frid and Shelley Winters, and both were so kind and friendly to a little girl who had dreams of one day being a great actress!! Then when I saw the movie, I was delightedly scared and enjoyed seeing the sites of the town where I lived.

In 1973, ABC assembled multiple-Oscar winner Shelley Winters, "Citizen Kane" and "The Third Man" veteran Joseph Cotten, Martha Scott from the film version and original stage production of "Our Town," talented young character actress Diane Ladd, and, for good measure, Abe Vigoda fresh from getting taken for a ride toward the end of "The Godfather." Wow, were they doing Shakespeare? Chekhov? A mini-series based on a classic American novel? Nope, they were donning robes and playing a coven of California witches scaring the bejesus out of poor Belinda Montgomery in "The Devil's Daughter," a cheap "Rosemary's Baby" knock-off. I don't know if all these distinguished actors needed the money, wanted to have some silly fun, or assumed that Robert Foxworth was destined for greater things than he actually achieved and was in need of some acting lessons, but the result is silly Satanic camp that will have you screaming with more laughter than fear.

Before the credits roll, we watch Miss Ladd attempt to ward off some creepy home intruders with a gun that apparently misfires and kills her. We first see stiff, somber, shy young Belinda at the funeral for her mother, Ladd, who must have married extremely young and extremely well since her only child is already in her 20s after having spent her life in boarding and convent schools. This sheltered upbringing explains her awkwardness, extreme politeness, and lack of fear when Shelley Winters, chauffeured by a mute Jonathan Frid, shows up after the funeral, claims she was Ladd's best friend, and invites her home for lunch. Veteran film watchers knew that by 1973 Shelley was a bad omen, but Belinda must never have seen "What's The Matter With Helen" since she graciously accepts Shelley's invitation to stay in her mansion. Things at the manor get weird enough to change Belinda's pinched expression from mildly depressed to mildly disturbed, so she moves out into an apartment with a perky Marlo Thomas clone. Shelley is furious at Belinda, but they patch things up just in time for the latter to attend a party the former throws in her honor so she can meet her mother's old friends, one of whom is anthropologist Abe Vigoda, speaking in a bad Bela Lugosi accent and enticing young Belinda into performing a "Mexican Indian" dance with him. Yes, you read that right, this movie features an Abe Vigoda dance number, and if that isn't funny enough, all the Hollywood vets in attendance start chanting "HAIL THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER" at a whirling, dazed Belinda. And this is before we even meet Joseph Cotten as a crusty old judge who, for some reason, still works at a law firm, or Scott's son Foxworth, the stiff but ambitious architect with whom Belinda finds the true love that will shield her from the clutches of the coven . . . or will it? The film is an unintentional (?) advertisement for Satanism since the devil-worshipers appear to be having a lot more fun than goody-two-shoes sourpuss Montgomery. Cotten happily hams it up in a way that his former patron Orson Welles would appreciate, Vigoda looks like he's always on the verge of hysterics (perhaps he was), and Shelley, wearing a succession of absurd hats as she chain-smokes long brown cigarettes, leaves no scenery unchewed as Belinda's malevolent benefactress Lilith (yep, Lilith) Malone. You'd think that Belinda would prefer life in Shelley's sprawling Victorian home, with Frid to wait on her and two loony, strudel-baking old ladies next door, to renting an ugly apartment with a Breck girl in the next bedroom and dullard Foxworth upstairs, but the script needs her to be unhappy, so off she goes. But . . . for how long?

From 1973 and obviously ROSEMARY'S BABY inspired,this has a great cast:Shelley Winters,Belinda Montgomery,Robert Foxworth,Joseph Cotton,and Jonathan"Barnabas"Frid as a mute butler.The 70s tv devil movies are all creepy.Very eerie in atmosphere with a young and pretty Diane attending her mother's funeral where she meets a very friendly Lillith who offers the girl a place when she lears Diane has nowhere to go.Unknown to Diane was that her mother used to be in a satanic cult with Lillith and her daughter was wanted by the cult.Diane discovers the truth,but,of course,too late.With a great spooky ending you'll never forget,TDDD is a neat little slice of tv horror.

Although the "devil's gonna get you" plot may have been an over-kill of the 1970's horror flicks, this film deserves merit for a memorable surprise ending and a seasoned cast including: Shelley Winters, Joseph Cotton, Robert Foxworth, Jonathan Frid and Martha Scott. It would have been a worthy film to make into video!

Obviously inspired by Rosemary's Baby, this obscure ABC-TV movie is still quite entertaining in its own right. The amazing cast goes full tilt, with the ever-delightful Shelley Winters taking top honors as Lilith. Though slightly hampered by overall TV stylings, it features an ample amount of tension, an imaginative opening credits sequence of flames and silhouettes, and an explosive, nightmarish twist ending. Be warned, though--The Devil's Daughter is very difficult to find. I saw it on the Sci-Fi Channel a few years ago and haven't been able to locate it since. Interestingly, it runs an hour and a half with commercials, whereas most TV movies run two hours. Fun, scary, and short!