Imaginary people keep asking me; what’s the best streaming service for movies? And I usually reply; YouTube. There’s seemingly a bottomless pit of unlicensed films out there, seeking an audience, and even if you think you’ve seen everything, there’s always something else. I’d never even heard of Lindsay Shonteff’s Devil Doll until I happened upon it while looking for the old 1936 film. While no masterpiece, it’s got a certain something worth a look for the jaded.
One horror trope that seems eternal is the ventriloquist’s dummy, from Dead of Night to Magic to Dead Silence, and there’s a cracker here called Hugo. With his Stone Roses haircut and enormous ears, Hugo is an ugly creature, and that U word is constantly and abusively used by Hugo’s master, magician/hypnotist The Great Vorelli (Bryant Haliday). Vorelli is investigated by US reporter Mark English (William Sylvester), who unwisely uses his girlfriend Marianne (a game Yvonne Romain) as bait to get close to the caped performer. It turns out that Vorelli is mastering some kind of out-of-body-transference, and aims to put Marianne’s soul into a little wooden body of his own construction…
Devil Doll is an endearingly drab production, with a few bare breasts shoehorned in to add limited appeal, and some striking plot holes; how does Hugo travel around London on his murder sprees? London is quite a cosmopolitan place to be sure, but surely a ventriloquist’s dummy traversing the city alone would around some interest or suspicion? We can put such concerns aside and cheerfully report that Devil Doll does have a decent story (by Frederick E Smith) and the final twist is worth waiting for. Let’s just say that the final scene here doesn’t feature English against Vorelli…
Shonteff completed a number of sexed-up cheapies over the next couple of decades, but Devil Doll has that ineffable something that makes a B movie into a cult movie; the pulsing music when Vorelli performs, the lapses of logic and the blunt but effective acting. It’s better than most lurid 60’s horror, and you won’t see that ending coming….for ‘MAXIMUM SHOCK SOCK’, as the trailer suggests, Devil Doll will shock you to your socks, and beyond…
This movie did make it onto MST3K, as one of the Sci-Fi Channel episodes – which means the episode is on Shout Factory’s streaming service as well.
A fan of MST3K, is this the one where they go ‘Sleep!’? Good shout, will check it out.
There is, next to the pile of photography books picture.
I see! I thought it was just a little Lego person, but it’s really a mini-me.
Some of us pay attention.
Yes I did a whole series of Frego adventures back in 2016, she’s still about.
If only Alex paid attention to what he saw.
Nope. Not having my socks shocked! Nope siree!
I thought not. Maximum sock shock in this film.
London is so metropolitan and vast it would not surprise me to see a ventriloquist’s dummy having an argument with a bus conductor over whether he qualified for a child fare. Maximum shock value sounds an attractive proposition.
Shock Sock value. Modern London perhaps, but in the 60’s, few dummies travelled the streets alone. Today, there’s tonnes of them.
No. No. No.
Horror movies about dolls are bad. Dolls are scary, especially when they quietly in the corner and stare at you…
This is not for you, you are too delicate a flower for this.
As I suspected!
Too bad John Wick wasn’t there to blast the doll into oblivion.
If I ever direct a movie, I’m going to make John Wick vs Chuckie.
So you WOULD make a devil doll movie?
In a heartbeat! I’d just direct it with my eyes closed and never watch it. Couldn’t be worse than some of that drek that gets released….
Anything in mind? Had a Tom Clancy night last night. None of your rubbish, Hunt for Red October.
Nothing in particular, just most movies in general….
So Pinocchio (without a nose) goes out and kills people? I could go for that. Who’s Jiminy Cricket in Devil Doll? Is there a cricket? There better be a cricket.
Only the sound of crickets as our erstwhile host absconds. Probably milking the goats.
I wonder what he does from around 2:30 to 4:30. Clearly pretty structured into the routine of his day.
Did I promise to respond instantly to your dribbling comments? No.
I’m just wondering is all. What do you do that’s so important every day at that time?
Everything and anything is more important that reading your pointless ramblings.
Come on. Come on! What is it? You can tell us.
Can’t trust you. Why don’t you ask your Tory pals at the Telegraph?
How would they know? Unless you are one of them… 😱
Wut?
Sigh. I asked what you do that’s so important at this time. You replied, “why don’t you ask your Tory pals at the Telegraph?” My question to you would be, how would they know? However, I came to the conclusion that the only possibility could be that you are a Tory at the Telegraph. Which will be the title of chapter 4 of my memoirs.
Doubt they would know, DJ Otzi, but would prefer you to bother them, not me.
This is the most painful conversation I’ve ever endured. What’s inspired DJ Otzi, all of a sudden? By the way, Otzi is spelt Ötzi. Get it right.
So you are the Austrian singer?
No, I’m not. Unlike him, I have a beautiful head of hair.
So you and I are the only two, the rest are bald as coots, to use an ancient expression.
Yes, I take a lot of pride in my hair, as I’m sure you do too. Use a specific shampoo, Dix?
Your tears.
Thought you didn’t like Hannibal, Mr Verger?
I don’t. But I can enjoy laughing at your failures.
What failures? I’m on the up, kid! I’m a contender!
I’ve read dozens of failed comments from you today.
Name three.
All of them.
Afraid I need quoted examples.
The whole thing.
Is that a quoted example? Put some effort in, Dix, or I can’t believe it. Where’s the evidence?
I could not give a monkeys what you believe. Serious film blog here, no sillies needed.
Alright, calm down Yootha! The memoirs will be out soon. That should ease your nerves.
Of no interest to anyone. Thank u, next!
*crickets chirp in silence*
Dix: (slightly desperate) Next?
Your memoirs, like your comments, are likely to be ignored.
Of course, my memoirs are going to be ignored by old Scottish coots (chapter 5 title) such as yourself, but I’m gaining something of a cult audience already.
I can imagine the kind of cult that would be interested.
What kind of cult, Dix? Huh? What kind of cult?
A silly one.
Joyce-ian, Shakespeare? Thought you could do better than that.
In the style of Yootha Joyce, yes, you have a problem with that?
No, I don’t. But would Yootha Joyce write ‘a silly one’? She’d have something far more witty than that.
If she had to read your piffle, she might have written that, yes.
We’ll never know. But I’m sure she would have been a big advocate of my memoirs.
Unwritten memoirs.
Stop stressing that. The publishers don’t know yet.
Soon to be unreadable.
Title of chapter six.
All the best bits stolen from me, again.
Yep! Hahahahahahaha!
Sigh.
;
I’ll milk your goat if you don’t watch it, Bunty.
You have to watch for yourself to find out.
This was a good bit of weirdness. But the old 1936 film was The Devil-Doll. Don’t know how you could get them confused.
Halliday co-founded Janus Films, which was sort of like Criterion before Criterion.
And wait, did someone say . . . . Hugo?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP2c3dSxM4E
The 1936 film is Devil-Doll. No-one is interested in your silly dog clip. But Janus Films sounds like your kind of company, if you drop the J.
I liked the dog clip 😃
Sigh. I don’t know why I bother.
How could you not? The only guy who could hate on a Hugo clip is a crazy old Scottish coot.
A scootish coot at that!
You are being dragged down to their level. You are better than this.
I know, couldn’t resist. My bad. *hangs head in shame* 🥴🤣
You should know better. Fallen in with ruffians and hooligans. And here was me writing nice things about the little miniature you and cat in your photos. And now you gang up on with with your new Tory Telegraph reading posho pals…
Blimey sensitive mucx! It was only the once, hardly ganging up. I’ve reverted to neutral now so take a chill pill.
Are you as in thrall to the Telegraph as Alex and DJ Otzi?
Nope. I read the Independent, the proper one not the online sleazy version.
So why do Alex and DJ Otzi bang on about the Torygraph?
How the dickens should I know? Though thinking about it I think though not totally sure, it’s because the Telegraph has that other Scottish movie reviewer Robbie Nale or somesuch.
Yes, Robbie Collins, I believe. Top critic.
For tories like you, perhaps.
Have you ever read any of his work?
Who? I’ve seen George and Mildred.
Robbie Collins! Not Yootha, shmuck!
Phil Collins? No Jacket Required? Does he write books?
Yes, he does. Titled, “For Tories Like You”.
Not me who is evangelising whatever brand of fascism endeared him to the Torygraph, you and Alex. See Fraggle’s comment and weep at your error.
Error? What error? *Error.* Pfft.
Wouldn’t read the Telegraph even for a top critic. I get enough criticism on here!
Good point, well expressed.
Despite Dix’s popular belief, I’m a loyal reader of The Guardian. No Telegraph over here.
Are you one of their furloughed staff?
Because of my brilliant writing? I’m honoured, but no.
Who?
Apparently he’s a top critic. Otsy knows his proper name. Never read his reviews so can’t comment on whether that’s the case.
Same here.
Is there a miniature Fraggle? I don’t remember that picture.
Look closer.
Why do you persist in posting unrelated dog clips on my prestigious blog? Send them to your Tory pal at the Telegraph.
Unrelated?
Um. Hugo . . . Hugo?
Nothing about a dog. Hugo the Scorsese dud? Victor Hugo? Nothing to do with this film. You are grasping for relevance, much as your writing does every day.
Are you jealous mucx of Hugo because he has a squeaky toy? It’s because he’s a good boy!
You are not a good boy. You are bad!
I’m fed up with reading this kind of rubbish. What is wrong with you, apart from the obvious?
Just because Hugo’s YouTube channel gets way more traffic than you, and everyone loves him so much, is no reason for you to get bent out of joint. You could post videos of yourself ringing a bell or chewing a squeaky toy and see how many likes you get! Not as many as Hugo, I’ll wager. Because he’s so good looking, and has such a sweet and gentle disposition.
That’s what you need to cultivate. A sweet and gentle disposition. Let Hugo show you the way.
Not even reading your ramblings about dogs anymore. Begone!