The Devil's Partner (1961)

An okay way to spend an hour or so, 27 September 2005

A young man arrives in a small town (Pop. 1505 we are informed) after his Uncle, a local despised hermit, died. The young man moves into the Uncle's shack and immediately strange things begin happening. People are killed or maimed by a variety of animals and no one seems to be able to explain why. The only person who seems unaffected is the newcomer living in the old hermits shack.

What Works:

- Kill the Goat. I really wasn't expecting this much blood. Don't get me wrong, this isn't Braindead we're talking about, but for a movie from the very early 60s, I found it surprisingly graphic. The goat sacrifice (shown in shadows) is a nice touch.

- 60s Charm. This is a hard one to explain, but the movie has a certain charm to it that I can't help but enjoy. A lot of American made movies from this period (I Bury the Living, The Devil's Hand, 13 Ghosts, etc.) have a similar feel to them. Maybe it's the innocence of the characters and their reactions when faced with evil. Maybe it's the low-budget look. Maybe it's the willingness on the part of the filmmakers to experiment and take chances. Whatever, I'm a fan of this period of American horror.

- Storyline. Regardless of how successful the movie is or isn't, the whole idea of selling your soul to devil and writing a contract on an old goat skin with your blood is the stuff of nightmares.

What Doesn't Work:

- The Sheriff. I've always had a problem when supposed level-headed characters in positions of authority are so willing to accept wild explanations to strange events. In The Devil's Partner, not only does the Sheriff seem willing to accept the supernatural idea, he formulates the theory.

- Why Did He Do That? The movie presents very little in the way of character motivation to explain why the young man feels the need to summon animals to harm the citizens of the town. Is he seeking revenge? Is he out to get the only young, single woman in town? Is he simply evil? I suppose we, as viewers, are supposed to come up with our own ideas, but a little hint at the true nature of the young man's motivation would have been nice.

- Acting. This one is easy to complain about in these low-budget movies, but it's a fault nonetheless. With a couple of exceptions, the acting in The Devil's Partner is bad. Spencer Carlisle as the Sheriff tops of list of bad performances.

There are far worse ways to waste 73 minutes of your life than watching The Devil's Partner. It will never be confused with a great movie, but it's entertaining enough in its own low-budget, 60s sort of way.

5/10