THE
DEVIL’S PARTNER (1962)
Directed By Charles R. Rondeau
Alpha DVD
Reviewed 01.01.05
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Like it or not, low budget spook
films from the early 60s have a
special mystique. It’s that
all-too-rare grey area between old
fashioned monster rompage and gore
soaked excess; once-obscure gems
like Terrified, The
Beast Of Yucca Flats, and
Carnival Of Souls are prime examples. Suffice to say,
just noticing the years 60-63 tacked
on to a film is enough to seize
my senses. Today, I’m glad
they’ve been seized.
The Devil’s Partner plays out like an extended episode
of One Step Beyond.
No surprise, as it was directed
by future TV wiz-kid Charlie Rondeau.
If that turns you off, don’t
be discouraged yet. While the familiar
50s TV show earmarks are present
and accounted for (two or three
sets, passable acting, photography
that screams Gunsmoke),
this film manages to step things
up a bit when it comes to feel-good,
creepy elements. From the non-stop,
Halloween LP wind effects to the
blaring theremin score, the good
stuff is covered. Just don’t
expect that woman riding barebacked
on top of a Minotaur and you’ll
be a-ok.
There’s this great looking
shack in the middle of nowhere.
Inside the shadowy dump, an old
recluse by the name of Pete Jensen
sells his soul to the devil through
a gruesome, off-screen goat slicing.
Jensen is reincarnated as a young
man named “Nick Richards”
and proceeds to gain revenge against
the small western town ("Furnace
Flats") that doesn’t
like him very much. At least that’s
the way I understood it. Richards/Jensen
takes the form of a couple of animals
and dishes out a dose of death ‘n’
destruction as only the satanic
one can. Along for the ride are
some time-delayed transformation
effects (always welcome), creepy
shack shenanigans, and numerous
references to just how dang hot
it is in that small town. Why doesn’t
Richards sweat? That’s easy,
Sheriff: “I’m the devil.
Ha ha ha.”
I’m sure you could tell already,
but if not, here’s the news:
The Devil’s Partner will not shatter the earth. It’s
just not weird enough. However,
it will provide lovers of this particular
era of low budget horror films with
a nice night of tube glow. The strong
characters and sweat-stained atmosphere
do much to sustain your interest,
even when the narrative doesn’t.
That might not sound like much,
but you can bet your bottom dollar
it’ll reel you in. Sometimes,
that’s all you need.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The full frame print appears pretty
clear overall, but suffers from
frequent splices and emulsion lines,
especially around reel changes.
Given the rarity of this 73 minute
version of the film (sometimes released
as a taut 61 minutes), that shouldn’t
make much difference to you. No
complaints on the mono sound.
EXTRAS
Where would you be without the ol’
Alpha cover gallery?
FINAL THOUGHTS
I had a great time with The
Devil’s Partner, but
it’s obviously not for all
tastes. Fans of early 60s spooks
are advised to take it all in. Especially
for the cheap price. |
Welcome committee
Bad accident, good cig
Meet Pete
A goat steps beyond
|
