The Devil-Doll (1936)

Writers:

Garrett Fort (screenplay) &
Guy Endore (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 July 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Plot:

An escaped Devil's Island convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those that framed him.

Plot Keywords:

Devil's Island | Escape | Vengeance | Revenge | Murder

Cast

Lionel Barrymore	...	Paul Lavond
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Lorraine Lavond
Frank Lawton	...	Toto
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Malita
Robert Greig	...	Emil Coulvet
Lucy Beaumont	...	Madame Lavond
Henry B. Walthall	...	Marcel
Grace Ford	...	Lachna
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Charles Matin
Arthur Hohl	...	Victor Radin
Juanita Quigley	...	Marguerite Coulvet
Claire Du Brey	...	Madame Coulvet (as Claire du Brey)
Rollo Lloyd	...	Detective Maurice
E. Alyn Warren	...	Commissioner of Police

Also Known As:

The Witch of Timbuctoo

Runtime:

78 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2328)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Francis McDonald (Detective) and Inez Palange (Concierge) are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members for their roles, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: As one of the men who framed Lavond is reading about his escape from prison, the paper he's holding is shown both folded and unfolded between shots.

Quotes:

Malita: We'll make the whole WORLD small!

Movie Connections:

References The Unholy Three (1925)

Tod Browning does it again!

To the masses, Tod Browning is mostly unknown. Those who do know his name mostly remember him as the director of the original 'Dracula'. Fans of the genre remember him as the director not only of that movie, but of 'Freaks' as well.

But there is a great slightly campy classic that he directed near the end of his career, The Devil Doll.

While it never hits the highs of those earlier films, it is certainly worth a watch. The story concerns Paul Lavond (played by the always awesome Lionel Barrymore) - an escaped prisoner who learns a way to shrink humans to 1/6th their size, and rob them of their free will. He uses this secret to enact revenge on the men who framed him and sent him to prison.

Like his other films, this Tod Browning film also started a bit of a subgenre in the horror field - no, I'm not talking about creepy dolls (though a case could perhaps be made for that), I'm talking about the wronged individual that seeks redress in a vengeful manner (sure, earlier films danced around the concept - notably 'The Phantom of the Opera' - but here it is so straightforward. Lavond openly admits that he is full of "hatred", "vengeance" and even "evil". That is very refreshing, even in a film that's over 70 years old! Lavond realizes that he will ultimately pay a heavy price for his actions, but never wavers in his conviction to see his plans fully realized. Many great films in the genre followed this formula later on, notably 'The Abominable Dr. Phibes'.

Another great aspect to this film is the great supporting cast. Maureen O'Sullivan (Jane from the Tarzan films!) as Lavond's daughter, and character actress Rafaela Ottiano creepy as always as Lavond's accomplice.

Definitely worth a watch.