arfdawg-1 The Plot.Rick Turner is engaged of Donna Trent and is having nightmares with a beautiful blonde woman dancing in the sky. One night, he is mysteriously driven to a doll shop, and in the next morning he returns to the place with Donna. He finds a doll that resembles his fiancé, but the owner Francis Lamont delivers another doll to him, with the face of the woman of his dreams, Bianca Milan. Rick looks for Bianca and is seduced and convinced by her to join a sect that worships the diabolic Camba, while the health of Donna is threatened by Francis and Bianca.Odd small film with Alan Alda's father. Reminds me of something you'd see on Twilight Zone only longer. And it shows. It's rather slow with lots of unnecessary filler.

bensonmum2 Rick Turner (Robert Alda) is an engaged man who begins having dreams about a very seductive blonde woman. He is mysteriously drawn to a doll shop where he finds not only a doll that looks like his fiancé, but another that is the spitting image of the woman in his dreams. He finds the woman, Bianca Milan (Linda Christian), and immediately falls under her spell. In no time at all, Rick has all but forgotten his fiancé, professed his undying love for Bianca, and joined a cult that worships Gamba, the Devil God of Evil. Wow, that was quick!I readily admit - I enjoy this movie way more than I should. The Devil's Hand isn't particularly good, but it is a blast. Why? The main reason is Neil Hamilton as the doll shop owner / cult leader Francis Lamont. Most people my age will immediately recognize Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon form the 1960s Batman TV program. He plays Lamont just like he did Commissioner Gordon - perfectly straight. And it's a blast to watch! He delivers some of the most ridiculous lines with an absolute straight face. I loved it. The rest of the movie is entertaining enough with a reasonably good plot, the stunning Linda Christian, and the wheel of death being highlights. If I have one complaint, it would be Robert Alda. Bland doesn't begin to describe him in The Devil's Hand. But I suppose that's the type of character who could so easily be seduced into joining a the cult of Gamba, the Devil God of Evil. (Is it necessary to add the "Evil" part at the end? He is a Devil God after all. "Evil" would seems a bit redundant.)

Red-Barracuda A man has strange visions of a mystery woman. One day he notices a doll in a shop window which exactly resembles the enigmatic lady who inhabits his dreams. He ventures in and is soon entwined in an underground voodoo cult.The Devil's Hand in another low budget offering from Crown International Pictures, who were one of the main B-movie producers of their time. This one is on the whole fairly standard stuff with not a huge amount to differentiate it from the crowd. It focuses on occult practices, yet, aside from the dastardly leader, we never really see the cultists do much in the way of evil. We see their ceremonies in action though, which consisted of a revolving sword device that members of the cult spun like they were trying to win money on a game-show. Not only that but there was also a seemingly ever-present bongo player who ensured that a voodoo vibe was maintained at all times. The dolls themselves were quite a cute idea and certainly were the most memorable part of the cult's practices. The film itself has an early 60's charm about it that buys it some credit, while it is short and fast-paced enough to never outstay its welcome. It should please those with a taste for old school horror flicks, at least some extent.

Chris Haskell I've seen 10-12 Crown International Pictures now and this is by far their most polished work. It plays like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and I would not be surprised if the writers pulled this story from a similar source as Mr Serling himself. It's very short, at just an hour and 10 minutes, and is definitely worth a watch for anyone looking into campy horror stories from the 50s (even though this was made in the 60s it doesn't have the free-love feel and was shot in black and white). Appropriate music, good acting, and surprisingly good cinematography all work in concert to make an enjoyable film.As a side note, the DVD that Mill Creek put out has a cool feature where you can watch this in 'Drive Thru' mode and has everything from an animated short to a few commercials. Nice little bit of nostalgia!Rating: 24/40