JohnHowardReid Made in 1958, but not released until 1961 (and then in a cut version), The Devil's Partner turns out to be an interesting variation on Faust, despite a number of script and story inconsistencies (and welcome plot twists from the rather bland pressbook synopsis). Helped by sympathetic acting and moody photography, director Rondeau grippingly creates a suspensefully eerie, small-town atmosphere which fully engages the attention while the film is actually unwinding. Ed Nelson does a commendable job in his dual role and is well supported all the way down the line, especially from Byron Foulger in a most unusual part as the local wino. The film also provides a rare opportunity to see the fine television player Jean Allison in a big-screen movie. Much of the film was obviously shot on actual locations. The heat-struck town of "Furnace Flats", New Mexico, seems vividly real. Photographer Edward Cronjager lends the visuals an attractive shine and, aside from one or two lapses, the make-up and special effects are generally convincing. And by the humble standards of the independent "B", production values are fairly impressive.

bensonmum2 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.

Randall Phillip WARNING: SPOILERS CONTAINED HEREIN. This movie is quirkywith enough offbeat characters to sustain one's interest. The goatkillings portrayed in shadow play with an intriguing bestialityovertone- especially the second killing, where the drunkard iscoerced into being a witness. The drunkard also has some laughout loud lines which I won't spoil for you here. And then there'sbandage face guy who mopes around. He's involved in a lovetriangle, which he creates by his feelings of inadequacy. He laterbecomes scarface guy. You have murders being investigated by asheriff, who rather open-mindedly makes the leap of faith intosupernatural investigation. This is basically a David Lynch movieexcept he didn't direct it. If he made this exact movie today, peoplewould be drooling over what a masterpiece it was. Sure the moviedoesn't make too much sense. So what?

garland-schaefers This is a very interesting movie. Never mind the fact that its populated by TV and movie personalities from the 60's (including Uncle Charlie from Pettycoat Junction!). There are some serious holes in the plot, I'll grant you. And the quality of the DVD is even worse than usual (it looks like they just digitized the film without even dusting it off). However, the acting here was sincere, and the plot (what little you can work out) is at least not tired. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to.