Now Available
January 16, 2024
$29.95 | $19.95
The Devil's Partner &
Creature from the Haunted Sea
2 Disc Collection
Two terrifying monstrosities of wildly different natures come together in
Film Masters' 3rd installment of The Filmgroup.
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BD: $29.95 | DVD: $19.95
Roger Corman and his brother Gene founded The Filmgroup to distribute their own films. Occasionally they picked up projects by other filmmakers, such as The Devil's Partner (1961), a macabre tale of an elderly man who regains his youth after making a deal with Satan. This tale of folk terror from director Charles Rondeau stars Edgar Buchanan and Jean Allison. Special Bonus Feature: Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), Corman's spoof of crime films where a gangster knocks off his crew members, blaming their deaths on a legendary sea monster. These two were often paired as a double-feature during the summer and fall of 1961. Beware of the creature with ping-pong ball eyes!
The Specs
The Devil's Partner
"Half man, half beast, he sold his soul for passion!"
Director: Charles R. Rondeau
Starring: Edgar Buchanan, Jean Allison, Richard Crane, Spencer Carlisle
1961 | HD | 73 minutes
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The Devil’s Partner is a classic old tale of a man who makes a deal with Satan! Edgar Buchanan appears in this thriller about an old codger trying to reclaim his youth, and then uses black magic to lure away a woman from his rival. Starring Ed Nelson as the title character, plus Jean Allison and Richard Crane, this well-crafted independent feature from 1960 has been hailed for its atmosphere and no-nonsense approach to that evergreen horror theme, that of a small town troubled by devil worship.
Made in 1958, The Devil’s Partner languished with no release date until it was picked up and distributed by The Filmgroup, the busy company founded by Roger and Gene Corman. The film was a steady presence on the drive-in circuit, often appearing in tandem with Roger Corman’s Creature from Haunted Sea, and was also paired in some parts of the country with the Ed Wood classic, Plan 9 From Outer Space. For trivia buffs, the screenplay was co-written by Stanley Clements, a character actor who started out at Twentieth Century Fox and was briefly a member of The East Side Kids. It would remain his only writing credit.
The film’s spooky music was composed by the king of cult movie scores, Ronald Stein, who spent years creating music for American International Pictures. His other work includes Not of This Earth, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, and Invasion of the Saucer Men. Director Charles R. Rondeau went on to become one of the busiest directors in television, working on shows ranging from Mission Impossible to Love American Style.
Creature from the Haunted Sea
"What was the unspeakable secret of the sea of lost ships?"
Director: Roger Corman
Starring: Antony Carbone, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Robert Towne
1961 | HD | 60 minutes (theatrical) | 75 minutes (TV cut)
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Here’s another Roger Corman classic from the golden age of Drive-In schlock! In this spoof of horror and spy thrillers, American gangster Renzo Capetto (Anthony Carbone) decides to kill members of his bungling crew and blame their deaths on a legendary sea creature. What he doesn’t know is that the creature is actually out there!
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This film came to be when Corman was in Puerto Rico shooting The Last Woman on Earth. When he discovered he had enough film left over to make another film he called long-time associate, Charles B. Griffith, who allegedly had six days to write the script. Ever the pragmatist when it came to budget, Corman recruited locals to appear in this film as extras.
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With a plot line remarkably like Beast from Haunted Cave, this film has one important twist; so beware the monster with the ping-pong eyeballs!