Night of the Demon (1957)

1. Night of the Demon (1957) Technical Term: ‘Lewton Bus’ Director Jacques Tourneur makes effective use of the ‘false’ jump scare technique he pioneered in Cat People (1942), in which his cinematographer, Val Lewton, suddenly introduced a violent hiss into the strained, silent sequence of a lone woman hurrying along a canal path. An attack by the were-panther we fear is pursuing her? No – just the hydraulics of a bus pulling up, but it still left wartime audiences with frayed nerves! “One thing more, Doctor: take it kind of easy on our ghosts. We English are sort of fond of them.” An unusual Gothic film, Night of the Demon is exceptional at depicting the power of suggestion to create fear. Sceptical American parapsychologist Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) has only the mind-games played by the mysterious Karswell to blame for his growing apprehension as he prepares for a conference in London. Through dramatic irony, however, the audience are in on the secret from the start… The jury’s still out on whether the demon should, or should not, have been shown. Certainly, 1950s audiences in both Britain and the US were terrified at the apparition, although modern audiences are often more unnerved by the disturbing séance sequence. This nod to Victorian spiritualism (‘channeling’ the dead) is a great example of the contrast between supposed British and American attitudes to Gothic sensibility throughout Night of the Demon, with Dr. Holden’s scepticism challenged by ancient, deeply-held beliefs and superstitions in England. It is the old vs. the new; faith vs. reason. Did You Know? “It’s in the trees! It’s coming!!” This alarming reappearance – from beyond the grave – of the doomed Professor Harrington during the séance is probably the film’s most famous line, thanks to singer Kate Bush’s use of it in her cult track ‘Hounds of Love’ (1985).