31 days of Horror: Day Thirty One-The Devil's Daughter

The Devil's Daughter (1973)

Belinda Montgomery plays Diane Shaw, who returns to California after her mothers death. At the funeral, she meets Lilith (Shelley Winters) who says she was her mother's friend, and insists she come and stay with her. Diane is a bit on the trusting side. She isn't put off by Lilith's overly fawning behaviour, or by the giant painting of Satan over the fire place. By the time she starts demanding a little Independence, she's already deeply ensnared by the group of aging Devil Worshipping socialites, and has already begun to suspect the terrible secret about her own identity.

This is a spooky little TV movie, that wears it's Rosemary's Baby influences on it's sleeve.The plot is completely predictable, but that doesn't stop it from being entertaining. Shelley Winters is perfectly cast as the creepy, and insincere Lilith. One minute sickly sweet, the next flying into a rage. I have a soft spot for Winters, a soft spot for 70's TV thrillers, and a soft spot for the Devil himself, so this film was a perfect storm of awesome for me, and a very nice way to spend my Halloween.