The Devil's Disciple (1959)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

John Dighton (screenplay) and
Roland Kibbee (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 August 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Plot:

The black sheep of a family (Dick Dudgeon) and the local minister (Anthony Anderson) discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War.

Plot Keywords:

Minister | Revolutionary War | General | Cannon | Impersonation

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	The Rev. Anthony Anderson
Kirk Douglas	...	Richard Dudgeon
Laurence Olivier	...	Gen. Burgoyne
Janette Scott	...	Judith Anderson
Eva Le Gallienne	...	Mrs. Dudgeon
Harry Andrews	...	Major Swindon
Basil Sydney	...	Lawyer Hawkins
George Rose	...	British Sergeant
Neil McCallum	...	Christie Dudgeon (as Neil Mc Callum)
Mervyn Johns	...	Rev. Maindeck Parshotter
David Horne	...	Uncle William
Erik Chitty	...	Uncle Titus
Allan Cuthbertson	...	British Captain
Percy Herbert	...	British Lieutenant
Phyllis Morris	...	Wife of Titus

Runtime:

Germany:82 min | USA:83 min | Argentina:85 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #19282) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 (w) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions

Trivia:

Third of seven films that Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Several times while going through the forest, the British refer to "snipers." However, the term sniper didn't come into being until about 40 years after the American Revolutionary War. The term came into usage in 1824, while the war ended in 1783.

Quotes:

Major Swindon: I can only do my best sir, and rely on the devotion of our countrymen.
General John Burgoyne: May I ask, Major, are you writing a melodrama?
Major Swindon: No, sir.
General John Burgoyne: (sarcastically) What a pity! WHAT a pity!

Movie Connections:

Version of The Devil's Disciple (1987) (TV)

George Bernard Shaw Laughs Out Loud At the American Revolution

It is 1776, and the American colonies are at war with the British Empire. You could almost say that war, liberty and freedom make strange bedfellows, because somewhere in the middle of all the chaos and confusion, a parson (Burt Lancaster) and an atheist (Kirk Douglas) unite forces against England (while a British General - Laurence Olivier in a wonderful performance - observes with amusing detachment). George Bernard Shaw's take on the war for Independence is a funny, very funny affair. Shaw's pungent wit and perceptive observations give this film its backbone. Shaw's target is British Imperialism, but I think the story is timeless. Douglas is funny, Lancaster is a tower of strength but Olivier steals the film (after all, he has the best lines in the film), with a brilliant performance as the cynical, pragmatic general. A fine movie with a great moral lesson.