Abby (1974)

Director:

William Girdler

Writers:

William Girdler (story)
Gordon Cornell Layne (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

...the story of a woman possessed

Plot:

Director William Girdler's take on possession films about a marriage counselor (Carol Speed) who becomes possessed by a Demon of Sexuality...

Plot Keywords:

Orgasm | Good Versus Evil | Kicked In The Crotch | Death | Bar

Cast

William Marshall	...	Bishop Garnet Williams
Terry Carter	...	Rev. Emmett Williams
Austin Stoker	...	Det. Cass Potter
Carol Speed	...	Abby Williams
Juanita Moore	...	Miranda 'Momma' Potter
Charles Kissinger	...	Dr. Hennings
Elliott Moffitt	...	Russell Lang
Nathan Cook	...	Tafa Hassan
Nancy Lee Owens	...	Mrs. Wiggins
William P. Bradford	...	Dr. Rogers (as Billy Bradford)
Joann Holcomb	...	Lois
Claude Fulkerson	...	Benny
Bill Wilson	...	Dan
Chuck Broadus	...	Joe
Don Henderson	...	Flip
John Miller	...	Hal
Julia Jones	...	Louella
Joan Ray	...	Sue
George Robinson	...	George
Mary Minor	...	Lolly
Michael Cowden	...	Lantern Bearer
Bobby Griffin	...	Ben
Casey Brown	...	Corky
Robin James	...	Robin
Brice Amos	...	Simon
Rhodi Hill	...	Rhodi
Felice Kinchelow	...	Student (as Felece Kinchelow)
Bob Holt	...	The Demon (voice)

Directed by
William Girdler

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Girdler		story
Gordon Cornell Layne		screenplay (as G. Cornell Layne)
Gordon Cornell Layne		story (as G. Cornell Layne)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
William Girdler	....	producer
Mike Henry	....	producer
Gordon Cornell Layne	....	producer
David Sheldon	....	producer: Mid-America Pictures

Original Music by
Robert O. Ragland

Cinematography by
William L. Asman		(as William Asman)

Film Editing by
Bub Asman		(as Henry Asman)
Corky Ehlers

Casting by
Hugh Smith

Production Design by
J. Patrick Kelly III

Production Management
Salvatore Billitteri	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hugh Smith	....	assistant director

Art Department
Alice Hay	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
John Asman	....	sound
Jack Davies	....	looping editor

Special Effects by
Samuel E. Price	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Casada	....	still photographer
Ray Edwards	....	assistant camera
Fred Johnson	....	gaffer
John LeBlanc	....	camera operator
David Roster	....	gaffer best boy
James Tabler	....	key grip

Editorial Department
Van Underwood	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Robert O. Ragland	....	conductor
Robert O. Ragland	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Gerry Cruise	....	technical assistant
Patty O'Donnell	....	production secretary
Sally Roddy	....	script supervisor
Carla Rueckert	....	researcher

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Mid-America Pictures

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cinefear (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Shocking Videos (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Televista (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cecomobile Systems Inc.  lighting
• Cinemobile System Inc.  lighting
• Edit International  sound effects
• Pacific Title  titles
• Ryder Sound Services  sound

Also Known As:

Possess My Soul

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

France:-12 | USA:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Filmed in Louisville, Kentucky, the production was temporarily halted when a series of tornadoes ripped through Louisville on 4 April 1974. Carol Speed recalled taking refuge with Juanita Moore in the lobby of a hotel that had no tornado shelter. They weathered the storm wrapped in blankets to protect them in case one of the large glass windows exploded.

Quotes:

The Demon's voice: I don't need you! I've got Abby!

Movie Connections:

Version of Seytan (1974)

Soundtrack:

Will We Find Our Tomorrows

Girdler, Satan, Blaxploitation--What Else Could You Want?

This is best "Exorcist" rip-off next to the hilarious Turkish film "Seytan" (which I have been trying to talk my Turkish girlfriend into helping me make a subtitled English bootleg of, but she just doesn't share my conviction that it is a worthy endeavor). It edges out the dubbed Italian-made "The Sexorcist" because where it fails to equal that film in gratuitous nudity, it more than makes up for in faithfully ripping off the source material (and there was a lawsuit to prove it). Best of all, it was directed by the man, the myth, the legend--William Girdler. This is the man who made both "Grizzly" and "Day of the Animals" (where a crazed Leslie Nelson goes toe-to-toe with a bear--and it WASN'T a comedy). This is the man who had a tumorous Indian shaman growing out Susan (daughter of Lee)Strasberg's back in the ridiculous and ridiculously big-budgeted "The Manitou". This is the man who made "The Zeba Killer", for Christ sake, which managed to offend both the Ku Klux Klan and the NAACP. Tragically, the bad movie gods called Girdler home in a 1979 helicopter accident. But even the worst Girdler movie is worth watching if just to experience the sensation of your jaw repeatedly hitting the floor. And this one is no exception. Check it out