Le manoir du diable

1896
12
3m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

With the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.With the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.With the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

4.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast3

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Jehanne d'Alcy

Young woman
(as Jeanne d'Alcy)

Jules-Eugène Legris

Mephistopheles
(unconfirmed)

Georges Méliès

Mephistopheles

Director
- Georges Méliès
Writer
- Georges Méliès
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews37

Featured review

5/10

The House of the Devil

The opportunity to watch a film from 1896 is astonishing in itself even if the film is the same repeated magic trick and edits. I wouldn't call it comic per say like a view of the previous reviewers thought but a film to try and get a thrill out of an audience. Georges Melies with his little gem may have kick started the horror genre to a place it may not be at with this type of movie. House of the Devil has horror elements and essentials such as ghosts, witches, skeletons and the devil himself in form of a bat. It's an easy three minute watch, with some cool tricks, but its nothing too extraordinary. Take a look if you want to watch something very old and neat from a time way way forgotten.

Trivia
Film historians argue that this is the first film depiction of a vampire. While director and actor credited his character as Mephistopheles, a legendary demon, many horror elements associated with vampires exist in the film and are exhibited by the character. These include the transformation from bat to human form, conjuring a harem of demonic brides, apparent mesmeric control, and the ability to conjure humans and creatures to serve him. Many of vampire stereotypes featured here remained tropes in early films about vampires.