good back-story, and good acting

Admirable film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER opens w/ a death, a funeral, and the introduction of Diane Shaw (Belinda Montgomery). Diane's mother, Alice (Diane Ladd) was killed under bizarre circumstances, and her sister, Lilith (Shelley Winters- WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO?, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?) meets Diane after the funeral, and invites her to stay w/ her for a while. Diane soon meets Lilith's odd assortment of "friends", along w/ her totally silent chauffeur / companion, Mr. Howard (Jonathan Frid- TV's DARK SHADOWS). When she decides to move into an apartment w/ a woman her own age, Lilith takes it... badly. Later, Diane attends one of Lilith's parties, where she winds up dancing the Mamooshca w/ Abe Vigoda! Actually, it's Diane's "coming out" party, so to speak. Then, oops-y daisy! Diane's new roommate has a little "accident"! Now, her boyfriend, Steve (Robert Foxworth- THE ASTRAL FACTOR, PROPHECY) is available! In a jiffy, wedding bells could be ringing! Unfortunately, there's a big surprise awaiting Diane. One of the better made-for-TV horror movies, TDD fits right in w/ the other satanic classics of the time. There's definitely a ROSEMARY'S BABY-type feeling of paranoia / dread to it. Co-stars Joseph Cotten as Judge Weatherby...

Little known and under seen, this is an efficient "Devil's Spawn" movie that admittedly features stars working for food. Shelley Winters, Joseph Cotten and Diane Ladd head the cast list as a young woman comes to realise that her guardians are devil worshipping nutters!It's all a bit "Rosemary's Baby" lite, but there's a splendid array of off-kilter characters and bizarro abodes. Director Jeannot Szwarc (Jaws 2) is clever enough to use canted angles to enhance the trippy black arts undercurrents, while Winters is having a grand old time of it. The big telegraph pole pointing the way to the finale is hard to miss, but surprisingly the denouement still packs a worthwhile punch. You would be very angry if you based your Halloween night around this viewing, but as TV Satan Worship movies go, it's not half bad. 6/10

After her mother is shot dead by a mysterious disabled man, aspiring artist Belinda Montgomery (as Diane Shaw) meets late funeral attendee Shelley Winters (as Lilith Malone). Sweetly sympathetic, Ms. Winters claims she's a close friend of Ms. Montgomery's mother. With no place to stay in the California town, Montgomery moves in with Winters and her mute chauffeur companion Jonathan Frid (as Mr. Howard). Something sinister is in the works when Winters gives Montgomery a ring designed with an emblem that matches one in a portrait of Satan, hanging prominently above her fireplace...She doesn't bat an eye at the portrait of Satan, but Montgomery decides to move in with perky Barbara Sammeth (as Susan Sanford), a young woman closer to her own age, This drives Winters nuts. She arranges for fishy friends led by Abe Vigoda to have a devilish "coming out" party for Montgomery. Late in the running time, Montgomery begins a seemingly diversionary romance with architect Robert Foxworth (as Steve Stone). This ludicrous ABC-TV "Movie of the Week" wastes the efforts of a good cast. Especially slighted is Mr. Frid; the popular star of "Dark Shadows" barely registers.**** The Devil's Daughter (1/9/73) Jeannot Szwarc ~ Belinda Montgomery, Shelley Winters, Robert Foxworth, Jonathan Frid

I was in the 5th grade at Lighthouse Elementary School when they were filming "The Devil's Daughter" across the street in a beautiful old mansion in Pacific Grove, CA, and also at a cemetery across the street from where I lived. There was a small part of a schoolgirl that I almost got, except they decided to go with a 3rd grader because she was wearing a red sweater which would show up better on screen! I remember going across the street every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jonathan Frid whom I loved on "Dark Shadows." I was lucky enough to meet both Jonathan Frid and Shelley Winters, and both were so kind and friendly to a little girl who had dreams of one day being a great actress!! Then when I saw the movie, I was delightedly scared and enjoyed seeing the sites of the town where I lived.