A Leo McCarey Production. Copyright 1 March 1962 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening simultaneously at the Paramount and 72nd Street Playhouse: 21 February 1962. U.S. release: March 1962. London opening: February 1962. U.K. release: 19 March 1962. Australian release: 31 May 1962. 12,009 feet. 133 minutes. This full-length version was released only in Australia. In America the film was cut to 126 minutes. This U.S. version was used at the London opening, but for U.K. general release the film was cut further to just 120 minutes.
U.K. release title: The DEVIL NEVER SLEEPS. Desperate alternative U.S. title: FLIGHT FROM TERROR.
SYNOPSIS: Communist forces have over-run China. Father O'Banion (William Holden), an Irish-American priest, is delayed from relieving Father Bovard (Clifton Webb), at the Mission of San-Li-Wan by the behavior of a beautiful Chinese maiden, Siu-Lan (France Nuyen). The girl, whom O'Banion saved from flood waters, is infatuated with the priest and refuses to leave him since an ancient custom makes him responsible for her welfare.
NOTES: Filmed in England, with exterior locations in Wales.
VIEWERS' GUIDE: In general, not suitable for adults, children, movie fans, film critics, casual picture goers, Communists, Catholics, atheists, Orientalists and romanticists. In particular, not suitable for fans of William Holden, Clifton Webb, France Nuyen, Leo McCarey, Pearl S. Buck and Claude Binyon.
COMMENT: It's hard to believe this picture isn't so much as casually referred to in any of the books dealing with the Worst Movies of All Time. Maybe the reason for this peculiar neglect lies in the simple fact that, unlike most of the other candidates on Worst Film lists, this one isn't even the slightest bit entertaining.
"So bad, it's funny!" doesn't apply to "Satan Never Sleeps". It's just plain bad. Sure it's ludicrous too, but all this unintentional humor is well and truly suffocated by a dreadfully dreary script that even in its McCarthyist day seemed an impossibly dated jingoistic tract.
But intolerably tedious though the script is, it positively scintillates by comparison with McCarey's pedestrian direction. Even the hokey dialogue is slightly less determinedly dreary. And as for the morality — or rather obscenity — of this propagandist charade... I'm afraid there's no other word for it, "Satan Never Sleeps" is a real stinker.
It's hard to decide who is the more outrageously miscast: Webb or Holden. Me, I go for Webb.
To sum up: An embarrassingly corny script, amateurishly acted, listlessly directed... A total wash-out in all departments. The normally brilliant Ossie Morris seems to have used blotting paper in his camera instead of film stock.
U.K. release title: The DEVIL NEVER SLEEPS. Desperate alternative U.S. title: FLIGHT FROM TERROR.
SYNOPSIS: Communist forces have over-run China. Father O'Banion (William Holden), an Irish-American priest, is delayed from relieving Father Bovard (Clifton Webb), at the Mission of San-Li-Wan by the behavior of a beautiful Chinese maiden, Siu-Lan (France Nuyen). The girl, whom O'Banion saved from flood waters, is infatuated with the priest and refuses to leave him since an ancient custom makes him responsible for her welfare.
NOTES: Filmed in England, with exterior locations in Wales.
VIEWERS' GUIDE: In general, not suitable for adults, children, movie fans, film critics, casual picture goers, Communists, Catholics, atheists, Orientalists and romanticists. In particular, not suitable for fans of William Holden, Clifton Webb, France Nuyen, Leo McCarey, Pearl S. Buck and Claude Binyon.
COMMENT: It's hard to believe this picture isn't so much as casually referred to in any of the books dealing with the Worst Movies of All Time. Maybe the reason for this peculiar neglect lies in the simple fact that, unlike most of the other candidates on Worst Film lists, this one isn't even the slightest bit entertaining.
"So bad, it's funny!" doesn't apply to "Satan Never Sleeps". It's just plain bad. Sure it's ludicrous too, but all this unintentional humor is well and truly suffocated by a dreadfully dreary script that even in its McCarthyist day seemed an impossibly dated jingoistic tract.
But intolerably tedious though the script is, it positively scintillates by comparison with McCarey's pedestrian direction. Even the hokey dialogue is slightly less determinedly dreary. And as for the morality — or rather obscenity — of this propagandist charade... I'm afraid there's no other word for it, "Satan Never Sleeps" is a real stinker.
It's hard to decide who is the more outrageously miscast: Webb or Holden. Me, I go for Webb.
To sum up: An embarrassingly corny script, amateurishly acted, listlessly directed... A total wash-out in all departments. The normally brilliant Ossie Morris seems to have used blotting paper in his camera instead of film stock.