The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
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29% of users liked it
(171 ratings)
In this supernatural thriller, Norah Benson (Shirley MacLaine) is a wealthy woman living in Manhattan who keeps a close and protective eye on her brother Joel (Perry King), who has a flat in a rough section of the East Village. Joel is a frequent guest at Norah's home and loves her two children,… More In this supernatural thriller, Norah Benson (Shirley MacLaine) is a wealthy woman living in Manhattan who keeps a close and protective eye on her brother Joel (Perry King), who has a flat in a rough section of the East Village. Joel is a frequent guest at Norah's home and loves her two children, but when he begins acting strangely and playing too rough with the kids, she wonders if something is wrong. When Norah doesn't hear from Joel for several days, she stops by his apartment to see if he's all right, just as he's being led away by police after attacking the custodian in his building. At first Norah and Joel's doctors think that drugs may be to blame, but when Joel's girlfriend Carrie (Lisa Kohane) is found murdered and beheaded, Norah learns that Joel has become involved with Santeria, a religion that mixes voodoo with Catholicism, and his interest in Santeria has brought him in contact with Tonio Perez (Jose Fernandez), a suspected serial killer. The Possession of Joel Delaney features an original score by Joe Raposo, best known for his very different work as a songwriter on the children's TV series Sesame Street. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Waris Hussein
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Classics
R,
- In Theaters
- May 24, 1972 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Silly, Exorcist-type rip-off, unworthy of McLaine.
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Cast
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Shirley MacLaine
as Norah Benson
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Michael Hordern
as Justin Lorenz
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Perry King
as Joel
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Lisa Kohane
as Carrie Benson
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Edmundo Rivera Álvarez
as Don Pedro
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Robert Burr
as Ted
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David James Elliott
as Peter Benson
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Teodorino Bello
as Mrs. Perez
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Miriam Colon
as Veronica
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Ernesto Gonzalez
as Young Man at Seance
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Lovelady Powell
as Erika
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Barbara Trentham
as Sherry
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Peter Turgeon
as Brady
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Earl Hyman
as Charles The Butler
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José Fernández
as Tonio Perez
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Aukie Herger
as Mr. Perez
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Paulita Iglesias
as Bruja at Seance
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Marita Lindholm
as Marta Benson
- Jason Holt
