The Devil in a Convent

• The devil: Georges Méliès
• Some nuns and a priest
• The henchmen of the devil
• A guard
• The Archangel Michael

Le diable au couvent is a French horror comedy from 1899 by Georges Méliès. The film was released by the film company Star film. The film was released in America under the title The Sign of the Cross.

Action

The devil jumps out of the baptismal font of a monastery and turns into a priest. He preaches in front of some nuns and turns back. The terrified nuns flee from the church and the devil conjures his cronies in the church to celebrate their conquest of the Church.

But appears as a white woman with a cross, scare the henchmen of the devil immediately and disappear from the church. Only the devil remains in the church and tried to defend himself. He has no chance there still appear other white women with a cross. He tries to escape and is discovered by a guard of the monastery. The devil can outwit him.

When trying to stop the devil, the priest of the church is led around by his nose. Only when the Archangel Michael appears, the nightmare is over.

Background information

For the film, a monastery church of cardboard was rebuilt, some henchmen of the devil such as a frog were made of cardboard. In the church there is a small pulpit, some chairs, a baptismal font and a royal grave.

Many scenes were staged with a trap door and the stop trick. Thus, the hunting of the priest seems almost magical at the devil, because he can disappear at any time if necessary.