Curse of the Demon

 

Also known as Night of the Demon, this British-made film dates from 1957. Focusing on the antics of a satanic cult overseas and the efforts to expose it, this movie originally was going to be "monster free". Disputes developed among the various creative forces shaping the film and, after the fact, footage was shot of the titular beast. The screenwriter wanted implied demons, but the producer snuck in well-crafted footage of the demon at the start and end of the film. That decision was solid as Curse of the Demon features one of the scariest screen horrors from the 1950s.