Beast of the Yellow Night

Beast of the Yellow Night is a 1971 Filipino/American horror film, directed by Eddie Romero and starring John Ashley, who co-produced the film with Romero. It was the first release for Roger Corman's distribution company New World Pictures. The film takes place in the Philippines and is about a murderer named Langdon (John Ashley) whom the Devil spares from death in World War II, and as a result, Langdon is forced to become a servant of Satan from then on. Twenty-five years later, he strives to free his soul from Satan's influence and prevent himself from transforming into a murderous werewolf.

After successfully distributing his Beast of Blood in 1970, producer Kane W. Lynn (as Hemisphere Pictures) tried to get the distribution rights to actor John Ashley's next horror film, titled Beast of the Yellow Night. Ashley and his production company Four Associates put up the money to produce the film themselves in the Philippines, and instead of allowing Lynn to distribute it, he made a deal with Roger Corman's then-fledgling New World Pictures instead. Lynn's ex-business partner in Hemisphere Pictures, Eddie Romero, was hired to direct and co-produce it, but Kane Lynn himself was cut out of the deal. Ashley's Four Associates went on to produce several other films in the Philippines, such as The Twilight People, The Woman Hunt and Ebony, Ivory & Jade, before disbanding soon after. Lynn invested in Sam Sherman's 1971 sci-fi film Brain of Blood, which did not fare too well, and died soon after of cancer in 1975.

Plot
Near the end of World War II in the Philippines, Satan (Vic Diaz) saves murderer Joseph Langdon (Ashley) from death on condition that he become his disciple. Satan has Langdon inhabit the bodies of several people over the years, bringing out their latent evil and carrying out the evil deeds of the Devil for the next 25 years. Currently inhabiting the body of Phillip Rogers and with his own face, Langdon tries to exert his own free will but becomes a hairy murderous beast — a werewolf on the rampage — and kills a number of people. His wife Julia (Mary Wilcox) tries to support and comfort him during the day, as does his brother Earl (Ken Metcalfe), but when he meets blind former bandit Sabasas Nan (Andres Centenera), he starts to find the strength to fight back. Inspector de Santos (Leopoldo Salcedo) recognizes Rogers as being Langdon, and takes him into custody, under house arrest. Rogers attempts to make love to his wife but changes again and escapes. When he and Nan try to leave the city, they encounter the police and military and Rogers changes again, battling against the combined forces. When a gravely wounded Sabasas Nan asks Rogers to pray for him, he does so, and in that moment, he is shot by Lt. Campos, dies and reverts to his true age, his soul now free.

Cast

 * John Ashley as Joseph Langdon/Philip Rogers
 * Mary Charlotte Wilcox as Julia Rogers (as Mary Wilcox)
 * Leopoldo Salcedo as Inspector Santos
 * Eddie Garcia as Det. Lt. Campo
 * Ken Metcalfe as Earl Rogers
 * Vic Diaz as Satan
 * Andres Centenera as Blind Man
 * Ruben Rustia as Hospital Doctor
 * Don Lipman as U.S. Military Attaché
 * Jose Garcia
 * James Spencer
 * Carpi Asturias as Langdon's Jungle Contact
 * Jose Roy Jr.
 * Criselda
 * Joonee Gamboa as Mateo
 * Peter Magurean
 * Nora Nuñez
 * Johnny Long

Production
Ashley said that playing the role of the monster "was a lot of fun to do. I used a double in the long shots but the scenes where the beast was talking... was me." Ashley later said that the film was among the better written of his Philippines films. "It certainly was the most cerebral, if you can call any of those pictures that," he said. The success of the movie led to Corman making a series of films in the Philippines, including The Big Doll House.

Release
Beast of the Yellow Night was released on DVD by Ventura Distribution on August 21, 2001. The film was reissued several times after its initial DVD release, usually as part of a multi-disc combo pack. It was last released by VCI Video as a part of a four-disc combo pack.

Reception
"We really tried for quality," said Romero later. "I don't think it did very well. They [the audience] prefer out and out gore."

The Los Angeles Times called it a "confusing, implausible rather poorly made horror film" although it admitted it had "a nice twist" showing "two kinds of caring: that of a woman whose love implies expectations and that of a friend who wants nothing and is thereby able to give more."

Legacy
Ashley later became a producer on The A Team TV series. He made a cameo in an episode as a backer of a horror film called The Beast of the Yellow Night.