Nick Richards (Ed Nelson) arrives in a small isolated town looking for his uncle, Pete Jensen, who turns out to be dead of unspecified causes. Jensen may have been dabbling with devil worship and come afoul of some demon. Or does his "nephew" know more than he's telling, not only relating to Pete's death but to animal attacks on various townspeople? David Simpson (Richard Crane), whose girlfriend Nick covets, is horribly mauled by a once-friendly dog. David's facial injuries have him contemplating suicide and insisting that the girlfriend, Nell (Jean Allison), find another guy -- will Nell turn to Nick for consolation? And who will die next at claws or cloven hooves? The average viewer won't give a damn because The Devil's Partner is slow-paced and has no suspense. The acting isn't bad, however, with Crane [The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd] and Allison -- along with ever-reliable Byron Foulger -- giving the most memorable performances. Edgar Buchanan plays the old Doc, Nell's father, the same way he plays every other character. Rondeau also directed The Girl in Lovers Lane. Allison appeared on such TV shows as The Sheriff of Cochise.
Verdict: A complete mediocrity. **.
