*Casting the Runes is a supernatural television drama produced by ITV in 1979. Running at 50 minutes, it was based on the ghost story Casting the Runes by British writer and academic M. R. James, first published in 1911 as the fourth story in More Ghost Stories, which was James' second collection of ghost stories. Originally, a film version of the story was made in 1957, called "Night of the Demon." This play version was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark for the series Playhouse, produced by Yorkshire Television. It was first broadcast on ITV on April 24, 1979. Adapted by Clive Exton, it reimagined the events of James's story taking place in a contemporary television studio.*
M R James based Karswell on Aleister Crowley who was more or less his contemporary, and also a Cambridge University graduate. Karswell was Abbot of Lufford. Crowley rented out an old abbey in Cefalu in Sicily where he was called the Abbot of Thelema after his weird new religion, of New Age magic. Crowley has been vastly influential, with his saying "Do what though wilt" inspiring not just L Ron Hubbard to found the church of Scientology, and Anthony LaVey to start the Church of Satan in California, but a huge influence on the 60s rock generation. He appears on the Sergeant Pepper Album cover, Jimmy Page was a follower and bought Crowley's old Boleskine House on Loch Ness. He has appeared in song lyrics by Ozzy Osborne and David Bowie and others. Crowley was certainly into sex and drugs and had many women, wives and followers. He predated rock n roll though.
@@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw That's so interesting....I did actually imagine Karswell as Crowley in the written story {scaring the local children away from his orchard by a terrifying magic lantern show &c. That's astonishing that M.R James actually based the character on Crowley...I'd not made the connection. Rightly or wrongly, I saw Crowley as rather a rebel, a rich child who kicked against his upbringing and who probably liked to shock- and was a bit selfish in his relationships. Would he be such a shocker if he was to have been born nowadays? Possibly not.
It's okay for a low budget play version of the M. R. James story. But if you want to truly be creeped out and frightened, watch "Night of the Demon" with Dana Andrews. It's British and the best of the British creepy movies!
I think it's really very well done, all things considered. I'm usually wary of "updated" versions of classic stories, but this one works very well, with the television documentary maker background.
I have them all on betamax and no way to play them. The tapes might have degraded somewhat now but I was glad to find this here because I can't seem to find them on streaming or dvd/Blu-ray.
@@incredibleflameboy Oh! I know that you can find people (possibly even locally, but definitely online) that will convert them/copy them to dvd (or whatever format you'd like)! You can find someone, send it to them, arrange how to pay them and they'll send you the tapes and the new copies back again! Not sure if you're willing to deal with that or pay for that. I ave a VHS tape that I wanted to get converted to DVD and the last time I looked the nest option (with some auto-restoration) was around $45! (But that was BEFORE Covid...) Also -I'm not POSITIVE about betamax tapes, but I'm sure there is SOMEONE!
@@giraffebecky it's the betamax format that's the problem. I've looked to have them digitised but I can only find people that will use VHS. These days I would be able to do them myself because I've learned how to do it but my betamax player is broken and working ones are rare and expensive. If I ever manage to find one though I'll digitise and post them though.
@@incredibleflameboy Oh! I see! Yeah that is a danged shame! Too bad! I hope you can find one (that's GOOD and AFFORDABLE!) soon! I would love to see what you've got!
@@incredibleflameboy Have you tried getting in touch with Doc at Old Time TV? Just pop those last three words in Google and you'll find his website. He's a great resource for rare TV shows, and if he hasn't already got the shows he may be able to help with your tapes.
I've been listening to Quintessence lately. I went and forgot them for years but finally getting online after years of refusal has afforded me the luxury of finding literally anything from the past, music-wise. And a happy reunion it has been for me in my middle-age.
Why I so adore these old British TV dramas I don't know. Can somebody explain to me what it is that gives them that particular atmosphere that results in being so appealing to some of us?
If you ever find out let me know! Cuz it hooked me like a drug from the 1st time I saw a show like this when I was 8…..I’m 52 and I so much prefer ANYTHING British or Irish UK basically…..the writing and acting and all of it is so so much better than we have in the states. But i have never been able to put into words the “vibe” or aesthetic ……or energy of a show or movie..so frustrating…..
For me it's a combination of things -the use of silence and near silence, the discreet use of music in the sense that it's not deployed to 'guide' the viewer, but merely to enhance the visuals, and the acting, often naturalistic and understated. Are you familiar with A Warning To The Curious, the BBC's Christmas Ghost Story from around 1971, the version directed by Max Stafford-Clark? That's a prime example of what I mean.
I'm the same. I think it's that everything is simpler. There's no pulling a mobile out and googling answers, no one pulls a gun and supernatural elements aren't turned into some mundane answer, ghosts are just ghosts. Production is totally different too and doesn't spend ages trying to wiggle preestablished tropes into it, it just tells the story. this isn't perfect but I've always felt that casting the runes was James's most "modern" feeling story with central heating and electricity explicitly mentioned in the text so the update is forgiveable. You might feel the same as I do and feel like you were born too late.
No, it wasn’t in the original story, it was a bitter twist typical of a late 70s adaptation. Karswell had been beaten but he was going to make sure a lot of innocent folk died with him and that Prudence would be too guilt-ridden to continue her ‘investigative journalist’ career!
It fits karswell as a character who doesn't care for anyone but himself and having him know about the runes being returned to him gives a more visual conclusion but in James's story they pass it on without his knowledge and try to warn him. There's no real collateral outside of the villain getting his cummupance.
There was an earlier version I watched years ago, it was much more atmospheric and the runes were passed on a train, not plane. This version is ok, but I prefer the earlier version.
@@glennrowland8724 There is a Tales the unexpected ''The flypaper'' {1980} that is {to me at least }really horrible.. It features a child leaving school to go home, and a creepy man on a bus. don't read the comments before watching, spoiler alert.
@@Oakleaf700I remember the tha tales of the unexpected episode you refer to, but I found the landlady episode much creepier. I won't spoil it for you by revealing the outcome incase you haven't seen it
I see it’s an edited version of the film night of the demon with Dana Andrew’s good adaption as at the end carswell is killed by a demon who rips him apart but in the film a train runs him over so same sort of effect but this tv show very good creepy effect
My mum & stepdad used to watch 'Just Good Friends' which in olden times when there was but one TV in the house, meant you watched all their favourite programs too. Anyhow...I liked the show and the Penny/Vince relationship was good fun. Plus...Jan is a pretty lady and easy on the eyes.
Pity nobody could be bothered to research what runes look like. The letters on the slip of paper are Greek and runes have nothing to do with the Greek language as claimed in the programme.
I love Casting The Runes in all's its myriad of incantations, this version however is one of my least favourites. It feels a little all over the place and unfocussed, there's not enough of Karswell, the flute is very annoying, we only glimpsed the demon once, and to kill all the innocent passengers on the place at the end was a bit much for me ;-). Thanks for the upload though, great to see it.
With the amount of industrial strikes going on in the country at the time this was made, many in the Royal Mail, he would only have received it last week.
Disappointing. I get changing the setting and era, but I couldn't give this more than ten minutes, during which I wouldn't have known it was the same story.
Definitely not the same story but a 'classic' 1970's adaption- See it for what it is, and not as the more traditional ''Night of the Demon'', and it's far more enjoyable..{I didn't like the ending though}.
A waste of a commendable castle, the events are on a train not a plane,the Protagonist is a man not a woman,:Alow budget enterprise,spoilt by annoyingly, smart mouthed ,writers whom think they. Can improve on genius,Inthe actual story numerous people did not die for one person,'s salvation
This story could have been done a lot better!,,the acting is really bad in places,God knows what the director was thinking must have been his first job!😂
This is one of the Worst versions of M.R.James wonderful creepy play. Even the audibles I have are much better than this. A shame because this is a great creepy piece of writing full of feeling and fear and done correctly, is a great scary creepy story, visually as well as audibly. This is just far too much talking with nothing happening as well as many bare looking large scenes.
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.6 (2/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GgeGQOP10RQ/mqdefault.jpg)
*Casting the Runes is a supernatural television drama produced by ITV in 1979. Running at 50 minutes, it was based on the ghost story Casting the Runes by British writer and academic M. R. James, first published in 1911 as the fourth story in More Ghost Stories, which was James' second collection of ghost stories. Originally, a film version of the story was made in 1957, called "Night of the Demon." This play version was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark for the series Playhouse, produced by Yorkshire Television. It was first broadcast on ITV on April 24, 1979. Adapted by Clive Exton, it reimagined the events of James's story taking place in a contemporary television studio.*
M R James based Karswell on Aleister Crowley who was more or less his contemporary, and also a Cambridge University graduate. Karswell was Abbot of Lufford. Crowley rented out an old abbey in Cefalu in Sicily where he was called the Abbot of Thelema after his weird new religion, of New Age magic. Crowley has been vastly influential, with his saying "Do what though wilt" inspiring not just L Ron Hubbard to found the church of Scientology, and Anthony LaVey to start the Church of Satan in California, but a huge influence on the 60s rock generation. He appears on the Sergeant Pepper Album cover, Jimmy Page was a follower and bought Crowley's old Boleskine House on Loch Ness. He has appeared in song lyrics by Ozzy Osborne and David Bowie and others.
Crowley was certainly into sex and drugs and had many women, wives and followers. He predated rock n roll though.
@@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw
I would have liked to see Crowley dance to "Rock Around the Clock."
@@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw That's so interesting....I did actually imagine Karswell as Crowley in the written story {scaring the local children away from his orchard by a terrifying magic lantern show &c.
That's astonishing that M.R James actually based the character on Crowley...I'd not made the connection.
Rightly or wrongly, I saw Crowley as rather a rebel, a rich child who kicked against his upbringing and who probably liked to shock- and was a bit selfish in his relationships.
Would he be such a shocker if he was to have been born nowadays? Possibly not.
Fuck me, it's lecture time. 😳
curse of the demon and utube has pulled it now good film
How great is Iain Cuthberson in many of these 70s plays, The Stone Tape, Children of the Stones etc. Great upload, many thanks.
and , ahem, Supergran
It's okay for a low budget play version of the M. R. James story. But if you want to truly be creeped out and frightened, watch "Night of the Demon" with Dana Andrews. It's British and the best of the British creepy movies!
I prefer _Night of the Eagle_
Is that the film where Dana Andrews eats prunes, gets the runes and passing them used lots of skill?
I think it's really very well done, all things considered. I'm usually wary of "updated" versions of classic stories, but this one works very well, with the television documentary maker background.
It reminds me of the awful winter of 78/79 and it gains from the Leeds locations!
Night of the Demon is a little longer (less edited) than Curse of the Demon. I agree with you that the Night version is better, if you can find it.
I wish you had more of these ITV PLAYHOUSE plays! I like them!
I have them all on betamax and no way to play them. The tapes might have degraded somewhat now but I was glad to find this here because I can't seem to find them on streaming or dvd/Blu-ray.
@@incredibleflameboy Oh! I know that you can find people (possibly even locally, but definitely online) that will convert them/copy them to dvd (or whatever format you'd like)! You can find someone, send it to them, arrange how to pay them and they'll send you the tapes and the new copies back again! Not sure if you're willing to deal with that or pay for that. I ave a VHS tape that I wanted to get converted to DVD and the last time I looked the nest option (with some auto-restoration) was around $45! (But that was BEFORE Covid...) Also -I'm not POSITIVE about betamax tapes, but I'm sure there is SOMEONE!
@@giraffebecky it's the betamax format that's the problem. I've looked to have them digitised but I can only find people that will use VHS. These days I would be able to do them myself because I've learned how to do it but my betamax player is broken and working ones are rare and expensive. If I ever manage to find one though I'll digitise and post them though.
@@incredibleflameboy Oh! I see! Yeah that is a danged shame! Too bad! I hope you can find one (that's GOOD and AFFORDABLE!) soon! I would love to see what you've got!
@@incredibleflameboy Have you tried getting in touch with Doc at Old Time TV? Just pop those last three words in Google and you'll find his website. He's a great resource for rare TV shows, and if he hasn't already got the shows he may be able to help with your tapes.
A different take on the movie of the same name, very good, based on a true story, i remember that snow. Juhaptergee
The musicians playing with their first echo effects unit.
not bad, see also night of the Demon, black and white film same story. very good
There's was a third film version of the story apart from this & "Night/Curse of the Demon".
The music appears to be influenced by Quintessence.
I've been listening to Quintessence lately. I went and forgot them for years but finally getting online after years of refusal has afforded me the luxury of finding literally anything from the past, music-wise. And a happy reunion it has been for me in my middle-age.
Why I so adore these old British TV dramas I don't know. Can somebody explain to me what it is that gives them that particular atmosphere that results in being so appealing to some of us?
If you ever find out let me know! Cuz it hooked me like a drug from the 1st time I saw a show like this when I was 8…..I’m 52 and I so much prefer ANYTHING British or Irish UK basically…..the writing and acting and all of it is so so much better than we have in the states. But i have never been able to put into words the “vibe” or aesthetic ……or energy of a show or movie..so frustrating…..
For me it's a combination of things -the use of silence and near silence, the discreet use of music in the sense that it's not deployed to 'guide' the viewer, but merely to enhance the visuals, and the acting, often naturalistic and understated. Are you familiar with A Warning To The Curious, the BBC's Christmas Ghost Story from around 1971, the version directed by Max Stafford-Clark? That's a prime example of what I mean.
I presume it is just a Bo'Oh'O'Wa'er that invigorates you with the ecstasy!
i think a lot of time its the music.... it effects you more than what you think@@6Haunted-Days
I'm the same. I think it's that everything is simpler. There's no pulling a mobile out and googling answers, no one pulls a gun and supernatural elements aren't turned into some mundane answer, ghosts are just ghosts.
Production is totally different too and doesn't spend ages trying to wiggle preestablished tropes into it, it just tells the story. this isn't perfect but I've always felt that casting the runes was James's most "modern" feeling story with central heating and electricity explicitly mentioned in the text so the update is forgiveable.
You might feel the same as I do and feel like you were born too late.
MR James is always good.
Hard luck for everyone else on the plane.
the only flaw, but a major one. nothing like that was in the original story. i still love this though.
Yes, that was silly……
No, it wasn’t in the original story, it was a bitter twist typical of a late 70s adaptation. Karswell had been beaten but he was going to make sure a lot of innocent folk died with him and that Prudence would be too guilt-ridden to continue her ‘investigative journalist’ career!
I agree. 80 - 100 innocents were killed. 😥
It fits karswell as a character who doesn't care for anyone but himself and having him know about the runes being returned to him gives a more visual conclusion but in James's story they pass it on without his knowledge and try to warn him. There's no real collateral outside of the villain getting his cummupance.
There was an earlier version I watched years ago, it was much more atmospheric and the runes were passed on a train, not plane. This version is ok, but I prefer the earlier version.
apart from the excellent film night of the demon I remember a verdion on a series called mystery and imagination on tv very creepy
@@glennrowland8724 There is a Tales the unexpected ''The flypaper'' {1980} that is {to me at least }really horrible..
It features a child leaving school to go home, and a creepy man on a bus. don't read the comments before watching, spoiler alert.
@@Oakleaf700I remember the tha tales of the unexpected episode you refer to, but I found the landlady episode much creepier. I won't spoil it for you by revealing the outcome incase you haven't seen it
@@johncarlisle621 Oh I know that. landlady one!!!!! Creepy!
Night of the Demon had the runes passed on a train.
This is the made for schools version from 1978. The ITV version was made for Tales Of Mystery and Imagination, and only a small clip remains.
I can't imagine a subject like this being a production for schools now, all the religious patrents would complain.
I see it’s an edited version of the film night of the demon with Dana Andrew’s good adaption as at the end carswell is killed by a demon who rips him apart but in the film a train runs him over so same sort of effect but this tv show very good creepy effect
ive always liked Jan Francis' acting.
Thank you for posting this
Real Good Adaptation.
Love this thanks.............🤠
The main female actress played Penny in Just Good Friends, with Paul Nicholas playing Vince.
Jan Francis. She also played one of the resistance ladies in the BBC's Secret Army.
@@Westwoodii Yes! I knew I had seen her in something else too.
My mum & stepdad used to watch 'Just Good Friends' which in olden times when there was but one TV in the house, meant you watched all their favourite programs too. Anyhow...I liked the show and the Penny/Vince relationship was good fun. Plus...Jan is a pretty lady and easy on the eyes.
Pity nobody could be bothered to research what runes look like. The letters on the slip of paper are Greek and runes have nothing to do with the Greek language as claimed in the programme.
That’s very much for uploading this. I love Jan Francis.
Not a patch on night of the demon .but still enjoyable.
34:53 - it's upside down
So she killed like 200 people to save herself? Awesome person!
She didn't. He chose to get on the aircraft.
I love Casting The Runes in all's its myriad of incantations, this version however is one of my least favourites. It feels a little all over the place and unfocussed, there's not enough of Karswell, the flute is very annoying, we only glimpsed the demon once, and to kill all the innocent passengers on the place at the end was a bit much for me ;-). Thanks for the upload though, great to see it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9/10)
Interesting adaptation of Casting the Runes. But the person who wrote the music should be handed some runes themselves!
never heard of this series
Weird. NOTHING LIKE James’ most excellent story….WHY write an inferior version of the original?
That flautist needs to take some lessons.
More noise than Moyse LOL :)
Why not just post it to him.
That wouldn't work, it must be passed to him by hand.
@@moggie-wf5pg Yes i figured that out after pposting.
With the amount of industrial strikes going on in the country at the time this was made, many in the Royal Mail, he would only have received it last week.
@@yellowbelly06 🤣🎯 Brilliant!
@@Oakleaf700 In the original story, the victim has to willingly accept the note.
Totally ruined by the constant switching between film and video tape.
Yeah, that was the way British TV was produced back in the 1970s.
Disappointing. I get changing the setting and era, but I couldn't give this more than ten minutes, during which I wouldn't have known it was the same story.
Definitely not the same story but a 'classic' 1970's adaption- See it for what it is, and not as the more traditional ''Night of the Demon'', and it's far more enjoyable..{I didn't like the ending though}.
A waste of a commendable castle, the events are on a train not a plane,the Protagonist is a man not a woman,:Alow budget enterprise,spoilt by annoyingly, smart mouthed ,writers whom think they. Can improve on genius,Inthe actual story numerous people did not die for one person,'s salvation
This story could have been done a lot better!,,the acting is really bad in places,God knows what the director was thinking must have been his first job!😂
This is one of the Worst versions of M.R.James wonderful creepy play. Even the audibles I have are much better than this. A shame because this is a great creepy piece of writing full of feeling and fear and done correctly, is a great scary creepy story, visually as well as audibly. This is just far too much talking with nothing happening as well as many bare looking large scenes.
Rubbish.