An ‘Omen’ appreciation: The devil made them film it

As ‘The Omen’ marks its 50th anniversary, the film remains a potent showcase of horror craftsmanship and religious fear

By Bob Tremblay

“Look at me, Damien. It’s all for you.”

So says the nanny in one of the more disturbing scenes from “The Omen,” a film that takes delight in disturbing scenes.

Released 50 years ago this month, “The Omen” belongs in the unholy trinity of horror films along with “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) and “The Exorcist” (1973), where Satan should get producing credit. Diabolical characters, demonic malfeasance, it’s all here. 

These films stand out among other horror movies with a satanic slant thanks to their first-class creative teams who take fiendish pleasure in telling stories where the devil gets his due, more or less.

Here’s the talent rundown. The cast of “Rosemary’s Baby” includes Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes and Quincy native Ruth Gordon with Roman Polanski directing. He also wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Ira Levin. The cast of “The Exorcist” includes Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, and Max von Sydow, with William Friedkin directing a script by William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel on which the film is based. The cast of “The Omen” includes Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, another Quincy native, with Richard Donner directing an original script by David Seltzer. Kudos also to these films’  cinematographers and special effects gurus who heighten the horror. Split pea soup, anyone? 

While not as cerebral as “Rosemary’s Baby” or as visceral as “The Exorcist,” “The Omen” contains both attributes. It certainly has its freakish moments with grisly deaths foreshadowed with shadow images.

The plot is set in motion by the death at birth of Robert (Peck) and Kathy (Remick) Thorn’s son. Grieving and concerned about the mental well-being of his wife, Robert accepts a baby whose mother had died at childbirth. He just doesn’t tell Kathy that the baby isn’t hers. “God has given you a boy,” a priest says to Robert. Um, can we get back to you on that?

Life for the Thorns seems idyllic. Their son Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) never gets sick and Robert gets appointed ambassador to Great Britain. Kathy jokes—kind of—that he could become president of the United States. In case you’re wondering where this is going, a character later says that the devil’s child will rise from the world of politics. Go ahead, make snarky remarks here.

Unsettling scenes soon follow. Damien would prefer not to enter a church. Can’t imagine why. At a zoo, the animals don’t appreciate his presence, including a troop of extremely agitated baboons who attack Kathy’s car after Damien gives them the evil eye. Or something like that. It’s one of the movie’s most horrifying scenes.

How did the filmmakers get the baboons to assault the car so violently without CGI assistance? Glad you asked. According to Wikipedia, at first, food was placed around the car with zoo staff not feeding the baboons the night before filming. To get a better effect, a baby baboon was put in the backseat with a zoo official. What finally worked was when the baby baboon was swapped with the alpha baboon.

Robert’s problems begin when he receives a visit from a priest who tells him that his child is the son of Satan. A priest said that to my father, but he was kidding. I think.

Then a new household worker shows up. Played with marvelous malevolence by Billie Whitelaw, Mrs. Baylock is literally the nanny from hell. She explains her presence by saying the agency sent her. Kathy says she’ll call the agency to check on her references. Perhaps she never made the call. If Kathy did, one hopes the agency would have pleaded ignorance. It certainly wouldn’t have helped their standing with the Better Business Bureau for recommending a psychotic satanist. Mrs. Baylock brings along a rottweiler for added protection. No one’s going to mess with Beelzebub’s boy.

Kathy eventually starts experiencing mental pains. She believes her son may not be hers and that he wants to kill her. She’s not in a happy place. Neither is Robert, who has to wrestle with the dilemma of killing a young child who may not be so innocent.

“The Omen” raises the stakes by mentioning—some might say incessantly—that the Antichrist’s presence will not bode well for humankind when Armageddon—that big battle between good and evil— takes place. To be kind, the film takes a few liberties with the Bible on this subject. 

If one is to believe Wikipedia, and I remain a skeptic, numerous actors were considered to play Robert, including William Holden, Charlton Heston, Roy Scheider, Charles Bronson and Dick Van Dyke. According to Wikipedia, Van Dyke turned down the role because of the violence and gore, but later called the decision stupid. I can’t actually picture Rob Petrie stabbing a nanny to death with a carving knife. Oh, Rob.  

Impeccable sources state more than 500 boys auditioned for the role of Damien. Donner reportedly encouraged the boys to attack him during a group audition, with Stephens impressing the director by clawing his face and kicking him in the groin. My sources point out that this is just how Clark Gable nabbed the role of Rhett Butler in “Gone with the Wind.” Maybe not.

“The Omen” was the only major film role in Stephens’ career. In 2017, he was given a suspended prison sentence for a road rage attack on two cyclists. Irony aficionados might point out that Damien “assists” in Kathy’s death while riding his tricycle. Stephens is now 55.  

Reviews were all over the place for “The Omen.” Some called it “silly” and “goofy,” others called it “riveting.” They offered more praise on the chilling score by Jerry Goldsmith, which would win an Oscar. The film was also nominated for best song, losing to “Evergreen.” 

The public was kinder to “The Omen.” The film was a box-office hit and spawned a franchise with three sequels, a remake, a prequel and a TV series. Holden played Robert’s brother in the first sequel while Stephens played a tabloid reporter in the remake. 

“The Omen” marked a breakthrough for Donner, who would later direct “Superman” and the “Lethal Weapon” series. He died in 2021 at 91. Seltzer would later write “Bird on a Wire.” He’s now 85. Peck won the Best Actor Oscar for “To Kill A Mockingbird” in 1962. He died in 2003 at 87. Quincy-born Remick was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for “Days of Wine and Roses” in 1962. She died in 1991 at 55. 

“The Omen” proved that audiences, even those without a religious bent, could respond to a movie with ungodly trappings. It certainly didn’t hurt that the movie had its share of thrills and kills. It’s a film that deals a full house of dread and one that the Prince of Darkness would surely give two pitchforks up, way up.

“The Omen” can be seen on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home or Google Play Movies for $3.99 or with a subscription.

Bob Tremblay is the former film critic for The MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Massachusetts.