The Devil's Needle (1916): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1916, The Devil's Needle is a drama film directed by Chester Withey, running about 66 minutes.

What it’s about. Renee is a French artist's model who uses morphine as an escape from the dull reality of her life. She recommends it to a neurotic artist because "it kindles the fires of genius." The artist quickly becomes addicted to the drug and the quality of his work begins to disintegrate. He takes on a new model, marries her, and starts her on the same path of moral degradation, until a guilt-ridden Renee decides to intervene in order to save them both. According to silent film historian Kevin Brownlow, THE DEVIL'S NEEDLE was banned by the state of Ohio, but the censor board reversed its decision after recognizing the positive message beneath the film's scandalous surface. This special edition was mastered from a 35mm preservation print of the 1923 re-release version. The only known surviving copy, the element suffers significant nitrate decomposition during some scenes.

Who’s in it. The Devil's Needle stars Norma Talmadge as Renee Duprez, Tully Marshall as John Minturn, Marguerite Marsh as Patricia Devon and F.A. Turner as Marshall Devon, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, The Devil's Needle has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Devil's Needle page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Devil's Needle tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.