Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (June 22, 2025)
Back in 1977, Oh, God! turned into a big hit. It wound up in ninth place at the year’s US box office.
Three years later, audiences received Oh, God! Book II and greeted it with indifference. That one sputtered to 50th place for 1980’s releases.
Given the severe decline in box office, one might assume Book II ended the franchise. One might assume incorrectly, as the release of 1984’s Oh, God! You Devil established.
Bobby Shelton (Ted Wass) strives to become a successful musician but his career sputters. Dejected by his failures, he mutters that he’d sell his soul to the devil to prosper in his career.
Talent agent Harry O. Tophet (George Burns) – Satan in disguise – appears and pounces at the chance to claim Bobby’s soul. God himself (Burns again) doesn’t take this lying down, though, so this leads to a battle between the Almighty and Beelzebub.
If Warner Bros. expected Devil to reverse the financial slide that came with Book II, they ended up with egg on their collective face. With ticket sales that led to 49th place at the US box office, it fared about the same as its immediate predecessor.
Apparently the studio learned its lesson with two successive flops, as Devil concluded this “trilogy”. I actually wondered if Burns’ age contributed, but he continued to work – albeit sporadically – through 1994’s Radioland Murders two years prior to his death in 1996 at 100, so it doesn’t appear that this became a factor.
Given that Burns still acted for a decade after Devil, one assumes Warner bailed on the franchise rather than Burns turned down a fourth chapter. Whatever the case, this became a good decision since Devil delivered another bomb.
I’ll say this for Devil: at least it tried something new. Book II offered little more than a tepid remake of the original movie, whereas Devil brings us a wholly new premise.
Of course, this exists primarily to give Burns an excuse to play a dual role. Whatever the motivation, after the dreary repetition of Book II, I’ll take this change.
Devil also comes with more talent behind the camera, mainly via the presence of screenwriter Andrew Bergman. Whereas Book II somehow required five people to pen its lousy script, this one comes solely from Bergman.
With quality flicks like Blazing Saddles, The In-Laws and Fletch on his filmography, Bergman’s presence inspired optimism. This proved unfounded.
Bergman’s script evokes next to zero creativity or spark. Instead, this becomes a dull melodrama too much of the time.
And one that doesn’t really make much sense. In a logical script, Harry grants Bobby success and the musician simply battles with the consequences.
Instead, Bergman’s screenplay turns this into a “body swap” tale. Rather than gain fame under his own name, Harry places him into the guise of Billy Wayne (Robert Desiderio), a client of Harry’s whose contract expires.
Bobby becomes Billy and that means Billy turns into Bobby. This exists as a cheap contrivance that doesn’t work.
Part of the problem comes from the manner in which Bobby immediately seems to shed his old life. We see his happy marriage to wife Wendy (Roxanne Hart), but as he enjoys fame and groupies, he apparently doesn’t miss her at all.
Until he does, but this shift seems illogical. Bobby appears perfectly content but he abruptly changes his tune to get back with Wendy.
I don’t know if a more sensible story in which Bobby stays himself and just becomes successful would’ve worked better. However, at least it probably would’ve lacked so many silly contrivances and plot holes.
Even without the narrative issues, Devil would flop because it just seems so darned boring. The movie drags and meanders its way toward the inevitable confrontation between God and Harry.
After a disinterested performance in Book II, Burns does show more of a pulse here, largely thanks to his time as Harry. He seems to relish the chance to play a villain, though he still doesn’t look tremendously invested in the role.
Best known for his work on TV, Wass feels overmatched as our lead. He overplays his part to a cartoony degree and makes Bobby a forgettable personality.
At least that matches the rest of this sluggish and dreary film. I like Devil more than I do Book II because at least it tries something different, but the end product nonetheless lacks entertainment value.
