The Devil and Tom Walker 1983
Step back to the early 1980s, when a group of high-school filmmakers in Portland, Oregon, transformed Washington Irving's classic 1824 tale into a haunting twelve-minute Claymation nightmare.
Director: Steve Allison-Bunnell
Cast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Devil and Tom Walker (1983) about?
This claymation short reimagines Washington Irving's classic story of a tight-fisted man who trades his soul for wealth, only to learn the devil's contracts are ironclad. The film strips the tale down to its gothic bones, letting greed and supernatural dread collide in just thirteen frenetic minutes.
Who directed The Devil and Tom Walker?
The film was directed by Steve Allison-Bunnell, who at the time was still a high-school student navigating the challenges of stop-motion storytelling.
Who stars in The Devil and Tom Walker?
Voices and performances are credited to Jon Petke, Stephen Hulse, Steve Allison-Bunnell, Lloyd Hulse, and Francisco Hulse.
Is The Devil and Tom Walker (1983) worth watching?
With its unique animation and raw teen energy, the film offers more than just nostalgia—it's a lean, moral fable shot through with eerie atmosphere. For fans of early horror or DIY cinema, "The Devil and Tom Walker" (1983) delivers a surprising punch despite its modest runtime.
How long is The Devil and Tom Walker?
The film runs for 13 minutes.
About The Devil and Tom Walker (1983) — Portland teen filmmakers spin Irving's greed-blighted folktale in clay
Step back to the early 1980s, when a group of high-school filmmakers in Portland, Oregon, transformed Washington Irving's classic 1824 tale into a haunting twelve-minute Claymation nightmare. Under Steve Allison-Bunnell's direction, the 1983 short "The Devil and Tom Walker" trades in paint-peeling greed and supernatural dread, using Super-8mm film to cast a grainy, feverish glow over a miser's fateful deal with the devil. The animation, all jagged edges and trembling shadows, amplifies the story's themes of avarice and inescapable consequences, wrapping the viewer in an uneasy blend of fairy-tale whimsy and gothic unease.
Produced entirely by teenagers for a young audience, the film won the 1983 Young People's Film and Video Festival, proving that ambition and limited means can still conjure cinematic magic. Live double-track audio crackles with the raw energy of youth, while the simple visual language of clay figures sharpens the moral's bite."The Devil and Tom Walker" (1983) remains a time-capsule of DIY horror, where every frame feels both precocious and precarious.