This made for TV horror thriller is a lot better than it's ridiculous title would have you believe, which is really saying something since the title is actually a pretty apt description of what goes on in the movie. It starts out with a girl acting really strangely, running away something that isn't identified and then turning up dead. Her sister doesn't accept the police's quick decision to label it a suicide and close the case. Surely there is plenty of evidence to suggest that they are right, but then again, they don't take supernatural explanations into account so her sister Elizabeth decides to take the investigation into her own hands.

Suspicious that the girl's school that her sister attended at the time of her death may have had something to do with what happened to her, Elizabeth enrolls into the school to do some investigating of her own. I don't know how fresh the idea of that premise was in 1973, but it works pretty well here. There are some slip-ups, like when Elizabeth meets the Head Mistress for an interview and spouts some nonsense like "Picasso was a realist painter before he was an impressionist." Not that I don't accept that someone her age would have any knowledge about that (it is, after all, not exactly the kind of knowledge reserved for geniuses), it's just that it's so out of place in this movie. I guess I should respect such an attempt at three dimensional characterization though. Horror movies are, after all, historically lacking in this area.

I got Satan's School for Girls on a 10-movie collection that I bought for $15, since I have something of a love of old, crappy horror movies (and you can't beat that price!), otherwise I would never have seen it. To be sure, this is one of those movies that is actually worth watching but has a title that is incredibly efficient in making people want to see it. Who would want to watch a movie with a title like this? I imagine that's part of the reason that the remake with Shannon Dougherty came and went instantaneously with little to no attention. And this really is unfortunate, because the movie certainly has some tense moments. The scene where Elizabeth goes searching the basement for the room where the painting of her sister took place is wonderfully creepy. Even that painting itself is a great prop.

The psychology teacher in the movie is a little too obvious. I think it's safe to say that no character should ever act as evil or nutty as this guy did. When he's not threatening girls with a huge knife he's making rats go insane in his lab. This guy can NOT be well balanced. It actually is a pretty clever technique to have designed the cavernous basement like the rat maze in his classroom, but if the person acting insane turns out to be the bad guy then the movie is too predictable, and if they turn out to be completely innocent then it becomes too clear that the movie was trying to deliberately lead you in the wrong direction, which in turn requires a Scooby-Doo ending because they need to explain why we were wrong the whole time in thinking exactly what they wanted us to think.

The movie takes something of a downturn in the third act, as the cheesy acting starts to tip the scales against the creepy atmosphere, which is no longer creepy enough to justify overlooking how bad the acting is. There is a ludicrous scene where the professor can't get out of a pond because there are girls all around him poking him with sticks. If they had established earlier on that he can't swim, fine, but any warm-blooded human being, man or woman, would have simply grabbed onto the first stick that poked him or her and yanked the girl holding it right into the pond. It would not be hard to do, obviously.

But there I go nitpicking. I just have a hard time with scenes like that. It's like when someone takes a person hostage, holding a gun to their head while the whole police force stands with their guns aimed, and they all drop their guns like incompetent morons. In all my years of movie watching, only twice have I seen anybody acknowledge how effective it would be to just shoot the guy (one was RoboCop, and the other was Charlie Sheen in Navy Seals). You wouldn't even have to kill him, Shooting the gunman in the arm would usually not endanger the victim at all and would completely incapacitate the gunman from being able to fire.

There I go nitpicking AGAIN. Stop me next time, will you? I don't remember there being any shooting in Satan's School for Girls (although there is a gun), and there is little to no gore either, the movie is almost solely driven by its atmosphere, which most of the time is not very effective but a few times is VERY effective. For 70s horror, this is definitely one of the better ones (excluding the giants, like The Exorcist, which are, of course, in a class all their own). Certainly worth seeing for horror buffs.

That's the whole problem with this film. The opening scene is fantastically done with Terry Lumley as Martha Sayers on the run from some unseen but clearly deadly menace that it seems can get to her no matter where she runs and/or hides. It's too bad this level of suspense and thrills could not be maintained when it was star Pamela Franklin's turn (as Elizabeth Sayers) to be terrorized at the school for girls her sister had previously attended. Sure a nice effort is made by a very talented cast including Roy Thinnes, Kate Jackson, Jamie-Smith Jackson and Lloyd Bochner to keep the excitement going but in the end this falters and loses that hard edge it had when it opened. Perhaps some of this is the fault of the limitations inherent in this appearing on television in the 1970s but honestly I feel the real reason is that they reveal too much in terms of clues and visuals making the previously terrifying and mysterious menace seem much less threatening when it is finally revealed, in fact it proves somewhat anticlimactic.

TV movie (Aaron Spelling co-produced) delivers chills roughly along the lines of contemporary drive-in fare. We get a bevy of satanic schoolgirls, led by Thinnes as the visionary art professor who turns out to be Satan himself. We even get a wannabe Sacey Keach in the supporting cast. No nudity, actually a minimum of catfights, but surprisingly good suspense is generated a few times (though not at the film's conclusion, by which time everything is pretty much clear and obvious. Notably bad editing. The DVD from "Platinum Disc Corp" is from a very bad print.

OK, everybody is always ragging on made-for-TV movies because yes, more often than not, they are really cheesy. But keep in mind made-for-TV movies are made-for-TV, so they are, of course, made on a much smaller budget. However, this is one TV film that rises above its low-budget status. This, for the most part, has to do with the supremely talented cast involved. '70's Scream Queen Pamela Franklin, fresh out of Richard Matheson's nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE, stars as a young woman who enrolls in a distinguished all-girls' school to probe her sister's mysterious suicide. The plot reminds me of Dario Argento's horror classic SUSPIRIA, but this TV movie was actually made four years before Argento's film, so perhaps Argento pilfered from this little seen gem. Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd, before they became 'Charlie's Angels', co-starred as two of Franklin's fellow classmates. Incidentally, Jackson later played the Jo Van Fleet role of THE HEADMISTRESS in the 2000 remake. Aaron Spelling produced both versions.

With good intentions and a title that's impossible to live up to, this early-70's movie of the week finds its strength in scattered moments of suspense and performances that give the hammy material every chance to transcend its lower tier. A pre-"Legend of Hell House" Pamela Franklin (cute as a button, a dead ringer for Thelma from "Scooby-Doo") infiltrates a girl's school to try to find out why her sister committed suicide; she is aided in her quest by a pre-"Charlie's Angels" Kate Jackson. The adults are, like, squaresville, and the student body seems to be harboring some far-out secret, which leads to a totally unsatisfying climax. The restrictions of network television show throughout–despite being set in an all-girls school, there is no flesh on display (not even skimpy negligee), and instead of throat-slashings, we have to make do with death by bamboo sticks.

This film begins with an attractive young woman named "Martha Sayers" (Terry Lumley) driving extremely fast down the highway with a look of complete fear upon her face. It's at this time that she spots a telephone booth and attempts to make a phone call but is subsequently frightened by the appearance of a man and drives off to her sister's apartment overlooking a beautiful lake. Once inside, however, something goes terribly wrong and her body is found by her sister "Elizabeth Sayers" (Pamela Franklin) later that afternoon. Not convinced that her sister committed suicide Elizabeth decides to go to the finishing school Martha had been attending to find out the real truth. What she doesn't count on, however, is the dark nature of the students and faculty there. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay film for its time which benefited greatly from the casting of several attractive actresses most notably Kate Jackson (as "Roberta") and Cheryl Ladd ("Jody"). To that end, although it's definitely not a great horror movie by any means, it's worth a watch for those who might be interested in a film of this type and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

A scared woman, Martha Sayers (Terry Lumley), drives to Los Angeles to the house of her sister Elizabeth (Pamela Franklin). On the arrival, the caretaker gives the house's key to her, and she locks herself in the house. When Elizabeth arrives, she sees the police and finds Martha hanging on the ceiling. The police close the case as suicide, but Elizabeth refuses to accept that her sister traveled to Los Angeles to commit suicide. She decides to join the Salem Academy in Massachusetts where Martha studied, despite the warnings of her former roommate Lucy Dembrow (Gwynne Gilford). She uses an alias of Elizabeth Morgan to be not identified as her sister and is welcomed by Roberta Lockhart (Kate Jackson), Debbie Jones (Jamie Smith Jackson) and Jody Keller (Cheryl Ladd). Then she has an interview with the headmistress Mrs. Jessica Williams (Jo Van Fleet) and is assigned to have classes with Dr. Joseph Clampett (Roy Thinnes) and Professor Delacroix (Lloyd Bochner). Soon she notes that weird things are happening in the school, and she suspects that the strange Professor Delacroix is the responsible. Elizabeth confides to her roommate Roberta, and she decides to help her in the investigation, with surprising results.

"Satan's School for Girls" (1973) is a cult movie with a catchy title. In the 70's, after "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), many horror movies about cults have been released, and "Satan's School for Girls" is one of them. Watching for the first time in 2024 is not fair, but the film has good points and lame parts. The young actresses in the beginning of their careers are a great attraction. The story is only reasonable. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil: "Not Available"

With a rather low score of 5.1 and a silly title, I expected "Satan's School for Girls" to be a lousy film. However, this made for TV picture actually hols up pretty well and I have no idea why its score is this low. In fact, I strongly suspect that this film was the inspiration for the Dario Argento classic "Suspiria".

When the film begins, Martha is on the run...being pursued by some unseen enemy. She eventually makes it to her sister's home but when Elizabeth arrives home, she finds Martha dead and hanging in the house! Martha had never been suicidal and despite the police ruling it a suicide, she decides to investigate. The trail leads to a weird 'girls' school (many of the actresses are 23-30) where there is a very strange sense of foreboding and some rather weird dealings. What is going on here?!

In many ways, it reminds me of "Suspiria". Both are set at a women's school and both have a great sense of foreboding instead of actually scary stuff happening most of the time. Both lead to similar finales as well. Plus, if you see it, you get to see "Charlie's Angels" stars of the future, Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd, as two of the girls enrolled in this bizarro school. Worth seeing.

Campy title for a rather mundane Aaron Spelling spook show has the sister of a suicide enrolling in a private school for young women to uncover the truth about what occurred there. Two of the students are Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd, future TV detectives (too bad David Doyle's Bosley isn't around to referee the cat-fights). If you're yearning for a "Charlie's Angels" episode about witchcraft and devils, this may be as close as you'll ever get. Unfortunately, the film is given such a blasé treatment, with listless direction and uninspired writing, that even one surprise about a character's true identity goes almost unnoticed. Purely from a filmmaking standpoint, this seems awfully undernourished, though it is interestingly cast and has moments of lowbrow fun.

I would have to say, I like this film,even own it on Dvd....however, I dont classify it in the same category as friday the 13th etc....like the other reviewer here...why? because its a completely different type of film, its NOT a slasher film..more of a thriller...maybe something Dario Argento could have made better with his touch of atmosphere..

this film was a made for tv movie, so it doesnt have gore, or anything truly objectionable....and the Devil never makes an appearance..hahaha

its a plug to get you to watch the movie...see it though....its a cool flick....that and Cheryl Ladd is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hot!!!

This is another movie which I have looked for over the years to see on latenight channels but is no longer available I believe. I really liked this because it had an overall scary plot running throughout the movie. Both of my kids, (Nate and Ryann like these types of movies and they are at the right age to spot good quality. I hope if anyone knows if this is still being shown around the country to let me know because I can't find it for anything. If you get a change to watch it, by all means do so. It will not let you down and is a little above a B grade movie. Look at how young all the pre Charlie's Angels are in this flick... Enjoy!

Can someone take on the challenge of restoring and preserving all those 'made for TV' movies from the 60's and 70's? Here we have a curious masterpiece... a young woman goes snooping at a spooky American private girls' school in 1973, and gets more than she bargained for.

Pamela Franklin plays like a prototype Winona Ryder, short and short-haired amidst the tall, long-haired 'California' girls. Having spent much of her career playing skewed or disturbed British girls, here she is the 'straight' heroine, years before all those current Britishers took on the dialogue coach.

She confronts not one but TWO Jacksons, Kate and Jamie Smith-. Both were striking and imposing, both tall and long-haired... and when contrasted with poor Cheryl Stoppelmoor, both quite fascinating. Jamie is quite captivating playing the freaked and frightened Debbie. Kate is a mess of contradictions - beautiful yet straight-laced (check the night-gowns - Jamie sports a slinky red number, Kate is buttoned up in high neck and frills)... one Jackson sadly retired (as did Franklin - why?), the other unwisely shyed away from unsympathetic roles and found fame as a glam' detective (in polo-necks and neck-covering scarves).

Ultimately not the best entry in 1973's TV movie offerings, yet in the 21st century it's worth a look for the fantastic casting choices!

I caught this on USA while I was home sick with the flu. Even though I was half awake and in a daze, I enjoyed it. Pamela Franklin was likable as a young woman who enrolls in the exclusive Salem Academy under a false name, in order to investigate the strange death of her sister Martha, who had gone to school there. Once she arrives, she meets up with strange faculty and students, and eerie occurences. There are great shots of Pamela crawling the hallways at night with a lantern in her hand as a storm rages outside, and there is an eerie climax. Catch this one if you can. I haven't seen the remake yet.

Elizabeth's sister was found hanging in Elizabeth home. Elizabeth does not believe her sister committed suicide so she joins the girl's school that her sister went to in order to conduct her own investigation as to what happened to her sister.

The title gives away the ending of the film. It's not a bad movie but not as good as I expected it to me - I had higher hopes for it.

5/10

A young woman returns home to find her younger sister hanging from her ceiling due to an apparent suicide. When she's not satisfied with that answer, she poses as a student at the boarding school where her sister attended to get some answers and see if, perhaps, she was murdered.

Satan's School For Girls isn't as much fun as the premise might suggest and mostly amounts to Pamela Franklin walking around the school at night with a lantern, trying to find something sinister. The ultimate reveal as to what's going on here feels anti-climactic and that's a shame, because the concept is really strong.

Being a TV movie, I'm sure there were some limitations, but story shouldn't have been one of them.

David Lowell Rich's "Satan's School for Girls" is an atmospheric,early 1970's horror/mystery which has plenty of atmosphere and some reasonably suspenseful moments.The film is completely bloodless,so fans of gore will be disappointed.The acting is pretty good with familiar TV cast to boost.So if you like horror movies from early 70's check out "Satan's School for Girls"-still it beats most of the crap being put out today.Highly recommended.

'Satan's School For Girls' really looks like a cool vintage seventies satanic horror-thriller, but regardless its über-cool title, that doesn't necessarily make it a great movie. When Elizabeth Sayer's (Pamela Franklin, delivering a decent performance) sister commits suicide, she works her way into the private school her sister went to. It doesn't take too long for her to discover other girls have been dying too. The concept is nice and it's not a boring watch, but the mystery is a little weak and the denouement is underwhelming. Features a bunch of good-looking seventies beauties, but no skin and no blood. Some ladies do die, and those scenes are pretty much the only shocks this film has to offer.

Interesting trivia: during the '70s, legendary producer Aaron Spelling ('The Love Boat', 'Dynasty', 'Beverly Hills 90210', 'Melrose Place',...) produced several made-for-TV horror movies, and with having watched at least one more of them (the amusing 'Cruise Into Terror', 1978), I strongly suspect they all might be enjoyable watches. So is 'Satan's School For Girls' to some extent, even if it's a quite forgettable film. Makes me curious to see what the remake from 2000 (also made-for-TV and produced by Spelling) might have turned into.

I can understand some people not liking it but I loved it. It is unapologetic vintage horror with some good acting and a decent storyline. The head mistress was creepy as hell. The ending was a bit predictable, but still really cool if you're into nostalgic horror. My only complaint is the movie needs an updated remaster as the version on streaming tends to be a bit dark sometimes.

Silly but fun cult favorite (pun intended) '70s horror flick, with an unusual role for Roy Thinnest. The plot doesn't make much sense (Satan has not set his sights very high), but the movie is atmospheric, with a good score and all actors playing their roles earnestly.

Don't be fooled by the title or the sanguine cover art. This is a moderately suspenseful movie that probably wouldn't make a 10-year-old lose any sleep. As a result, it's not a bad "spooky" movie to watch with the family. Although it's unrated, it would be at most PG for some mild violence. The only people who might be offended by this would be those who find the whole concept of witches and devil worshipers offensive and they probably aren't looking at this comment anyway. It's also not a particularly outstanding film and the main attraction, I think is the chance to see Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd pre-Charlie's Angels. I doubt I'll remember anything about this movie a year from now.