Archaeologist Dr. Garrett Williams (William Marshall) accidentally releases the demon Eshu during a dig in Nigeria, who possesses his daughter-in-law Abby Williams (Carol Speed) back in the U.S. The idea of the movie was to bring the thrills of The Exorcist to black audiences with a black cast, story, and settings. And in that context, this was very much a success. Carol Speed is solid in the lead role, alternating between the sweet wife of a preacher and the foul-mouthed, sexually-aggressive Eshu. The demon voice is done by voice actor Bob Holt, with Speed lip-syncing the lines, and this combination is the highlight of the movie.
This movie was close enough to The Exorcist that Warner Brothers sued to block release and distribution, but is still around from various sources. Warner reportedly has the original print and is sitting on it being re-released.
