This is a nautical term from the days of wooden ships. The 'devil' is the longest seam in the ship that runs around the edge of the deck and was awkward and dangerous to 'pay' or caulk. The phrase "between the devil and the deep blue sea" also refers to this seam. To 'pay' a seam was to seal it with pitch after it had been caulked (oakum, basically bits of old rope, was hammered into the seam). So "the devil to pay and no pitch hot" refers to the most unpleasant task on the ship and consequently is used to describe the possibility of finding oneself in an unpleasant or dangerous position.
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands was created in 1956.
Pay the Devil was created on 2006-03-06.
Devil to Pay - 2010 SUSPENDED was released on: USA: 2010
(Have the Devil to pay) This comes from an old nautical terminology. The devil was sea side face of the ships bow. Olden sailing ships where sealed with rope and tar pitch to insure they where water tight. Over the course of a sailing journey the sea would weaken the tar on the bow or "devil" of the ship. The crew would have to lower a man down with a bucket of tar and brush to reseal the Bow or "Devil". This was normally done during calm seas. "Have the Devil to pay." was used as a term when this was dealt out as a punishment, and ordinarily issued during rough seas. Therefore quiet dangerous and oft fatal slamming the crew member violently against the Devil of the ship in the course of their duties. I would imagine this was issued as an ultimatum. " Pay the Devil or be keel hulled." Which in itself was another very cruel torture of seaman of old. MDBirdsong
Salome and the Devil to Pay - 1908 was released on: USA: 5 October 1908
The Devil's Pay Day - 1917 was released on: USA: 29 January 1917
Lights Out - 1946 The Devil to Pay 2-20 was released on: USA: 23 January 1950
Lights Out - 1946 The Devil to Pay 2-45 was released on: USA: 17 July 1950
Dante - 1960 The Devil to Pay 1-15 was released on: USA: 23 January 1961
Sugarfoot - 1957 Devil to Pay 2-8 was released on: USA: 23 December 1958
The cast of The Devil to Pay - 1962 includes: James Hirshfeld Ken Horler Rosaleen Smythe Tania Verstak
by selling his soul to the devil