Tag Archives: hammer films

1960s Horror Retrospective: The Brides of Dracula (1960)

26 Friday Apr 2024

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As the horror scene began to ramp up in the 1960s and shake the genre to the core with the likes of Psycho and Peeping Tom, British Horror production company, Hammer Films who had made a significant mark during the mid-fifties reinventing classic Universal horror movies such as The Curse of Frankenstein; The Mummy; and Dracula were hardly resting on their laurels or cast to the shadows. At least not yet. Having already brought Baron Frankenstein to the screen with a sequel entitled The Revenge of Frankenstein, Hammer would inevitably turn their attention to the prince of darkness, although curiously, despite Christopher Lee still being attached to the Production company, and a script under the title Dracula the Damned in the works, this idea was shelved in favour of a whole new direction without Lee attached.

The sequel initially under the working title, Disciple of Dracula would centre around another vampire called Baron Meinster. At the outset this script would have another hero in mind called Latour to deal with the Baron but he would soon be curtailed in favour of bringing back Peter Cushing to play the infamous vampire hunter, Van Helsing. This was not an easy task however as Cushing was not immediately enlightened by the script on offer, so another writer, Edward Percy was called in to redraft it before he would sign on the dotted line.

The female lead, Marianne Danielle would be presented to Yvonne Monlaur to play opposite David Peel as Baron Meinster. Amongst the cast would be Freda Jackson (Henry V; David Lean’s Great Expectations) and Maritita Hunt (also Great Expectations as Miss Havisham) bringing an amount of gravitas to the presence on screen.

Once again the always reliable Terence Fisher was at the helm to call the shots and ensure that all things tied together neatly. It would be go-to editor James Needs though who would be congratulated for managing to ensure that the film would meet the deadline cast by Universal. The result would see huge success for The Brides of Dracula, especially in Japan, UK and the States and the thirst for more Dracula stories would be requested, which Hammer was all too keen to oblige. The synergy of all those involved meant that Hammer were at the peak of their success and the 60s would only produce more Gothic-infused horror.

– Saul Muerte

1960s Horror Retrospective

The Flesh and the Fiend

Eyes Without A Face

Peeping Tom

Psycho

The 4 Faces of Hammer’s Dr Jekyll

02 Saturday Mar 2024

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Across Hammer Films extensive canon of work there have been four adaptations of RL Stevenson’s Gothic tale, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Having found success in recreating Universal’s Classic Monster line with adaptations of Frankenstein and Dracula, it would seem logical to turn to another dark tale for inspiration. The mode of choice would fall under scrutiny however by casting English actor Bernard Bresslaw to lead a comic interpretation, called The Ugly Duckling, off the back of their somewhat successful comedy feature, I Only Arsked! Producer Michael Carreras had high hopes for the feature but the box office return would counter his bold prediction with a loss of $20,000.

Their second foray released less than a year later in 1960 would bring Hammer staple Christopher Lee as a supporting role and veteran director Terence Fisher at the helm. The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll would see Paul Massie take on the titular role, experimenting on himself, he turns into his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, a lothario playboy who discovers his friend, Paul (Lee) has been taking advantage of his fortune and stealing the heart of his wife, Kitty (Dawn Addams). Now hellbent on revenge and fury, Jekyll allows Hyde to fuel his energy with a plot to kill Paul.

Despite the combination of Lee and Fisher, the feature failed to ignite the paying public. Lee, who was initially disgruntled at not being offered the lead, actually turns out a decent performance, but surprisingly Fisher’s direction falls flat and fails to connect with screenwriter Cyril Wolf Mankowitz’s vision; Fisher choosing to go with old school formality and adapting the initial intention.

Eagle-eyed viewers however, would spot young up and comer, Oliver Reed as a troublemaker at the Sphynx nightclub.

The choice to alter and cut out certain choices due to time constraints ultimately led to a poor box office return, losing around $30,000. So far, Stevenson’s tale had not proved successful for Hammer and the glow of Hammer Horror was starting to lose its lustre. It would not however deter the British film company from going back to the source material with a third outing released over a decade later in 1971 and starring Hammer’s new flesh and blood leading male, Ralph Bates to take over the mantel from Peter Cushing, mainly due to him taking on the iconic role of Baron Frankenstein. The title of Brian Clemens screenplay, Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde was the stuff of Michael Carreras dreams, leaning heavily into the sex and image that Hammer became synonymous with in the seventies.

With model Martine Beswick as the alter ego to Bates’ Dr Jekyll, the piece was played for laughs but would heighten the terror through the guise of womanhood to hide the bloody male persona lurking beneath the feminine exterior. It’s potentially the boldest of directions taken by Hammer’s revisioning of RL Stevenson’s work, and one that was lost on the audience at the time, failing once again to connect. A shame as it holds up well today and still poses an interesting perspective.

The latest incarnation takes the concept one step further with casting Eddie Izzard as a transgender descendant of Dr Jekyll, and could easily have slipped into worrisome terrain had the creatives decided to take the story in a troublesome direction.

Movie Review: Doctor Jekyll (2024)

Thankfully though, the Hammer Films team play it straight and keep the terror to a slow burn rising of fear and dread, never fully knowing where or when evil may strike next.

It’s still early to say whether this version will leave a mark on the audience, but this new Hammer vision that has been orchestrated by new CEO, John Gore promises to lead the infamous horror production company before a modern audience whilst still keeping the tone and flavour of the films of yester-year.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie Review: Doctor Jekyll

02 Saturday Mar 2024

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There have been numerous incarnations of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic tale, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde since the birth of the celluloid art, from John Barrymore’s 1920 silent era, through to Spencer Tracy; Boris Karloff; Jack Palance; John Malkovich; and (ahem) Russell Crowe. British Horror film production company Hammer Films have also had their fair share of presentations with mixed results.

The Four Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Now under the helm of British Theatre Producer, John Gore, and a second new wave for Hammer, they have once again decided to resurrect the story once more for a modern audience, dropping the monster moniker with the far simpler title, Doctor Jekyll. The notable absence of the alter ego, a deliberate ploy with the focus on the clinician but the presence of Mr. Hyde is always lurking in the background. 

In this version, we are presented with a descendant of Jekyll, a reclusive pharmaceutical magnate, Nina (Eddie Izzard), who is recovering from an injury. In steps ex-convict Rob (Scott Chambers) who is trying to turn his life around and finds possible redemption as an in-house carer for Nina. His meek, mild-mannered persona makes one question how Rob could have been brought to ruin in the first place, but then again, perceptions and false representations of character are at the forefront of Director Joe Stephenson’s and writer Dan Kelly-Mulhern’s creative vision. We are continually poised on the brink of something sinister as the slow-burn dramatic tension gets dialled up to its final conclusion.

The Prognosis:

Gore is clearly a lover of the old school Hammer Films and stylistically has employed Stephenson to infuse this visual with a new and bold approach to Gothic stories. 

Izzard does a fine job of playing the titular role with sometimes campy, sometimes macabre, but always grounded in realism. A balance that isn’t easy to take hold of, but Izzard is also a fan of this era, as evidenced in some of his early stand-up routines and must be in his element here. Likewise, Chambers has a tough act to deliver, playing it straight and holding back on Rob’s traumatic past, trying to bury the pain deep but always the threat of something far darker beneath the surface. 

Where the story falls flat is in its delivery, with a steady and slow pace that drifts into mediocrity and failing to ignite or lift the veil of intrigue until the climax. 

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective – The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

11 Saturday Mar 2023

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To conclude the decade, following a string of successful hits in the horror genre, Hammer Films would produce an oft neglected feature when placed alongside their showpieces, The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy, possibly as a result of poor distribution in the States. It’s a shame as it bears all the hallmarks of Director Terence Fisher’s classic traits that made such an impression on moviegoing audiences, and stars Christopher Lee as our potential hero and romantic love interest.

The stage is set in Paris at the turn of the century where we meet a doctor named Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring, who for years I thought was the same guy who played Decker from the A-Team (Lance LeGault) Where Eagles Dare). Bonnet harbours a disturbing secret however, the secret to eternal youth, using a procedure that belies his 104 years of age. The only way that he can maintain this is through a surgical operation on the glands, and needs the assistance of long time accomplice Dr. Ludwig Weiss (Arnold Marle) and the use of human fluid. Not exactly something that is available on tap, and so Bonnet resorts to murder, all in the name of immortality.

When Ludwig’s age becomes a hindrance though, Bonnet must seek alternative means, perhaps in Pierre (Lee) a fellow surgeon with a high degree of promise. Bonnet is also slipping up however when a model Margo (Delphi Lawrence) goes missing in mysterious circumstances, and Janine (Hazel Court – The Curse of Frankenstein) continues to pursue his love interests. How long can Bonnet hide his secret? And will Pierre (who also has an adoration towards Janine in this macabre love triangle) find out the truth and put an end to Bonnet’s evil doings?

Initially based on a play by Barry Lyndon called The Man in Half Moon Street and starred both Diffring and Marle in their respective roles in an anthology tv series, in which an adaptation was scripted by Jimmy Sangster. Hammer would garner the rights to a movie adaptation peppered with their current look and feel through Fisher’s more than capable hands. Initially if Producer Anthony Carreras had his way, another Lee, Cushing vehicle would have been produced but Cushing would have to step aside due to illness, a move that infamously had Carreras fuming and seeking legal action against the high profile actor.

Some may feel that there is more style than substance on show here, which I can see their position but despite this and the dialogue heavy sequences, both Diffring’s performance and the effects when the ageing process starts to take effect, make this a worthy watch.

  • Saul Muerte. 

Retrospective – The Mummy (1959)

24 Friday Feb 2023

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Within the last three years of the 1950s, Hammer Films had reshaped the Universal Classic monsters canon with The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Revenge of Frankenstein, bringing into full glorious and gory colour for a then, modern audience, With it, Hammer would also unite one of celluloid history’s greatest co-stars in the horror genre in Peter Cushing and Sir Christopher Lee. Before the turn of the decade, the British production house would turn their attention to yet another Universal offering, The Mummy, and keep that winning formula of Cushing, Lee and film director Terence Fisher. Cushing played the dashing hero, and Lee subjected to the ‘monster’ character and hidden behind full make up for the last time with Hammer. It was a tortuous and gruelling affair for its two leads, and would lead Cushing to the hospital following a scene gone awry. Cushing would also become more bold in his acting choices and in cementing his character traits on screen and guiding his director in some of teh action sequences.

The familiar tale of the mummified High Priest Kharis (Lee) resurrected under the power of Mehemet Bey (George Pastell) to seek revenge for disturbing Princess Ananka’s tomb, is given the Hammer treatment. Here Cushing plays the part of John Banning, one of the doomed expedition crew. His father, Stephen (Felix Aylmer) has been driven mad and escorted to the asylum with his prophecies of the forthcoming mummy. Initially scoffed at and ridiculed, the subject takes a dark and sour turn when Stephen is killed by Kharis’ bandaged hands.

Kharis would also be moved by his lost love, Ananka, whose appearance is uncannily similar to John Banning’s wife, (Yvonne Furneaux) and thus brings about our damsel in distress theme.

Jimmy Sangster would once again herald the screenplay writing duties, fusing Universal’s The Mummy; The Mummy’s Tomb; and The Mummy’s Ghost to puff out his take on the story for Hammer. 

Upon its cinematic release, the name Hammer was starting to cause quite a stir among moviegoers, and The Mummy became a big success for the company. It even surpassed its successors in the box office and in some ways is a more solid feature in its narrative, and effects. Despite the climatic ending where Kharis played by go to stuntman Eddie Powell sinking into the depths of the quagmire, the British Film company was rising to new heights. And it was all in the name of horror.

  • Saul Muerte. 

Retrospective – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1958)

24 Friday Feb 2023

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Before Benedict Cumberbatch donned the deerstalker hat for Moffat and Gatiss’ modern interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous detective, another British icon had made an impressionable mark for Hammer Film Productions’ The Hound of the Baskervilles. Having already portrayed literature icons Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing, it was time to turn his head towards Sherlock Holmes for one of his greatest adventures. 

His Doctor Watson would be ably performed by Andre Morell (The Plague of Zombies) who himself would become a Hammer staple, but it would be the casting of Sir Chrisopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskervilles (once again unite Hammer’s most memorable duo on screen) in the first representation of the tale in colour surrounding the dreaded curse and the beast the walks the moors.

Hammer would look to sensationalise or create drama that was absent from the initial storyline, including the tarantula scene. Probably the hardest trick was to produce a larger than life hound for the film’s climax; a tough act considering Lee’s stature, but Hammer found their answer with a Great Dane called Colonel. 

It was initially conceived to be the gateway to many more Sherlock Holmes’ adaptations, but would be the only occurrence, much to the company and cinephiles’ dismay. It would have been interesting to see Cushing take on the role in numerous other stories. 

The great Terence Fisher who had stamped his signature vision; and one that became synonymous with the Hammer style with The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, would wield his take of the action from the Director’s chair. With the talent in front of the screen from which to mould the narrative, Fisher had created a feature that stands alongside these Gothic treatments that made Hammer Horror’s name, so it’s a shame that there weren’t more chances to delve within Conan Doyle’s world.

  • Saul Muerte

Retrospective: The Snorkel (1958)

13 Sunday Nov 2022

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1958 would prove to be an eventful year for Hammer Film Productions. Having hit the early half of the year with the iconic Dracula aka The Horror of Dracula starring Christopher Lee in the titular role, and then releasing the sequel to The Curse of Frankenstein, equally projecting their franchise with Peter Cushing returning as Baron Frankenstein having escaped the guillotine in The Revenge of Frankenstein. To round out their trilogy of cinematic releases, Hammer would work with Columbia Pictures to distribute the feature as part of a double bill contract with wartime feature The Camp On Blood Island.

The Snorkel plays out like an Alfred Hitchcock feature with its elaborate murder and macabre dealings by the murderer himself, twisting and turning to achieve his goal in financial gain. There is an element of gaslighting at play too as Paul Decker (Peter Van Eyck) who is masterful in his manipulation, wields his power over his step-daughter Candy (Mandy Miller). Candy continuously questions Paul, convinced that he is responsible for the death of her mother. The issue is that all the evidence points to suicide, not homicide.

The writing by Hammer staple Jimmy Sangster and Paul Myers from a story by Anthony Dawson (Dial M For Murder – another Hitchcock connection) is cleverly played out for melodramatic purposes but lacks in dialogue in places.

It has some choice moments and hesitantly dangles the idea of a questionably dark ending before tying up loose ends. It also had a higher budget than Hammer had dealt with but this was primarily due to shooting on location in an Italian villa. This actually plays in the films favour and grounds the narrative. 

The Snorkel has been a little forgotten over the years, masked by the Gothic features that Hammer released at the time, but warrants further attention as it’s a fun little tale of murder and suspense.

– Saul Muerte

Retrospective: The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

13 Sunday Nov 2022

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Hot off the tails of Hammer’s iconic release of Dracula aka Horror of Dracula, the British Film production company would look to follow up on the success of their other Gothic feature, The Curse of Frankenstein. That film as noted at the time had the titular Baron played by Peter Cushing (returning once more here) heading for the guillotine. His resurrection would be a simple enough with Frankenstein paying off his executioner and escaping to form an alternate identity as Dr. Victor Stein set up his own successful practice in Carlsbruck. His alias is soon uncovered however by fellow doctor and admirer of Frankenstein’s work, Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews). Hans teams up with Frankenstein, eager to learn his methods and the two set work in picking up where he last left off, with the creation of life.

As part of these scientific methods, Frankenstein is accompanied by a hunchback, Karl (Oscar Quitak) who volunteers his brain in the promise of a new body (Michael Gwynne). It wouldn’t be a Hammer film without its share of drama and conflict which comes at the hand of Karl being beaten by a janitor damaging his brain and transforming his personality into a cannibalistic, decaying frame. From here, Frankenstein’s demise is on the cards and the town will awaken to his dark deeds.

Despite having a rushed script, the final cut would do well for Hammer, pulling in enough income at the box office and would be commended for a well handled screenplay ably supported by Jack Asher’s cinematography along with Terence Fisher’s directing. This is Cushing’s film though and his poise and acidic portrayal is one that lifts The Revenge of Frankenstein marking a successful franchise return and arguably one that is seen by some as better than its predecessor.

– Saul Muerte

Retrospective: Dracula (1958)

06 Sunday Nov 2022

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It’s 1958 and Hammer Films has slowly been making its mark on the horror celluloid scene, but they are about to cement their place forever with their iconic take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula as part of a deal between Seven Arts and Universal International. Iconic in that they would produce one of the most infamous images of the titular character thanks to the commanding presence of Christopher Lee. It would also see Lee don the fangs a total of seven times for Hammer, the last being The Satanic Rites of Dracula in 1973. His blood red eyes and performance as a sexual predator would set the image of modern Dracula up for life, but it would also be one that would irk Lee over time, becoming tiresome of the watered down versions he would ultimately play.

To add weight to the original feature (entitled The Horror of Dracula in the US as Universal wanted to distinguish the British version from their own 1931 feature starring Bela Lugosi), Hammer would cast Peter Cushing to play Dracula’s foe Van Helsing. A worthy and notable performance once again which would see Cushing insisting on performing his own stunts throughout.

It would once again herald Jimmy Sangster on writing duties, and the ever-dependable Terence Fisher in the directors chair following his success with The Curse of Frankenstein.

Upon review, the film still holds up well with solid performances throughout and the sexual undertone lays heavy with palettes of red, producing some well-handled effects. It’s also of note, the omission of key character Renfield from the novel, and the amalgamation of Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) and Arthur Holmwood’s (Michael Gough) role in the storyline too.  

Upon release, the film did well despite heavy criticism from certain avenues of the media, dubbing the X certificate a pale option and cries for a new classification to be ordered. Either way it didn’t stop the punters from going to see it, and paved the bloody path for Hammer to walk along for another two decades.

– Saul Muerte

Retrospective: The Abominable Snowman (1957)

25 Sunday Sep 2022

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Hammer Films trio of features to be released in 1957 would be complete with The Abominable Snowman. The heightened success of The Curse of Frankenstein and Quatermass 2 had made people sit up and take notice of this British film production company. TAS would see Director Val Guest team up again with one of his lead stars Peter Cushing, a formula that would be successful for this fictionalised expedition in search of the snow dwelling yeti. 

Nigel Kneale would once again take on writing duties that would pen Cushing as botanist John Rollason who agrees to join the party led by Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker), only to discover that the true intentions behind the enterprise is to capture the ape-like creature for commercial gain. 

The group are attacked by a yeti one night but one of the trappers is able to kill it, and in turn they try to use the creature to lure others of its kind to them. All of this goes against Rollasons’ moral integrity and he soon comes to believe that the yeti may indeed be of vastly greater intelligence to humankind. It is possible that they are hibernating in the mountains, waiting for humanity to reach its natural decline, before taking over as our planet’s chief primate.
The narrative will now see a turn of the tables, and the expedition must try to survive their ordeal before the terrain or the yeti’s bring about their ruin.

For a feature set in the vast open spaces through sets created by Bernard Robinson based on existing photos of shots taken in the French Pyrenees and built in the now famous Pinewood Studios, there is enough eeriness conveyed. This despite the lack of fear from the little seen yetis. It’s a strong movie with a decent plot that deserves more attention and a chance to rise out of the shadows left by The Curse of Frankenstein. The next horror feature to be released would forever cement Hammer Films’ place in the genre movie scene…

  • Saul Muerte