The Hammer Horror Encyclopedia E-Book

Brian Carver

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 72

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

British film company Hammer Films produced a wide selection of popular films from 1937 to 1979. The studio is principally known for its horror films made from the 1950s-1970s. Hammer Horror films were extremely popular. They were – and still are - well regarded, and innovative with many new artistic elements and increasingly adult and violent content. Hammer Horror films had many iconic stars such as Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing; the glamorous women of Hammer Horror were a staple. Find out more about the Hammer Horror series with this book.

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TheHammer HorrorEncyclopedia

Brian Carver© Copyright 2024 Brian Carver

ContentsIntroductionThe EncyclopediaPhoto CreditsIntroductionBritish film company Hammer Films produced a wide selection of popular films from 1937 to 1979. The studio is principally known for its horror films made from the 1950s-1970s. Hammer Horror films were extremely popular. They were – and still are - well regarded, and innovative with many new artistic elements and increasingly adult and violent content.Hammer Horror films had many iconic stars such as Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing; the glamorous women of Hammer Horror were a staple.Find out more about the Hammer Horror series with this book.The EncyclopediaAThe Abominable SnowmanThe Abominable Snowman (1957)Directed by Val GuestProduced by Aubrey BaringWritten by Nigel KnealeStarring: Forrest Tucker as Tom Friend, Peter Cushing as Dr. Rollason, Arnold Marlé as The Lhama, Maureen Connell as Helen RollasonDr John Rollason, his assistant Peter Fox (Richard Wattis) and Rollason's wife Helen are on a botanical expedition to the Himalayas. They are guests of the Lama at the  monastery of Rong-buk.Another expedition led by Dr. Tom Friend arrives at the monastery. They are searching for the Yeti - the Abominable Snowman. Dr. Rollason decides to join the search for the Yeti.The film was written by Nigel Kneale and is based on his BBC television play The Creature.This is a very good early Hammer horror/sci-fi film. It has an unsettling atmosphere and explores issues such as science v commercialism. In the film one explorer wants to study the Yeti, and another wants to make money off the creature.AliensAliens and extra terrestrials did not really feature much in the Hammer horror series. There was more emphasis on creatures, monsters and magic. The Quatermass trilogy - The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), Quatermass 2 (1957), Quatermass and the Pit (1967) do feature alien lifeforms and viruses.Jack AsherJack Asher (1916-1991) was a cinematographer.He worked on several classic Hammer horror films, starting with The Curse of Frankenstein. Asher had a creative approach to his style of filming with different types of lighting techniques and unique colours. This gave a distinctive look to the Hammer films. He was replaced by Hammer in the early 1960s as his technique was considered too expensive and slow.BDon BanksDon Banks (1923-1980) was an Australian composer.He composed the music for several Hammer horror films such as Captain Clegg (1962), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), The Reptile (1966) and The Mummy's Shroud (1967).Banks was born in Melbourne.After serving in WW2 he moved to London composing music for advertisements, cartoons, film and television. His Hammer scores complimented the Hammer horror sound with dissonant eerie music.“Don was a twelve-tone/serial composer who revelled in the opportunity to write abrasive and highly dissonant scores in an idiom akin to that of the late Schoenberg,” said composer Douglas Gamley.In 1972 he returned to Australia to take on educational roles.Ralph BatesRalph Bates (1940-1992) was a British actor.He appears in Hammer horror films Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1971), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) and Fear in the Night (1972).In Taste the Blood of Dracula he plays Lord Courtley - a dabbler in the occult who turns into Dracula (played by Christopher Lee) after a ceremony. In  The Horror of Frankenstein bates plays the main character - Baron Victor Frankenstein. In Lust for a Vampire he plays Giles Garton. In Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde he plays Dr. Henry Jekyll, the main character.He was of French ancestry. Born in Bristol, Bates studied at Trinity College Dublin and Yale Drama School. He had numerous theatre roles, especially early on in his career.His dark looks led him to be cast in many villainous roles.Bates appears in many television roles such as Poldark, Moonbase 3, Secret Army and the Minder television film Minder on the Orient Express. He had a memorable role in the John Sullivan BBC  sitcom Dear John in the 1980s. He played the title character, a recently divorced man attending a support group for single people.Bates's second wife was Hammer film actress Virginia Wetherill. They were married until Bates's sad death at 51 from cancer.James BernardJames Bernard (1925-2001) was a British film composer.Bernard was born in India, the son of a British Army officer.During WW2 Bernard worked on deciphering the German Enigma Machine, deciphering Japanese messages. After WW2 Bernard studied at the Royal College of Music. He worked with Benjamin Britten. He was friends with writer Paul Dehn and helped him write a screenplay for Seven Days to Noon (1950) and they won a joint Academy Award for Best Screenplay.Bernard wrote music for radio and television, and was asked to score the Hammer film The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) when the original composer had to pull out. This was the first of many Hammer films Bernard scored for Hammer. He was responsible for the traditional unsettling and eerie music of the Hammer films.Bernard died in 2001.Black ParkBlack Park is a country park in Wexham in Buckinghamshire. It is near Pinewood Studios. The park was used by Hammer as a filming location as it has a lake, dirt tracks and thick woodland, useful for Hammers Gothic period pieces.Many other films - such as James Bond, Harry Potter, the Marvel Studios films - have used the park as a location.BloodHammer was the first studio to make a horror film showing blood. The Curse of Frankenstein had blood in colour with scenes including blood pouring out of wounds. This was very shocking to audiences in the 50s/60s. Subsequent Hammer films featured lots of blood - which was normally bright red!Blood From the Mummy's TombBlood From the Mummy's Tomb (1971)Directed by Seth Holt and Michael CarrerasProduced by Howard BrandyWritten by Christopher WickingStarring: Andrew Keir as Julian Fuchs, Valerie Leon as Margaret Fuchs/Queen Tera, James Villiers as Corbeck, Hugh Burden as Geoffrey DandridgeProfessor Fuchs finds the tomb of evil Egyptian Queen Tara during an expedition in Egypt. He takes her mummy and possessions back to England and recreates her tomb under his house. Fuch's daughter Margaret is given Queen Tara's ring as a birthday gift, and Margaret then has nightmare about the expedition. She is possessed by the spirit of Tara - and wants to gain revenge on the expedition members.This is the fourth and last film in Hammer's mummy series. It is adapted from Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of the Seven Stars. Andrew Keir was a late replacement for Peter Cushing who had to pull out as he was suffering from emphysema. Sadly director Seth Holt died of a heart near the end of shooting the film. He was replaced with Michael Carreras.Blood From the Mummy's Tomb is a stylish 70s Hammer horror. It is helped considerably by the presence of the extremely glamorous Valerie Leon who has a larger than usual role for her. It's a shame that Peter Cushing could not appear due to ill health.Bray StudiosIn 1951 Hammer leased Down Place, a detached house with grounds by the River Thames in Bray in Berkshire. Hammer wanted a place to film without having to lease different country houses. Hammer created the Bray studio's complex using all the rooms and grounds for their films. Hammer sold the studio in 1970.The studios were used until 2012, and will be converted into housing in the future.Shane BriantShane Briant (1946-2021) was a British actor.He appears in three Hammer films: Demons of the Mind (1972), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) and Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974)In Demons of the Minds he plays Emil, one of the young people imprisoned by their father. In Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell he plays Dr. Simon Helder, Dr Frankenstein's assistant. In Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter he plays Paul Durward.Born in London, Briant studied law at Trinity College Dublin. After an early career in theatre he had numerous roles in British film and television in the seventies. He was in demand for his classic villainous upper class look.He moved to Australia in 1983, working in film and television. He wrote several novels.The Brides of DraculaThe Brides of Dracula (1960)Directed by Terence FisherProduced by Anthony HindsWritten by Peter Bryan, Edward Percy, Jimmy Sangster and Anthony Hinds.Starring: Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing, Marita Hunt as Baroness Meinster, Yvonne Monlaur as Marianne, Freda Jackson as Greta.A young teacher from France- Marianne Danielle - takes up a post in Transylvania. She stops off at the castle of Baroness Meinster, but is horrified to find his son chained up. She frees him, but her act has unleashed the vampires.The Brides of Dracula is a sequel to Deacula (1958). Dracula does not appear in the film as Christopher Lee is not in the film. Peter Cushing stars as Van Helsing.A classic Hammer horror with great production values and performances, especially from Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.CCaptain Kronos – Vampire HunterCaptain Kronos – Vampire Hunter (1974)Directed by Brian ClemensProduced by Albert Fennell and Brian ClemensWritten by Brian ClemensStarring: Horst Janson as Captain Kronos, John Cater as Professor Hieronymus Grost, Caroline Munro as Carla, John Carson as Dr. Marcus