Hammer Films

Though best known for its horror films, Hammer produced a wide variety of movies in many genres. The British studio was famous for its exciting stories and expert action—all on very small budgets and short shooting schedules.
From The Public Life of Henry the Ninth (1935) to The Lady Vanishes (1978), this is the definitive work on Hammer’s 165 films. Complete filmographic data are provided for each film, including release dates in both the United Kingdom and the United States, running time, length, distributor, complete cast and production credits, and alternate titles. These data are followed by an extensive plot synopsis, including contemporary critical commentary and behind-the-scenes information from many of the players and crew members.

The late Tom Johnson, author of several books on horror cinema, taught and coached cross country and track for 30 years. He lived in Shillington, Pennsylvania.

Deborah Del Vecchio is a freelance writer living in Delaware.

Tom Johnson and Deborah Del Vecchio
Foreword by Peter Cushing
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 422
Bibliographic Info: 236 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [1996]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6922-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9186-5
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      xi
Foreword by Peter Cushing. OBE      1
Introduction by Jimmy Sangster      3
A History of Hammer Films/Exclusive FiIms      7

The Films (listed chronologically by year of production)
1935. The Public Life of Henry the Ninth      21
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste      22
Song of Freedom      25
1936. The Bank Messenger Mystery      26
Sporting Love      27
1947. Death in High Heels      27
River Patrol      28
The Dark Road      29
Dick Barton. Special Agent      30
Who Killed Van Loon?      31
1948. Dick Barton at Bay      31
Dick Barton Strikes Back      34
The Jack of Diamonds      34
Dr Morelle—The Case of the Missing Heiress      36
The Adventures of PC 49      38
1949. Celia—The Sinister Affair of Poor Aunt Nora      41
Meet Simon Cherry      42
The Man in Black      43
Room to Let      45
Someone at the Door      48
1950. What the Butler Saw      49
The Lady Craved Excitement      51
The Black Widow      53
The Rossiter Case      54
To Have and to Hold      55
The Dark Light      56
1951. Cloudburst      57
A Case for P.C. 49      59
Death of an Angel      60
Whispering Smith Hits London      62
The Last Page      63
Wings of Danger      66
Never Look Back      67
Stolen Face      70
1952. Lady in the Fog      72
The Gambler and the Lady      74
Mantrap      76
The Four Sided Triangle      77
The Flanagan Boy      79
Spaceways      80
1953. The Saint’s Return      83
Blood Orange      85
36 Hours      87
Face the Music      8
The House Across the Lake      90
Life with the Lyons      91
Murder by Proxy      93
Five Days      95
1954. The Stranger Came Home      96
Third Party Risk      99
Mask of Dust      100
Men of Sherwood Forest      102
The Lyons in Paris      104
The Glass Cage      105
Break in the Circle      106
The Quatermass Xperiment      108
1955. Women Without Men      111
1956. X—The Unknown      113
Quatermass 2      116
The Steel Bayonet      119
The Curse of Frankenstein      121
1957. The Abominable Snowman      127
The Camp on Blood Island      130
The Snorkel      133
Up the Creek      135
Dracula      137
1958. The Revenge of Frankenstein      143
Ten Seconds to Hell      146
Further Up the Creek      148
I Only Arsked      150
The Hound of the Baskervilles      152
The Man Who Could Cheat Death      156
1959. Yesterday’s Enemy      1159
The Mummy      162
The Ugly Duckling      166
The Stranglers of Bombay      168
Don’t Panic Chaps!      171
Never Take Sweets from a Stranger      171
Hell Is a City      174
The Two Faces of Dr . Jekyll      176
1960. The Brides of Dracula      180
The Terror of the Tongs      184
The Full Treatment      186
Sword of Sherwood Forest      188
Visa to Canton      191
The Curse of the Werewolf      192
A Weekend with Lulu      197
Taste of Fear      200
The Shadow of the Cat      203
1961. Watch It. Sailor!      205
Cash on Demand      207
The Damned      209
The Pirates of Blood River      212
Captain Clegg      215
The Phantom of the Opera      218
1962. The Old Dark House      221
Maniac      224
Paranoiac      226
Kiss of the Vampire      229
Nightmare      232
1963. The Scarlet Blade      234
Devil-Ship Pirates      235
The Evil of Frankenstein      238
The Gorgon      241
1964. Hysteria      243
The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb      244
The Secret of Blood Island      246
She      249
Fanatic      251
The Brigand of Kandahar      254
1965. The Nanny      256
Dracula—Prince of Darkness      258
Rasputin-The Mad Monk      262
The Plague of the Zombies      264
The Reptile      268
One Million Years B.C.      270
1966. Slave Girls      274
The Witches      276
The Viking Queen      277
Frankenstein Created Woman      280
The Mummy’s Shroud      283
1967. Quatermass and the Pit      285
A Challenge for Robin Hood      288
The Anniversary      290
The Vengeance of She      292
The Devil Rides Out      295
The Lost Continent      298
1968. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave      300
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth      303
1969. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed      307
Moon Zero Two      311
Crescendo      313
Taste the Blood of Dracula      315
1970. The Vampire Lovers      318
Horror of Frankenstein      320
Scars of Dracula      323
Creatures the World Forgot      327
Lust for a Vampire      329
Countess Dracula      332
1971. Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb      335
Hands of the Ripper      337
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde      339
On the Buses      342
Twins of Evil      344
Vampire Circus      346
Demons of the Mind      348
Dracula A.D. 1972      349
Straight On Till Morning      352
Fear in the Night      353
1972. Mutiny on the Buses      356
Kronos      357
That’s Your Funeral      360
Nearest and Dearest      360
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell      362
The Satanic Rites of Dracula      365
1973. Love Thy Neighbor      367
Man at the Top      368
Holiday on the Buses      369
Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires      370
Shatter      372
1974. Man About the House      375
1975. To the Devil … A Daughter      376
1978. The Lady Vanishes      378

Short Subjects      381
Hammer on Television      389
Afterword by James Bernard      393
Epilogue      395
Selected Bibliography      397
Index      399

“excellent…the authors do an amazing job…impressive”—Classic Images; “an encyclopedic wealth of information…an important research tool”—Journal of Popular Culture; “there is a lot of love for Hammer Films here, and a lot of good research, which is as it should be, and while there are many books on Hammer—few have such a fine eye for detail. Thus, this is a valuable reference work, and a good read in its own right”—Destructive Music; “excellent”—Psychotronic; “This is a great reference book which I’m sure you’ll want to add to your collection”—SF Crowsnest.