New company logo as introduced in May 2007

A poster for Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966).

Hammer Film Productions is a film production company in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films produced from the late 1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers and comedies — and in later years, television series. Hammer films were cheap to produce but nonetheless appeared lavish, making use of quality British actors and cleverly designed sets. During its most successful years, Hammer dominated the horror film market, enjoying worldwide distribution and considerable financial success. This success was due, in part, to distribution partnerships with major United States studios, such as Warner Brothers. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x678, 111 KB) Poster: Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966) Scanned by User:Rayray August 20 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x678, 111 KB) Poster: Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966) Scanned by User:Rayray August 20 2005. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole Gothic fiction is an important genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Thriller films are movies that primarily use action and suspense to engage the audience. ... Comedy film is genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humor. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... Warner Bros. ...

During the late 1960s and 1970s the saturation of the horror market by competitors and the loss of American funding forced changes to the previously lucrative Hammer-formula, with varying degrees of success. The company eventually ceased production in the mid-1980s and has remained in effective hibernation since. In 2000 the studio announced plans to begin making films again after being bought by a consortium including advertising guru and art collector Charles Saatchi, but no films have been produced since. In May 2007 the company behind the movies was sold to a group headed by Big Brother creator John de Mol. At least $50m (£25m) will be spent on new horror films after Hammer Film Productions was sold to Dutch consortium Cyrte Investments. The new owners have also acquired the Hammer group's back catalogue. Big Brother is a reality television format. ... John de Mol, born 24 April 1955, is a Dutch media tycoon and billionaire. ...

The term "Hammer Horror" is often used generically to refer to other films of the period made in a similar style by different companies, such as Eros Films, Amicus Productions and Tigon British Film Productions. Amicus Productions was founded in the UK by American producer and screenwriter Milton Subotsky, and served primarily as vehicle for Subotskys anthology horror films such as Dr. Terrors House of Horrors (1964), directed by genre stalwart Freddie Francis, and The House That Dripped Blood. ... Tigon British Film Productions was a film production and distribution company founded by Tony Tenser in 1966. ...

Early history (1935 to 1937) — Hammer Productions

In November 1934 William Hinds, a comedian and businessman registered his own film company — Hammer Productions Ltd.^[1][2] — based in a three-room office suite at Imperial House, Regent Street, London. The company name was taken from Hinds' stage name, Will Hammer. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Quadrant at the bottom of Regent Street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Work began almost immediately on the first Hammer film, The Public Life of Henry the Ninth at the MGM/ATP studios, with shooting concluding on 2 January 1935. During this period Hinds met Spanish émigré Enrique Carreras, a former cinema owner, and on 10 May 1935 they formed a film distribution company Exclusive Films, operating from a single office at 60-66 National House, Wardour Street.^[3] Hammer produced a further four films distributed by Exclusive: is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... A Film distributor is an independent company, a subsidiary company or occasionally an individual, which acts as the final agent between a film production company or some intermediary agent, and a film exhibitor, to the end of securing placement of the producers film on the exhibitors screen. ...

• The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (US: The Phantom Ship) (1936), featuring Bela Lugosi
• The Song of Freedom (1936), featuring Paul Robeson
• Sporting Love (1937)
• The Bank Messenger Mystery (1936)

A slump in the British film industry forced Hammer into bankruptcy and the company went into liquidation in 1937. Exclusive, however, survived and on 20 July 1937 purchased the leasehold on 113-117 Wardour Street, and continued to distribute films made by other companies.^[4] The Mystery OF the Marie Celeste (a. ... The Phantom Ship (1839) is a Gothic novel by Frederick Marryat which explores the legend of The Flying Dutchman and, in one chapter, features a Werewolf. ... Bela Lugosi as Dracula United States stamp. ... Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Communist sympathizer, Spingarn Medal winner, and Lenin Peace Prize laureate. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Resurrection (1938 to 1955) — Hammer Film Productions

James Carreras (son of Enrique) joined Exclusive in 1938, closely followed by William Hinds' son, Anthony. At the outbreak of World War II, both James Carreras and Anthony Hinds left to join the armed services and Exclusive continued to operate only in a limited capacity. In 1946, James Carreras rejoined the company after demobilisation. He resurrected Hammer as the film production arm of Exclusive with a view to supplying 'quota-quickies' - cheaply made domestic films designed to fill gaps in cinema schedules and support more expensive features.^[5] He convinced Anthony Hinds to rejoin the company, and a revived 'Hammer Film Productions' set to work on Death in High Heels, The Dark Road, Crime Reporter and Dick Barton Special Agent (an adaptation of the successful Dick Barton radio show). All were all shot at Marylebone Studios during 1947. During production of 1948's Dick Barton Strikes Back, it became apparent that the company could save a considerable amount of money by shooting in country houses instead of professional studios. For their next production — Dr Morelle - The Case of the Missing Heiress (another radio adaptation) — Hammer rented Dial Close, a 23 bedroom mansion next to the River Thames, at Cookham Dean, Maidenhead.^[6] Sir James Carreras (1909 - 1990) was one of the founders of Hammer Film Productions. ... Demobilization is the process of standing down a nations armed forces from combat-ready status. ... Dick Barton - Special Agent was a popular radio program on the BBC Light Programme from 1946 to 1951. ... The year 1947 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ...

On 12 February 1949 Exclusive finally registered "Hammer Film Productions" as a company with Enrique and James Carreras, and William and Tony Hinds as company directors. Hammer moved into the Exclusive offices in 113-117 Wardour Street, and the building was rechristened "Hammer House".^[7] February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In August 1949, complaints from locals about noise during night filming forced Hammer to leave Dial Close and move into another mansion, Oakley Court, also on the banks of the Thames between Windsor and Maidenhead.^[8] Five films were shot there: The Man in Black (1949), Room to Let (1949), Someone at the Door (1949), What The Butler Saw (1950), The Lady Craved Excitement (1950). In 1950, Hammer moved again to Gilston Park, a country club in Harlow Essex, which hosted Black Widow, The Rossiter Case, To Have and to Hold and The Dark Light (all 1950). Oakley Court is a Victorian, Gothic mansion, built in 1859, set in 35 acres overlooking the River Thames near Windsor and was used in the filming of the St Trinians series and the Hammer House of Horror films. ... This article is about the English town. ... Room to Let is a short film directed by Joe McStravick and starring Robin Edwards and Roz McCutcheon (The League Of Gentlemen and Jam). ...

In 1951, Hammer began shooting at its most famous home, Down Place also on the banks of the Thames. The company took out a one year lease and began its 1951 production schedule with Cloudburst. The house, a virtual derelict, required substantial work, but it did not have the kind of construction restrictions that had prevented Hammer from customising its previous homes. A decision was therefore made to turn Down Place into a substantial, custom-fitted studio complex.^[9] Its expansive grounds were used for almost all of the later location shooting in Hammer's films, and are a key part of the "Hammer look".

Also during 1951, Hammer and Exclusive signed a four-year production and distribution contract with Robert Lippert, an American film producer. The contract meant that Lippert and Exclusive effectively exchanged products for distribution on their respective sides of the Atlantic — beginning in 1951 with The Last Page and ending with 1955's Women Without Men (AKA Prison Story).^[10] It was Lippert's insistence on an American star in the Hammer films he was to distribute that led to the prevalence of American leads in so many of the company's 1950s productions. It was for The Last Page that Hammer made one of its most significant appointments when it hired film director Terence Fisher, who went on to play a critical role in the forthcoming horror boom of the 1950s. “Atlantic” redirects here. ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Terence Fisher (February 23, 1904 - June 18, 1980), was a film director who worked for Hammer Films. ...

Towards the end of 1951, the one-year lease on Down Place expired, and with its increasing success Hammer looked back towards more conventional studio-based productions. A dispute with the Association of Cinematograph Technicians, however, blocked this proposal, and instead the company purchased the freehold of Down Place. The house was renamed Bray Studios after the nearby village of Bray and it remained Hammer's principal base until 1966.^[10] Bray Studios is a film and television studio next to the River Thames near Windsor, England. ... St. ...

1952 brought the first of Hammer's science fiction films: Four Sided Triangle and Spaceways. // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... Four Sided Triangle is a 1953 British science-fiction film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. ... Spaceways is a 76-minute, 1953, British-American, black and white, science fiction film co-produced by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. ...

Ralph Bates (February 12, 1940 - March 27, 1991) was a British film and television actor, best known for his role in the British sitcom, Dear John (1986). ... Shane Briant (born 17 August 1946 in London, England) is an actor. ... Veronica Carlson is a British model and actress, born in 1944. ... Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE, (26 May 1913-11 August 1994) was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. ... Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922) is an English actor known for his professional longevity and his distinctive basso delivery. ... Andrew Keir, born Andrew Buggy on April 3, 1926 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, was a British actor, well-known for his roles in several Hammer Films horror film productions during the 1960s. ... William Miles Malleson (May 25, 1888 – March 15, 1969) was a British actor and dramatist, particularly known for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1950s. ... Francis Matthews is a British film, TV and stage actor born 10 September 1927. ... André Morell as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the BBC Television serial Quatermass and the Pit (1958-59). ... Robert Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his macho image on and off screen. ... English actor Michael Ripper (1913–2000) began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown. ... Barbara Shelley (born August 15, 1933) is a British film and television actor She is now retired, but was at her busiest in the late 1950s (Blood of the Vampire) and 1960s when she became Hammer Horrors number one female star, with The Gorgon (1964), Dracula, Prince of Darkness...

The birth of Hammer Horror (1955 to 1959)

Hammer's first significant experiment with horror came in the form of a 1955 adaptation of Nigel Kneale's BBC Television science fiction serial The Quatermass Experiment, which was directed by Val Guest. As a consequence of the contract with Robert Lippert, American actor Brian Donlevy was imported for the lead role, and the title was changed to The Quatermass Xperiment to cash in on the new X certificate for horror films. The film was an unexpectedly big hit, and led to an almost equally popular 1957 sequel Quatermass 2 — again adapted from one of Kneale's television scripts, this time by Kneale himself and with a budget double that of the original: £92,000.^[11] In the meantime, Hammer had produced another Quatermass-style horror film, X the Unknown, originally intended as a full part of the series until Kneale denied them the rights.^[12] At the time, Hammer voluntarily submitted its scripts to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for comments before beginning production. Regarding the script of X the Unknown, one reader/examiner (Audrey Field) commented on the 24 of November: The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... Nigel Kneale (born Thomas Nigel Kneale on April 18, 1922 in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, UK) is a Manx television and film scriptwriter, who has worked mostly in the UK. He is best known for his creation of the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass, who has appeared in three... BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which began in 1932. ... The Quatermass Experiment is a British television science-fiction serial, transmitted by BBC Television in the summer of 1953. ... Val Guest signing autographs. ... Brian Donlevy in The Big Combo Brian Donlevy (born Waldo Bruce Donlevy on February 9, 1901 in Cleveland, Ohio, died April 6, 1972 in Woodland Hills, California) was an American actor, known for many film roles from the 1930s to the 1960s. ... The 1955 advertising poster for the films UK release. ... X-rated, X certificate, X classification or similar terms are labels for movies implying strong adult content, typically pornography or violence. ... Quatermass 2 (also known as Quatermass II) is a British science-fiction/horror film, produced by the Hammer company and released in 1957. ... Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional character, created by the writer Nigel Kneale originally for BBC Television, who appeared in three influential BBC science fiction serials of the 1950s, and made his swansong in a final serial for Thames Television in 1979. ... X the Unknown is a British science-fiction / horror film made by the famous Hammer Films company and released in 1956. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ...

"Well, no one can say the customers won't have had their money's worth by now. In fact, someone will almost certainly have been sick. We must have a great deal more restraint, and much more done by onlookers' reactions instead of by shots of 'pulsating obscenity', hideous scars, hideous sightless faces, etc, etc. It is keeping on and on in the same vein that makes this script so outrageous. They must take it away and prune. Before they take it away, however, I think the President [of the BBFC] should read it. I have a stronger stomach than the average (for viewing purposes) and perhaps I ought to be reacting more strongly."^[13]

The Curse of Frankenstein

Main article: The Curse of Frankenstein

As production began on Quatermass 2, Hammer started to look for another U.S. partner willing to invest in and handle the American promotion of new product. They eventually entered talks with Associated Artists Pictures (AAP) and its head, Eliot Hyman. During this period, two young American film-makers, Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, submitted to AAP a script for an adaptation of the novel Frankenstein. Although interested in the script, AAP were not prepared to back a film made by Rosenberg and Subotsky, who had only one film to their credit. Eliot Hyman did, however, send the script to his contact at Hammer.^[14] The Curse of Frankenstein is a 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions. ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ...

Anthony Hinds was unsure about the script, as Universal Pictures had already made a series of successful Frankenstein films. Although the novel by Mary Shelley was long since in public domain, Subotsky's script adhered closely to the plot of the 1939 Universal film Son of Frankenstein, featuring a second-generation Frankenstein emulating his father, the original monster-maker. This put the project at risk of a copyright infringement lawsuit by Universal. In addition, a great deal of polishing and additional material was needed as the short script had an estimated running time of only 55 minutes — far less than the minimum of 90 minutes needed for distribution in the UK. Accordingly, comments on the script from Hammer's Michael Carreras were less than complimentary: Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... Frankenstein is a 1931 science fiction film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and very loosely based on the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. ... Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English romantic/gothic novelist and the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... Son of Frankenstein is a horror film made by Universal Studios in 1939 and directed by Rowland V. Lee. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

"The script is badly presented. The sets are not marked clearly on the shot headings, neither is DAY or NIGHT specified in a number of cases. The number of set-ups scripted is quite out of proportion to the length of the screenplay, and we suggest that your rewrites are done in master scene form." — Michael Carreras' letter to Max Rosenberg.^[15]

Further revisions were made to the script, and a working title of Frankenstein and the Monster was chosen. Plans were made to shoot the film in Eastmancolor — a decision which caused further worry at the BBFC. Not only did the script contain horror and graphic violence, but it would be portrayed in vivid colour.^[16]

The project was handed to Tony Hinds who was even less impressed with the script than Michael Carreras, and whose vision for the film was a mere black and white 'quickie' made in three weeks. Concerned that Subotsky and Rosenberg's script still had too many similarities to the old Universal films, Hinds commissioned Jimmy Sangster to rewrite it as The Curse of Frankenstein. Sangster's treatment impressed Hammer enough to rescue the film from its place on the 'quickie' treadmill and restore it as a colour shoot. The Curse of Frankenstein is a 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions. ...

Sangster submitted his own script to the BBFC for examination. Audrey Field's report on the 10 October 1956 read,^[17] is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"We are concerned about the flavour of this script, which, in its preoccupation with horror and gruesome detail, goes far beyond what we are accustomed to allow even for the 'X' category. I am afraid we can give no assurance that we should be able to pass a film based on the present script and a revised script should be sent us for our comments, in which the overall unpleasantness should be mitigated."^[17]

Regardless of the BBFC's stern warnings, Hinds supervised the shooting of a virtually unchanged script.^[18]

The film was directed by Terence Fisher, with a look that belied its modest budget. Peter Cushing's performance as Baron Victor Frankenstein, and Lee's as the imposingly tall, brutish monster provide the film with a further veneer of polish. With a budget of £65,000 and a cast and crew that would become the backbone of later films,^[18] Hammer's first Gothic horror went into production. The use of colour encouraged a previously unseen level of gore. Until The Curse of Frankenstein horror films had not shown blood in a graphic way, or when they did it was concealed by monochrome photography. In this film, it was bright red, and the camera lingered upon it. Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE, (26 May 1913-11 August 1994) was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. ...

The film was an enormous success, not only in Britain, but also in the USA, where it inspired numerous imitations from, amongst others, Roger Corman and his American International Pictures. It also found success on the European continent, where Italian directors and audiences were particularly receptive. Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926), sometimes nicknamed King of the Bs for his output of B-movies (though he himself rejects this appelation as inaccurate), is a prolific American producer and director of low-budget exploitation movies. ... The early AIP logo. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Christopher Lee as Frankenstein's monster

Image File history File links Curseoffrankenstein1957-1. ... Image File history File links Curseoffrankenstein1957-1. ... Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922) is an English actor known for his professional longevity and his distinctive basso delivery. ...

Dracula

Main article: Dracula (1958 film)

The huge box office success of The Curse of Frankenstein lead to the inevitable desire for a sequel in The Revenge of Frankenstein,^[19] and an attempt to give the Hammer treatment to another horror icon. Dracula was yet another successful film character for Universal, and the copyright situation was even more complicated than Frankenstein. A full legal agreement between Hammer and Universal was not completed until 31 March 1958 — after the film had already been shot — and was 80 pages long.^[20] Dracula is a 1958 British horror film, and the first of a series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

John Van Eyssen as Jonathan Harker in Dracula (1958)

Meanwhile, the financial arrangement between AAP and Hammer had broken down when money promised by AAP had not arrived. Hammer began looking for alternatives, and with the success of The Curse of Frankenstein signed a deal with Columbia Pictures to distribute the sequel The Revenge of Frankenstein and two films from the defaulted AAP deal The Camp on Blood Island and The Snorkel. Hammer's financial success also meant the winding down of the parent film distribution company Exclusive, leaving Hammer to concentrate solely on film-making.^[21] Image File history File links Dracula1958-1. ... Image File history File links Dracula1958-1. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ...

Work continued on the script for Dracula, and the second draft was voluntarily submitted to the BBFC. Audrey Fields, 8 October 1957, is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ...

"The uncouth, uneducated, disgusting and vulgar style of Mr Jimmy Sangster cannot quite obscure the remnants of a good horror story, though they do give one the gravest misgivings about treatment. [...] The curse of this thing is the Technicolor blood: why need vampires be messier eaters than anyone else? Certainly strong cautions will be necessary on shots of blood. And of course, some of the stake-work is prohibitive."^[22]

Despite the success of Curse of Frankenstein, the financing of Dracula proved awkward. Universal was not interested,^[23], and the search for money eventually brought Hammer back to AAP's Eliot Hyman, through another of his companies, Seven-Arts. Although an agreement was drawn up, the deal was never realised and funding for Dracula eventually came from the National Film Finance Council (£32,000) and the rest from Universal in return for worldwide distribution rights.^[24]

With an eventual budget of £81,412, Dracula began principal photography on 11 November 1957.^[25] Peter Cushing starred as Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, with direction by Terence Fisher and set design by Bernard Robinson that was radically different from the Universal adaptation — so radical, in fact, that Hammer executives considered paying him off and finding another designer.^[26] Many consider Dracula to be Hammer's finest film. is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Helsing and Van Helsing redirect here. ... Bernard Robinson was born in Liverpool, England in 1912 and died in 1970. ...

Dracula was an enormous success, breaking box-office records in the UK, the United States (released as Horror of Dracula), Canada, and across the world. On 20 August 1958 the Daily Cinema reported, is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Because of the fantastic business done world-wide by Hammer's Technicolor version of Dracula, Universal-International, its distributors, have made over to Jimmy Carreras' organisation, the remake rights to their entire library of classic films"^[27]

The Mummy

Main article: The Mummy (1959 film)

With the agreement in place, Hammer's executives had their pick of Universal International's horror icons and chose to remake The Invisible Man, The Phantom of the Opera and The Mummy. All were to be shot in Technicolor at Bray Studios, by the same team responsible for Dracula, Curse of Frankenstein and Revenge of Frankenstein. The Mummy was made in 1959, The Phantom of the Opera followed in 1962, but The Invisible Man was never produced. The Mummy is a 1959 British Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... // The Phantom of the Opera (1962) Hammer Film Productions, noted for the full color British revivals in the fifties, sixties and early seventies of classic horror films and characters, produced a lavish (for Hammer) version of the Phantom of the Opera in 1962. ... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ...

Principal photography for The Mummy began on 23 February 1959 and lasted until 16 April 1959. It starred both Peter Cushing (as John Banning) and Christopher Lee (as the Mummy, Kharis), and was again directed by Terence Fisher with a screenplay from Jimmy Sangster. The Mummy went on general release on 23 October 1959 and broke the box-office records set by Dracula the previous year, both in the UK and the U.S when it was released there in December.^[28] February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the period 1955-1959 Hammer produced a number of other horror and non-horror films, including The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, and comedies such as Don't Panic Chaps!. Nevertheless, it is the three films, The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy that set the direction and provided a template for many future films, and for which the company is best known. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 mystery movie produced by Hammer Studios and is directed by Terence Fisher. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

Sequels (1959 to 1969)

Hammer consolidated their success by turning their most successful horror films into series. Six sequels to The Curse of Frankenstein were produced between 1959 and 1974:

• The Revenge of Frankenstein (1959)
• The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
• Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
• Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
• The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
• Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)

All starred Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, except The Horror of Frankenstein (not a sequel, but a tongue-in-cheek remake of The Curse of Frankenstein), where Ralph Bates took the title role. The Revenge of Frankenstein is a 1958 film made by Hammer Film Productions. ... The Evil of Frankenstein is a 1963 British horror film directed for Hammer Horror directed by Freddie Francis. ... Frankenstein Created Woman is a 1967 British Hammer Horror film directed by Terence Fisher. ... Freddie Jones as the Creature in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is a British horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions in 1969. ... The Horror of Frankenstein is a 1970 film by Hammer Film Productions that is both a semi-parody and remake of the 1957 film The Curse of Frankenstein. ... Peter Cushing in his final appearance as the Baron in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell is a 1974 British horror film from Hammer Film Productions. ... Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE, (26 May 1913-11 August 1994) was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. ... Ralph Bates (February 12, 1940 - March 27, 1991) was a British film and television actor, best known for his role in the British sitcom, Dear John (1986). ...

Cushing also appeared in the first Dracula sequel, The Brides of Dracula (1960), in which David Peel played a decadent Dracula substitute "Baron Meinster". Christopher Lee returned to play Dracula himself in six sequels: For the characters, see Brides of Dracula. ... David Peel is a New York City-based musician who first achieved prominence in the late 1960s. ... Decadence was the name given, first by hostile critics, and then triumphantly adopted by some writers themselves, to a number of late nineteenth century fin de siècle writers associated with Symbolism or the Aesthetic movement. ... Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922) is an English actor known for his professional longevity and his distinctive basso delivery. ...

• Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
• Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
• Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969)
• Scars of Dracula (1970)
• Dracula AD 1972 (1972)
• The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

The first three were direct sequels to the original film, and employed much ingenuity in finding ways to resurrect the Count. Hammer broke continuity with Scars of Dracula in an attempt to re-imagine the character to appeal to a younger audience. The commercial failure of this film led to another change of style with the latter two films, which were not period pieces like their predecessors, but had a then-contemporary 1970s London setting. Peter Cushing appeared in both films playing a descendant of Van Helsing. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a 1968 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Hammer Studios. ... Taste the Blood of Dracula is a horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. ... Scars of Dracula is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer Studios. ... Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. ... The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a 1974 Hammer Horror film directed by Alan Gibson, and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. ... Scars of Dracula is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer Studios. ...

Christopher Lee grew increasingly disillusioned with the way the character was being taken, and with the poor quality of the later scripts - although he did improve these slightly himself by adding lines of dialogue from the original novel. (Lee speaks at least one line taken from Bram Stoker in every Dracula film he has appeared in, except for Prince of Darkness - in which the Count does not speak at all.) He was also concerned about typecasting. After Satanic Rites, he quit the series.

Further "mummy" movies were unrelated to the 1959 remake and one, The Mummy's Shroud, was relegated to second feature status. The films were The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964), The Mummy's Shroud (1966) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971). The latter was a modern day version of Bram Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars and featured Valerie Leon as a reincarnated Egyptian Princess, rather than an actual mummy. The same novel also served as the basis for the 1980 Charlton Heston film The Awakening. The Mummys Shroud is a 1967 horror film made in the UK by Hammer Studios. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of Goosebumps books. ... The Mummys Shroud is a 1967 horror film made in the UK by Hammer Studios. ... Blood from the Mummys Tomb - August 28, 2001 release DVD cover Blood from the Mummys Tomb is a 1971 British film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, and James Villiers. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847 – April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... The Jewel of Seven Stars is a horror novel by Bram Stoker (more famous as the author of Dracula) about a mummys curse. ... Valerie Leon in The Spy Who Loved Me. Valerie Leon (born November 12, 1945) is a British actress, regarded as something of a cult figure due to her roles in a number of high profile British film franchises. Her father was a director of a textile company and her mother... The Awakening is the name of an 1899 novel by Kate Chopin and a 1980 sculpture by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. ...

From the mid-1960s, the "Mummy" films and some of Hammer's other horror output were increasingly designed for double-billing. Two films would be shot back-to-back with the same sets and costumes to save money. Each film would then be shown on a separate double-bill to prevent audiences noticing any recycling. for example The Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile (both 1965), The Plague of the Zombies is a 1966 Hammer Horror film directed by John Gilling. ... The Reptile is a 1966 film made by Hammer Film Productions. ...

Hammer also made occasional one-off forays into new territory, and would sometimes import American stars, including Bette Davis, Tallulah Bankhead and Raquel Welch. For the singer, see Betty Davis, for the meteorologist, see Betty Davis (meteorologist). ... Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress, talk-show host and bonne vivante. ... Raquel Welch (born September 5, 1940) is an American actress. ...

Examples include:

• The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), a version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde
• The Phantom of the Opera (1962), starring Herbert Lom
• The Nanny (1965), with Bette Davis
• She (1965), based on the novel of the same name by Rider Haggard
• One Million Years B.C. (1966), with Raquel Welch
• The Anniversary (1968), with Bette Davis

Running alongside production of the Gothic horror films, Hammer also made a series of what were known as "mini-Hitchcocks". These very low-budget suspense thrillers, often in black-and-white, were made in the mould of Les Diaboliques, although more often compared to the later Psycho. This series of mystery thrillers, which all had twist endings, started with Taste of Fear (1961) and continued with Maniac and Paranoiac (1963), Nightmare and Hysteria (1964), Fanatic and The Nanny (1965), and Crescendo (1969).^[29] The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is a 1960 horror film by Hammer Film Productions. ... Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850–December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll1and Mr. ... // The Phantom of the Opera (1962) Hammer Film Productions, noted for the full color British revivals in the fifties, sixties and early seventies of classic horror films and characters, produced a lavish (for Hammer) version of the Phantom of the Opera in 1962. ... Herbert Lom [Czech IPA: ] is an international film actor. ... The Nanny was a 1965 suspense film starring Bette Davis as a devoted nanny caring for a ten-year-old boy recently discharged from a mental hospital. ... She is a 1965 film made by Hammer Film Productions, based on the novel by H. Rider Haggard. ... 1961 paperback edition She is a novel by H. Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic from October 1886 to January 1887. ... Sir Henry Rider Haggard ( June 22, 1856 – May 14, 1925), born in Bradenham, Norfolk, England, was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in locations considered exotic by readers in his native England. ... One Million Years B.C. is a 1966 (released in the U.S. in 1967) fantasy film starring Raquel Welch set - loosely - in the time of cavemen. ... Raquel Welch (born September 5, 1940) is an American actress. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Psycho is a 1960 suspense/horror film directed by auteur Alfred Hitchcock from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano about a psychotic killer. ... Taste of Fear (US title: Scream of Fear) is a 1961 British thriller directed by Seth Holt for Hammer Films. ... Maniac is a 1963 Hammer Film Productions release filmed in black and white in the Camargue district of southern France. ... Paranoiac is a 1963 suspense film from Hammer Films starring Oliver Reed, Alexander Davion, and Janette Scott. ... Movie poster for Nightmare Nightmare is a 1964 horror/suspense film from Hammer Films. ... Tallulah Bankhead as the Fanatic Fanatic (US: Die! Die! My Darling!) is a 1965 British thriller directed by Silvio Narizzano for Hammer Films. ... The Nanny was a 1965 suspense film starring Bette Davis as a devoted nanny caring for a ten-year-old boy recently discharged from a mental hospital. ...

On 29 May 1968, Hammer was awarded the Queen's Award to Industry in recognition of their contribution to the British economy. The official presentation ceremony took place on the steps of the Castle Dracula set at Pinewood Studios, during the filming of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave.^[30] is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Queens Award for Enterprise is an award for British companies and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. ... --81. ...

Market changes (early 1970s)

As audiences became more sophisticated in the late 1960s, with the release of artfully directed, subtly horrific films like Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby, the studio struggled to maintain its place in the market. It responded by bringing in new writers and directors, testing new characters, and attempting to rejuvenate their vampire and Frankenstein films with new approaches to familiar material. Roman Polański (born August 18, 1933) is an Academy Award winning film director, writer, actor, producer. ... Rosemarys Baby is an Academy Award-winning 1968 horror film directed by Roman Polanski based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name. ...

While the studio remained true to previous period settings in their 1972 release Vampire Circus, their Dracula AD 1972 and The Satanic Rites of Dracula, for example, abandon period settings in pursuit of a modern-day setting and "swinging London" feel. These films were not successful, and drew fire not only from critics, but from Christopher Lee himself, who refused to appear in more Dracula films after these. Speaking at a press conference in 1973 to announce The Satanic Rites of Dracula, then called Dracula is Dead... and Well and Living in London, Lee said: Vampire Circus is a 1972 horror film directed by Robert Young for Hammer Film Productions. ...

"I'm doing it under protest... I think it is fatuous. I can think of twenty adjectives - fatuous, pointless, absurd. It's not a comedy, but it's got a comic title. I don't see the point."^[31]

The film itself also indulges the turn toward self-parody suggested by the title, with more humour appearing in the script, undercutting any real sense of horror.

Hammer films had always sold themselves, in part, on their violent and sexual content. After the release of films like Bonnie and Clyde and The Wild Bunch, audiences were increasingly able to see more explicit gore, more expertly staged, in relatively mainstream films. Night of the Living Dead, too, set a new standard for graphic violence in horror films. Hammer tried to compete as far as possible - Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, for example, features a scene where the Baron kicks a discarded human brain - but realised quickly that, if they couldn't be as gory as new American productions, they could follow a trend prevalent in European films of the time, and play up the sexual content of their films. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is a film about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, bank robbers who roamed the central United States during the Great Depression. ... The Wild Bunch is a 1969 English language western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, in which an aging group of outlaws hope to have one final score while the West is turning into a modern society. ... Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 black-and-white independent horror film directed by George A. Romero. ... Peter Cushing in his final appearance as the Baron in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell is a 1974 British horror film from Hammer Film Productions. ...

The Karnstein Trilogy

In the Karnstein Trilogy, based loosely on J. Sheridan Le Fanu's early vampire novella Carmilla, Hammer showed some of the most explicit scenes of lesbianism yet seen in mainstream English language films. Despite otherwise traditional Hammer design and direction, there was also a corresponding increase in scenes of nudity in the films during this era. The Karnstein Trilogy comprises: The Karnstein Trilogy of films were produced by Hammer Films, and were notable at the time for being somewhat daring in explicitly depicting lesbian themes. ... Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (August 28, 1814 - February 7, 1873) was an Irish writer of short stories and novels concerning the strange and supernatural. ... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ... Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu. ... This article is about homosexual women, not inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos A lesbian (lowercase L) is a homosexual woman. ...

• The Vampire Lovers (1970), featuring Polish actress Ingrid Pitt
• Lust for a Vampire (1971)
• Twins of Evil (1972 )

These three were written by Hammer newcomer Tudor Gates, who was recruited at about the same time as Brian Clemens (creator of The Avengers). Clemens wrote two unusual films for Hammer. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) featured Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick and Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter, which he also directed, were not successful at the time, but have since become cult favourites. The experimental films of this period represented a genuine attempt to find new angles on old stories, but audiences did not seem interested. The Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Hammer Horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Polish actress Ingrid Pitt and Kate OMara. ... Ingrid Pitt (born November 21, 1937 in Poland) is an actress best known for her work in horror films of the 1960s and 70s. ... Lust For a Vampire is a 1971 British Hammer Horror film directed by Jimmy Sangster starring Yutte Stensgaard, Michael Johnston and Barbara Jefford. ... Twins of Evil is a 1971 horror film by Hammer Film Productions. ... Tudor Gates (1930 - 14 January 2007) was a British screenwriter and trade unionist. ... Brian Clemens (born 1931 in Croydon, England) is a screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on The Avengers and The Professionals. ... The Avengers is a British 1960s television series featuring secret agents in a fantasy 1960s Britain. ... Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a 1971 film made by Hammer Film Productions. ... Ralph Bates (February 12, 1940 - March 27, 1991) was a British film and television actor, best known for his role in the British sitcom, Dear John (1986). ... Martine Beswick (1941-) born: Port Antonio, Jamaica Filmography: From Russia With Love (1963) (Zora) Thunderball (1965)(Paula Caplan) Slave Girls (1968) (Queen Kari) Dr jekyll and sister hyde (1971) (Sister Hyde) ... Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter is a 1974 horror film written, produced and directed by Brian Clemens for Hammer Film Productions. ... A cult film is a movie that attracts a small but devoted group of obsessive fans or one that has remained popular over successive years amongst a small group of followers. ...

Final years of film production (late 1970s)

In the latter part of the 1970s, Hammer made fewer films, and attempts were made to break away from the then-unfashionable Gothic horror films on which the studio had built its reputation. Neither The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, a co-production with Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers which attempted to combine Hammer's Gothic horror with the martial arts film, nor To the Devil a Daughter, an adaptation of the Dennis Wheatley novel, were very successful. The company did, however, have some surprising commercial success with the film version of the ITV sitcom On the Buses, which was popular enough to produce two sequels, Holiday on the Buses and Mutiny on the Buses. Hammer's last production, in 1979, was a remake of Hitchcock's 1938 thriller The Lady Vanishes, starring Elliot Gould and Cybill Shepherd. The film was a failure at the box office and all but bankrupted the studio. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, released in 1974, was very much a movie of its time. ... The Shaw Studio (邵氏片場), owned by Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. ... To the Devil a Daughter is 1976 film made by Hammer Film Productions. ... Dennis Wheatley (8 January 1897-10 November 1977) was a British writer born in London. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... On The Buses was a British situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. ... // The Lady Vanishes is a 1979 remake of a 1938 film of the same name. ... Elliott Gould (born August 29, 1938), born Elliott Goldstein, was one of the most prominent American film actors in the early 70s, best known for playing Trapper John in the satirical 1970 film M*A*S*H. Time magazine put him on its cover in 1970, when he was at... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Critical response

The Hammer Horror films were often praised by critics for their visual style, although rarely taken seriously. "Altogether this is a horrific film and sometimes a crude film, but by no means an unimpressive piece of melodramatic storytelling" wrote one critic of Dracula in The Times (May 28, 1958, p10). Terence Fisher's direction has been praised, however, in, for example, Richard Roud's Cinema: a Critical Dictionary. Critics who specialise in cult films, like Kim Newman, have praised Hammer Horror more fully, enjoying their atmosphere, craftsmanship and camp appeal. The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terence Fisher (February 23, 1904 - June 18, 1980), was a film director who worked for Hammer Films. ... Kim Newman (born July 31, 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ...

Television series (1980s)

In the early 1980s Hammer Films created a series for British television, Hammer House of Horror, which ran for 13 episodes. In a break from their cinema format, these featured plot twists which usually saw the protagonists fall into the hands of that episode's horror. These varied from sadistic shopkeepers with hidden pasts, to witches and satanic rites. The series was marked by a sense of dark irony, its haunting title music, and the intermingling of horror with the commonplace. A Plot twist is a change (twist) in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film or novel. ...

Notable episodes include:

• "The House That Bled To Death", in which a young couple and their daughter move into a new home, unaware that its previous tenant murdered his wife. Achieved mild notoriety for a children's birthday party scene during which blood gushes from the overhead pipes.
• "The Silent Scream", in which Peter Cushing plays an apparently personable pet shop owner working on the concept of "prisons without walls" whilst harbouring a dark secret. Brian Cox, later the first actor to play Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann's Manhunter was the guinea pig.
• "The Two Faces Of Evil" - a surreal episode, featuring forced camera angles, stylized sets, bizarre perspective shots and a plot revolving around dopplegangers and malevolent twins.
• "Charlie Boy", in which an African fetish exerts a fatal influence and leads to several deaths.
• "Carpathian Eagle" - Anthony Valentine stars as a police detective struggling to solve a series of gruesome, ritualistic murders undertaken by (Suzanne Danielle) Sian Phillips co-stars, and a young Pierce Brosnan makes a brief appearance playing "last victim."
• "Rude Awakening" - Denholm Elliott stars as an estate agent whose increasingly strange but realistic dreams give him serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.
• "The Children of the Full Moon" - Diana Dors plays a kindly bumpkin with an extended family, but no husband. When a recently married couple stumble upon this unusual situation, the truth is gradually revealed.

Episodes were directed by Brian Gibson, Peter Sasdy and Tom Clegg, among others. Brian Denis Cox, CBE (born June 1, 1946 in Dundee, Scotland) is a Scottish actor, notable for being the first actor to play Hannibal Lecter, a role he took in the Michael Mann film Manhunter (in which the characters surname was spelled Lecktor). Image:Http://www. ... Hannibal Lecter is a fictional character in a series of novels by author Thomas Harris. ... Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943 in Chicago) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. ... Manhunter is a 1986 thriller film based on Thomas Harriss novel Red Dragon. ... Anthony Valentine is a British actor. ... Siân Phillips, CBE is a Welsh actress who was born Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips in Betws, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on May 14, 1934. ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE [1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... Elliott in The Signal-Man Denholm Mitchell Elliott (May 31, 1922 – October 6, 1992) was a distinguished British actor, well known for his appearances on stage, film and television. ... Diana Dors (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 1984) was a British actress and sex symbol. ...

A second television series, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, was produced in 1984 and also ran for 13 episodes. The stories were originally to have been the same 1-hour length as their previous series, but it was decided to expand them to feature-length so as to market them as 'movies of the week' in the US. The series was produced in association with 20th Century Fox and as such, some of the sex and violence seen in the earlier series was toned down considerably for US television. Each episode featured a star, often American, well-known to US viewers. This series was Hammer's final production of any kind to date. Short-lived (one season) TV series from Hammer Studios similar to the format now used by Masters of Horror in which several directors under contract to Hammer produced 13 70 minute films for television. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ...

Hammer House of Horror

is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Jon Finch (born March 2, 1941 in Caterham, Surrey) is an English actor noted for many Shakespearean roles. ... Quinn with Richard OBrien and Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... Prunella Gee (born February 17, 1950) is a British actress. ... Ian McCulloch (born 5 May 1939 in Glasgow) is a British actor. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Julia Foster (born 2 August 1943) is a British actress. ... Dinah Sheridan (born Dinah Mec in Hampstead, London on 17 September 1920) is a popular English-born actress who appeared in the film Genevieve (1954). ... Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Lyons Otway Pearson CB (1831–30 May 1890) was Assistant Commissioner (Executive) of the London Metropolitan Police. ... Norman Bird (30 October 1924 – 22 April 2005) was born in Coalville, Leicestershire, England, and was one of Britains foremost character actors. ... Warren Clarke (b. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Elliott in The Signal-Man Denholm Mitchell Elliott (May 31, 1922 – October 6, 1992) was a distinguished British actor, well known for his appearances on stage, film and television. ... Lucy Gutteridge (born November 28, 1956) is a British actress. ... James Laurenson (born February 17, 1940) is a New Zealand actor, who has performed many classical roles on stage and television. ... Pat Heywood as nurse in Romeo and Juliet Patricia Heywood (born January 1, 1927 in Gretna Green, Scotland) is a British character actress from stage, movies, and television. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Barbara Kellerman (born Manchester, 30th December 1949) (surname at birth: Kellermann) is an English actress, noted for her roles in film and television. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Nicholas Ball (born 11 April 1946) is a British actor. ... Rachel Davies is a British actress, with numerous television credits to her name. ... Brian Croucher is a British actor perhaps best known for his role as Ted Hills, which he played from 1995 to 1997, in the popular soap opera EastEnders. ... Patricia Maynard (born February 16, 1942 in Beighton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) is an actor. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Leigh Lawson (born 21 July 1945 in Atherston, Warwickshire, England) is a film and stage actor. ... Marius Goring (May 23, 1912 - September 30, 1998) was a British stage and cinema actor. ... Angela Bruce is a British actress, noted for her television work. ... Michael Culver (born 16 July 1938 in Hampstead, London) is an English actor, best known to television viewers for his role as Major Erwin Brandt in the 1970s BBC drama Secret Army. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE, (26 May 1913-11 August 1994) was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. ... Brian Denis Cox, CBE (born June 1, 1946 in Dundee, Scotland) is a Scottish actor, notable for being the first actor to play Hannibal Lecter, a role he took in the Michael Mann film Manhunter (in which the characters surname was spelled Lecktor). Image:Http://www. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Diana Dors (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 1984) was a British actress and sex symbol. ... Christopher Cazenove (born December 17, 1945) is a British cinema, television and stage actor. ... Celia Gregory is a British actress, who remains best known for her role as Ruth Anderson in the 1970s BBC television drama Survivors. ... Victoria Wood OBE is a BAFTA award winning English comedian, actor, singer and writer born 19 May 1953 in Prestwich Village, Greater Manchester . ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Suzanne Danielle (born January 14, 1957), is an English actress. ... Anthony Valentine is a British actor. ... Siân Phillips, CBE is a Welsh actress who was born Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips in Betws, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on May 14, 1934. ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE [1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Ray Lonnen (born 18 May 1940) is a British actor and all perhaps best known for his role as Willie Caine in the British cold-war spy drama The Sandbaggers. External links IMDbPro Professional Details The Sandbaggers OpsRoom. ... Barbara Ewing is a New Zealand film and television actress and novellist. ... John Carson (born 28 February 1927 in Ceylon) is a British actor noted for his appearances in film and television. ... Rosalyn Landor (born 7 October 1958 in London, England) is an actress. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Spencer Karter’s sketch of Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans on Dark Shadows Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans on Dark Shadows. Kathryn Leigh Scott was born Kathryn Kringstad on January 26, 1945 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. ... Gareth Thomas (born February 12, 1945) is a Welsh actor. ... Main title caption from Falcon Crest. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Gary Raymond (b. ... Philip Latham (born 17 February 1929 in London) is a British actor. ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Peter McEnery is an English stage and film actor. ... Emrys James is a Welsh Shakespearean actor. ... Georgina Hale (born 4 August 1943 in Ilford, Essex) is a British actress who has appeared in many films and television programmes. ...

Hammer House of Mystery & Suspense

is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Dirk Benedict (born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945) is an American movie and television actor, perhaps best known for playing the characters Lt. ... Jenny Seagrove (born on 4 July 1957 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is an English actress. ... George Sewell (31 August 1924 — 1 April 2007), was an English actor, the son of a florist family in Tottenham, London. ... The name John Paul might refer to: The regnal name of two pontiffs: The Servant of God John Paul I (1912-1978). ... Tom Adams (born September 3, 1938 in London, England) is a burly English actor with roles in horror and mystery films, and several TV shows. ... Burt Kwouk (Chinese: 郭弼; pinyin: Guō Bì) (born July 18, 1930), is an actor who was born in Manchester, England because my mother happened to be there but was raised in Shanghai between the ages of ten months and seventeen years. ... James Ellis is an actor from Northern Ireland born on 15 March 1931 who has been a regular on the television screen for forty years. ... Reginald Marsh (17 September 1926 in London - 9 February 2001 in Ryde, Isle of Wight) was a English actor who starred in many sitcoms from the 1970s onwards. ... Alibe Parsons is an actress who has worked extensively in both film and television. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Deborah Raffin (born March 13, 1953) is a American movie actress who is best known for her role as Aunt Julie in the former television show 7th Heaven. ... Oliver Tobias (b. ... David Langton (born 16 April 1912, died 25 April 1994) is a British actor. ... Clifford Rose is a classical actor born October 24, 1929 in Herefordshire, England. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Susan Margaret George was born on July 26, 1950, in London, England, UK. // Susan George has been acting since the age of four, appearing on both television and film. ... Patrick Mower (born 12th September 1940, Oxford, England) is an English actor well known for many television parts. ... Roy Boyd (born 18 August 1938 in Croydon, Surrey, England) is an actor best known for his roles on television. ... Richard Heffer is a British actor, best remembered for his roles on television. ... Peter Vaughan (born April 4, 1923 in Shropshire, England) is a British character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... David Carradine (born John Arthur Carradine on December 8, 1936 in Hollywood, California) is an American actor. ... Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English actress who has had an extensive acting career. ... Stephen Greif (born August 26, 1944) is an English actor. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Main title caption for Flamingo Road. ... Marius Goring (May 23, 1912 - September 30, 1998) was a British stage and cinema actor. ... Simon Williams (born 16 June 1946 in Windsor Berkshire) is a British actor with many television and film roles. ... Tony Anholt (January 19, 1941 - July 26, 2002) was a British actor best known for his role as Security Chief Tony Verdeschi in the second season of the 1970s television series Space: 1999. ... Zienia Merton is a British actress born in Borneo, born 11 December 1945. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones on February 13, 1942 in New York City, New York) is an American actress. ... Christopher Cazenove (born December 17, 1945) is a British cinema, television and stage actor. ... Judith M. Loe (known as Judy Loe), (born March 6, 1947 in Urmston, Manchester, England) is an English actress. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Ex-wife of actor Kurt Russell and mother of his son Boston Russell. ... Leigh Lawson (born 21 July 1945 in Atherston, Warwickshire, England) is a film and stage actor. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Dean Stockwell (born March 5, 1936 in North Hollywood, California) is an Oscar-nominated American film and television actor. ... Shirley Enola Knight, also known by her married name of Shirley Knight Hopkins, was born on July 5, 1936, to a wealthy family in Goessel, Kansas. ... Michael Gothard (June 24, 1939 – December 2, 1992 (suicide) ) was an English actor, usually best remembered for the television series Arthur of the Britons, Ken Russells The Devils and as the villain in For Your Eyes Only. ... Carmen du Sautoy (born 26 February 1952 in London, England) is an actress. ... Robert Lang in a promotional shot for his final movie Robert Lang (1934-2004) was a versatile English actor who was spotted by Laurence Olivier and earned critical praise in an impressive variety of roles. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Michelle Phillips, far right, with her fellow band members when with The Mamas & the Papas in the late 1960s. ... James Laurenson (born February 17, 1940) is a New Zealand actor, who has performed many classical roles on stage and television. ... David Robb (b. ... Alan Lake (24 November 1940 - 10 October 1984) was a British actor. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... David Keith McCallum (born September 19, 1933) is a prolific Scottish actor and the son of concertmaster violinist David McCallum, Sr. ... Jan Francis (born August 5, 1951 in London) is a British actor. ... Terence Alexander (born 11 March 1923 in London) is a British actor. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1943 – 13 March 2007) was an English actor, known as Gareth Hunt, who is best remembered for playing the footman Frederick Norton in Upstairs, Downstairs and Mike Gambit in The New Avengers. ... Peter Wyngarde in an episode of The Champions (1968). ... Carol Royle (born 10 February 1954 in Blackpool, Lancashire) is a British actress. ... Brian Deacon (born on February 13, 1949 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England) is an English actor. ... Patricia Hayes, CBE (born Patricia Lawlor Hayes on December 22, 1909 in Camberwell; died September 19, 1998 in London) was a British-born comedy actress of Irish Catholic extraction. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Mary Frances Crosby (born 14 September 1959) is an American actress. ... Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay (September 18, 1946 - May 25, 2000) was a British actor. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Peter Aurness (born March 18, 1926 [1]), better known as Peter Graves, is an American actor. ... Hannah Gordon (born 9 April 1941 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish-born British actress. ... Jonathan Newth is a British actor, best known for his performances in television. ...

2000s

In the 2000s, although the company has seemed to be in hibernation, frequent announcements have been made of new projects. In 2003, for example, the studio announced plans to work with Australian company Pictures in Paradise to develop new horror films for the DVD and cinema market.

On May 10, 2007, it was announced that Dutch producer John De Mol had purchased the Hammer Films rights via his private equity firm Cyrte Investments. In addition to holding the rights to over 300 Hammer Films, De Mol's company plans to restart the studio. According to an article in Variety detailing the transaction, the new Hammer Films will be run by former Liberty Global execs Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper. In addition, Guy East and Nigel Sinclair of L.A.-based Spitfire Pictures are on board to produce two to three horror pics or thrillers a year for the U.K.-based studio.

Tribute and parody

The initial success of the Hammer Horror series led to a number of parodies:

• Carry On Screaming pays tribute to the Hammer Horror films in particular as well as satirising the horror film genre overall

• Bloodbath at the House of Death uses Hammer Horror films as inspiration for its setting

• The British TV series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (2001) featured spoofs of Hammer Horror films. Particularly noteworthy in this regard was the episode entitled "Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust".

• Singer Kate Bush immortalised the range of films in her song, "Hammer Horror", referencing The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula and Frankenstein.

• British rock band Maxïmo Park paid tribute to the series with their song "Hammer Horror", from their B-sides collection Missing Songs.

• The dark feel of the Hammer Horror films were the inspiration for the atmosphere used in the comic-horror, Dracula: Dead and Loving It

• In the DVD commentary of Sleepy Hollow, director Tim Burton credits Hammer horror films as a primary influence for the film. Sleepy Hollow featured Hammer veterans including Michael Gough and Christopher Lee.

• The faux trailer for Don't featured in Grindhouse was intended to be a spoof of the Hammer Horror series.

• Tom McLoughlin claims that Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives was heavily influenced by the Hammer films.

Carry On Screaming! is the twelfth Carry On film. ... Bloodbath at the House of Death is a comedy horror film produced in 1983 by the late British comedian, Kenny Everett, and starred Vincent Price. ... Dr. Terribles House of Horrible was a British television series, created by and starring Steve Coogan and Graham Duff. ... Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. ... Hammer Horror was Kate Bushs third single release and first single from her second album Lionheart. ... The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or Notre-Dame of Paris (in French, Notre-Dame de Paris) is a novel first published on January 14, 1831 by the prolific French author Victor Hugo. ... Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... Maxïmo Park are an British indie rock band, signed to Warp Records, who formed in 2000. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... Missing Songs is a compilation album by the British indie rock band Maxïmo Park comprising of b-sides and demos previously avaliable only on British released singles. ... Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 movie directed by Mel Brooks. ... Sleepy Hollow (1999) is an historical horror film directed by Tim Burton, interpreting the legend of The Headless Horseman and based loosely around the Washington Irving story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. ... Timothy Tim William Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated American film director, writer and designer. ... Michael Gough (born November 23, 1914) is an English character actor who has appeared in over 100 films. ... Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922) is an English actor known for his professional longevity and his distinctive basso delivery. ... Grindhouse is a 2007 anthology film co-written, produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. ... Tom McLoughlin, b. ...

See also

• List of Hammer films

This article contains a list of films made by Hammer Film Productions. ...

Notes and references

This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. ... The Music Corporation of America was a United States based corporation in the music business. ... Phil Hardy is an English film and music industry journalist. ...

External links

• Official Hammer web site
• Hammer Film Productions at the Internet Movie Database
• Online Dictionary of Hammer Horror
• Hammer Film Productions BFI Screenonline article
• Hammer Horror BFI Screenonline article
• British Horror Films - site devoted to UK horror cinema, with several articles about Hammer
• 'The Joy of Hex' - brief but humourous plot summaries of Hammer vampire movies