Early British Horror Movies -- Judi's Romance in Vintage Film Forum

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Subject: Early British Horror Movies

Author:
Conrad
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Date Posted: 13:54:11 10/04/08 Sat

For my second Halloween installment, thought I'd bring up an almost forgotten era: the "golden age" of scary British science-fiction and horror movies.

This was of course, during the 1950s, and it actually began on television rather than the silver screen. Bernard Quatermass was a television character created by writer Nigel Kneale for several BBC mini-series from 1953 to 1972. Quatermass was a rocket scientist who has a habit of running afoul of different space aliens. (It could be argued that Quatermass paved the way for "Dr. Who" in the sixties.) So popular were these shows, that film makers were quick to adapt some to film, though as you might expect they tinkered with the original TV scripts to orient them toward the "horror" market.

First of these was released in the USA as "The Creeping Unknown," 91955) quickly followed by a sequel, called "Enemy from Space" for American audiences. They were produced by a tiny British company called Hammer films. So successful were they that Hammer changed their production policy to become the chief provider of horror films world-wide for the next thirty years.

One of their first non-Quatermass productions was "X the Unknown," (1957) though obviously it was inspired by the Quatermass movies. It starred Dean Jagger as an aging scientist battling a menace from the center of the earth rather than space. This film is highly typical of all the early Hammer movies: a dark, Gothic atmosphere, much of the action taking place in the spooky English countryside.

But the one weakness in all these 1950s films were that they all had basically the same plot; a giant, slimy "blob" type monster invades the Earth. In the case of "X the Unknown," the creature is in fact a "mud" monster! (The best line in the movie is certainly "How do you kill mud?")

Running out of plot, Hammer switched gears and turned from sci-fi to true Gothic horror, remaking classic movies like "Frankenstein," "Dracula," and "The Mummy," giving them more violent content than the older movies. So popular were these movies, that sequel after sequel were produed by Hammer films until they finally ran out of steam in the 1970s. While they lasted they made stars and household names out of a number of actors, especially Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. (Curiously, both those actors went on to play villians in the "Star Wars" films.)

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[> Subject: I'm still trying to recall the name of the movie I saw at the local theatre, as an adolescent....all I remember is that there were two brothers? and one or both went up in a rocket, and when the one returned, he started to have the creeping blobby stuff all over him....and it's indelible in my memory, how the poor guy staggered over to his brother, and in a really messed up way, uttered, "CHUCK!" Maaaan, that creeped me out, had never seen anything like it...does that ring any bells??

Author:
Judith....brought up in a strange time..
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Date Posted: 23:22:12 10/22/08 Wed

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[> Subject: The movie was "First Man Into Space" (1959) starring Marshall Thompson, a British film masquerading as an American product--and a pretty convincing one too. Made as a follow up to the more successful "Fiend Without a Face."

Author:
Conrad
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Date Posted: 08:22:25 10/24/08 Fri

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[> [> Subject: Wow, thanks! Isn't it amazing how certain films can make such an indellible impression on us, when young?!

Author:
Judith
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Date Posted: 19:13:53 10/26/08 Sun

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[> [> [> Subject: Oh, and if it was '59, then I was 10 or 11 when I saw it!

Author:
J
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Date Posted: 19:15:59 10/26/08 Sun

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>For my second Halloween installment, thought I'd bring >up an almost forgotten era: the "golden age" of scary >British science-fiction and horror movies. > >This was of course, during the 1950s, and it actually >began on television rather than the silver screen. >Bernard Quatermass was a television character created >by writer Nigel Kneale for several BBC mini-series >from 1953 to 1972. Quatermass was a rocket scientist >who has a habit of running afoul of different space >aliens. (It could be argued that Quatermass paved the >way for "Dr. Who" in the sixties.) So popular were >these shows, that film makers were quick to adapt some >to film, though as you might expect they tinkered with >the original TV scripts to orient them toward the >"horror" market. > >First of these was released in the USA as "The >Creeping Unknown," 91955) quickly followed by a >sequel, called "Enemy from Space" for American >audiences. They were produced by a tiny British >company called Hammer films. So successful were they >that Hammer changed their production policy to become >the chief provider of horror films world-wide for the >next thirty years. > >One of their first non-Quatermass productions was "X >the Unknown," (1957) though obviously it was inspired >by the Quatermass movies. It starred Dean Jagger as >an aging scientist battling a menace from the center >of the earth rather than space. This film is highly >typical of all the early Hammer movies: a dark, Gothic >atmosphere, much of the action taking place in the >spooky English countryside. > >But the one weakness in all these 1950s films were >that they all had basically the same plot; a giant, >slimy "blob" type monster invades the Earth. In the >case of "X the Unknown," the creature is in fact a >"mud" monster! (The best line in the movie is >certainly "How do you kill mud?") > >Running out of plot, Hammer switched gears and turned >from sci-fi to true Gothic horror, remaking classic >movies like "Frankenstein," "Dracula," and "The >Mummy," giving them more violent content than the >older movies. So popular were these movies, that >sequel after sequel were produed by Hammer films until >they finally ran out of steam in the 1970s. While >they lasted they made stars and household names out of >a number of actors, especially Peter Cushing and >Christopher Lee. (Curiously, both those actors went >on to play villians in the "Star Wars" films.)
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[> Subject: The movie was "First Man Into Space" (1959) starring Marshall Thompson, a British film masquerading as an American product--and a pretty convincing one too. Made as a follow up to the more successful "Fiend Without a Face."
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 08:22:25 10/24/08 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Wow, thanks! Isn't it amazing how certain films can make such an indellible impression on us, when young?!
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 19:13:53 10/26/08 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> Subject: Oh, and if it was '59, then I was 10 or 11 when I saw it!
Author: J [Edit]	Date Posted: 19:15:59 10/26/08 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ]