The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films

Front Cover
Rowman & Littlefield, Jul 31, 2019 - Performing Arts - 606 pages
Dracula and Frankenstein. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. These are just a few of the icons of Hammer Films.

To horror fans, the name “Hammer” conjures visions of hissing vampires and buxom beauties in low-cut negligees. But Britain’s Hammer Film Productions, Ltd., was much more than just a fright factory. For more than thirty years, the company turned out neatly crafted entries in a variety of genres, ranging from comedies to pirate yarns, murder mysteries to war pictures. At the heart of Hammer’s remarkable success was its access to American financing and American theaters. But more than that, the individuals behind the scenes knew how to make good films on tight budgets. These pictures have withstood the test of time and continue to be enjoyed all over the world.

The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films details the surprising story of Britain’s most successful independent film company and includes



  • Entries on all of Hammer’s feature films, featurettes, and television episodes, including staff, production details, US and UK release data, cast, synopses, reviews, behind-the-scenes quotes, and US financial participation
  • Capsule biographies of directors, producers, technicians, and actors––including the lovely ladies of Hammer glamour
  • Special entries on Hammer-related topics, including “tax shelter” companies, Hammerscope, the British Board of Film Censors, and the recent Hammer reboot
  • An annotated appendix of more than 150 unrealized Hammer projects
  • A chronological, annotated listing of every production and coproduction from the company’s inception in 1934

An invaluable resource, this volume includes snapshots of the men and women who made the studio a success—including Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, and Jimmy Sangster—as well as such iconic films as The Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Vampire Circus. With more than six hundred entries, The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films is a must-have for every fan of this unique studio.
 

Contents

A
1
B
12
C
37
D
87
E
127
F
137
G
164
H
181
R
363
S
385
T
438
U
471
V
475
W
490
X
520
Y
524

I
216
J
220
K
226
L
234
M
267
N
307
O
320
P
329
Q
352
Appendix A
529
Appendix B
531
Appendix C
543
Appendix D
545
Notes
565
Selected Bibliography
573
Index
575
About the Author
589
Copyright

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About the author (2019)

Chris Fellner served as a writer and editor for more than thirty years, working on various medical publications. He has written scripts for James Warren’s illustrated horror magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella and the reboot The Creeps, as well as articles for Little Shoppe of Horrors, Monster Mania, and Scary Monsters.

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