Founded in 1934, Hammer Film Productions is one of oldest film companies, and has become synonymous with horror. Though the small British production house has worked with limited budgets, they developed a reputation for providing creative and frightening flicks. In their nearly 300 movies, Hammer Horror has depicted psychological tales, thrillers, science fiction, and noir, along with their creature features with the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein.
During the mid-20th century, horror was dominated by fears of atomic weapons and the toxicity they could cause. Hammer took a different tactic, relying on the atmospheric dread and fanciful romanticism of gothic horror. The movies were known for looming castles with hidden cervices and dark tunnels, supernatural intrigue, mysterious phenomena, and, of course, foggy atmosphere.
Before Hammer was established, William Hinds (who used the stage name Will Hammer) worked with Enriqué Carreras to create the distribution company Exclusive Films. By 1934 their distribution work led to the creation of Hammer Productions Ltd. and the development of a variety of films.
When World War II began, executives that were active service members joined the war effort and film work stopped. But once the war ended, Hammer reformed and started making crime capers and adventure flicks. Society, haggard and downtrodden from the toll war had taken, was hungry for escapism entertainment, and Hammer delivered a stream of dramas and documentaries along with other genres.
In 1951, Hammer started co-producing movies with U.S. producer Robert Lippert. This partnership enabled them to develop in the North American market and use actors from the U.S. They focused on crime thrillers and film noir like Man Bait, Terror Street, and Bad Blonde, and had their first color feature film, The Men of Sherwood Forest, in 1954.
When The Quatermass Xperiment was released in 1955, it had a crucial impact on the future of Hammer. Based on the TV show of the same name, the movie is about a rocket ship that returns to Earth, despite two missing astronauts, and the survivor who may be carrying an alien virus. The positive response prompted Hammer to focus on horror rather than the crime thrillers and led to a run of commercial success.
Though some British film producers were struggling, Hammer could create solid horror flicks on modest budgets for the growing B-movie audience. They saw great success with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957, directed by Terence Fisher, who would become a regular filmmaker for the company. It was their first full color horror flick, depicting blood and gore, plus elaborate costumes and sets. Censors were unhappy with the flick, but audiences loved it.
It was also the first time the company’s historic partnership of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee shared screen time. The roles were Hammer Horror firsts for both actors: Cushing debuted as Victor Frankenstein (a character he would reprise) and Lee played Frankenstein’s Monster. Their indelible chemistry led to over 20 Hammer collaborations. They and other stars became regular attractions in Hammer Horror films, playing different characters and returning for several sequels.
Their next film was an even bigger success. Horror of Dracula came out one year later with Cushing in his first turn as Van Helsing and Lee’s debut as Dracula. In a field of other Dracula incarnations, it’s considered one of the best vampire films and Dracula performances. As Dracula, Lee was regal while also being virile and seductive. A close portrayal to Bram Stoker’s version, Lee was expressive and emotive, articulating his desires through his expression and body language.
Those two movies cemented their newly minted reputation as a horror house. Hammer started reinventing and rebooting a slate of characters. In addition to Frankenstein and Dracula, they released other creature features like The Abominable Snowman, The Mummy, The Man Who Could Cheat Death, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Similar to how they reused actors, the studio also utilized the same crew members to create the movies, developing a process that ran smoothly from one to the next.
They started producing sequels while continuing to mine established characters for new features like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Phantom of the Opera. They also released straightforward adaptations of novels like The Devil Rides Out, The Witches, The Gorgon, and The Old Dark House. Another avenue was the psychological thriller, including The Nanny, Scream of Fear, and Paranoiac.
The early 1970s saw The Karnstein Trilogy, a set of vampire movies. Ingrid Pitt played the lead monster in The Vampire Lovers and Lust for a Vampire then Damien Thomas took over in Twins of Evil. The series is noted for daring exploration of lesbian themes, provocative scenes, and nudity. Pitt’s portrayal of Carmilla/Mircalla Karnstein is saturated with sexual energy and was similar to Lee’s seductive portrayal of Dracula.
But audiences started losing interest in the gothic horror subgenre. When mainstream horror flicks like The Exorcist were granted higher budgets, which led to better production value, audiences were enticed away from Hammer. Their 1976 film To the Devil a Daughter was their last horror movie of the 20th century.
Hammer Horror was reinvigorated in 2010, starting with the English-language Let Me In, a remake of the Swedish vampire flick, Let the Right One In. A year later Hammer released The Resident – starring Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Hammer legend Christopher Lee – an unsettling story about a landlord with a dangerous voyeuristic habit. In 2012 they released The Woman in Black, a gothic ghost story starring Daniel Radcliffe in his first post-Harry Potter film. It was followed by The Quiet Ones in 2014 and Woman in Black: Angel of Death in 2015.
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