As I have mentioned numerous times over these blogs Hammer was not just a Horror studio they made all kinds of films. They made 11 Thriller / Psychological Thriller films between 1961-1972.
I need to highlight seven of these films that are pretty amazing (In my humble opinion).
I don't go into too much detail about these films because they are thrillers that may contain twists but I hope I highlight them enough to get you interested in seeing these underappreciated gems.
“The Snorkel” (1958)
Directed by Guy Green, Story by Anthony Dawson, Screenplay by Peter Myers &
Jimmy Sangster, Produced by Michael Carreras, Music by Francis Chagrin, Cinematography Jack Asher, Edited by James Needs & Bill Lenny, Starring Peter van Eyck, Betta St. John & Mandy Miller.
(Black & White)
On the Italian coast, writer Paul Decker, who has grown unhappy in his marriage, executes what appears to be a perfect murder of his wife. Although Paul is believed to be writing a book in France, his stepdaughter, Candy, is sure that he murdered her mother, and suspects he also murdered her father years before. With the police unwilling to investigate any further, Candy sets out to confirm her suspicions and take Paul down herself.
This film is an entertaining solid thriller based on a clever concept and well worth a watch.
The film's story is credited to '"Anthony Dawson" who was a working actor who I assume had come up with the idea and floated it to people at Hammer then Myers & Sangster developed it into an actual script. Hammers launched into this production without having a distribution deal in place. Their agreement with Warner Bros. had fallen through but luckily James Carreras managed to land a deal with Columbia Pictures just in time for The Snorkel to get on cinema screens. This film stars young actress, Mandy Miller, Miller put in a much-praised performance in the 1952 Ealing production, “Mandy” where she played a deaf-mute child whose parents did not know how to cope with bringing her up. In 1956 She sang the song "Nellie the Elephant" which was a massive novelty hit single.
“Never Take Sweets from a Stranger” (1960) AKA “Never Take Candy from a Stranger”
Directed by Cyril Frankel, Screenplay by John Hunter, Based on the play “The Pony Trap” by Roger Garis, Produced by Anthony Hinds, Music by Elisabeth Lutyens, Cinematography by Freddie Francis, Edited by Alfred Cox & James Needs, Starring Patrick Allen, Gwen Watford, Felix Aylmer & Janina Faye. (Black & White)
Peter Carter meets official resistance when he finds his 9-year-old daughter has been the victim of the paedophile patriarch of the town's most powerful family.
Yip you read that right! It's 1960 and Hammer went there. This film is very powerful and it does show that nothing changes. In the film, there is an old powerful and influential man who prays on very young girls and his “proclivities” are known but seem to be tolerated due to the man’s wealth and his perceived philanthropy.
Shot by the great Freddie Francis and directed by Cyril Frankel (who later directed “The Witches” 1966 for Hammer).
This film is heartbreaking with the girl being disbelieved and dismissed, seeing the anguish of the parents, especially what the girl's mother goes through is upsetting. Performances in the film are very effective Gwen Watford is wonderful as the mother and Patrick Allen (who has the most amazing voice) plays the father. Young Janina Faye is very effective in the role of Jean Carter. The acting is “large” and “melodramatic” but it's a thriller from 1960 that's what films were like then.
Sir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones, OBE was the actor who took on the role of the paedophile Clarence Olderberry Sr, Felix Aylmer was a big-deal actor on stage and screen he worked with Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole & Sir Laurence Olivier. He gave elocution lessons to a young Audrey Hepburn so people were surprised he took on this role but in the hands of a lesser actor, he may have come across as a moustache-twirling baddie instead of the insidious villain Olderberry is in the story.
Hammer had to jump through hoops to get this made one change they had to make was they moved the setting from England to English people living in Canada which put that one degree of separation from British society. What I feel sums up the response to this film and in my opinion speaks volumes about “The Establishment in Britain” at the time and what hasn't changed. In 1960 The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) welcomed the film and expressed that stories like this need to be told! On the other hand, The Times newspaper called the film filth and wanted it banned! That says a lot!
“Taste of Fear” (1961) aka “Scream of Fear”.
Directed by Seth Holt, Screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, Produced by Jimmy Sangster, Music by Clifton Parker, Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe, Edited by Eric Boyd-Perkins, Starring Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & Christopher Lee.
(Black and White)
Penny Appleby is a paralyzed young woman confined to a wheelchair. For the first time in ten years, she has returned to her father's home -- only to be told that he is away. Penny is suspicious of her stepmother's odd behaviour and is convinced that something is amiss. While searching around the house, Penny discovers her father's body, only to have it vanish before anyone else can see it. Is Penny's father dead, or is she losing her mind?
The great Jimmy Sangster originally wrote this film for Sidney Box at the film company London Independent who assigned Sangster to produce it. According to Sangster, Box became ill and stopped working temporarily, leaving his work to be taken over by his brother-in-law Peter Rogers, who was too busy working on the Carry On series of films to do anything else. Sangster then bought the film back from Rogers and took it to Hammer to make on the condition that Sangster would produce it.
The film has a real atmosphere, creaking shutters, flickering candles, wavering shadows and pianos playing in empty rooms and Ann Todd is great in this with a real neurotic edge.
Christopher Lee later stated that the film "was the best film that I was in that Hammer ever made… It had the best director, the best cast and the best story."
It is a gripping thriller and should be seen.
“Paranoiac” (1963)
Directed by Freddie Francis, Written by Josephine Tey, Screenplay by Jimmy Sangster,
Based on “Brat Farrar” by Josephine Tey, Produced by Anthony Hinds, Music by Elisabeth Lutyens, Cinematography Arthur Grant, Edited by James Needs, Starring Janette Scott, Oliver Reed, Sheila Burrell & Alexander Davion.
A wealthy psychotic is coddled by his aunt in their mansion house, and then one day, his long-lost brother mysteriously arrives at the house to claim his share of the inheritance.
It is so close to being a horror I couldn't decide myself but it is officially a Psychological Thriller. Even though Rank Distribution showed it in the UK in a double bill with Hammer’s “The Kiss of the Vampire” (1963).
This film is bizarre and when it comes to the handling of mental health issues it could be described as tasteless but it has that heightened “Grand Guignol” style that I have great affection for. It’s written by Jimmy Sangster and stars Oliver Reed so it is worth a watch.
“Nightmare” (1964)
Directed by Freddie Francis, Written by Jimmy Sangster, Produced by Jimmy Sangster, Music by Don Banks, Cinematography by John Wilcox, Edited by James Needs, Starring David Knight, Moira Redmond, Brenda Bruce & Jennie Linden.
Janet is a young student at a private boarding school. Her mother is locked away in a psychiatric hospital but Janet’s nights are troubled by horrible dreams where she sees her mother, Janet is expelled because of her persistent nightmares and is sent home where the nightmares only continue.
The actress Julie Christie was all set to play Janet in Nightmare but dropped out at the last minute to do the film “Billy Liar” which was probably a good call considering that was her breakthrough role. The film was shot with the working title,
“Here's the Knife Dear: Now Use It” which I think is amazing!
This film is written by Jimmy Sangster and directed by Freddie Francis and is a must-see for Hammer fans.
OK! The next two films are not only Psychological Thrillers are also “Psycho-Biddy” films which is one of my favourite subgenres!
“Fanatic” (1965) aka “Die! Die! My Darling!”
Directed by Silvio Narizzano, Written by Richard Matheson Based on the novel “Nightmare” by Anne Blaisdell, Produced by Anthony Hinds, Music by Wilfred Josephs, Cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson, Edited by John Dunsford, Starring Tallulah Bankhead, Stefanie Powers & Donald Sutherland.
An American woman, Patricia Carroll, arrives in London to marry her lover Alan Glentower. Before tying the knot, however, Patricia pays a visit to Mrs. Trefoile, the mother of her deceased fiancé Stephen, who died in an automobile accident several years earlier.
Hollywood legend Tallulah Bankhead stars in this thriller, which is a wonderful example of a “Psycho-Biddy” picture.
The direction is imaginative and the dialogue is great. Bankhead gets lots of chances to display her virtuosity switching from an old lady with an air menace to a maniacal biddy full of blood-lust.
Yes, the film features Donald Sutherland, Donald “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” Sutherland… Kiefer’s dad!.
“The Nanny” (1965)
Directed by Seth Holt, Written by Jimmy Sangster, Produced by Jimmy Sangster, Music by Richard Rodney Bennett, Cinematography by Harry Waxman, Edited by Tom Simpson, Starring Bette Davis, William Dix, Wendy Craig & Jill Bennett.
Bette Davis is an English nanny whose charge is 10-year-old Joey, Who has just been discharged from a disturbed children's home where he has spent two years undergoing treatment for drowning his little sister in the bath. He has returned to his unloving father, fragile mother, and doting nanny. Suspicion arises when his mother is poisoned, and Joey insists the Nanny is responsible for the poisoning and claims the Nanny was responsible for his little sister's death, and only the girl who lives upstairs believes him.
This film has been hailed as Hammer’s best non-supernatural film of the 1960s, I wouldn’t go that far but it does feature Bette Davis in her truly wonderful “Psycho-Biddy” mode and this film should be seen by anyone who is a Hammer Fan.
