The Abominable Snowman (The Thinking Man's Horror Film)

'The Abominable Snowman' is a classic British horror film from the much celebrated Hammer Film Studio filmed at Bray and Pinewood Studios in 1957. It was notably the first Hammer film to feature legendary English actor Peter Cushing, who would go on to star in a further 21 films for the production company, including many flicks with his close friend Christopher Lee, as well as an appearance in the Hammer television series ‘Hammer House of Horror’ when the company enjoyed its first renaissance in 1980. It was also the first and only Hammer film to be produced by Aubrey Baring, who was a family member of Barings Banking, a merchant bank based in London, now defunct. It was also the second and last Hammer film to feature American actor Forrest Tucker in the lead role (to ensure Hammer films made it into the American market), and the last collaboration between Nigel Kneale as screenplay writer and Val Guest as director.

The Abominable Snowman title card with footage filmed at La Mongie

Some spoilers follow!

This production is in fact a film version of Nigel Kneale’s original BBC play ‘The Creature’ remade by Hammer in much the same way they remade his original three famous ‘Quatermass’ serials, and even features some of the original cast members including Peter Cushing, Wolfe Morris and the excellent Arnold Marle. The rest of the roles were recast, including that of Tucker’s (the role having originally been played by Stanley Baker). The story concerns, oddly enough the legend of the ‘Abominable Snowman’ or ‘Yeti’ if you prefer, as they are referred to in the film. Sadly apart from a few ‘tele-snaps’ nothing from the original TV version of the story exists in the BBC archives.  ‘The Abominable Snowman’ begins with Cushing as Dr. John Rollason and his assistant Peter Fox, played by veteran actor Richard Wattis (who notably wears a series of unflattering jumpers in this particular picture) on a botanical expedition in the Himalayas as a guest of the Lama (played by Arnold Marle). Soon enough Dr. John Rollason’s wife arrives, Helen (played by Maureen Connell) as well as a second expedition led by Tucker but also featuring Ed Shelley (played by future M actor in the Bond films, Robert Brown), photographer Andrew McNee (played by Michael Brill) and the Sherpa guide Kusang (played by Wolfe Morris). Their expedition is interested in one thing, capturing a live Yeti, and whilst Rollason and Tucker’s character Tom Friend are instantly at loggerheads both have a mutual intrigue in the potential existence of Yeti, much to the chagrin of Rollason’s wife and the Lama whose people clearly believe and fear in the Yeti and dislike the meddling of both Friend and Rollason as the latter joins the second expedition.

Forrest Tucker as trigger happy Tom Friend

For a reasonably early Hammer production ‘The Abominable Snowman’ has an impressive scale and effective location filming standing in for the Himalayan mountains was filmed at La Mongie in the French Pyrenees in January 1957. Whilst the Monastery set and the Lama’s village were built and utilised at Hammer productions then home at Bray Studios in Bray, Berkshire it was quickly realised that for the snowy landscapes of the Himalayas more studio space would be required so in an unusual move these were staged at Pinewood Studios at Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire. The film’s score by classical composer (but a frequent experimenter in the ‘serialist’ music form) Humphrey Searle is very effective and is reminiscent of Max Steiner’s score for ‘King Kong’ from 1933 and was reputedly based on Ralph Vaughan Williams score for the 1948 epic ‘Scott of the Antarctic’ starring Sir John Mills. Searle would later compose the unsettling score for the 1963 classic horror film ‘The Haunting’. Although Forrest Tucker has come under some criticism for his performance in this film (even from director Val Guest) I consider his interpretation of Tom Friend, as an abrasive loud mouthed bully, throwing his weight around and blowing hot and cold to Peter Cushing’s character Dr. John Rollason to be very effective and as the film comes to a close and much of the action is based around these two characters, Tucker and Cushing play off each other very well. Tucker doesn’t give a subtle performance, but to me that is kind of the point. Fortunately for Tucker, writer Nigel Kneale was impressed with his take on the role. Peter Cushing as ever is wonderful as Rollason, playing him as a kindly, cautious and articulate man, the polar opposite of the gung ho and bluster of Tom Friend. All the supporting cast are good, with note going to the mystical performance given by German actor Arnold Marle as the Lama and Richard Wattis’s humorous performance as Rollason’s assistant Peter Fox.  The only thing that really dates the film and lets it down slightly is the representation of women, particularly in regards to Rollason’s wife Helen. We learn during the film that she is very cautionary, a bit of a moaner and is great at making hot food and drinks. Oh dear!

The main cast, left to right Peter Cushing, Michael Brill, Wolfe Morris, Robert Brown and Forrest Tucker

This aside, it’s a great story and the realisation of the Yeti (who are barely seen until the penultimate sequence) are quite impressive. They have an intimidating look, but the use of human eyes behind their unusual beak like masks give them both an endearing and wise look, as noted by Dr. John Rollason “they are creatures of wisdom”. The actions of man are not to be celebrated here and Kneale presents the Yeti as mystical, intelligent and almost spiritual beings. The films ends on an uncertain note as we ponder as viewers whether Rollason, in the icy conditions of the Himalayas hallucinated his encounters with the Yeti or whether they have purposely erased his mind of the events....or another consideration, the final line “There is no such thing” referring to the Yeti could be Rollason’s understanding that man must never try to interfere with the great creatures ever again, hence the denial that he has come into contact with them. Val Guest’s direction is superb throughout with effective use of handheld camera shots and overlapping dialogue in an almost documentary style, a technique used in Howard Hawks’s earlier films.

A Yeti hand rummages around the second expedition's tent. The creatures are only fleetingly seen in the film

‘The Abominable Snowman’ in my view is an overlooked gem, ignored during its release largely because of the hubbub surrounding the premiere of Hammer’s first colour Horror film ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ (coincidentally also starring Peter Cushing) and no doubt also because of the critical failure of both the original television adaptation. The subtle and esoteric nature of the story probably didn't help much either. Put simply, it lacked the same gory mass appeal as the aforementioned Frankenstein film. Enjoy it with the lights dimmed and with a glass of whisky in your hand, ‘The Abominable Snowman’ is to be savoured and remembered as a production from a time when British filmmaking was arguably at its peak, and Hammer’s contribution to that period is unrivalled.

A fearful Ed Shelley as portrayed by Robert Brown 

I finish this blog review on an unusual and sad note. Below is a link to an iPetition to save Bray Studios (where ‘The Abominable Snowman’ and many other classic British films and television series have been made, not to mention a decent handful of more recent output) which is perhaps unsurprisingly under threat of closure and demolition to be turned into that old chestnut ‘luxury housing’. It makes me sick to the stomach to think that we might lose this wonderful studio with so much history and so much more to give. Its use in recent pictures is a testament to that (including Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’) and we have already lost so much studio and backlot space over the last twenty years or so. The thought of that wonderful building being turned into a load of synthetic riverside flats is just too much to bear. Also, money has been spent on some minor restorations to the studio in the last four years that would be money gone to waste if these proposed plans go ahead. Let's protect this wonderful facility and strive to make more films in this country, the support and promotion of Bray could help achieve a huge boost for our considerably depleted film industry. It takes a second to sign up to an iPetition and once you have joined there are many other causes you could support via the same website. Alternatively check out Bray Studios Facebook page and like it to follow the progress of this ugly situation.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savebraystudiospetition/ 

The wonderful but now purposely neglected Bray Studios, at risk of redevelopment into luxury apartments. Filming location of 'The Abominable Snowman' and all of the Hammer pictures from 1953 - 1966.

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to Hammer Film Productions and Icon Home Entertainment. The next review will focus on the third series of the classic BBC science fiction series 'Blake's 7'. This review has been put on hold for weeks but will definitely be next! 

The Spy Who Loved Me (In Tribute to Richard Kiel)

In tribute to the great Richard Kiel, who passed away on the 10th of September (his 75th birthday would of been on the 13th) I have decided to review my favourite James Bond film starring Roger Moore as the eponymous hero. I refer to 1977’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ which launched the late Richard Kiel into stardom in the role of the professional killer Jaws, a part that ably utilised his 7 foot 2 frame, complete with steel dentures to complete the image, hence ‘Jaws’.

Roger Moore and Richard Kiel as Bond and Jaws in a still from 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

It was the first Bond film not to feature a Harry Saltzman producer credit, Saltzman having split from his long term business partner Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli following the release of ‘The Man With the Golden Gun’ in 1974. Broccoli produces this film alone. It is also the first film to feature German actor Walter Gotell in his regular role as General Gogol, head of the KGB and English actor Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray. They’d both become regulars in the Bond series for 10 years, bowing out in ‘The Living Daylights’ in 1987 featuring Timothy Dalton as 007. It is also the second Bond film not to feature any involvement in terms of music score from John Barry, the makers favouring a disco score provided by Marvin Hamlisch, who’d even arrange a new Disco version of the famous Bond Theme entitled ‘Bond77’ and also a faithful arrangement of Maurice Jarre’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ theme during a parody sequence.

A handful of spoilers do follow here!

‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is undoubtedly the best Roger Moore Bond film as it plays to the actor’s strengths. Gone are the forced Connery-esque moments of his first two films, instead greater emphasis is placed on humour, Q’s gadgetry and the quintessential Englishness of the character. It also features (in my opinion) the greatest opening ten minutes in any Bond film, starting with the capturing of an English submarine, literally being swallowed up by Stromberg’s Super-tanker, in a scene reminiscent of ‘You Only Live Twice’ a Sean Connery Bond picture from 1967 also directed by Lewis Gilbert who also assumed directorial responsibilities for this film. The pre-title sequence also features the first appearance of Barbara Bach as Agent Triple XXX, who is initially seen with her boyfriend (fellow KGB Agent Sergei Barsov) played by actor Michael Billington, of whom many will be familiar due to his regular role of Colonel Paul Foster in the Gerry Anderson live action series ‘UFO’. He is swiftly killed off by Bond during the spectacular opening ski sequence set in Austria (but filmed in Canada) in which stuntman Rick Sylvester ski’s off a cliff (as Bond in his banana outfit) only for his parachute to open in the nick of time, displaying of course, the union jack! Somehow it is all pulled off beautifully, and Roger Moore’s hilarious banana skin ski gear doesn’t detract from this wonderful moment, even though he looks like a stealthy slinky skiing banana man. It should be noted that as Sylvester loses his ski’s in the stunt and begins to freefall the aforementioned ski’s catch up with him and one of them goes straight through his parachute as it opens. Had it become tangled we may have not had a stunt to wonder at....or a stunt man for that matter!

The parachute moment starring Bond. Banana Bond. 

Then we are of course treated to another Bond theme and another famous title sequence designed by the originator of the 007 sequences Maurice Binder. The theme by Hamlisch ‘Nobody Does it Better’ sung by Carly Simon is one of the best of the franchise, a simple love song with a wonderful leading piano part, probably the only part of the soundtrack that has a timelessness. The sequence by Binder also showcases the designer at his most creative; the trademark naked ladies in silhouette being used to great effect, particularly when there are several marching toward Moore’s Bond silhouette, only to fall in unison as he approaches them, a brilliant touch!

Roger Moore as Bond with Barbara Bach playing Russian Agent Triple XXX

The film boasts strong performances from Roger Moore and the supporting regulars, but also worthy of note is Vernon Dobtcheff’s superb slimy performance as Max Kalba, owner of a club Bond visits to extract information, Robert Brown’s performance as Admiral Hargreaves (the actor would take over from actor Bernard Lee following his death in the role of M) and Shane Rimmer (former voice of Scott Tracy in ‘Thunderbirds’) appearing in his third Bond film, this time in the sizeable role of US Submarine Commander Carter. Curt Jurgens makes for a superb Bond villain in Karl Stromberg, ruthless, brutish and slightly unhinged but with a clashing aura of class, sophistication and grandeur he is suitably unnerving when dispatching one of his agents into a pool containing a hungry shark because of her betrayal, overseen by two freelance associates (played by familiar actors Cyril Shaps and Milo Sperber) whom he owes 20 million dollars each for their services. They initially think they will receive the same treatment until they are escorted to the safety of a helicopter taking them from Stromberg’s Atlantis city (an impressive bit of model work by former Gerry Anderson special effects wizard Derek Meddings) only for him to blow up the helicopter shortly after takeoff. My only minor reservations about Stromberg are his disappointing death scene (his last breaths being inhaled on a tray of cabbage leaves!) And one moment when Jurgen's heavy German accent causes this line "Observe Mr. Bund, the instruments of armageddon" It is nonetheless a memorable and effective performance. Barbara Bach’s character Triple XXX is interesting as she remains Bond’s equal for the entirety of the film, even outshining him on occasion. She also looks the part but Bach is unfortunately hindered by the necessity of a Russian accent (which all too easily leans into her natural American tones) and is as wooden as a trusty garden shed at some points.

The Supertanker swallows a submarine

The aforementioned model work is generally excellent in this picture, although the shot of Stromberg and Triple XXX leaving in a speedboat after being ejected out of the Supertanker looks a bit naff. The Supertanker shots are very impressive and fooled many into believing they had used a real tanker for the film and Marvin Hamlisch’s score is very competent, even if he gets a bit carried away during some of the pyramid scenes running up to Feckesh’s death. The look of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (like many other Bond films) is greatly enhanced by the incredible design work of Ken Adam, whose set for the Supertanker is one of the series best (they built a brand new soundstage to accommodate it at Pinewood Studios). Its scale is incredible and its sparse use ensures it never loses its impact.

A quite literally gripping scene from 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

To conclude this review though I must focus on Richard Kiel, quite literally a giant of the cinema. His great height and features were caused by a condition called acromegaly which causes abnormal bone growth. This didn’t hinder Kiel of course, who found himself very much in demand for roles, inevitably many of them were very similar and verging on the ghoulish. One of his first roles was the titular role of ‘Eegah’ released in 1962 in which he starred as a giant cave man. It is considered one of the worst films of all time and even made it onto an episode of ‘Mystery Science Theatre 3000’. Thankfully he’d also except classic roles in ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’, ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ and ‘Barbary Coast’ before being given the role of Jaws. In his later career he’d star in ‘Happy Gilmore’ in 1996 but is almost certainly Jaws that he will be most remembered for. He was a regular face at James Bond Conventions and Film and Television events for many years and was dearly loved by his fans, often being described as a true gentleman. He was active in this capacity until just a month ago but had unfortunately recently broken his leg, which caused complications from which he did not recover. Kiel and Roger Moore had taken part in a BBC Radio 4 interview about the Bond franchise just 3 days before his death, with Moore at the Radio studio in London and Kiel calling in from a hospital near his home in Fresno, California. 

Overcoming the obvious limitations of the Jaws role, Kiel injected into the character a sense of humanity and humour which is evident from many touches (notably when he dusts himself off and adjusts his tie after Bond throws him out of the window of a high speed train). Fortunately, albeit briefly, he was able to show off his resonant voice in the follow up to this film ‘Moonraker’ released in 1979. But that’s another story.

From a long term fan, all the best Richard and rest in peace. 

Richard Kiel with his close friend Sir Roger Moore 

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to United Artists. The next review will focus on the third series of the classic BBC science fiction series 'Blake's 7'. 

A Tribute to Francis Matthews

In an unfortunate coincidence, Francis Matthews has passed away within a week of the death of Rik Mayall, his co-star in the 'Jonathan Creek' episode 'Black Canary' which I reviewed 5 days ago as a tribute to the latter. Once again I'm pushing back my review of 'Blake's 7' Series Three, which fingers crossed will be my next review, but I thought it was right to put together a tribute to Matthews, for me an icon of my childhood years. 

Captain Scarlet to the far right, with Captain Blue and Lieutenant Green in 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons'

For generations of children (and I mean generations, plural!) Francis Matthews is the man who provided the voice to a hero, namely Captain Scarlet in the highly successful Gerry Anderson television puppet series ‘Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons’, a show that premiered on the ATV Network in September 1967. The series, the next programme produced by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson following the worldwide hit that was ‘Thunderbirds’ would feature puppets that were more proportionate in head and body size to all the Anderson series that had preceded it. It was also notably darker, featuring the sinister alien beings ‘The Mysterons’ who possess the power to replicate a human body for their own ends, giving them the power of ‘retro-metabolism’ meaning they are virtually indestructible and survive injuries that would normally be fatal. Our protagonist is given this treatment in the very first episode but following a serious fall from a car park high in the sky (typical needless Anderson extravagance!) Is revived as a non-Mysteron agent, back on the side of the organisation designed to protect the Earth from the Mysterons called ‘Spectrum’. Captain Black (the series’ regular villain) who is seen at the very beginning of that pilot episode (in human form) in a Martian Exploration Vehicle sent to explore mars is part of a small team that open fire on a Mysteron base after discovering it, mistaking the Mysteron’s surveillance equipment for a weapon. This trigger happy action causes a war between the Mysterons and Earth and a series of retaliations against the people of the earth for the destruction of their base on mars. The first retaliation begins with the transformation of Captain Black from human agent to Mysteron agent. 

Francis Matthews on the right signing autographs with co-star Ed Bishop who voiced Captain Blue at a 2002 Convention. Bishop passed away in 2005. 

As the voice of Captain Scarlet, Francis Matthews would be joined by a collection of experienced actors and voice artiste’s including Ed Bishop, Donald Gray, Cy Grant and Liz Morgan, all playing key roles. Matthews confirmed later in interviews that the inspiration behind the voice of the character was Cary Grant, the famous Bristolian actor who found success in Hollywood. His colleague and friend Ed Bishop (who voiced Captain Scarlet’s friend and colleague in the series, Captain Blue) revealed in an interview in 1982 that the recording sessions for the voices on the show were scheduled twice each month, two episodes a day over a period of eight months. He recalled “We did an episode in the morning and an episode after lunch. They were very, very relaxed sessions. We would all gather in the studio and record together. This was one of the innovations of Gerry's work. Normally, other puppet programmes would do the puppets first and then have the actors match their voices to the puppets. Gerry's people made the puppets work to the persona of the actor. They were really done at a high professional standard. We were all amazed by it.” From those semi regular recording sessions a legend and a classic television series were born, a show that 47 years later still has a timeless, enduring quality which continues to captivate both young and adult audiences and amass a large number of fans. For the last twenty years Matthews has been a regular guest at science fiction, comic and fantasy conventions, an experience that would mystify him slightly. He once remarked in an interview, referring to said fans "They dress up and stare at you when you're signing the autograph, as if you're some kind of extraordinary god!"

Francis Matthews in 'The Avengers' episode 'Mission..Highly Improbable' 

But there was much more to Matthews and much more to his career than being the voice of Captain Scarlet. After a handful of supporting roles in films and television series, he would appear as Doctor Hans Kleve in the first major Hammer Horror picture ‘The Revenge of Frankenstein’ released in 1958, a film that caused quite a stir at the time for its gore content. This would lead to other horror film appearances including Amalgamated Pictures ‘Corridors of Blood’ and later ‘The Hellfire Club’ whilst appearing in a number of notable BBC plays and ITC adventure series such as ‘Interpol Calling’. He would return to Hammer in 1966 for two further feature films, ‘Dracula: Prince of Darkness’ and ‘Rasputin: The Mad Monk’ both starring Christopher Lee as the title character. He would then make two memorable appearances in the surreal ITC spy-fi series ‘The Avengers’ in the episodes ‘The Thirteenth Hole’ and the excellent ‘Mission: Highly Improbable’ between 1966-67 before the debut of ‘Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons’.

Matthews in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, a 1966 Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee in the title role 

After his most famous role he would star in 52 episodes of the BBC’s ‘Paul Temple’ series about a crime novelist who solves mysteries. It ran for four series on television, but he also played the part on radio. Throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties he would continue to make numerous appearances in television and many made for television movies, during this period he notably starred in ‘Crown Court’, ‘Taggart’ and ‘Jonathan Creek’ but nothing like the level of work he committed himself to during the previous two decades, presumably because of his busy theatre schedule but also perhaps because by this stage he was able to pick and choose his roles. Between 2002-2003 however he made several appearances in the ITV series ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘The Royal’ as recurring character Dr. James Alway. He would find use for his accurate impression of Cary Grant’s voice again in the 2004 television movie ‘Cary Comes Home’ a celebration of the work and life of the great actor. Matthews last acting appearance on film was in the 2012 British comedy ‘Run For Your Wife’ starring Danny Dyer.

Francis Matthews with George Cole in the 1979 sitcom 'Don't Forget to Write!' 

Francis Matthews died at the age of 86 on 14^th June 2014 after a lengthy and prestigious career as an actor. A wonderful legacy he has left. From his appearances in Hammer Horror to Jonathan Creek, Matthews was a versatile stalwart of British acting. He will be missed. 

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to the BBC, ITC and Hammer Productions. The Ed Bishop interview is sourced from Starlog #55 (1982). The next review will focus on the third series of the classic BBC science fiction series 'Blake's 7'. 

Jonathan Creek: Black Canary (A Tribute to Rik Mayall)

By the time this special of Jonathan Creek, entitled ‘Black Canary’ was aired on Christmas Eve 1998 the programme had enjoyed two successful series featuring the definitive line-up of Alan Davies as the title character, windmill dwelling magic expert Jonathan Creek, and Caroline Quentin as writer and journalist Maddie Magellan, with humorous asides from Stuart Milligan portraying Jonathan Creek’s boss, the American? Canadian? Or is he English? Who knows, but he’s a magician and a chauvinist and his name is Adam Klaus. Written by David Renwick, who had previously found fame as a writer through his stand out comedy series ‘One Foot in the Grave’ starring Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie, the BBC commissioned this Christmas special broadcast as part of BBC 1’s festive schedule in 1998, the first 90 minute episode since the pilot episode which was broadcast in January 1997. It was also the first instalment of the series to feature the inimitable comedy genius and actor Rik Mayall, who sadly passed away suddenly on Monday. In Jonathan Creek, Mayall would portray the articulate, charismatic and slightly egotistical Detective Inspector Gideon Pryke. 

The title card to the 1998 special of Jonathan Creek - Black Canary 

'Black Canary' is one of my favourite episodes of the series, featuring as it does a stellar cast, comprising not only Rik Mayall but consummate actor Francis Matthews (who portrayed Paul Temple for television and radio and voiced Captain Scarlet no less!), Hannah Gordon, Murray Melvin and even a cameo at the end from comic actor Sanjeev Bhaskar and one of the series most compelling mysteries (none too many spoilers here so you will have to watch it!) Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin are on cracking form here and Renwick is continuing to develop their ‘will they, won’t they’ romance. Only a few minutes into the episode, Maddie tells Jonathan “I need you tonight, in my bedroom!” Only for him to discover that it is his job to come and remove a cockroach that has found its way into Maddie’s house.  There is also a great scene featuring the pair in Maddie’s car heading towards a suicide scene, with Maddie spraying dry ice on the windscreen as she is driving due to a broken down windscreen washer. A sudden halt is caused in their journey however when Jonathan Creek recalls the tragic death of the sister of the suicide victim some years prior, being accidentally sawn in half by a buzz saw whilst practising an escape trick....lengthways. Ms Magellan’s horrified follow up line of “I’ll have to sleep with a sauce pan between my legs” had me in stitches on reviewing this episode! Adam Klaus’s latest romantic interest and the Jack the Ripper ‘Frog Coat’ provide amusing distractions from the darker aspects of this story and this marks the only occasion (as I recall) of when one of Klaus’s exploits is actually woven into the plot.

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Jonathan Creek and Maddie Magellan, the definitive Creek line-up 

Directorially, the production is helmed by Sandy Johnson who had directed several episodes of the first and second series of the show, and would continue to direct instalments until the end of Series Four, following which the programme went on hiatus for five years. He would prove to be an excellent, if inevitable choice for this feature length special. Trademarks of Johnson’s direction technique include moving dutch angles to represent fear and trepidation and breathtaking establishing shots. Johnson would go on to work on other David Renwick productions including ‘Love Soup’ in the late Noughties.

Alan Davies, Caroline Quentin and the late Rik Mayall as DI Gideon Pryke

The cast are pretty solid, Francis Matthews convinces as the ex-crooner Jerry Bellinitus, who Rik Mayall’s Gideon Pryke notes shares his surname with the name of a condition which causes inflammation of the foreskin! Hannah Gordon encourages a feeling of empathy in her multi dimensional role and Murray Melvin is superb as the butler Lionel Prekopp, exuding warmth but keeping the character’s sinister edge bubbling away at the surface with great sincerity, showcasing the actor's characteristically clipped and honed delivery.

Dave Haskell as the androgynous Sgt Richie 

The real star unsurprisingly however is the great Rik Mayall, to whom I’ll be devoting the last part of this blog post. Mayall would later play DI Gideon Pryke in the rather disappointing and clumsy 2013 Easter Special of the series entitled ‘The Clue of the Savants Thumb’ by which point the character had become paraplegic in an unfortunate accident, but in his debut episode the character is quite different. Here Pryke is a charismatic investigator portrayed by Mayall with the same flair that Jeremy Brett and Peter Cushing gave to their interpretations of the character of Sherlock Holmes. When DI Pryke proposes a question during the closing chapter of the story and exclaims “one question!” A finger is immediately raised, like the drawings of Sidney Paget who illustrated Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Holmes stories, carefully replicated by the likes of Cushing and Brett mentioned above. Mayall is definitely channelling this theatrical demonstration with frequent gesticulations. Like Holmes, Pryke has his very own Dr. Watson, an androgynous (amusingly Creek and Magellan can’t work out his sex) Sergeant by the name of Richie (played by Dave Haskell) and is a force to be reckoned with, indeed Maddie suggests to Jonathan in the episode that he should maybe “leave him to it”, referring to Pryke. He also has some great one liner’s, my favourite being when he saves our protagonist from a thug in a sequence shot at Black Park in Buckinghamshire, who takes exception to Creek hastily locking the door of the car he is in. After the thug smashes the car window in and grabs our hero around the neck, Pryke immobilises him and pushes him forward. The thug remarks “What’s your game?” And Pryke responds “This!” Brandishing his police identification, followed by “What’s yours? Tiddlywinks!”

Mayall was a perfect choice for the DI and gives the role the eccentric edge it needs. It is also worth noting that this was the first role that he took on following his near fatal quad bike accident in April 1998 which left him in a coma for 5 days after suffering two brain haemorrhages. You certainly can’t tell from his energetic performance here, filmed just 4-5 months after the accident. 

Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin in a sequence filmed at Black Park 

Rik Mayall was (and this is no overstatement) a comedy genius and a totally original performer. Born in Essex but moving to Droitwich, Worcestershire as a young boy with his family, he would be schooled in Worcester and Redditch before embarking on his comedy career. As a boy raised in Worcestershire myself (I grew up in Pershore) I was often reminded by my parents and brother whenever Mayall was on the screen that he was a ‘local lad’. My first memories of him are seeing him in ‘Bottom’ with his old pal Adrian Edmondson (who would later star in the fourth series of Jonathan Creek) portraying two dole scroungers called Eddie and Richie, living in a flat in Hammersmith.  The slapstick comedy of the series greatly appealed to me as a 5 year old, as it did my brother who introduced me to the show. Following this I would see his unique performances in Blackadder, Jonathan Creek and then surprisingly The Young Ones last, a show at the cutting edge of alternative comedy, a movement for which Mayall was a founding player.

Pyrke, Magellan and Creek wrap up another case

I was then, as I am now utterly captivated by his relentless madness and bucket loads of both energy and irrepressible charisma. He was, quite simply, a total one off and a considerable acting talent as well as a comic talent. His sudden death at just 56 is not just a huge blow to the industry but it is a huge loss to the world. He still had so much to give and so much to do. It also seems especially tragic that having survived an untimely death in 1998 that he would ultimately pass away so soon. However, on a more positive note the great man has left behind an incredible legacy and (for the most part) a timeless body of work. I can think of no greater tribute than that. Now fuck off! 

The ultimate comedy duo, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson in a publicity shot for 'Bottom'.

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to the BBC and 2Entertain. The next review will focus on the third series of the classic BBC science fiction series 'Blake's 7'. 

The Beast Must Die (The penultimate shiver from Amicus)

'The Beast Must Die' is a real curio of a horror film produced by Amicus Productions, a one off studio that gave Hammer Productions a run for its money between the 1960’s and 1970’s. Amicus were one of three British production companies (the other is Tigon Productions) to produce predominantly horror product for the masses. Formed by an American horror buff named Milton Subotsky and a American businessman called Max J. Rosenberg Amicus would produce a total of 28 films between 1962 and 1977 and amongst their many successes would bring Doctor Who and the Daleks to the big screen in 1965 with the film ‘Dr. Who and the Daleks’ and a follow up based on the 1964 BBC serial ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ entitled ‘Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D’ which was released in 1966 both starring legendary Hammer actor Peter Cushing in the lead role. Really not bad for a production company that made all of their films on the cheap! They were however a studio that had a considerable industry reputation for always being able to turn in a profit (rather like the films of Roger Corman in the US) and with Rosenberg as a co-founder of the company working with a keen eye on America, Amicus were able to distribute their productions to a large American audience. Their film ‘Tales from the Crypt’ was the second biggest US grossing film after ‘The Godfather’ upon its release in 1972.

The opening title sequence to 'The Beast Must Die'

The studio’s links with Hammer Horror films were not accidental either.  Subotsky and Rosenberg had, very early in their careers submitted a script to Hammer entitled ‘Frankenstein and the Monster’ which was rejected, only to find a year or so later the studio would have huge success with their film ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ which starred both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee who was also a stalwart of Hammer and later regular actor with Amicus. This gave Subotsky in particular a deep rivalry with Hammer and whilst both Hammer and Amicus featured a lot of blood in their films, Subotsky disliked the gore of the former and also chose (for creative as well as budgetary reasons) to shoot all of his films in a contemporary setting, unlike the vast majority of Hammer’s output which was based in the past and richly gothic in its presentation. Amicus also carved themselves a niche by releasing ‘portmanteau’ horror films, i.e films that had three or more separate stories throughout its run time.

Calvin Lockhart as millionaire Tom Newcliffe 

Hammer, Amicus and Tigon’s Horror output would ultimately share the same fate as, after some considerable successes in the 1960’s their productions would begin to lose momentum and impetus and seem increasingly old hat as the cinema industry evolved rapidly around them and interest in British horror product (for a while at least) ceased. We join Amicus and ‘The Beast Must Die’ at that very moment. Released in 1974, this was a non-anthology, non ‘portmanteau’ Amicus production at a time when the studio’s output was beginning to lessen. Written by Michael Winder from a short story by noted science fiction writer James Blish, Milton Subotsky hated the film. This would be the last Amicus horror film he had any involvement in and he would ultimately leave the company in 1975 after losing heart in the franchise. Max J. Rosenberg would run the company until its demise two years later.

A young Michael Gambon as Jan Gilmore

Featuring a stellar cast, including the much mentioned Peter Cushing, Charles Gray (of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', two James Bond films & the Granada Sherlock series), Tom Chadbon, Anton Diffring  and Michael Gambon no less, the film is led by Calvin Lockhart, at the time an actor in residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company who originally came from the Bahamas, cast to cash in on the blaxploitation genre which was capturing imaginations in the US at the time. Without giving too much away, Lockhart portrays a millionaire called Tom Newcliffe in the film, a game hunter planning his biggest kill yet. He invites a group of people (some of them friends) to his English mansion and announces that one of them is a werewolf and that he is determined to kill that person. It’s a wonderful narrative device, blatantly developed from Agatha Christie’s story ‘And Then There Were None’ and the classic 1959 American horror film ‘The House on Haunted Hill’ coincidentally starring Amicus regular and distinguished Horror actor Vincent Price. The twist of course in this story is that rather than trying to work out who the murderer is, Newcliffe (and the viewing audience) must work out who the werewolf is! A laughable inclusion however, which interrupts the pace of the film somewhat but was apparently included on the insistence of producer Milton Subotsky is the ‘Werewolf Break’ sequence, where the viewer is invited to guess who the beast is! Also of note is the rather hilarious appearance of the werewolf, which due to the films very low budget was a German Shepherd given a large fluffy coat to ‘bulk him up’. If it wasn’t for Paul Annett’s excellent direction (which largely hides the unfortunate appearance of the beast with low key lighting and fast editing) any feeling of menace would be totally destroyed. In a couple of shots where the nature of ‘The Beast’ is obvious the dog in his big coat frankly looks adorable! There are some genuine frightening moments however, including Newcliffe hunting in the wood as the werewolf approaches, the death of Pavel (Anton Diffring) Newcliffe’s surveillance specialist who does not believe in Werewolves and ends up with his eye ripped out and the death of Bennington (Charles Gray) is disturbingly realised too as is the sequence when Newcliffe’s dog is attacked by the werewolf (an interesting piece of trivia is that this is the first film ever to feature a fight between a dog and a werewolf!) Another silly (but forgiveable) inclusion is Professor Lundgren's (Peter Cushing) werewolf knowledge, they will apparently be revealed if they are forced to touch silver when the pollen of Wolfsbane is in the air! Really.....well that's typical horror film mumbo jumbo for you! 

Pavel (Anton Diffring) after a Werewolf attack in 'The Beast Must Die' 

'The Beast Must Die' makes great use of the Surrey countryside near Shepperton Studios (where the film was made) and also the River Ash footbridge in Littleton, Middlesex (a location which featured in countless Amicus films, including Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D) all of which is very effective, particularly during the deliberately confusing opening sequence which features Newcliffe being hunted, which the audience later learns is his warm up for the Werewolf hunt, working out exactly what routes the creature can take through his country estate with assistance from Pavel and his entourage. Even his house guests are shocked and stunned when Newcliffe is gunned down in front of them at the conclusion of the sequence, only to find out it is all a training exercise. Much of the location footage was recorded day for night which adds much to the atmosphere of the picture and is coupled with a funky score from composer Douglas Gamley, no doubt trying to replicate a blaxploitation feel in his music. It’s a brilliant score which really puts the film in period but it can be a little too jovial in its tone, against the horrific images on screen it sometimes feels incongruous! 

Calvin Lockhart's Newcliffe becomes distrustful of Paul Foote (Tom Chadbon) 

The performances are pretty solid, with a convincing turn from the late Calvin Lockhart who becomes more and more irate as he fails to catch the Werewolf, Donald Gray’s performance is at his restrained best as the diplomat Bennington, whereas Peter Cushing struggles to maintain his European? Accent, but it doesn’t matter because he’s Peter Cushing! Tom Chadbon is brilliant as Paul Foote, an early werewolf suspect who admits to having eaten a piece of human flesh in his past. He plays the role like an arrogant post-graduate and looks very 1970's! Michael Gambon’s role as Jan Gilmore is ultimately quite limited in dialogue, his role and that of his wife’s (played by Ciaran Madden) are quite understated, a deliberate move on the directors part. Anton Diffring is superb as the short lived, slightly sinister and analytical Pavel. Another star turn is from American actress Marlene Clark (hired at the suggestion of Calvin Lockhart when Shirley Bassey proved unavailable) playing Newcliffe’s wife Caroline,  who has to display the biggest emotional range as she grapples with fear of not just the werewolf but her husband’s increasingly unstable state. The conclusion is nicely executed if inevitable, curiously followed by the full on funk of Gamley’s closing title music.

Audience participation is required on Milton Subotsky's orders! 

In summary, ‘The Beast Must Die’ is a wonderfully entertaining slice of 1970’s British cinema produced by one of my favourite film companies. It has all the hallmarks of a non-portmanteau Amicus picture and of traditional 1970’s horror but succeeds with its admirable twist of the ‘several strangers trapped in a house, one is a murderer’ story. An entertaining and familiar cast makes the experience more enjoyable even where the films budget and other limitations cause problems and in my honest opinion I think many of the later Horror efforts from Amicus were actually better than Hammers. This film is no exception, so sit back, relax, prepare for a few mild chills but ultimately just enjoy the moment, don’t take it too seriously (if was never intended that way) and immerse yourself in the British-ness. ‘They don’t make em’ like this anymore!’

The cute and cuddly Beast of 'The Beast Must Die' 

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to Amicus and Studiocanal. The next review will focus on the third series of the classic BBC science fiction series 'Blake's 7'. 

Timeslip (Forward Thinking Drama of the 1970's)

Timeslip is one of many science fiction series from the 1970's. However, crucially it is also one of the best, standing the test of time better than say the excruciatingly cheap but entertaining romp that was the Tomorrow People or the imaginative fantasy series The Ace of Wands. Created by Ruth Boswell (Escape Into Night, The Tomorrow People) and husband James Boswell, the series focused on crucial issues in an increasingly technological age and did so all under the banner of a serious children's television drama, which for its time was really quite something.

Acting stalwart John Barron and Spencer Banks as Simon in Timeslip

Aimed as a rival to the BBC's Doctor Who, the Boswell's and excellent television writer Bruce Stewart produced something entirely different from what was available on British television at the time. Doomwatch, the gritty and at times rather lacklustre series covering moral, social and environmental issues was the only programme that came close to Timeslip at this time, but Timeslip was overall much more successful. The premise of the story, a young girl finding a time barrier at an abandoned naval station, is truly intriguing, add in some atmospheric direction from a team of excellent directors, sparse but brilliantly executed location footage and some solid performances (a special note goes to the flawless and concentrated performance of Denis Quilley as Commander Traynor) and you have a remarkably entertaining and memorable series. The regulars, intrigued by local gossip about the young girl and drawn to the time barrier were an excellent choice as central characters, as children from 1970 could instantly relate to them. Simon, portrayed by the excellent child actor Spencer Banks is the brainy one, interested in science and maths, with an instinct for discovery he single-handedly figures out all the crucial plot points for the audience to absorb, whilst (rather unfortunately) the naive and whining Liz, played by the admirable Cheryl Burfield, whines a little longer. In this respect the serial has dated but the concepts and ideas put forward, and its ability to predict many future issues put the series way ahead of its time.

Timeslip logo and title card 

Timeslip is quite simply 26 episodes of virtually flawless television. Throw away the minor grumbles about the sexist interpretation of Liz  (an all too common trait at the time sadly) and the opening story's slightly laboured execution and delve in. The Wrong End of Time is a fantastic instalment in which one of our central protagonists encounters her father in a 1940's naval station, coincidentally where the time barrier stands in 1970's England and with the first appearance of Commander Traynor a character so crucial to the overall story. The Time of the Ice Box gives viewers a terrible insight into future earth and Liz's alter ego Beth. One of the strongest stories of all The Year of the Burn Up gives us an equally bleak presentation of future earth, Buckinghamshire turned into an Amazonian jungle, with the issue of climate change being brought to the fore and all this occurring as a possible projection (like the Ice Box) of the Earth in 1990. The final story, written by the excellent Victor Pemberton (who had worked on Doctor Who and would go on to work on Ace of Wands and others) effortlessly following on from Bruce Stewart, addresses the importance of individuality and the limits of genetic progress, with another appearance of the excellent John Barron as Devereaux and a marvellous final twist concerning the malevolent and untrustworthy Commander Traynor.

A screenshot from 'Time of the Ice Box'. Liz as played by Cheryl Burfield is on the far left 

And so after 26 episodes, the series ended. Could it have ran for another series? Quite possibly, but what we have is truly special, consistently brilliant, consistently thought provoking and remarkably well made for its small budget, skilfully avoiding ambitious special effects and concentrating on character, mood and atmosphere. Timeslip is a slice of television gold, one of the best TV series of its time. So sit back relax, and watch the excellent DVD set of all 26 episodes. Beware though, you might want to adjust your lenses for episode 12! Originally shot in colour, episode 12 is the only remaining colour episode, the rest now only available to us via some black and white 16mm film prints produced for overseas sales. The remaining episode is very bright and gaudy compared to the monochrome footage, but thank goodness in one way or another we still have the whole series. There are so many productions that tragically we can not say that of, and maybe never will be able to. To summarise, Timeslip is thrilling television and a one off in the crowded halls of science fiction and fantasy television, a must for any fan of television drama.

NOTE: All production stills and photographs used in this review are copyrighted to ATV and Carlton Entertainment. The next review will be on the classic Amicus Horror film 'The Beast Must Die!'