Never Take Sweets from
a Stranger (aka: Never Take Candy
from a Stranger) (1960) It’s unlikely that a film such as this would ever
receive a green light today, due to its frank, uncompromising treatment of a
subject that many filmmakers would consider taboo. The film reveals one town’s
conspiracy of silence, motivated by fear of retaliation, as its favorite son, Clarence
Olderberry (Felix Aylmer), is accused of pedophilia. Director Cyril Frankel
(working from a screenplay by John Hunter, based on Roger Garis’ play)
chronicles one father’s (Patrick Allen) quest for justice as he’s hampered by
the town’s cycle of rationalization and denial. Never Take Sweets from a Stranger takes a sobering view of abusers
and the culture that protects them. It’s an emotionally draining viewing
experience you won’t likely forget. A far cry from the escapist fare normally
associated with Hammer productions, this film remains as topical now as it was
55 years ago.
Rating: ****½. Available on DVD
The Devil Rides Out (aka:
The Devil’s Bride) (1968) Directed by
Terence Fisher, and based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley (with a screenplay by
Richard Matheson), The Devil Rides Out
is among Hammer’s best from the late ‘60s. Christopher Lee plays a rare protagonist
role as the virtuous Duc de Richleau. Along with his rather dim friend Rex (Leon
Greene), he endeavors to protect his young charge Simon (Patrick Mower) from
the forces of evil. Charles Gray is excellent as the charismatic satanic cult
leader Mocata, and proves to be a worthy adversary. Lee, who reportedly
contributed his knowledge of occult practices to the production, also provides
a terrific performance. Sadly, this film is currently unavailable on Region 1
DVD. It’s currently available on YouTube, but for how long is anyone’s guess.
Rating: ****. Available on DVD (Region 1 is out of print)
Scream of Fear (aka: Taste of Fear) (1961) This
Hitchcock-styled suspense film included a Castle-esque gimmick in American
theaters, with a “Patron’s Pledge” (cards were handed out, imploring movie
patrons not to reveal the ending). Susan Strasberg plays neurotic, wheelchair-bound
Penny Appleby, who returns to her father’s French estate after a 10-year
absence. No one, including her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd), seems to believe
that she’s seen her father’s corpse on the grounds. She finds an ally in her
father’s chauffeur Robert (Ronald Lewis), who conspires with her to find out
the truth. Director Seth Holt and writer Jimmy Sangster ramp up the tension, as
we feel Penny’s increasing isolation. As she jumps at shadows we’re left to
speculate about her sanity. Christopher Lee plays the enigmatic Dr. Gerrard,
who may or may not be in cahoots with Jane. This taut thriller, packed with
well-timed thrills and red herrings, reminds us things are not always as they
appear, and will keep you guessing until the end.
Rating: ****. Available on DVD
X The Unknown (1956)
Following the success of the first Quatermass
film, Hammer attempted to make lightning strike twice, and succeeded with
this nifty little sci-fi thriller, set in Scotland. Jimmy Sangster’s first
screenplay, about unstoppable primordial ooze that emerges from the depths of
the earth, is a winner. The indestructible organism devours radioactive material
and kills anything in its path. X-The
Unknown features some great performances, including Dean Jagger as an
American nuclear scientist. This atomic age tale is refreshing for its attitude
toward science and the role of researchers. Science doesn’t create the monster,
but provides a means of understanding what’s happening, as well as a possible solution
to the rampaging force. Suspenseful and thought-provoking, X The Unknown helped raise the bar for Hammer films, where good
storytelling and solid acting trumped any budgetary deficiencies.
Rating: ****. Available on DVD
The Kiss of the
Vampire (1964) This standalone vampire film veers from the story line
established by the previous Dracula
films, to tell a different tale of people becoming entwined in dark forces
beyond their comprehension. Newlyweds Gerald and Marianne Harcourt (Edward de
Souza and Jennifer Daniel) run out of gas in a remote German village, where the
residents live in perpetual fear of a wealthy aristocrat, Dr. Ravna (Noel
Willman). After spending the night in a deserted inn, they become the guests of
the mysterious Ravna, who eyes Marianne for some malevolent hidden purpose. One
of the standout scenes is a colorful, disturbing masquerade party that could
have easily inspired Kubrick for Eyes
Wide Shut. Clifford Evans is excellent as the mercurial Dr. Zimmer, who
vows to destroy Dr. Ravna. It’s too bad this otherwise solid film is marred by
a silly conclusion involving a swarm of dime-store bats and an obtuse protagonist
(Gerald manages to imbibe drugged beverages on two separate occasions), but it’s
well worth seeking out.
Rating: ***½. Available on DVD
The Reptile (1966)
The leads of this horror flick, which originally played on a double bill with Rasputin the Mad Monk, are fairly dull.
The best work from the supporting players, including Hammer regular Michael
Ripper in a larger than usual role as a local barkeep and John Laurie as town
eccentric Mad Peter. Jacqueline Pearce is captivating, but under-utilized as
the reclusive, exotic Anna. She’s kept under the watchful eye of her father Dr.
Franklyn (Noel Willman), who harbors a terrible secret. The makeup is laughable
by today’s standards, but the filmmakers wisely choose to keep the title
creature in the shadows for the most part, relying on atmosphere and a sense of
mystery concerning a series of strange deaths.
Rating: ***. Available on DVD
Spaceways (1953) Released
under the pre-Hammer banner Exclusive, this science fiction tale, with cold war
intrigue and melodrama thrown in for good measure, strives for believability with
its depiction of scientists working for long hours and low pay. Unfortunately,
any efforts to maintain credulity are thrown out the window with the story’s
“flying by the seat of our pants” philosophy with regard to science; at the
last minute, a rocket is modified to carry human travelers. The cavernous
interior looks less convincing than the spaceship cockpit in Fireball XL5. Also, the cost-cutting
filmmakers count on the audience’s suspension of disbelief (or ignorance), by
attempting to fool us into thinking V-2 rocket footage, a model and a matte
painting are the same craft. Eva Bartok is
good, though, as a mathematician in love with married scientist Dr. Mitchell
(Howard Duff). I couldn’t decide if it
wanted to be a cold war spy movie, love triangle melodrama, or a space
adventure, but it’s an otherwise serviceable effort that paved the way for
bigger and better Hammer science fiction movies.
Rating: ***. Available on DVD
The Two Faces of Dr.
Jekyll (aka: Jekyll’s Inferno) (1960)
Director Terence Fisher and writer Wolf Mankowitz make a decent, but unspectacular
attempt to re-tell Robert Louis Stevenson’s enduring tale. Paul Massie, sporting
a fake beard and eyebrows, stars as Dr. Henry Jekyll, searching for the key to
unlock the buried duality in the human psyche. His transformation from the
bland Jekyll to the roguish Edward Hyde is more comical than disturbing. Christopher
Lee, unsurprisingly, is the best part of this film, as Jekyll’s duplicitous
friend Paul Allen. The film delves into psychosexual territory with some fairly
risqué material for the time, including a snake dance that would make Freud
blush. The stronger elements in the story didn’t go unnoticed by censors at the
time; by the time The Two Faces of Dr.
Jekyll arrived in the U.S., it was heavily edited. Hammer’s usual high production
values and surface gloss allow us to overlook many of the movie’s ample deficits.
Rating: ***. Available on DVD
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