HAMMER: NIGHT SHADOWS
Phantom Menaces
RELEASED 28 JUNE 1961-1964 | 12 | Blu-ray
Directors John Gilling, Peter Graham
Scott, Freddie Francis, Terence Fisher
Cast Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley, Herbert Lom, Jennie Linden
Hammer built its legend on Technicolor blood and thunder; X-rated viscera that baited the censors and thrilled the cheap seats. This latest box set showcases an altogether less gutsy side of the studio.
The Phantom Of The Opera proves a tepid take on the much-told tale, more concerned with generating sympathy for Herbert Lom’s rag-masked sewer-dweller than leaning into fiendishness. Captain Clegg – with which it originally shared a double-bill – is a breezier historical romp, with Peter Cushing on fine, mischievous form as a swashbuckling parson. Inspired by the Doctor Syn novels, it’s clotted with rural atmosphere.
Nightmare is one of the studio’s psychological suspensers, shot with a crush of shadow and gifted with an audacious story structure that doesn’t so much pull the rug from under you as flog you a whole new carpet. Fellow black-andwhite conspiracy yarn The Shadow Of The Cat feels archaic by comparison, a creaky tale of murderous relatives and watchful felines that cries out for a camper, more knowing touch.
Mid-tier Hammer, then; not so much blood and thunder as a light scratch and a distant rumble.
Extras As well as audio commentaries by movie historians, each film benefits from an introduction by the dependably insightful Kim Newman, alongside a dedicated Making Of (the one for Captain Clegg offers a glimpse of Peter Cushing’s impressive watercolour proposals for his own costumes). Music lecturer David Huckvale profiles each of the four composers, and there’s a welcome set of tributes to unsung female talent, both behind and in front of the camera.
“Peter Cushing: Perspectives” (29 minutes) excerpts a radio interview from 1986, while such colleagues as Madeline Smith share memories of the great man. “The Mossman Legacy” (seven minutes) is a splendidly niche look at the carriage collection of George Mossman, Hammer’s go-to guy for all their horse-drawn needs. A career-spanning archive interview with producer Peter Graham Scott (200 minutes) is strictly for the hardcore, while director Freddie Francis’s more manageable reminiscences (82 minutes) provide an alternative audio option for Nightmare.
Other extras include a chat with Nightmare’s Jennie Linden (14 minutes), a profile of Hammer writer/producer/prime mover Anthony Hinds (28 minutes), a tribute to Herbert Lom, galleries, trailers and a booklet for each movie, containing essays, interviews and a look at the original reviews.
A highlight of the set is an interview with horror royalty Barbara Shelley (24 minutes). Shelley – who passed away earlier this year – is clearly, distressingly ill, but there’s still so much spark and charm to her. “Maybe I overacted,” she ponders, before warning the interviewer “Don’t you say I did, I’ll smack you!”
Will Salmon
Peter Cushing was a fan of the Doctor Syn books himself, and wrote a treatment for an unmade sequel to Captain Clegg.