Peter Cushing was a ‘monstrously’ underrated actor. Whatever the story, the role, or the budget, he gave his all. He was utterly believable in everything he did.
As a projectionist both at ABC Cinemas, and later at Elstree Studios in the late 1960s and early 70s, I was lucky enough to work on some of these Hammer Horror movies in a small way, many of which were filmed entirely on set (Stages 2 and 3) or on the backlot and at Scratchwood Nature Reserve for some of the exterior locations. I was lucky enough to meet Peter Cushing when I was on duty at the Admin Theatre at Elstree, and we had quite a long chat while he was waiting to view his morning rushes. He was a very kind man, always wearing white cotton gloves to mask his heavily nicotine stained fingers. Great memories of a time when horror movie special FX were put together using whatever came to hand, including coloured rice pudding, and gallons of liquid latex. No fancy computer graphics in those days. Spit and paper, polystyrene boulders, and fibrous plaster brickwork; along with amazing scenic artists and set dressers creating some of the best visual imagery of their day. Great memories.
👍 Nifty story. This is a couple of years late, but I do think the older methods of filmmaking we're better in many ways. CGI is fine in its way, but I respect the hard work of the older films more.
I think he was genuinely hurt but doesn't understand how much he was loved in those movies... you could tell George loves the guy. That's big props considering alot fans feel that way about George.
Best interpretation of Baron Frankenstein ever put on film. And the same is true of his Van Helsing. I will accept no other Van Helsings (unless it's Mel Brooks).
Peter Cushing .A great actor and gentleman. Never really given the credit he deserves. I have to confess I watched a lot of his films when I was a kid in England when they were put on on the Friday night horror at 10.30. Magic nights they were. School finished for the week end and a great Hammer film to start the week end end was the icing on the cake. Great times.
@@tiffsaver Laughable? Well, these "laughable" films singlehandedly revolutionized the British film industry in the same way The Beatles revolutionized the music industry. There may have been a few Hammer films that were hokey, but that's the exception, not the rule. Most of them appear as a meticulously crafted arthouse fever dream of a film, that not only have style----but substance as well. Cushing most assuredly didn't consider them "laughable". He knew just how special (and important) they were...and he never thought he was "too good" for them.
@@emeraldvenus I'm glad that you do. But after watching the genius of the Universal monster pictures, Hammer seems like a droll, amateurish ripoff of these classic films. It's like watching Lawrence Oliver do Hamlet, then watching a high school production of the same play. Peter Cushing was the ONLY thing in Hammer Films with any true talent or value, in my estimation.
@@tiffsaver I think they're great. Even so Peter Cushing was a professional and took his roles very seriously never hamming it up or playing it for laughs. Great man was "The Cushing"
@@Mustaine1ify Hammer Films compared to the genius of the original Universal monster movies was a JOKE. Just because they used color film didn't mean they were "better." Comparing Christopher Lee's Frankenstein makeup to the great makeup of the Boris Karloff's was actually LAUGHABLE. He looked as though he just dipped his entire face into a vat of molten wax. And when you compare Lee's Dracula with that of Bela Legosi, well, let's just say it is like comparing Arnold Schwarzenegger to Pee Wee Herman. Absolutely no comparison.
Another fine effort. One could always tell that Peter Cushing was a good man even when his Frankenstein was the most evil of men. A real class act all the way.
That first Hammer frankenstien was amazing. To see a Gothic horror like this in color and to see pieces of gore brought to the silver screen was just a bold move
I'm such a fan of Hammer Studios and this is all so nostalgic. Reminds me the horror movie every Friday night at 11:30pm in Montreal when I was a kid. I loved all their spooky films or their great mysteries. I've had to subscribe to this channel. This is all magical. Thanks for all the background information.
Some years ago ( I don't know how many) me and my wife Yolande went to see the Bray studios... I admit a huge fan I am.. the whole site was closed! They wanted to demolish and build some homes for elderly people I guess..It is outrageous. Such a waste. It could have been like a 'small' Universal studios or something. It is British history of filmmaking!
These Retrospectives are just getting better and better; there's much to relish here. Congrats, Dark Corners! I admit that much in the Stones/Beatles realm, I am a Universal rather than Hammer devotee, but I've always respected enormously how Hammer provided a bridge between modern and classical horror. This video is a wonderful visual representation of how that bridge came to be. In his own way, Christopher Lee looks rather hurt by that Yoda/Dracula prank.
A fantastic look at Hammer Films. I've been a fan since the 60's and I'm truly grateful for this professional and comprehensive look at Hammer. I can hardly wait for Part 2. Thank you VERY much...
These movies may be absurd but they're great nonetheless and Peter Cushing is great in them. It is a pure pleasure to watch him acting in anything but he really brought a lot of intellectual class to the character of the mad scientist and made such a mark in the role that it's difficult to see Baron Frankenstein being played any other way that how Cushing did it. I never miss these movies when they come up. One day I hope to add them all to my own collection.
In the Hammer films, Peter Cushing was the straight man and Christopher Lee the wild one.That was the formula in any film they appeared in. They were both a sinister Martin and Lewis.
Oh man, just to go back in time to work alongside Cushing and Lee at Hammer in films like these when the studio was at its peak... SUCH a privilege THAT would be!!!
Between “Dark Shadows” the 1960’s-1970’s gothic soap opera and Hammer horror films on Saturday afternoons I became a fan of classic horror flicks. The films were deliciously scary and the gore was very restrained by today’s standards. Our parents probably thought that we were watching Disney movies at the matinee when we were, in fact, enjoying an afternoon with Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ralph Bates and company. Little did they know!
Great job on this video. Always fun to learn more about Hammer's legacy and Peter Cushing, who's one of my all-time favorite actors. Looking forward to part two.
One of the great things about discovering Hammer classics (as well as many other Silver Age horror films) is finally figuring out where all of those White Zombie audio samples came from!!
My favorite has always been The Curse Of Frankenstein. I absolutely loved that, sped up, dolly zoom they did when, we see the monster for the first time. Epic!
Amicus didn't make enough movies to be Hammer's rival. Hammer's only rival was AIP. They produced or distributed "Horrors Of The Black Museum," "House Of Usher," "Circus Of Horrors," "Black Sunday," "The Pit And The Pendulum," "The Premature Burial," "Night Of The Eagle," "Tales Of Terror," "The Terror," "The Haunted Palace," "Dementia 13," "The Last Man On Earth," "The Masque of The Red Death," "The Tomb Of Ligeia," "Witchfinder General," "The Oblong Box," "The Dunwich Horror," "Count Yorga, Vampire," "Cry Of The Banshee," "Murders In The Rue Morgue," etc. Their Cushing (or Lee) was Vincent Price.
I’ve always loved the Hammer franchises, even as they tailed off. They made some brilliant films in their time and all with such a distinctively British feel about them. I think the Frankenstein series is probably my favourite as they seemed to have more creativity than with Dracula, so it’s great to see you covering them in an in depth way. It’s fascinating to see how they evolved with the times (be it successfully or not) and how they handled different subject matter. The earlier films were almost always superior, later ones often felt quite bitter sweet to me as it’s great to see them carrying on the hammer style but also quite sad to see the decline and how they clearly couldn’t keep up with the times. Either way, Hammer had a huge impact on horror and it’s great to reflect on it from time to time. Great video, really looking forward to part two.
I like to think of "The Evil of Frankenstein" as occuring in a parallel world. One extremely similar to ours' but slight variations. It would surely explain the differences.
The make up job of Curse this actually supports the idea that the creature really was put together by corpses and thus more scary and unsettling.The monster looked very creepy and I could see why everyone who came in contact with it was afraid.
The Revenge of Frankenstein offered the most novel concept of the Hammer Frankensteins, with Dr. Frankenstein becoming his own monster--a concept they unfortunately failed to follow up in their other Frankenstein entries.
I think Frankenstein Created Woman is highly underrated. For one thing, Thorley Walters gets to shine. I feel sad when I watch his stupidish hayfevered dolt in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed when I love him as the wonderfully named Doctor Hertz, a man who almost seems to be in love with the Baron here played in a more neutral mode than other films in the series.
The Evil of Frankenstein is my favorite of the series. In the others ones the Baron is just mean. Evil he's more heroic & the music is one of the best in Hammer.
As much as I love Sir Christopher Lee , I truly adore and love Peter Cushing as well. He elevated every movie he was ever in. Outstanding review, I loved every second of it. Thank you so very much.
A superb and insightful critique of Hammers history - easily on a par with Mark Gatiss' horror history production. I'm new to your channel, and look forward to binging your back catalogue - not to mention your future content. Subbed and liked!
Hammer horror is the Best! My favorite monster movies have always been made by Hammer Productions. I remember enjoying then back in the mid-1970's when I was just a boy watching them on Sat afternoons.
I saw "Frankenstein Created Woman" recently, and it feels like it should come after "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed." The Baron can't perform surgery himself; his assistant/accomplice has to do it. And he falls asleep mid-conversation, something that wouldn't be out of place in "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell." In "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," the Baron has no such problems.
As a kid growing up in Boston I would always go to the kiddie matinee 75 cents you get a 3 Stooges short and Bugs Bunny cartoons and the movie, At The Rialto theatre built in 1915 it was a old vaudeville building with red velvet and brass buttons on doors padded in red leather, To see the lates Hammer film that came to America , I enjoyed them in the late 60's and 70's And put them right up there with Classic Universal Monsters.
Admit it, Folks -- Christopher Lee had a face made for evil! The most sympathetic character I ever saw him play was ironically Count Dooku, THE WORST-NAMED character he portrayed. And that was his last major role. Peter Cushing, on the other hand -- he could be good or bad. Van Helsing was sort of an anti-hero and even his Frankenstein wasn't ALL bad (most of the time) BUT I was surprised by his portrayal of the Doctor (Who). Who knew he could be that warm and fuzzy without coming off creepy?
I was so sad they did not follow the story after Revenge of Frankenstein. I loved how that one developed. Also loved the relationship between Viktor and Hans. The following movies in the series never got back up to the level of the first two parts, in my opinion.
Well Hammer's Dracula movies have a bunch of unrelated characters named Paul. Why not have a bunch of Hans' in their Frankenstein series? I haven't seen their mummy films but I'm guessing there's a recurring name there too.
0:39 We must not forget the 2 British - truly British very British - 1950s masterpieces of scifi : 1_ ''The Quatermass Xperiment" 1955 2_ "Enemy from Space" 1957 (Both with the incomparable Brian Donlevy - although opposed by story author Nigel Kneale - as Pr.Quatermass) were from Hammer. Back to Brian Donlevy, his Pr. Quatermass was such a stern character that I believe, at the sight of the 1956 (so un-)British-made "Fire Maidens Of Outer Space'', his frown would have blasted the bottom out of the Marianas Trench !
Mr. Cushing and Mr. Lee, to me, we're kind of the Brit uncles, we didn't know we had. That Dr. F WAS the real monster, is something we've always suspected.
Excellent overview of Hammer Films monster years! And when I was reading monster magazines in the late 50s and early 60s I recall how disappointing the creature makeup was in 'Evil of Frankenstein'. At that time they may have been able to avail themselves of the "flat-head" monster look, as you say, but I always thought it looked amateurish and not scary. The one Hammer horror I liked best was Curse of the Werewolf with Oliver Reed!
I discovered the channel this morning and am incredibly glad I did. Amazing content. Well researched, edited, and performed. This is my shit! Thanks for the hard work, may it bring you great success.
@@DarkCornersReviews I'd imagine it came up in my "Recommended". It's possible that I got the suggestion according to the content I watch, specifically "In Praise of Shadows", or "Ryan Hollinger". I'm not completely sure, though. Hopefully that helps.
Peter Cushing was to Hammer what Rob Halford is to Judas Priest: decisively and wonderfully British, and the kind of star that always engages the audience.
I'm 37 and I love the universal classic monsters of the 30s and 40s and the slasher icons of the 80s but The Curse of Frankenstein is my favourite horror movie of all time.
Lee's monster moves like a being made of mis-matched parts that struggle to walk and move. EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN is my favorite in the series. Frankenstein is without wealth , status , influence and hounded by the society , religion and even science. Even the leading lady is not a woman of noble , but a deaf beggar girl who is victimized by the villainous Zoltan.
This was my favorite too, mostly because it's a good balance of action/adventure, good production design (except the monster), likable romantic leads, and the Baron not being too much of a jerk. The other Cushing Frankensteins just feel like this endless boring soap opera about beautiful stupid people getting mixed up with a sociopathic mad scientist and the bad stuff that results. Cushing himself is awesome of course, but the scripts to these turkeys let him down badly, and although Ralph Bates had a nice snarky script for Horror of Frankenstein, he just doesn't have the gravitas for the part.
Recently Baron Frankenstein entered a body building competition.
There was a terrible misunderstanding
I laughed
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff would have approved of this comment!
Arnie & Lou fled screaming.
ROFL! 🤣
That sounded like a dad joke at first but it grew on me. Clever stuff man
Peter Cushing was a ‘monstrously’ underrated actor. Whatever the story, the role, or the budget, he gave his all. He was utterly believable in everything he did.
👍
As a projectionist both at ABC Cinemas, and later at Elstree Studios in the late 1960s and early 70s, I was lucky enough to work on some of these Hammer Horror movies in a small way, many of which were filmed entirely on set (Stages 2 and 3) or on the backlot and at Scratchwood Nature Reserve for some of the exterior locations. I was lucky enough to meet Peter Cushing when I was on duty at the Admin Theatre at Elstree, and we had quite a long chat while he was waiting to view his morning rushes. He was a very kind man, always wearing white cotton gloves to mask his heavily nicotine stained fingers. Great memories of a time when horror movie special FX were put together using whatever came to hand, including coloured rice pudding, and gallons of liquid latex. No fancy computer graphics in those days. Spit and paper, polystyrene boulders, and fibrous plaster brickwork; along with amazing scenic artists and set dressers creating some of the best visual imagery of their day. Great memories.
Thanks for sharing.
@@DarkCornersReviews You're welcome. Thanks for putting up the video.
👍 Nifty story. This is a couple of years late, but I do think the older methods of filmmaking we're better in many ways. CGI is fine in its way, but I respect the hard work of the older films more.
@@starmnsixty1209 the issue with Cgi is you only notice it when it's bad.
Lee didn't even sound mad at that Vampire Yoda-Joke. More like a disappointed Dad who sent George Lucas to bed early that day.
I think he was genuinely hurt but doesn't understand how much he was loved in those movies... you could tell George loves the guy. That's big props considering alot fans feel that way about George.
Man, Peter Cushing was such a marvelous, intense, and compelling actor! He was very handsome and romantic. I just can’t get enough of him.
Cushing's Baron Frankenstein is unparalleled and unmatched, still to this day
Best interpretation of Baron Frankenstein ever put on film. And the same is true of his Van Helsing. I will accept no other Van Helsings (unless it's Mel Brooks).
"Cushing's Baron is a cold, callous BASTARD." That is actually the most accurate description of Victor Frankenstein in the books I've ever heard!
In the book? No way. In the novel he was ashamed of his creation and wanted it destroyed so he could live his life in peace.
In the book the character of Frankenstein isn't presented quite as sympathetically, he is completely caught up in his egomania.
indeed, when they try and make him sympathetic in other productions I wonder if the producers read the book
in the book the creature is the only thing that matters to him, he doeasn't care abt any other character @@BrendanJSmith
@@OrontesRM he doesn't care about anyone else until the monster is actually created. He's immediately disgusted by it and regrets his decision.
This is one of the best-written "history of Hammer" videos I've ever seen.
Thanks we have just started editing our Christopher Lee Dracula 2 parter. Out soon
Dark Corners Reviews Ooh, yes please!
Part 1 th-cam.com/video/KCX1j5YZkls/w-d-xo.html and part 2 out tomorrow.
@@DarkCornersReviews yesss I adore Christopher Lee more than words can say
Peter Cushing .A great actor and gentleman. Never really given the credit he deserves. I have to confess I watched a lot of his films when I was a kid in England when they were put on on the Friday night horror at 10.30. Magic nights they were.
School finished for the week end and a great Hammer film to start the week end end was the icing on the cake.
Great times.
Wish I could be a teenager again back in the 70’s, eating cheap frozen pizza, sitting up late in my underwear watching Hammer
Nothing like a cup of hot cocoa, a bowl of popcorn and a Hammer horror movie on a cold snowy afternoon! I feel like a kid again!
Peter Cushing + Christopher Lee equals top notch performances. 🇬🇧👍
Absolutely fantastic video, Peter Cushing is so underrated, every performance is exceptional!
Peter Cushing was a fantastic actor. His performance in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' is the finest acting performance I've seen in any horror film.
"Who wants to see me as Hamlet?Very few. But millions want to see me as Frankenstein so that's the one I do."
The girl in Frankenstein created woman was in the Star Trek episode "Mudd's Women"
Guys! I found Mike Stoklasa’s alt account!
true. and in her "second form" she looked like she was straight out of Star Trek Tos!
Great video. Always thought Peter Cushing a very under rated actor. Good to see him getting some plaudits.
Peter Cushing is good in EVERYTHING. It's too bad that they wasted him so terribly in these laughable Hammer films.
@@tiffsaver Laughable? Well, these "laughable" films singlehandedly revolutionized the British film industry in the same way The Beatles revolutionized the music industry. There may have been a few Hammer films that were hokey, but that's the exception, not the rule. Most of them appear as a meticulously crafted arthouse fever dream of a film, that not only have style----but substance as well. Cushing most assuredly didn't consider them "laughable". He knew just how special (and important) they were...and he never thought he was "too good" for them.
@@emeraldvenus
I'm glad that you do. But after watching the genius of the Universal monster pictures, Hammer seems like a droll, amateurish ripoff of these classic films. It's like watching Lawrence Oliver do Hamlet, then watching a high school production of the same play. Peter Cushing was the ONLY thing in Hammer Films with any true talent or value, in my estimation.
@@tiffsaver I think they're great. Even so Peter Cushing was a professional and took his roles very seriously never hamming it up or playing it for laughs. Great man was "The Cushing"
@@Mustaine1ify
Hammer Films compared to the genius of the original Universal monster movies was a JOKE. Just because they used color film didn't mean they were "better." Comparing Christopher Lee's Frankenstein makeup to the great makeup of the Boris Karloff's was actually LAUGHABLE. He looked as though he just dipped his entire face into a vat of molten wax. And when you compare Lee's Dracula with that of Bela Legosi, well, let's just say it is like comparing Arnold Schwarzenegger to Pee Wee Herman. Absolutely no comparison.
Another fine effort. One could always tell that Peter Cushing was a good man even when his Frankenstein was the most evil of men. A real class act all the way.
That first Hammer frankenstien was amazing. To see a Gothic horror like this in color and to see pieces of gore brought to the silver screen was just a bold move
It seems appropriate that Peter Cushing came back to life to appear in the Star wars movie Rogue One. He's the original zombie actor!
Ugh, whoever they got to do his voice was off by miles. The whole thing was very uncanny valley to me.
I'm such a fan of Hammer Studios and this is all so nostalgic. Reminds me the horror movie every Friday night at 11:30pm in Montreal when I was a kid. I loved all their spooky films or their great mysteries. I've had to subscribe to this channel. This is all magical. Thanks for all the background information.
Some years ago ( I don't know how many) me and my wife Yolande went to see the Bray studios... I admit a huge fan I am.. the whole site was closed! They wanted to demolish and build some homes for elderly people I guess..It is outrageous. Such a waste. It could have been like a 'small' Universal studios or something. It is British history of filmmaking!
These longer, more in-depth videos are my favorites of all the stuff you guys do. Really great stuff.
Without Peter and Christopher Hammer films would not be so popular.
Not necessarily true.
@@bevfromnc6607 its true
@@bevfromnc6607 Oh it's true, They both could pull of many characters and monsters with class.
Facts
@@ImYourHuckleberry_29
Of course its true.
These Retrospectives are just getting better and better; there's much to relish here. Congrats, Dark Corners!
I admit that much in the Stones/Beatles realm, I am a Universal rather than Hammer devotee, but I've always respected enormously how Hammer provided a bridge between modern and classical horror. This video is a wonderful visual representation of how that bridge came to be.
In his own way, Christopher Lee looks rather hurt by that Yoda/Dracula prank.
A fantastic look at Hammer Films. I've been a fan since the 60's and I'm truly grateful for this professional and comprehensive look at Hammer. I can hardly wait for Part 2. Thank you VERY much...
Part 2 now live: th-cam.com/video/0gjljnk2gBY/w-d-xo.html
These movies may be absurd but they're great nonetheless and Peter Cushing is great in them. It is a pure pleasure to watch him acting in anything but he really brought a lot of intellectual class to the character of the mad scientist and made such a mark in the role that it's difficult to see Baron Frankenstein being played any other way that how Cushing did it. I never miss these movies when they come up. One day I hope to add them all to my own collection.
Hammer Films is studied at the LA Film School for its many examples of good production values on low budgets. You can probably see why.
In the Hammer films, Peter Cushing was the straight man and Christopher Lee the wild one.That was the formula in any film they appeared in. They were both a sinister Martin and Lewis.
Oh man, just to go back in time to work alongside Cushing and Lee at Hammer in films like these when the studio was at its peak... SUCH a privilege THAT would be!!!
Super video and i love watching Christopher lee and Peter Cushing always a great videos.
Impossible to imagine a time when Christopher Lee wasn't a star, what a talent.
I never knew Lugosi appeared in a Hammer production, cheers!
06:10 Ouch! What a great stunt that was. Over in a flash but I bet the headache wasn't.
Between “Dark Shadows” the 1960’s-1970’s gothic soap opera and Hammer horror films on Saturday afternoons I became a fan of classic horror flicks. The films were deliciously scary and the gore was very restrained by today’s standards. Our parents probably thought that we were watching Disney movies at the matinee when we were, in fact, enjoying an afternoon with Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ralph Bates and company. Little did they know!
Great job on this video. Always fun to learn more about Hammer's legacy and Peter Cushing, who's one of my all-time favorite actors. Looking forward to part two.
We just launched it on Patreon, so you can see it now.
@@DarkCornersReviews
Peter Cushing the best.
"Grabbed by both hands." That just made my week.
One of the great things about discovering Hammer classics (as well as many other Silver Age horror films) is finally figuring out where all of those White Zombie audio samples came from!!
My favorite has always been The Curse Of Frankenstein. I absolutely loved that, sped up, dolly zoom they did when, we see the monster for the first time. Epic!
"The rival company, Amicus", sounds funny if one's familiar with Latin-derived languages, since "amicus" is the Latin for "friend".
Amicus didn't make enough movies to be Hammer's rival. Hammer's only rival was AIP. They produced or distributed "Horrors Of The Black Museum," "House Of Usher," "Circus Of Horrors," "Black Sunday," "The Pit And The Pendulum," "The Premature Burial," "Night Of The Eagle," "Tales Of Terror," "The Terror," "The Haunted Palace," "Dementia 13," "The Last Man On Earth," "The Masque of The Red Death," "The Tomb Of Ligeia," "Witchfinder General," "The Oblong Box," "The Dunwich Horror," "Count Yorga, Vampire," "Cry Of The Banshee," "Murders In The Rue Morgue," etc. Their Cushing (or Lee) was Vincent Price.
Amicus Brief. Submitted.
@@thebrazilianatlantis165 hot
Use u
Uu
I’ve always loved the Hammer franchises, even as they tailed off. They made some brilliant films in their time and all with such a distinctively British feel about them. I think the Frankenstein series is probably my favourite as they seemed to have more creativity than with Dracula, so it’s great to see you covering them in an in depth way. It’s fascinating to see how they evolved with the times (be it successfully or not) and how they handled different subject matter. The earlier films were almost always superior, later ones often felt quite bitter sweet to me as it’s great to see them carrying on the hammer style but also quite sad to see the decline and how they clearly couldn’t keep up with the times. Either way, Hammer had a huge impact on horror and it’s great to reflect on it from time to time. Great video, really looking forward to part two.
Weird how Frankenstein in "The Evil of Frankenstein" is actually the nicest of the Peter Cushing Frankensteins.
I love HAMMER so much...
I like to think of "The Evil of Frankenstein" as occuring in a parallel world. One extremely similar to ours' but slight variations. It would surely explain the differences.
grabs a bucket of popcorn … *It's Hammer-time!*
Cushing is an impeccable actor
great retrospective, this is easily one of your best videos yet
Excellent historical work. I'm looking forward to the next entries.
Part 2 now live: th-cam.com/video/0gjljnk2gBY/w-d-xo.html
The make up job of Curse this actually supports the idea that the creature really was put together by corpses and thus more scary and unsettling.The monster looked very creepy and I could see why everyone who came in contact with it was afraid.
Plus the dead black eyes of Christopher Lee made it so much more revolting
Those movies scared the shit out me me when I was a boy. Now I appreciate them for great acting and the highest production values.
Yay, another Retrospective, I love these :)
The Revenge of Frankenstein offered the most novel concept of the Hammer Frankensteins, with Dr. Frankenstein becoming his own monster--a concept they unfortunately failed to follow up in their other Frankenstein entries.
The first two Frankenstein films are so great. I especially love how the second one picks up right where the first one ended.
Peter Cushing is an amazing actor, but because I know he was such a kind, intelligent and sensitive man, I struggle to see him as evil Dr Frankenstein
You are so interesting. I love learning about my favorite movies and actors. Thank you.💖
Classics! Never get bored of these films!
Well, it's taken 3 years for the algorithm to throw this video my way but I'm glad it did. Excellent work!
I think Frankenstein Created Woman is highly underrated. For one thing, Thorley Walters gets to shine. I feel sad when I watch his stupidish hayfevered dolt in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed when I love him as the wonderfully named Doctor Hertz, a man who almost seems to be in love with the Baron here played in a more neutral mode than other films in the series.
Excellent overview. I've already recommended it to other Hammer fans I know.
What truly wonderful actors Cushing and Lee were,truly the best of all the rest.They both were great in a Sherlock Holmes,film,just love em.
I am so glad I found this channel!
The Evil of Frankenstein is my favorite of the series. In the others ones the Baron is just mean. Evil he's more heroic & the music is one of the best in Hammer.
A very enjoyable documentary. On to part 2!
As much as I love Sir Christopher Lee , I truly adore and love Peter Cushing as well. He elevated every movie he was ever in. Outstanding review, I loved every second of it. Thank you so very much.
@Suzie.q Popcorn123, I do as well. They were both amazing gentleman and fantastic actors. The hammer set and costumes were stunning.
@Suzie.q Popcorn123 , Could not agree more. It was a simpler time.
A superb and insightful critique of Hammers history - easily on a par with Mark Gatiss' horror history production.
I'm new to your channel, and look forward to binging your back catalogue - not to mention your future content. Subbed and liked!
Hammer horror is the Best! My favorite monster movies have always been made by Hammer Productions. I remember enjoying then back in the mid-1970's when I was just a boy watching them on Sat afternoons.
I saw "Frankenstein Created Woman" recently, and it feels like it should come after "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed." The Baron can't perform surgery himself; his assistant/accomplice has to do it. And he falls asleep mid-conversation, something that wouldn't be out of place in "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell." In "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," the Baron has no such problems.
Hammer films rocked!
As a kid growing up in Boston I would always go to the kiddie matinee 75 cents you get a 3 Stooges short and Bugs Bunny cartoons and the movie, At The Rialto theatre built in 1915 it was a old vaudeville building with red velvet and brass buttons on doors padded in red leather, To see the lates Hammer film that came to America , I enjoyed them in the late 60's and 70's And put them right up there with Classic Universal Monsters.
That's a pretty good deal for 75 cents
Great video about a great series. Can’t wait for part 2
Part 2 now live: th-cam.com/video/0gjljnk2gBY/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video, I cannot wait for part two.
Part 2 is finished and will be made public very shortly.
Fantastic and entertaining history lesson. I'm happy to say I learned a couple of things. I look forward to part two.
Admit it, Folks --
Christopher Lee had a face made for evil!
The most sympathetic character I ever saw him play was ironically Count Dooku, THE WORST-NAMED character he portrayed. And that was his last major role.
Peter Cushing, on the other hand --
he could be good or bad. Van Helsing was sort of an anti-hero and even his Frankenstein wasn't ALL bad (most of the time) BUT I was surprised by his portrayal of the Doctor (Who). Who knew he could be that warm and fuzzy without coming off creepy?
Excellent special! On to part two!
I don't know if anyone with connection to the Hammer catalog watches the terrific videos, but I'm jonesing for some 4K UHD Hammer releases.
Hammer horror is a genre all in its own
PETER CUSHING IS A OUTSTANDING Actor And CHRISTOPHER LEE ALSO A OUTSTANDING Actor AS Well
I was so sad they did not follow the story after Revenge of Frankenstein. I loved how that one developed. Also loved the relationship between Viktor and Hans. The following movies in the series never got back up to the level of the first two parts, in my opinion.
I remember going to the Drive-In and Watching All These Movies With My Family... Great Times.
Incredibly interesting and informative. I really enjoyed watching this.
Well Hammer's Dracula movies have a bunch of unrelated characters named Paul. Why not have a bunch of Hans' in their Frankenstein series? I haven't seen their mummy films but I'm guessing there's a recurring name there too.
Cushing in that Top Secret sketch 👌 🤣
I have thoroughly enjoyed these Hammer retrospective stories you have done. Well done!!
0:39 We must not forget the 2 British - truly British very British - 1950s masterpieces of scifi :
1_ ''The Quatermass Xperiment" 1955
2_ "Enemy from Space" 1957
(Both with the incomparable Brian Donlevy - although opposed by story author Nigel Kneale - as Pr.Quatermass)
were from Hammer.
Back to Brian Donlevy, his Pr. Quatermass was such a stern character that I believe, at the sight of the
1956 (so un-)British-made "Fire Maidens Of Outer Space'',
his frown would have blasted the bottom out of the Marianas Trench !
Mr. Cushing and Mr. Lee, to me, we're kind of the Brit uncles, we didn't know we had.
That Dr. F WAS the real monster, is something we've always suspected.
Enjoyed your original video! TYVM!
Excellent overview of Hammer Films monster years! And when I was reading monster magazines in the late 50s and early 60s I recall how disappointing the creature makeup was in 'Evil of Frankenstein'. At that time they may have been able to avail themselves of the "flat-head" monster look, as you say, but I always thought it looked amateurish and not scary. The one Hammer horror I liked best was Curse of the Werewolf with Oliver Reed!
Noice piece !!! super enjoyed that trip through an under appreciated part of horror history -def gotta re-watch some of those classics !!
I discovered the channel this morning and am incredibly glad I did. Amazing content. Well researched, edited, and performed. This is my shit! Thanks for the hard work, may it bring you great success.
Any idea how you stumbled across us?
@@DarkCornersReviews I'd imagine it came up in my "Recommended". It's possible that I got the suggestion according to the content I watch, specifically "In Praise of Shadows", or "Ryan Hollinger". I'm not completely sure, though. Hopefully that helps.
Thanks for the video I loved these movies as a kid and especially now as an adult😊
"The public felt different". I wonder if the Telegraph reporter still held that job for long.
Peter Cushing was to Hammer what Rob Halford is to Judas Priest: decisively and wonderfully British, and the kind of star that always engages the audience.
Can never beat Hammer Horror
I'm 37 and I love the universal classic monsters of the 30s and 40s and the slasher icons of the 80s but The Curse of Frankenstein is my favourite horror movie of all time.
thank you for this channel; this doc is PERFECTION
Chuck Norris was afraid of Peter Cushing.Chuck may beat up people,but Peter smacked down the undead 😁
You did an incredible job with this. Cheers to you.
Early film there you say has Bela Lugosi in, you show a shot with Boris Karloff in!
Very well done. Thanks!
Hammer horror films of the 50s 60s and 70s were the BEST.
love that you included the top secret gag!
Great documentary!! i always learn a lot from you guys!!!
Thanks for watching!
Lee's monster moves like a being made of mis-matched parts that struggle to walk and move.
EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN is my favorite in the series. Frankenstein is without wealth , status , influence and hounded by the society , religion and even science. Even the leading lady is not a woman of noble , but a deaf beggar girl who is victimized by the villainous Zoltan.
This was my favorite too, mostly because it's a good balance of action/adventure, good production design (except the monster), likable romantic leads, and the Baron not being too much of a jerk. The other Cushing Frankensteins just feel like this endless boring soap opera about beautiful stupid people getting mixed up with a sociopathic mad scientist and the bad stuff that results. Cushing himself is awesome of course, but the scripts to these turkeys let him down badly, and although Ralph Bates had a nice snarky script for Horror of Frankenstein, he just doesn't have the gravitas for the part.
@@hcu4359 I was never a big fan of THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN. Frankenstein was a womanizing asshole and there was empathy for the Monster.