The history of British horror movies is very much tied to the story of Gothic horror movies from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Having commenced with David Pirie's 1973 book, A Heritage of Horror, Hammer Horror garnered critical acclaim and cult status, while evolving into a subversive strain running through British cinema as a whole.
Hammer is synonymous with horror, as the company evolved into a definite genre in its own right in Britain, with the aid of horror movies like Let Me In.
While Hammer has been producing horror films to this day, the production can be best understood by focusing on its golden age, which ran from 1955 to 1976. The history of Hammer Films is a rich and interesting one, as it birthed a host of intricate character portraits that inspire filmmakers to this day. Here’s the history of Hammer Horror, along with how it shaped several key cinematic genres, explained.
Hammer Films: A History of Hammer Horror
In 1934, theatre owner Enrique Carreras and William Hinds decided to come together to form a film distribution company named Exclusive films. While their plans were somewhat foiled by the chaos that ensued during World War II, the company resurfaced in 1947 as Hammer Film Productions. Apart from belting out notable horror entries, Hammer reacquainted audiences with vivid color in film, especially one that aims to jarr and shock against a Gothic backdrop. During their initial years, Hammer produced horror mysteries of the likes of The Mystery of the Mary Celeste, starring Bela Lugosi, which deals with the presence of a deadly killer aboard a ship. By the mid-1950s, Hammer was able to concoct a compelling combination of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, which led to the production of films like Val Guest’s The Quartermass Experiment.
Hammer swerved deep into the genre of adult horror with The Snorkel, which chronicled the story of a teenager who comes to the realization that her stepfather is a cold-blooded murderer. Over time, Hammer films acquired a distinctive brand of blood, gore, and campiness. Then came the unprecedented success of The Curse of Frankenstein, loosely based on the 1818 novel, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. Although the film garnered negative to mixed reviews, the ghoulishness of Frankenstein’s monster delighted audiences and later influences stalwart directors like Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese.
However, Hammer reached its peak with the release of Terence Fisher’s 1958 gothic horror, Dracula, wherein Christopher Lee starred in the titular role. Dracula became a pop culture phenomenon in its own right, cementing the image of Bram Stroker’s fanged anti-hero, replete with the trademark use of fangs, colored s, and wooden stakes. The success of Dracula spurred an entire genre of vampire movies, including sequels such as The Brides of Dracula and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. However, due to the advent of high-budget Hollywood horror productions, Hammer gradually lost its appeal, on which, the company attempted to rebrand its horror by granting a mix of martial arts due to the rising popularity of Bruce Lee. The year 1979 saw the unfortunate Hammer remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, with the company’s last blockbuster success being 1959’s The Mummy.
Hammer Films: Hammer Horror in the Modern Era and Beyond
The appeal of Hammer Horror lied mostly in its overtly violent and sexual content, however, this trademark specialty started dimming in comparison to Hollowood blockbusters like Night of the Living Dead. Hammer also ventured into comedy-horror parodies such as that of The Satanic Rites of Dracula, which attracted much criticism from audiences and critics alike. Hammer marked its prominent return in 2010, with the release of the critically-acclaimed Let Me In, Matt Reeve’s adaptation of the Swedish låt den rätte komma in. The film was hailed as a “genre-busting triumph” by acclaimed horror author Stephen King, and was praised for being artful in its execution and genuinely eerie in tone. Then, 2011 saw Antti Jokinen’s The Resident, starring Hillary Swank and Christopher Lee, which was received well by critics.
The release of 2012’s The Woman in Black, which is presumed to be one of the biggest indie horror movies to date, earned a total of $130 million worldwide. The Woman in Black starred Daniel Radcliffe as a young, recently-widowed lawyer in 20th century England who discovers the vengeful ghost of a woman in a remote village he travels to. After belting this high-stakes horror film, Hammer went on to produce The Quiet Ones and Woman in Black: Angel of Death, the sequel to James Watkins' widely popular entry. In of recent entries, The Lodge saw its world premiere in 2019 and has been praised due to its visceral quality of atmospheric horror. As Hammer Films recently signed a worldwide distribution deal with StudioCanal, the influential production house might have a few more compelling horror entries waiting for audiences in the near future.