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Hammer Films: The Irish Connection
Fifty years ago, Hammer Horror was born with the release of The Curse of Frankenstein, but there was more to Hammer than Kensington Gore. Robert J.E. Simpson investigates the little-known links between Hammer films and Ireland.
It may come as some surprise to learn that the most British of film production companies – Hammer Films – has a significant Irish connection. As a matter of fact it could be argued that the Irish links have much to answer for in terms of Hammer’s longevity and successes. This article aims to introduce readers to the rarely discussed Irish productions that the company was involved in during its lengthy history.
Whilst the name Hammer is now synonymous with a certain kind of gothic horror costume drama, the company itself has had a diverse past reaching into all aspects of film production and distribution, with horror making up only a small part of the company’s output. Before we look at Hammer’s Irish heritage, some background to the company and the scope of its production activities would be beneficial.
The company was the latest in a long line of business ventures for sometime-comedian William Hinds. Hinds had been part of a double act who took their name from the area of London in which they worked – Hammer & Smith. Other ventures from Hinds included a bicycle shop, hairdressers, theatrical agency, and a part of the family-run jewellers (which still exists as F. Hinds today). By 1934 Hinds had four theatres as part of his empire.
Under his professional name, Will Hammer, Hammer Productions Ltd. made their first film in January 1935 – a comedy entitled The Public Life of Henry the Ninth, all copies of which seem to have been lost. Shortly afterwards, Hinds/Hammer met Spanish émigré Enrique Carreras, and together they founded the distribution company Exclusive Films. It would prove to be a union that would last for nearly fifty years, with Hammer and Exclusive becoming intertwined. Hammer would produce low-budget films which Exclusive could then distribute to take advantage of the post-war levy.
Carreras had a similar string of business enterprises, including a failed toothpaste venture which resulted in bankruptcy in 1922. His entertainment links go back to 1913 when, along with his brother Alphonse, he opened the first Blue Hall theatre in Hammersmith. This venue would expand to become a successful chain around the UK, and Carreras is widely cited as having hosted the first Royal Premiere (a sold-out performance of Quo Vadis).
Hammer’s early production history is seldom more than a footnote in most accounts of the company and is in need of further research. Two projects stand out amongst the early works: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935) [1] offers a tantalising hint of the successes to come, with its account of the mysterious disappearance of the crew on-board the fabled boat. Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi, stars as the chief threat, establishing the tradition of importing an American star to increase box office potential.
1. The Mystery of the Mary Celeste is believed to be lost in its original 80-minute UK release format. A truncated 60-minute version distributed in the us under the title Phantom Ship by Blackhawk has been widely available from bootleggers for decades.
The full article is printed in Film Ireland 119.
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