Marcus Hearn & Alan Barnes - The Hammer Story

[dem]

Marcus Hearn & Alan Barnes - The Hammer Story (Titan, 1997)

Foreword
The Exclusive Years 1934 - 1954
Reanimation 1955 - 1964
From The Quatermass Xperiment to The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
Peter Cushing
Hammer Goes to War
Tales of Frankenstein
Christopher Lee
Behind the Scenes
Also Starring...
Suspense Thrillers
Drama
Swashbucklers
Fresh Blood 1965 - 1969
From She to Taste the Blood of Dracula
Bray Studios
Prehistoric Adventure
Hammer Glamour
Journey to the Unknown
Setting Son 1970 - 1975
From The Vampire Lovers to To the Devil a Daughter
Hammer Glamour
Comedies
Life After Death 1975 Onwards
Hammer House of Horror
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Filmography

Loaned this from Plaistow library shortly after publication, hadn't seen a copy since until i snagged one from friend Mark Defoes ever-enticing stall in Spitalfield Market on Sunday. The Hammer Years rose from the ashes of the much loved (if short lived) Hammer Horror magazine, and the authors wisely retained it's format for the book. The beauty is in its simplicity. Informative entries on each of the horror films, well crafted essays and, of course, judiciously selected illustrative material. It's a gorgeous book to look at, utilizing stills, poster art, lobby cards and press clippings to brilliant effect. Highlights - for this reader - would have to include the entries on Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde, Plague Of The Zombies, The Vampire Lovers, The Devil Rides Out, Quatermass & The Pit, Taste The Blood Of Dracula, Horror Of Frankenstein and (don't ask my why) The Mummy's Shroud, simply because they're among my all-time favourite films. Then there's the reproduction of Dennis Wheatley's splenetic letter to Michael Carreras castigating the To The Devil - A Daughter script (" ... In fact, it has no relation to my novel and is a hopeless mess ..."), the ones that got away (Nessie, Vampirella), the astoundingly tasteful Savage Jackboot poster, Marie Devereux, a thank you to KillerCrab in the credits ....

[killercrab]

Yeah I lent the guys a full run of House Of Hammer , various stills and posters to do scans from when they were doing Hammer Horror magazine ( plus chauffered them to Pinewood!). I think my Vampire Circus , To The Devil A Daughter and Creatures The World Forgot posters are represented in the book. ;D

Good times...

KC

[valdemar]

Got a superb condition copy of this from a local car-boot sale. Cost? £1. A really beautiful work. Highly recommended, as is it's follow-up, 'Hammer Glamour' [had to pay full whack for this], but it's worth it, if you're of a certain age, for the cover shot of the lovely Madeleine Smith, looking, well, for want of a better word, Yummy.