It’s always a joy to see Aussie actors pop up in Hammer films – Charles Tingwell was killed off in Dracula Prince of Darkness and here Ray Barrett, ears, pock-marked skin and all, plays the sort-of-hero; he’s investigating the death of his brother, but hero duties are shared with his wife. The lack of a clear protagonist is one of the many frustrations of the film – it kind of lacks a clear villain too. The baddy is a professor, but he’s only working under duress.
The monster is great – it’s the professor’s daughter, who’s been turned into a reptile. And she has this terrific home - a sulphur pit under the house so she can keep warm! But we don’t find out what the deal is with the monster until the end – most of the film is a mystery. So we don’t really have any investment in the monster or the people around it. (Scripts by John Elder aka Tony Hinds always seemed to have some major structural flaw eg Curse of the Werewolf, Phantom of the Opera – that went against what was appealing in the DNA of the story.)
It’s quite enjoyable in a minor way; Michael Ripper has a bigger role and there are some flourishes, but it’s not quite there.
It’s quite enjoyable in a minor way; Michael Ripper has a bigger role and there are some flourishes, but it’s not quite there.
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