Unseen Horrors: the Unmade Films of Hammer
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Unseen Horrors: The Unmade Films of Hammer Thesis submitted by Kieran Foster In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy De Montfort University, March 2019 Abstract This doctoral thesis is an industrial study of Hammer Film Productions, focusing specifically on the period of 1955-2000, and foregrounding the company’s unmade projects as primary case studies throughout. It represents a significant academic intervention by being the first sustained industry study to primarily utilise unmade projects. The study uses these projects to examine the evolving production strategies of Hammer throughout this period, and to demonstrate the methodological benefits of utilising unmade case studies in production histories. Chapter 1 introduces the study, and sets out the scope, context and structure of the work. Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literature, considering unmade films relation to studies in adaptation, screenwriting, directing and producing, as well as existing works on Hammer Films. Chapter 3 begins the chronological study of Hammer, with the company attempting to capitalise on recent successes in the mid-1950s with three ambitious projects that ultimately failed to make it into production – Milton Subotsky’s Frankenstein, the would-be television series Tales of Frankenstein and Richard Matheson’s The Night Creatures. Chapter 4 examines Hammer’s attempt to revitalise one of its most reliable franchises – Dracula, in response to declining American interest in the company. Notably, with a project entitled Kali Devil Bride of Dracula. Chapter 5 examines the unmade project Nessie, and how it demonstrates Hammer’s shift in production strategy in the late 1970s, as it moved away from a reliance on American finance and towards a more internationalised, piece-meal approach to funding. Chapter 6 explores the company’s closure in 1979 and the tenure of Roy Skeggs, through the protracted production of Vlad the Impaler. The thesis concludes by reiterating how the analysis of these unmade case studies can enrich the broader contexts of company and production histories, and are essential to our wider understanding of film history. 2 Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 5 List of Images ................................................................................................................. 7 Notes on Text .................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................ 9 Scope, Context and the Hammer Script Archive ............................................... 10 Structure ............................................................................................................ 23 Chapter 2: Literature Review .................................................................................... 27 Summary ............................................................................................................ 27 Adaptation Studies ............................................................................................. 27 Screenwriting Studies ........................................................................................ 32 Director Studies ................................................................................................. 37 Producer Studies ................................................................................................ 43 Hammer Films ................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 3: 1956-1963 The Birth of Hammer Horror: Subotsky’s Frankenstein and Matheson’s The Night Creatures ................................................................................ 54 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 54 Assembling Frankenstein: Subotsky, Hammer and the Gothic Horror ............ 59 The Beginning of a Legend: Hammer’s Path to The Night Creatures .............. 75 Censoring The Night Creatures ......................................................................... 79 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 89 Chapter 4: 1968-1974 The Curse of Dracula: Stagnation and Innovation in Hammer’s Dracula Franchise .................................................................................... 92 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 92 Reviving Dracula: The Reinvention of Hammer’s Dracula Series ................... 98 Dracula in India: Kali Devil Bride of Dracula ................................................ 112 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 130 Chapter 5: 1975-1979 The Hunt for Nessie: Finding Finance in a Failing Industry ...................................................................................................................................... 134 3 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 134 Toho, Columbia and the Financial Complexity of Nessie ............................... 136 The Domestic Difficulties of Nessie ................................................................ 154 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 166 Chapter 6: 1974-2000 The Death and Afterlife of Hammer Films and the Vlad the Impaler Project ........................................................................................................... 170 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 170 Carreras’ Vlad the Impaler: 1974-1979 ........................................................... 172 The Skeggs Years: Vlad the Impaler 1980-1990 ............................................ 180 Skeggs and the Warner Bros. Deal: Vlad the Impaler 1990-2000 .................. 190 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 203 Chapter 7: Conclusion .............................................................................................. 206 Summary .......................................................................................................... 206 Findings ........................................................................................................... 209 Further Study ................................................................................................... 214 Appendix I: Itemised list of unmade material in the Hammer Script Archive ... 217 Appendix II: Publications ......................................................................................... 224 Appendix IIa: Nessie Has Risen from the Grave ............................................. 224 Appendix IIb: Dracula unseen: The death and afterlife of Hammer’s Vlad the Impaler ............................................................................................................ 246 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 264 Unpublished and Archival Sources ................................................................. 264 Books, Articles and Reports ............................................................................ 274 Filmography ............................................................................................................... 287 4 Acknowledgements First and foremost, this thesis would not have been possible without the funding provided by Midlands 4 Cities. The funding not only facilitated the study, but allowed me to attend conferences and archives both nationally and internationally, meaning I could conduct vital research and meet fellow academics. I will always be extremely grateful for Midlands 4 Cities and everyone at De Montfort University who helped with my initial application and, despite me being a total stranger at the time, supported me through the whole process. I am also grateful to Ian Hunter, Steve Chibnall and Matthew Jones, my supervisory team who have provided guidance and suggestions throughout the PhD process. Their advice and expertise often allayed any fears or doubts I had in my own work, and kept me on the right path throughout. I am also thankful for their help in expanding my research outside of the PhD, such as Ian offering me the opportunity to co-write a chapter with him, my first publication, and Steve and Matt including me in the organisation of the Hammer Exhibition in the DMU Heritage Centre. I could not imagine how I would have completed this thesis without my fellow postgraduates in CATHI. Sharing an office with Jennie Voss, Frances Galt, Kieran Sellars, Sophie Swoffer, Becky Jones and Daisy Richards has made what could have been an isolating and intimidating experience so much easier, and I am thankful for all their help and friendship. I would say I will miss them, but they’d do well to get rid of me that easily. I would also like to specifically thank Justin