The Creeping Flesh (DVD)

...Horror, than Hammer were at the time. A top-notch piece of British film-making.

THE FILM

While putting the finishing touches to a fantastically creepy painting, Anthropologist Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) is visited by a fellow man of science. Hildern recounts a haunting tale of his discovery of a highly advanced skeleton, found at a lower level than Neanderthal man, in Papua, New Guinea. The remains, were brought ...
...a finger of the skeleton, he witnessed flesh forming on the ancient bone. He removed the digit and his experiments on it lead him to believe that what he had in fact discovered, were the ancient remains of something unimaginably evil.

The combination of science and the 'supernatural' has always been a winning formula and THE CREEPING FLESH uses this to the full. Pictures with a similar theme include; The Mummy (1959), The Blood Beast ... more

A sumptuously atmospheric and colourful Gothic Horror. More Hammer Horror, than Hammer were at the time. A top-notch piece of British film-making.

THE FILM

While putting the finishing touches to a fantastically creepy painting, Anthropologist Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) is visited by a fellow man of science. Hildern recounts a haunting tale of his discovery of a highly advanced skeleton, found at a lower level than Neanderthal man, in Papua, New Guinea. The remains, were brought back to England, and sequestered in Hildern's laboratory. While washing a finger of the skeleton, he witnessed flesh forming on the ancient bone. He removed the digit and his experiments on it lead him to believe that what he had in fact discovered, were the ancient remains of something unimaginably evil.

The combination of science and the 'supernatural' has always been a winning formula and THE CREEPING FLESH uses this to the full. Pictures with a similar theme include; The Mummy (1959), The Blood Beast Terror (1967), Quatermass and the Pit (1967) but the film that most closely resembles THE CREEPING FLESH is Horror Express (1971) which also starred Cushing and Lee.

Peter Cushing is heart-breakingly fragile as Emmanuel Hildern, much of this emotion perhaps deriving from the recent death of his own wife, Helen. In contrast you feel nothing for Christopher Lee, as James Hildern, who is ruthless and conniving. a thoroughly disagreeable chap indeed. Cushing and Lee always worked better when they were opposing forces rather than when they were on the same side.

If you have never seen a British gothic horror film this would be a wonderful introduction to the genre. If you are familiar with it, then you will be delighted with this addition. An intelligent story perfectly cast and directed, THE CREEPING FLESH shames many of the horror films produced at the time (and since) in Britain (and the world), for its sheer creative flair.

A personal favourite of mine, I encourage you dear reader to seek out a copy and indulge your wicked side with this superior macabre fantasy.

Contemporary British press reviews of THE CREEPING FLESH were favourable. The Guardian noted, "Good, solid work from Freddie Francis... a technician who invariably takes more care than most in the genre with storyline and trappings. Messers Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee benefit from the treatment."

The Sunday Times - "It employs the twin pillars of our native horror cinema... As a matter of fact, I thought Mr Cushing gave one of his best performances; and the screenplay, too, was on a higher level of invention than usual."

Films Illustrated - "Horror fans will welcome this return in class and style to the early Hammer films... The feel of the woodland scenes is more Danish or Swedish than English... and the period is flawlessly caught, intangibly as well as in plain view... Cushing's cultured performance looks even better within a strong storyline, and Lorna Heilbron is excellent as the repressed daughter."

Reviewers across the Atlantic in the US were also impressed. Village Voice wrote, "The Creeping Flesh is directed with unexpected sensitivity and sophistication." and "The entire production is professionally crafted and the cast is tops, exploiting to the fullest their... characters." was Variety's opinion.

The story and production was something of a return to the style of the Hammer Horrors of the late 50's, early 60's. This was strengthened by the use of regular Hammer cast and crew, such as Roy Ashton on Make-up and actors, Michael Ripper and Duncan Lamont.

As such, THE CREEPING FLESH is one of the best (and last) of the gothic horror's produced during the 50's - 70's period. At this time few 'original' horror's were being produced in Britain. Amicus were churning out their excellent but formulaic anthologies and Hammer were busy regurgitating sequels to Dracula and Frankenstein pictures, and cheap exploitation 'quickies'.

THE PRODUCTION

THE CREEPING FLESH, John Heyman's World Film Services co-production with Tony Tenser's Tigon Films, began shooting in January 1972. Location work was shot near Tower Bridge, London and at Thorpe, in Surrey, England. The interior settings were adapted by the Art Director George Povis from sets left over from The House That Dripped Blood (1970).

The flesh creepingly atmospheric score was composed by Paul Ferris who had previously written the music for (and made a cameo appearance in) Michael Reeves' 1967 horror film Witchfinder General, starring Vincent Price.

Make-up was handled by Hammer regular Roy Ashton.

THE CREEPING FLESH was directed by Freddie Francis. Through an association with Tony Hinds, he became involved with Hammer and directed Paranoiac (1962), The Evil Of Frankenstein (1963), Nightmare (1963), Hysteria (1964) and Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968). Went on to direct the Amicus anthologies Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1964), Torture Garden (1967) and Tales From The Crypt (1971).

Also for Amicus; The Skull (1965) based on Robert Bloch's short story 'The Skull of the Marguis De Sade', The Psychopath (1966) and The Deadly Bees (1966), both written by Bloch. Freddie Francis also directed The Ghoul (1974) and Legend of the Werewolf (1975) for Tyburn, the film company owned by his son, Kevin Francis.

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were again teamed in a gothic horror. The reason these two wonderful actors were so often paired up in films is because they worked so well together, and could even make the flimsiest of scripts work and make the resulting films a pleasure to watch just because of their involvement. This was often the case on 'solo' outings too.

THE CAST

Peter Cushing came to prominence as a television star in Britain during the 1950's even winning the title of British TV Actor of the Year in 1955. He had starred in a number of films since 1939's A Chump at Oxford, before this, but it was on television that he found the most public recognition. This led him to be cast in Hammer's first foray into Gothic Horror with The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), in which he played the title role with Christopher Lee playing his man-made monster. The film was such a success that they were paired again the following year in Dracula and then the year after that in The Mummy.

This on-screen partnership, which turned into a deep friendship, spanned many years, their last co-starring work being on The House of Long Shadows (1982), which also starred Vincent Price and John Carradine. Some of their greatest films together were those early Hammer Horrors as well as The Gorgon (1964), She (1965) and later the under-rated, The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). For Eugene Martin they starred in Horror Express (1971), and for Amicus in Dr. Terror's House of Horror's (1965) and I, Monster (1971). 

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