COMMERCIAL BREAK: Hamlet Cigars - Dracula (1987)

Gothic horror is so much an integral part of the British psyche and our national identity, that its utilisation in TV commercials was inevitable. This particular ad is an example of that now virtually extinct species, the tobacco commercial. Although cigarette advertising on TV in the UK had been banned as far back as 1965, cigars and loose/pipe tobacco could still be plugged on air until 1991.

Possibly the most famous series of cigar ads (at least with UK viewers) was that for the Hamlet brand, which would inevitably focus on someone encountering a calamity of some kind, before consoling themselves by lighting up the aforementioned cigar, accompanied by the voiceover "Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet...", and presumably inhaling the smoke into their remaining lung.

In these more enlightened times, they really don't make 'em like this anymore...


With thanks to YouTube user HallOfAdvertising for the upload:

COMMERCIAL BREAK: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave - TV Spot (1968)

Following my recent piece on Hammer's Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (which you can read over at SpookyIsles.com by clicking the image above), I came across this vintage TV spot.

It was created by Warner Bros-Seven Arts to promote the original theatrical release on US television back in 1968. Quite bizarre, yet strangely enjoyable, it would certainly make me want to go and see the movie, although the humourous tone does the movie a disservice somewhat. It's an interesting timepiece nonetheless...

With thanks to YouTube user Ash595 for the upload...

FOOTNOTE: Yes, you heard that right - The MPAA rated this film G - General Audiences, All Ages Admitted. Go figure...

OBITUARY: Anthony Hinds - Legendary Hammer Horror Producer

Anthony Hinds

19th September 1922 - 30th September 2013

A very sad day at The Purple Patch, with the news that one of the leading figures of the legendary Hammer studio has passed away, just days after his 91st birthday.

Anthony Hinds was the son of co-founder Will Hinds, whose stage name of Will Hammer gave the company its name. On Will's passing, Hinds the younger took on the family share of the company, and would come up with the idea of renting large country houses to make films, a pivotal decision which would eventually lead the company to their Bray Studios base.

Hinds would initially produce a wealth of the studio's early output, mostly quickie thrillers, before taking the reins on The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass II, X - The Unknown, The Curse Of Frankenstein and Dracula. Many more would follow.

Under the pseudonym of John Elder, Hinds would additionally pen many scripts for the company, ranging from Dracula and Frankenstein sequels to the classic Curse Of The Werewolf.

Sadly, his production duties ended with the TV series, Journey To The Unknown, when the American backers installed Joan Harrison as producer over his head and he was reduced to an assistant role. He left Hammer as a result. However, he would continue to write scripts for them under the Elder nom-de-plume, the last film screenplay being Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell.

Later scripts for Tyburn followed (The Ghoul, Legend Of The Werewolf, Sherlock Holmes And The Masks Of Death), but in his later years Hinds seemed happy to talk about his time with Hammer for documentaries and to attend fan events. His last such interview was for Mark Gatiss' A History Of Horror in 2010.

Anthony Hinds' passing severs yet another link with Britain's glorious Gothic cinematic past, but he left behind him a wealth of work which will live on for as long as movies are shown. His contribution, not just to UK horror, but to a great British cinema success story is immeasurable.

PICTURE THIS: On the set of Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave: (c) Hammer Film Productions/Warner Bros.

At Pinewood studios in the spring of 1968, director Freddie Francis (right) talks Veronica Carlson and Barry Andrews through a scene, whilst Hammer stalwart Michael Ripper looks on in the background. For Hammer's first Dracula picture after their move away from Bray Studios, Terence Fisher was originally intended as director. When he pulled out after an injury, Francis stepped in.

Hammer's newest discovery at the time, Veronica Carlson was spotted by studio head James Carreras when he saw a photo of her in a newspaper, and offered her the role of  Maria. Barry Andrews played her suitor Paul - he would later appear in the brit-horror classic Blood On Satan's Claw (1970).

Christopher Lee was making his third appearance for the company as Count Dracula, and he is seen here with Carlson in a posed publicity photo.

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave: (c) Hammer Film Productions/Warner Bros.

Photos originally sourced from Horror Films by Alan Frank (Hamlyn, 1977)

MOVIE: The Brides Of Dracula (1960)

Time has passed since Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) destroyed Count Dracula. He now finds himself facing one of the vampire cult's disciples, one Baron Meinster (David Peel), who has been kept chained up by his mother (Martita Hunt) in an effort to curb his nocturnal activities. When an unsuspecting visitor (thinking him a cruelly treated victim) releases him, he is on the loose. It's up to Van Helsing once again to take care of matters...

Some of Hammer's greatest individual moments appear in The Brides Of Dracula. The sequence in which Van Helsing deals with the possibility of becoming one of the undead himself remains one of the most powerful in the English Gothic cinema, and the fiery climax is a visual feast. The final denouement is ingenious and still looks superb. There is also (intentionally or otherwise) a subtle sexual/freudian/oedipal undercurrent to proceedings. However, I would suggest that more has been made of this in the passing years than director Terence Fisher ever intended. I would also suggest it isn't overt enough to justify placing it in the Gay/Lesbian film category that my online rental service chose to...

All the ingredients which make a great Hammer horror are here. Superstitious villagers, the village inn, comic turn from a peripheral character (in this case Miles Malleson as the local doctor), ghostly vampire brides clawing their way out of their graves, an appearance from Michael Ripper... Whilst I wouldn't go quite as far as some in declaring it their greatest effort (there's some serious plot holes resulting from a series of rewrites for one thing, and the bat still looks a bit ropey), it's still top tier stuff.

Blu-Ray Notes: The high-def transfer in the Final Cut release looks very good if not the most striking HD presentation I've seen. The original film grain is intact, if occasionally overpowering. I don't think we're dealing with a first generation source here - Universal's master was apparently lost in a fire, so this is probably as good as it's gonna get for now. As has now become de rigeur for any Hammer BD release, the aspect ratio used will be sparking debate all over the internet. The ratio used here is probably correct for the film's original US outing, but not for its European release. Some picture information has been lost from the lower portion of the screen. Whilst the option to see a European ratio version would have been nice, this edition does look pretty damn good all in all. Extras are a trailer, photo gallery and a very good making-of documentary.



UK 1960 - Hammer/Universal

85 Minutes

Certificate - X (following cuts, original UK release); 12 (uncut, for this release!)

Blu-Ray: Final Cut Entertainment (UK) (previous DVD from Showbox Entertainment)

  

Original Theatrical Trailer

An aside: A favourite anecdote of mine relates to The Brides Of Dracula. Film writer and critic Alan Frank (who I must credit with getting me interested in vintage horror movies on an academic level) was standing by Terence Fisher during a conversation with some Belgian film journalists where they were discussing the film. The interviewers were very excited by one scene in the film and the camera angles used. Alan said, “Terry says you could only put the camera in one position. When they built the set, it was the only place left for the camera! It was easy for the critic to see something that was never intended.”

Thanks to SpookyIsles.com for this story - you can read their interview with Alan Frank here