The Early Years

Hammer Film Productions was founded on 5th November 1934.

In the pre-war period Hammer’s output ranged from comedy The Public Life of Henry the Ninth, and slave drama The Song of Freedom starring Paul Robeson to the ambitious Bela Lugosi feature The Mystery of the Mary Celeste.

Following the outbreak of World War II, and with its executives seeing active service, production ground to a halt. After the war, Hammer was re-formed and, with a growing demand for British-produced supporting movies, began to dabble in crime capers, and boy’s own adventure stories.