Opening title:- “1792 – The Romney Marshes – flat and desolate – was the land of a proud and independent people. Their shores faced the shores of France – and many was the shipload of wine and brandy smuggled across the sea in defiance of the king’s revenue men. Many legends have come from this corner of England – but none so widely believed or widely feared – as the legend of the Marsh Phantoms – who rode the land on dark misty nights – and struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed their paths…..”
Captain Collier and his men arrive in the village of Dymchurch following a tip-off that the place is a hive of smuggling activity, but the villagers have been forewarned of their approach and they find nothing. The village has all the outward appearance of rural respectability and at its heart is the affable, ever-gracious figure of the local rector, Dr. Blyss.
In the tiny churchyard is the grave of Captain Clegg, a notorious pirate hanged for his crimes. But Collier’s suspicions are aroused further when a mulatto, whose tongue was cut out by Clegg, reacts violently on seeing the familiar features of the rector….
Production Details
A Hammer-Major production released by Universal Pictures
Copyright MCMLXII by Universal Pictures Company Inc. – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 20200
Based on the novel by Russell Thorndike
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the names, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
RCA Sound Recording
Made at Bray Studios, England
Processed by Humphries Laboratories
Print by Technicolor 82 mins
Filming Began: 21st November 1961
UK Release: 25th June 1962
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Locations:
St Mary the Virgin, Denham, Buckinghamshire – Scenes in churchyard
Denham, Buckinghamshire
Ibstone windmill, Turville, Buckinghamshire – Village windmill
All Saints Church, Oakley Green Road, Bray, Berkshire – Long shots of church; scenes on top of church tower
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Additional Dialogue | Barbara S Harper | 50 | 12 May 1912 | 21 Dec 1974 | 62 | 1 | 1 | ||
Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-mingaye/# | 33 | 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 43 | |
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 31 | 1931 | 3 Oct 2009 | 78 | 21 | 21 | ||
Assistant Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/chris-barnes/# | 24 | 1938 | 5 Jun 2009 | 71 | 21 | 12 | 33 | |
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 46 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 53 | 2 | 55 | |
Chief Electrician | Jack Curtis | 3 | 24 | 27 | |||||
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Tilly Day | 59 | 1903 | 1994 | 91 | 14 | 1 | 15 | |
Director | Peter Graham Scott | 38 | 27 Oct 1923 | 5 Aug 2007 | 83 | 1 | 1 | ||
Director of Photography | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-grant/# | 47 | 1915 | 1972 | 57 | 33 | 33 | ||
Editor | Eric Boyd-Perkins | 45 | 1917 | 4 Dec 2014 | 97 | 10 | 10 | ||
Fight sequences supervisor | Bob Simmons | 40 | 31 Mar 1922 | 21 Oct 1987 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Focus Puller | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-oakes/# | 41 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 53 | 53 | ||
Hair Stylist | Frieda Steiger | 58 | 29 Dec 1903 | 19 Aug 1993 | 89 | 28 | 28 | ||
Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 53 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Master Painter | Lawrence Wren | 12 | 12 | ||||||
Matte Painter | Ray Caple | 24 | 5 Jan 1938 | 1993 | 54 | 7 | 7 | ||
Music Composer | Don Banks | 38 | 25 Oct 1923 | 5 Sep 1980 | 56 | 9 | 9 | ||
Musical Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 54 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Producer | John Temple-Smith | 38 | 18 Nov 1923 | 2010 | 86 | 3 | 3 | ||
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 49 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Production Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-weeks/# | 57 | 15 Nov 1904 | Mar 1988 | 83 | 30 | 30 | ||
Publicity Director | Dennison Thornton | 52 | 23 Aug 1909 | 1977 | 67 | 9 | 9 | ||
Screenplay | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 39 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 88 | 1 | 89 | |
Second Assistant Director | Peter Medak | 24 | 23 Dec 1937 | 23.12.1937 | 86 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Sound Editor | Terry Poulton | 32 | 1930 | 1993 | 63 | 17 | 1 | 18 | |
Sound Recordist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jock-may/# | 57 | 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Special Effects | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/les-bowie/# | 48 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 30 | 13 | 43 | |
Special Effects | Terry Schubert | 24 | 1938 | 01.01.1938 | 86 | 6 | 6 | ||
Special Effects | Jack Wallis | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Special Effects Assistant | Brian Johnson | 22 | 29 Jun 1939 | 29.06.1939 | 85 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
Special Effects Assistant | Kit West | 26 | 2 Jun 1936 | 16 Apr 2016 | 79 | 1 | 7 | 8 | |
Special Effects Assistant | Ian Scoones | 22 | 20 Feb 1940 | 20 Jan 2010 | 69 | 13 | 9 | 22 | |
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 29 | 29 | |||||
Stunts | Paddy Hayes | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 42 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Wardrobe Mistress | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/molly-arbuthnot/# | 53 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 5 | 53 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
1st Sailor | Peter Halliday | 38 | 2 Jun 1924 | 18 Feb 2012 | 87 | 1 | 1 | ||
2nd Sailor | Terry Scully | 30 | 13 May 1932 | 17 Apr 2001 | 68 | 1 | 1 | ||
Bosun | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/david-lodge/# | 40 | 19 Aug 1921 | 18 Oct 2003 | 82 | 10 | 10 | ||
Captain Collier | Patrick Allen | 35 | 17 Mar 1927 | 28 Jul 2006 | 79 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
Churchgoer | Jack Sharp | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Dr Blyss, alias Captain Clegg | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/peter-cushing/# | 49 | 26 May 1913 | 11 Aug 1994 | 81 | 24 | 1 | 25 | |
Fiddler | Harold Gee | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Frightened Man | Jack MacGowran | 43 | 13 Oct 1918 | 30 Jan 1973 | 54 | 1 | 1 | ||
Gerry | Rupert Osborn | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Girl at Inn | Kate OMara | 22 | 10 Aug 1939 | 30 Mar 2014 | 74 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Harry | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/oliver-reed/# | 24 | 13 Feb 1938 | 2 May 1999 | 61 | 9 | 9 | ||
Imogene | Yvonne Romain | 24 | 17 Feb 1938 | 17.01.1938 | 86 | 3 | 3 | ||
Mipps | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-ripper/# | 49 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
Mrs Rash | Daphne Anderson | 40 | 27 Apr 1922 | 15 Jan 2013 | 90 | 3 | 3 | ||
Mulatto | Milton Reid | 45 | 29 Apr 1917 | 1987 | 69 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Parishoner | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/fred-wood/# | 40 | 26 Oct 1921 | 25 Jan 2003 | 81 | 19 | 19 | ||
Peg-Leg | Bob Head | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Pirate Bosun | Colin Douglas | 49 | 28 Jul 1912 | 21 Dec 1991 | 79 | 2 | 2 | ||
Rash | Martin Benson | 43 | 10 Aug 1918 | 28 Feb 2010 | 91 | 4 | 4 | ||
Sailor | Bill Brandon | 5 | 5 | ||||||
Squire | Derek Francis | 38 | 7 Nov 1923 | 27 Mar 1984 | 60 | 3 | 3 | ||
Tattooed Sailor | Gerry Crampton | 32 | 28 Apr 1930 | 24 Jan 2009 | 78 | 2 | 2 | ||
Tom Ketch | Sydney Bromley | 52 | 24 Jul 1909 | 14 Aug 1987 | 78 | 5 | 5 | ||
Wurzel | Gordon Rollings | 36 | 17 Apr 1926 | 7 Jun 1985 | 59 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Curiously, this was one of two films of the same story which both appeared in 1962, the other being Walt Disney’s Dr Syn, alias the Scarecrow, starring Patrick McGoohan and directed by James Neilson. Peter Cushing wrote an alternative script for the film, based on the first two Thorndyke books, Dr Syn on the High Seas and Dr Syn Returns. Producer John Temple-Smith said “… there was never any question of Hammer using this script or any part of it: using anything from Dr Syn on the High Seas would have dropped us straight into Disney’s net.
Yvonne Romain also appeared in Hammer’s The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) and The Brigand of Kandahar (1965).
John Temple-Smith worked for Hammer again as producer of The Viking Queen (1966).
Uncredited Kate O’Mara went on to appear in Hammer’s The Horror of Frankenstein and The Vampire Lovers.