Opening title:- “Overshadowing the village of Vandorf stands the Castle Borski. From the turn of the century a monster from an ancient age of history came to live here. No living thing survived and the spectre of death hovered in waiting for her next victim.”When his son Bruno is killed in mysterious circumstances, Professor Heitz travels to Vandorf hoping to find out the truth; but instead he is greeted by a conspiracy of silence involving Dr Namaroff, the top medical man there, and the police. The superstitious, frightened villagers try to make him leave but he refuses, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Then one night he is lured by a siren-like voice to the Castle Borski, where he stares straight into the eyes of the Gorgon. Instantly, he begins to turn to stone…..
Production Details
A Hammer film Production released by Columbia Pictures
Copyright MCMLXIV Hammer Film Productions Ltd, – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
Based on an original story by J. Llewellyn Devine
RCA Sound Recording
Produced at Bray Studios England
Eastmancolour by Pathe 83 mins
Filming Began: 9th December 1963
UK Release: 18th October 1964
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
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 | |
Accountant | Ken Gordon | 2 | 9 | 11 | |||||
Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-mingaye/# | 35 | 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 43 | |
Assistant Director | Bert Batt | 34 | 25 Apr 1930 | 6 Nov 2011 | 81 | 13 | 13 | ||
Assistant Editor | David Nimmo | 34 | 8 Oct 1930 | 1975 | 44 | 1 | 1 | ||
Camera Grip | Albert Cowlard | 41 | 1923 | 01.01.1923 | 101 | 1 | 10 | 11 | |
Camera Operator | Cece Cooney | 58 | 11 Sep 1906 | Sep 1993 | 86 | 5 | 5 | ||
Chief Accountant | W.H.V. Able | 69 | 1895 | 1975 | 80 | 4 | 4 | ||
Chief Electrician | Jack Curtis | 3 | 24 | 27 | |||||
Clapper Loader | Anthony B. Richmond | 22 | 7 Jul 1942 | 7.07.1942 | 82 | 4 | 4 | ||
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Pauline Harlow (Wise) | 26 | 1938 | 01.01.1938 | 86 | 11 | 3 | 14 | |
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 60 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | ||
Director of Photography | Michael Reed | 35 | 7 Jul 1929 | 15 Dec 2022 | 93 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
Draughtsman | Kenneth Ryan | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||
Editor | Eric Boyd-Perkins | 47 | 1917 | 4 Dec 2014 | 97 | 10 | 10 | ||
Fight Arranger | Peter Diamond | 35 | 10 Aug 1929 | 27 Mar 2004 | 74 | 4 | 25 | 29 | |
Focus Puller | John Shinerock | 31 | 1933 | 01.01.1933 | 91 | 1 | 1 | ||
Hair Stylist | Frieda Steiger | 60 | 29 Dec 1903 | 19 Aug 1993 | 89 | 28 | 28 | ||
Make-up | Richard Mills | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||||
Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 55 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Master Painter | Lawrence Wren | 12 | 12 | ||||||
Master Plasterer | Stan Banks | 6 | 6 | ||||||
Music Composer | James Bernard | 39 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 25 | 1 | 26 | |
Musical Director | James Bernard | 39 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 25 | 1 | 26 | |
Musical Supervisor | Marcus Dods | 46 | 19 Apr 1918 | 30 Apr 1984 | 66 | 4 | 4 | ||
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 52 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 52 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Production Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-weeks/# | 59 | 15 Nov 1904 | Mar 1988 | 83 | 30 | 30 | ||
Production Secretary | Maureen White | 34 | 1930 | 01.01.1930 | 94 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
Property Master | Tom Money | 47 | 1917 | 1974 | 57 | 2 | 21 | 23 | |
Props Buyer | Eric Hillier | 44 | 1920 | 1975 | 55 | 17 | 17 | ||
Publicity Director | Dennison Thornton | 55 | 23 Aug 1909 | 1977 | 67 | 9 | 9 | ||
Scenic Artist | Burt Evans | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Screenplay | John Gilling | 52 | 29 May 1912 | 22 Nov 1984 | 72 | 19 | 19 | ||
Second Assistant Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/hugh-harlow/# | 25 | 17 Jun 1939 | 17.06.1939 | 85 | 5 | 33 | 38 | |
Second Assistant Director | George Patten | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Sound Assistant | Roy Mingaye | 33 | 1931 | 21 Dec 2017 | 86 | 4 | 4 | ||
Sound Assistant | Alan Thorne | 1 | 8 | 9 | |||||
Sound Assistant | Tom Buchanan | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Sound Camera Operator | Michael Sale | 9 | 9 | ||||||
Sound Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-hyde/# | 44 | 15 Feb 1920 | 28 Jun 1985 | 65 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Sound Recordist | Ken Rawkins | 46 | 1 Jan 1918 | 1971 | 53 | 18 | 18 | ||
Special Effects | Sid Pearson | 9 | 1 | 10 | |||||
Special Effects Assistant | Ray Caple | 26 | 5 Jan 1938 | 1993 | 54 | 7 | 7 | ||
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 29 | 29 | |||||
Studio Manager | Arthur Kelly | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 45 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Third Assistant Director | Stephen Victor | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Wardrobe Mistress | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/molly-arbuthnot/# | 55 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 5 | 53 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Angry Man | Arthur Howell | 44 | 5 Jan 1920 | Aug 1993 | 83 | 6 | 6 | ||
Angry Man | Bill Sawyer | 40 | 18 Jul 1924 | 1996 | 71 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Angry Mob | Jim O’Brady | 57 | 13 May 1907 | 1 Jan 1991 | 83 | 18 | 18 | ||
Asylum Worker | Vic Chapman | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Bruno Heitz | Jeremy Longhurst | 33 | 26 Jun 1931 | 18 Feb 2001 | 69 | 5 | 5 | ||
Carla Hoffmann | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/barbara-shelley/# | 32 | 13 Feb 1932 | 3 Jan 2021 | 88 | 9 | 9 | ||
Constable | Michael Peake | 46 | 13 Oct 1918 | 1 Apr 1967 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Constable | Fred Haggerty | 43 | 26 Sep 1921 | 26 Jul 2002 | 80 | 4 | 4 | ||
Coronor | Joseph OConor | 54 | 14 Feb 1910 | 21 Jan 2001 | 90 | 2 | 2 | ||
Hans | Redmond Philips | 52 | 5 Jun 1912 | 3 Nov 1993 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Inquest Jury Member | Peter Evans | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||
Janus Cass | Alister Williamson | 46 | 17 Jun 1918 | 19 May 1999 | 80 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Juryman | Bob Wright | 54 | 3 Jun 1910 | 13 May 1990 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Juryman | Fred Stroud | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Kanof | Patrick Troughton | 44 | 25 Mar 1920 | 28 Mar 1987 | 67 | 5 | 5 | ||
Mad Martha | Joyce Hemson | 43 | 9 May 1921 | 16 Sep 1996 | 75 | 2 | 2 | ||
Man Warning Mob of Police | Patrick Halpin | 63 | 4 Mar 1901 | 21 May 1971 | 70 | 6 | 6 | ||
Megeira | Prudence Hyman | 50 | 2 Feb 1914 | 1 Jun 1995 | 81 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Namaroff | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/peter-cushing/# | 51 | 26 May 1913 | 11 Aug 1994 | 81 | 24 | 1 | 25 | |
Nurse | Sally Nesbitt | 26 | 1 Oct 1938 | 01.10.1938 | 86 | 1 | 1 | ||
Paul Heitz | Richard Pasco | 38 | 18 Jul 1926 | 12 Nov 2014 | 88 | 4 | 4 | ||
Professor Heitz | Michael Goodliffe | 50 | 1 Oct 1914 | 20 Mar 1976 | 61 | 5 | 5 | ||
Professor Meister | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/sir-christopher-lee/# | 42 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 | 22 | ||
Ratoff | Jack Watson | 49 | 14 May 1915 | 4 Jul 1999 | 84 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sascha Cass | Toni Gilpin | 29 | 1935 | 25 Oct 2016 | 81 | 2 | 2 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Barbara Shelley had already appeared in horror films, such as Cat Girl (1957) and Blood of the Vampire (1958, written by Jimmy Sangster). For Hammer, she also made The Secret of Blood Island (1965), Dracula – Prince of Darkness (1966), Rasputin – the Mad Monk (1966) and Quatermass and the Pit (1967):
This was the second time in his career that actor Michael Goodliffe played a statue. In Up the Creek (1958), he played the statue of Nelson on top of his famous column in Trafalgar Square!