Opening titles:- “At the end of the seventeenth century, men, women, and children voyaged far from their mother country seeking some haven from persecution. They were known as Huguenots. They found their haven and called it the Isle of Devon and gave thanks to God for their deliverance. But in the years to come, the just laws of the Colony began to yield to greed and tyranny. Happiness became an echo of the past. Freedom – just a memory.” When he escapes from the prison compound, Jonathan Standing runs into a gang of bloodthirsty pirates led by the cunning La Roche, who is convinced that the little community is hiding a treasure in gold.
Production Details
A Hammer film production released by Columbia Pictures Copyright MCMLXI Hammer Film Productions – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the names characters or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
RCA Sound Recording
Made at Bray Studios, England
Eastmancolour 84 mins
A Hammerscope production photographed in Megascope
Filming Began: 3rd July 1961
UK Release: 13th August 1962
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Locations:
Black Park Lake, Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire – Blood River
Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire – Jungle
Callow Hill Sandpit, Virginia Water, Surrey – Penal colony
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 | |
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 | ||
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 46 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 53 | 2 | 55 | |
Casting | Stuart Lyons | 34 | 1928 | 23 Feb 1998 | 70 | 8 | 8 | ||
Charge-hand Props | Peter Allchorne | 37 | 1925 | 01.01.1925 | 99 | 9 | 9 | ||
Clapper Loader | Alan McDonald | 24 | 1938 | 01.01.1938 | 86 | 14 | 14 | ||
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Tilly Day | 59 | 1903 | 1994 | 91 | 14 | 1 | 15 | |
Director | John Gilling | 50 | 29 May 1912 | 22 Nov 1984 | 72 | 19 | 19 | ||
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 | ||
Executive Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 34 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 84 | 8 | 92 | |
Focus Puller | Trevor Wrenn | 26 | May 1936 | 01.05.1936 | 88 | 2 | 2 | ||
Focus Puller | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-oakes/# | 41 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 53 | 53 | ||
From a story by | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jimmy-sangster/# | 34 | 2 Dec 1927 | 19 Aug 2011 | 83 | 65 | 2 | 67 | |
Hair Stylist | Frieda Steiger | 58 | 29 Dec 1903 | 19 Aug 1993 | 89 | 28 | 28 | ||
Horse Master and Master at Arms and stunts | Bob Simmons | 40 | 31 Mar 1922 | 21 Oct 1987 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 53 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Music Composer | Gary Hughes | 40 | 21 Mar 1922 | 25 Apr 1978 | 56 | 5 | 5 | ||
Musical Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/john-hollingsworth/# | 46 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 37 | 3 | 40 | |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-nelson-keys/# | 50 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 | 41 | ||
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 50 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Production Manager | Clifford Parkes | 34 | 10 Jul 1928 | 20.11.2014 | 87 | 12 | 12 | ||
Screenplay | John Hunter | 50 | 22 Aug 1911 | 8 Sep 1984 | 73 | 4 | 4 | ||
Screenplay | John Gilling | 50 | 29 May 1912 | 22 Nov 1984 | 72 | 19 | 19 | ||
Sound Editor | Alfred Cox | 37 | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | 4 | 25 | |
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 Assistant | Terry Schubert | 24 | 1938 | 01.01.1938 | 86 | 6 | 6 | ||
Special Effects Assistant | Brian Johnson | 23 | 29 Jun 1939 | 29.06.1939 | 85 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
Stunts | Terry Richards | 29 | 2 Nov 1932 | 14 Jun 2014 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Stunts | Mick Dillon | 36 | 15 Jun 1926 | 23 Jul 2006 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Stunts | Gerry Crampton | 32 | 28 Apr 1930 | 24 Jan 2009 | 78 | 2 | 2 | ||
Stunts | Eddie Eddon | 38 | 13 Apr 1924 | May 1999 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Stunts | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-powell/# | 35 | 9 Mar 1927 | 11 Aug 2000 | 73 | 2 | 14 | 16 | |
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 | |
2nd Settler | John Roden | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Bess | Marla Landi | 29 | 16 Apr 1933 | 16.04.1933 | 91 | 2 | 2 | ||
Blacksmith | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/david-lodge/# | 40 | 19 Aug 1921 | 18 Oct 2003 | 82 | 10 | 10 | ||
Brocaire | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/oliver-reed/# | 24 | 13 Feb 1938 | 2 May 1999 | 61 | 9 | 9 | ||
Carlos | Don Levy | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Godfrey Mason | Jack Stewart | 49 | 22 Mar 1913 | 1 Jan 1966 | 52 | 4 | 4 | ||
Hench | Peter Arne | 41 | 29 Sep 1920 | 1 Aug 1983 | 62 | 2 | 2 | ||
Henry | Glenn Corbett | 28 | 17 Aug 1933 | 16 Jan 1993 | 59 | 1 | 1 | ||
Jason Standing | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/andrew-keir/# | 36 | 3 Apr 1926 | 5 Oct 1997 | 71 | 7 | 7 | ||
Jonathan Standing | Kerwin Matthews | 36 | 8 Jan 1926 | 5 Jul 2007 | 81 | 2 | 2 | ||
Kemp | Michael Peake | 43 | 13 Oct 1918 | 1 Apr 1967 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
La Roche | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/sir-christopher-lee/# | 40 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 | 22 | ||
Lance | John Collin | 33 | 18 Oct 1928 | 25 Feb 1987 | 58 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Mac | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-ripper/# | 49 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
Maggie Mason | Marie Devereux | 21 | 27 Nov 1940 | 30 Dec 2019 | 79 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Margaret Blackthorne | Diane Aubrey | 23 | 1939 | 01.01.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Martha Blackthorne | Lorraine Clewes | 44 | 12 Nov 1917 | Dec 1996 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Martin | Michael Mulcaster | 50 | 3 Oct 1911 | 10 Aug 1984 | 72 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Old Townsman | Bert Sims | 67 | 29 Oct 1894 | 18 Apr 1972 | 77 | 1 | 1 | ||
Penal Colony Guard | John Bennett | 34 | 8 May 1928 | 11 Apr 2005 | 76 | 2 | 2 | ||
Penal Colony Guard | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/george-hilsdon/# | 55 | 25 Apr 1907 | 28 May 1982 | 75 | 7 | 7 | ||
Penal Colony Master | Jerold Wells | 54 | 8 Aug 1908 | 19 Jul 1999 | 90 | 4 | 4 | ||
Pirate | Jim O’Brady | 55 | 13 May 1907 | 1 Jan 1991 | 83 | 18 | 18 | ||
Pirate | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ernie-rice/# | 65 | 17 Nov 1896 | 1979 | 82 | 7 | 7 | ||
Pirate | Bill Brandon | 5 | 5 | ||||||
Prisoner | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/dido-plumb/# | 57 | 23 Jun 1905 | 4 Mar 1991 | 85 | 10 | 10 | ||
Pugh | Ronald Blackman | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Seymour | Richard Bennett | 26 | 29 Mar 1936 | 24 Dec 2012 | 76 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Silas | Keith Pyott | 60 | 9 Mar 1902 | 6 Apr 1968 | 66 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Silver | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/denis-shaw/# | 41 | 7 Apr 1921 | 28 Feb 1971 | 49 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
Timothy | Dennis Waterman | 14 | 24 Feb 1948 | 8 May 2022 | 74 | 3 | 3 | ||
Tom Blackthorne | Desmond Llewelyn | 47 | 12 Sep 1914 | 19 Dec 1999 | 85 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Villager | Emille Stemmler | 51 | 1911 | 2001 | 6 | 6 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Michael Carreras formally left Hammer in 1961 to pursue projects elsewhere and, although he came back for the occasional film, he did not return full-time until 1971. Carreras’s departure seems to have provided Anthony Nelson Keys with a promotion opportunity and this is his first film as Producer.
A very young Dennis Waterman appears here. Later famous for his roles in Thames TV’s The Sweeney and Minder series, he also worked for Hammer in Scars of Dracula (1969).
John Gilling’s other credits for Hammer as director are The Scarlet Blade (1963), The Brigand of Kandahar (1965), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Reptile (1966) and The Mummy’s Shroud (1966).