The Anniversary – 1968

A Hammer Film production presented by Associated British Pathe Limited and released through Warner-Pathe Distributors Limited (UK) and Twentieth Century-Fox (USA)
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

RCA Sound Recording
Made at the Elstree Studios of Associated British Productions Limited, Herts, England
Technicoior 95 mins

Storyline

Every year, obsessively domineering matriarch Mrs Taggart gathers round her the members of her family to celebrate her anniversary. But, it is not a time for celebration, more an occasion for all the bottled-up frustrations and hatred to bubble to the surface – and heaven help any one of them who has ideas for the future which do not fit in with Mother’s plans!

Watch the trailer on YouTube

Crew


Function	Credited	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Credits
Assistant Director	Bert Batt	37	25 Apr 1930	2011	80	13
Camera Operator	Gerry Anstiss	40	1928	20 Feb 1999	71	1
Continuity	June Randall	40	26 Jun 1927	18 Jan 2015	87	6
Directed by	Roy Ward Baker	51	19 Dec 1916	5 Oct 2010	93	8
Director of Photography	Harry Waxman, BSc	55	3 Apr 1912	24 Dec 1984	72	3
Editor	Peter Weatherley, GBFE	38	1930	1 Sep 2015	85	15
From the stage play by	Bill MacIlwraith	39	13 Apr 1928	9 May 2016	88	1
Hairdresser	A.G. Scott					2
Make-up	George Partleton	58	21 Jan 1909	17 Oct 1992	83	6
Musical Supervisor	Philip Martell	60	6 Oct 1907	11 Aug 1993	85	103
Produced by	Jimmy Sangster	40	2 Dec 1927	19 Aug 2011	83	65
Production Designed by	Reece Pemberton	55	14 Mar 1912	1977	64	1
Production Manager	Victor Peck					1
Recording Supervisor	A.W. Lumkin	54	2 Feb 1913	25 Oct 1985	72	30
Screenplay by	Jimmy Sangster	40	2 Dec 1927	19 Aug 2011	83	65
Sound Editor	Charles Crafford, GBFE	51	27 Jul 1916	12 Nov 1977	61	4
Sound Recordist	Les Hammond	59	6 Jun 1908			8
Supervising Editor	James Needs	48	17 Oct 1919	4 Feb 2003	83	111
Title music played by	The New Vaudeville Band					1
Wardrobe	Mary Gibson					13

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth		Death	Age	Hammer Appearances
Construction Worker	Albert Shepherd	32	1936		10 Jul 2019	83	1
Construction Worker	Ralph Watson	31	20 Jan 1936		20 Jun 2021	85	1
Florist	Sally-Jane Spencer	19	10 Jul 1948	10.07.1948		73	1
Headwaiter	Arnold Diamond	52	18 Apr 1915		18 Mar 1992	76	4
Henry Taggart	James Cossins	34	4 Dec 1933		12 Feb 1997	63	5
Karen Taggart	Sheila Hancock	34	22 Feb 1933	22.02.1933		88	1
Mr Bird	Timothy Bateson	41	3 Apr 1926		15 Sep 2009	83	3
Mrs Taggart	Bette Davis	59	5 Apr 1908		6 Oct 1989	81	2
Shirley Blair	Elaine Taylor	24	17 Oct 1943	17.10.1943		77	1
Terry Taggart	Jack Hedley	37	28 Oct 1930	28.10.1930		90	4
Tom Taggart	Christian Roberts	23	17 Mar 1944	17.03.1944		77	1

Production


FILMING BEGAN	15 May 1967
UK RELEASE	18 February 1968
STUDIO	Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, Hertfordshire, England
LOCATION	Chantry, Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England	Eexterior of Mrs Taggart's house

Footnotes

Roy Ward Baker was brought in to replace the original director Alvin Rakoff, with whom Bette Davis apparently found it impossible to work.

Character actor James Cossins also appeared for Hammer in “The Lost Continent” (1968), “The Horror of Frankenstein” (1970), “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb” (1971) and “Fear in the Night” (1972).

Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection