Celia – 1949

Edward J. Mason’s popular B.B.C. Feature. A Hammer Films Production Distributed by Exclusive Films
All characters in this photoplay are fictitious and bear no relation to any real person, living or dead.
Black & White 55 minutes
Storyline
An actress is persuaded by her boyfriend, the head of a private-detective agency, to take a job as a housekeeper in the home of a wealthy elderly woman. It seems that no one has seen the woman for a while, and her new young husband is claiming that she is ill and doesn’t want to see anybody and is refusing to let anyone in the house.
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits |
Additional Dialogue by | Roy Plomley | 34 | 20 Jan 1914 | 28 May 1985 | 71 | 2 |
Art Director | Denis Wreford | 44 | 1905 | 1988 | 83 | 5 |
Assistant Director | Leon Bijou | 34 | 25 May 1914 | 3 | ||
Camera Operator | Peter Bryan | 29 | 28 Sep 1919 | 1 Sep 1972 | 52 | 22 |
Continuity | Renee Glynne | 22 | 3 Aug 1926 | 94 | 38 | |
Cutter | B.C. Cox | 1 | ||||
Directed by | Francis Searle | 39 | 14 Mar 1909 | 31 Jul 2002 | 93 | 17 |
Director of Photography | Cedric Williams | 36 | 1913 | 1999 | 86 | 7 |
Hair Stylist | Monica Hustler | 23 | 1926 | 95 | 18 | |
Hy Hazel’s hats created by | Edna Wallace | 1 | ||||
Make-up | Phil Leakey | 40 | 4 May 1908 | 26 Nov 1992 | 84 | 2 |
Musical Directors | Frank Spencer | 37 | 19 Jun 1911 | 1 Feb 1975 | 63 | 48 |
Musical Directors | Rupert Grayson | 21 | ||||
Other hats by | Gertrude Harris | 8 | ||||
Produced by | Anthony Hinds | 26 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 84 |
Production Manager | Arthur Barnes | 63 | 1 Jan 1886 | 1 Jan 1956 | 70 | 20 |
Screenplay by | A.R. Rawlinson | 54 | 9 Aug 1894 | 20 Apr 1984 | 89 | 4 |
Screenplay by | E.J. Mason | 36 | 8 May 1912 | 3 Feb 1971 | 58 | 1 |
Screenplay by | Francis Searle | 39 | 14 Mar 1909 | 31 Jul 2002 | 93 | 17 |
Sound | Edgar Vetter | 35 | 27 Jan 1913 | 15 Dec 1988 | 75 | 15 |
Supervising Editor | Ray Pitt | 5 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
Antonio | Ferdy Mayne | 32 | 11 Mar 1916 | 30 Jan 1998 | 81 | 4 |
Aunt Nora | Elsie Wagstaff | 49 | 1 Jul 1899 | 16 Jul 1985 | 86 | 2 |
Celia | Hy Hazel | 29 | 4 Oct 1919 | 10 May 1970 | 50 | 2 |
Desk Seargent | Martin Boddey | 41 | 16 Apr 1907 | 24 Oct 1975 | 68 | 4 |
Dr. Cresswell | Lockwood West | 43 | 28 Jul 1905 | 28 Mar 1989 | 83 | 2 |
Grocer | Charles Paton | 74 | 31 Jul 1874 | 10 Apr 1970 | 95 | 1 |
Inspector Parker | James Raglan | 47 | 1 Jun 1901 | 15 Nov 1961 | 60 | 3 |
Larry Peters | Bruce Lester | 36 | 6 Jun 1912 | 13 Jun 2008 | 96 | 1 |
Lester Martin | John Bailey | 36 | 26 Jun 1912 | 11 Feb 1989 | 76 | 4 |
Miss Arnold | Jasmine Dee | 30 | 30 Aug 1918 | 28 Jun 2019 | 100 | 2 |
Mr Haldane | John Sharp | 28 | 5 Aug 1920 | 26 Nov 1992 | 72 | 5 |
Mrs Haldane | Joan Hickson | 42 | 5 Aug 1906 | 17 Oct 1998 | 92 | 2 |
Ruby | June Elvin | 24 | 23 May 1924 | 31 Jul 2019 | 95 | 1 |
Woman in shop | Grace Denbeigh-Russell | 59 | 1 Jan 1890 | 28 Jan 1969 | 79 | 2 |
Woman in shop | Olive Walter | 50 | 1 Sep 1898 | 4 Sep 1961 | 63 | 1 |
Footnotes
Hy Hazel also appeared in Hammer’s 1950 film “The Lady Craved Excitement”. Her last role was in Marty Feldman’s “Every Home Should Have One” (1970). She was called Britain’s answer to Betty Grable and was described as having “the longest legs in showbusiness”. She died on May 10 1970, at the age of 50, when she choked on a steak whilst dining at a Westminster restaurant.
Roy Plomley, who was credited with additional dialogue here, also co-wrote Hammer’s “Doctor Morelle and the Case of the Missing Heiress” (1949). He also devised the BBC Radio show “Desert Island Discs” presenting 1791 editions over a 43 year period.
Filming Location: Dial Close Court, (a large 23 bedroomed country house) at Winter Hill, Cookham, Berkshire, England, UK was used as the mansion. This house was also used by Hammer in “Dr Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress” (1949), and “The Adventures of P.C. 49: Investigating the Case of the Guardian Angel” (1949)
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection