Mantrap – 1953

A Hammer production released by Exclusive Films (UK) and United Artists (USA)
From the Original Story “Queen in Danger” by Elleston Trevor
Copyright 1952 by Exclusive Films Ltd.

All characters in this photoplay are fictitious and bear no resemblance to any real person, living or dead

RCA Sound System
Philharmonia Orchestra
Produced at Exclusive Studios, Bray
Black & White 79 minutes

Storyline

Mervyn Speight has escaped from prison, where he has been for the murder of a young woman two years earlier. He insists that he is an innocent man who was framed and lawyer Hugo Bishop, believing him, sets out to prove his story…

Crew


Function	Credited	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Productions
	Click a link for more info					Credited	Uncredited	Total
Adaptation	Paul Tabori	44	8 May 1908	9 Nov 1974	66	6	1	7
Art Director	J. Elder Wills	52	26 Apr 1900	1970	69	22		22
Ast. Director	Bill Shore					5	2	7
Camera Operator	Len Harris	36	19 May 1916	21 Feb 1995	78	52	1	53
Conductor	Marcus Dods	34	19 Apr 1918	30 Apr 1984	66	4		4
Continuity	Renee Glynne	26	3 Aug 1926	6 Apr 2022	95	38	3	41
Dialogue Director	Nora Roberts			1 Mar 1968		5		5
Director	Terence Fisher	49	23 Feb 1904	18 Jun 1980	76	31		31
Director of Photog.	Reginald Wyer BSc	51	30 Oct 1901	1970	68	1		1
Editor	James Needs	33	17 Oct 1919	4 Feb 2003	83	110	1	111
Lois Maxwell's Wardrobe	Jane Ironside					2	1	3
Make-up	Dick Bonner-Morris	42	1 Jan 1911	20 Sep 1964	53	4		4
Music Composer	Doreen Carwithen	30	15 Nov 1922	5 Jan 2003	80	3		3
Producer	Michael Carreras	25	21 Dec 1927	19 Apr 1994	66	82	3	85
Producer	Alexander Paal	42	18 May 1910	8 Nov 1972	62	4	1	5
Production Manager	Victor Wark	39	1 Apr 1913	4 Jan 1993	79	1		1
Recordist	Jack Miller					2		2
Screenplay	Terence Fisher	49	23 Feb 1904	18 Jun 1980	76	31		31
Screenplay	Paul Tabori	44	8 May 1908	9 Nov 1974	66	6	1	7
Uncredited
Additional Music	Eric Rogers	31	25 Sep 1921	8 Apr 1981	59		2	2
Ast. Sound Editor	James Groom	28	1 Jan 1925	17 May 2016	91	13	3	16
Boom Operator	Percy Britten	33	1 Oct 1919	1996	76		21	21
Clapper Loader	Tom Friswell	23	1930	2002	72		18	18
First Ast. Editor	James Groom	28	1 Jan 1925	17 May 2016	91	13	3	16
Focus puller	Manny Yospa	35	20 Jan 1918	21 Apr 2002	84		4	4
Second Ast. Director	Aida Young	32	11 Aug 1920	12 Aug 2007	87	8	6	14
Sound Ast.	Ray Hole						2	2
Sound Camera Operator	Peter Matthews						3	3
Still Photog.	John Jay	32	14 Nov 1920	29 Apr 2005	84	13	22	35
Third Ast. Director	Vernon Nolf	32	12 Sep 1920	30 Apr 2009	88		2	2
Wardrobe	Jane Ironside					2	1	3

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Productions
	Click a link for more info					Credited	Uncredited	Total
Alphonse	Arnold Diamond	37	18 Apr 1915	18 Mar 1992	76	4	2	6
Barker	Conrad Phillips	27	13 Apr 1925	13 Jan 2016	90	4		4
Derval	Liam Gaffney	41	22 Jun 1911	Jul 1994	83	1		1
Detective	Terry Carney					1	1	2
Doctor	John Stuart	54	18 Jul 1898	17 Oct 1979	81	7	1	8
Du Vancet	John Penrose	38	5 May 1914	22 May 1983	69	2		2
Fashion Compere	Barbara Shelley	21	13 Feb 1932	3 Jan 2021	88	8		8
Frisnay	Lloyd Lamble	39	8 Feb 1914	17 Mar 2008	94	3		3
Hugo Bishop	Paul Henreid	45	10 Jan 1908	29 Mar 1992	84	2		2
Jerrard	Hugh Sinclair	49	19 May 1903	29 Dec 1962	59	2		2
Joanna	Christina Forrest	23	5 Feb 1930	1 Oct 1990	60	1	2	3
Laura	Jane Welsh	48	14 Jan 1905	27 Nov 2001	96	1		1
Marjorie	Anna Turner	34	6 May 1918	29 Mar 2014	95	2		2
Plain Clothes Man	Geoffrey Murphy	32	2 Jan 1921	15 Jun 1989	68	1		1
Receptionist	Sally Newland					1		1
Rex	Anthony Forwood	37	3 Oct 1915	18 May 1988	72	6		6
Speight	Kieron Moore	28	5 Oct 1924	15 Jul 2007	82	2		2
Susie	Mary Laura Wood	29	8 Mar 1924	30 Mar 1990	66	1		1
Thelma	Lois Maxwell	26	14 Feb 1927	29 Sep 2007	80	2		2
Vera	Kay Kendall	26	21 May 1926	6 Sep 1959	33	2		2
Victor	Bill Travers	31	3 Jan 1922	29 Mar 1994	72	1		1
Uncredited
Barman	Paul Phillips	42	1 Feb 1911	29 Oct 1976	65		2	2
Party Guest	Victor Harrington	43	27 Aug 1909	23 Jul 1980	70		7	7

Production


FILMING BEGAN	1 February 1952
UK RELEASE	10 March 1953
STUDIO	Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England

Footnotes

Like Hammer, actor Kieron Moore later tried his hand at horror, starring in “Doctor Blood’s Coffin” (1960) and “The Day of the Triffids” (1962).

Kay Kendall, who is also in Hammer’s “Wings of Danger” (1952), became a popular film actress until her premature death in 1959, at the age of just 33.

Len Harris, mentioned here for the first time, became Hammer’s regular Camera Operator for the next ten years.

Conrad Phillips, who plays Barker in this film, became William Tell in the ITC TV series of the early 1960s. He also appears in the horror film “Circus of Horrors” (1960).

This was Barbara Shelly’s first film for Hammer.

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