Tag Archives: Andre Morell

Little Shoppe of Horrors #44

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LSoH44The latest issue of THE best Hammer magazine out there, Little Shoppe of Horrors, is taking orders for issue # 44, which is covering The Hound of the Baskervilles, as well as The Stranglers of Bombay and The Terror of the Tongs.

As with all issues of LSoH, there is plenty of great material here,  written by some of the best Hammer scholars, such as Denis Meikle and Bruce G. Hallenbeck.

David J. Miller has an article on Hammer’s DP Jack Asher, called He Painted with Light, as well as coverage on the new Dracula BBC series.

With another stunning cover by Mark Maddox, as well as other amazing art and illustrations inside, it doesn’t take long to realize why this magazine has been going for close to 50 years. Every issues is always a real treat.

You can order your copy now by going to their site HERE. Especially during these strange times, the creators of magazines like this need your support! 

Hammer’s Plague Hits Blu-Ray

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Plague BlurayYeah, I know this was all over Facebook yesterday, but damn if I’m not going to help spread the word a bit more! While I may be a huge Hammer fan, their 1966 film The Plague of the Zombies is one of my all time favorites of theirs. So I am more than thrilled to see this hit Blu-ray, thanks to Shout Factory!

This was Hammer’s only movie that dealt with zombies, though these are the voodoo type, not the flesh-eating type. Maybe because Romero didn’t unleash his until two years later. But this is a prime example of what Hammer did best. They had an great cast with two powerful leads, André Morell as Sir James Forbes and John Carson as Squire Hamilton. Morell is so much fun to watch, being so proper and the whole stiff upper lip, but yet still has a dark sense of humor. Carson, who plays the villain, was born to play this part. Whether it is his voice, which is very similar sounding to James Mason, or his evil stare, that can easily hide behind a smile. Of course, throw in Michael Ripper in a minor role, and it makes it even better!

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Movie Review: Plague of the Zombies

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Plague of the Zombies (1966)
Directed by John Gilling
Starring Andre Morell, John Carson, Diane Clare, Alex Davion, Jacqueline Pearce, Michael Ripper

In a small Cornish village, strange happenings are a foot! Some sort of deadly disease is creeping through the town and the local doctor is clueless as to what is the cause. He sends a letter of distress to Sir James, his former teacher, for assistance in this grave matter. Cutting short his vacation, Sir James travels to the village with his daughter to see if he can be of any assistance, but has no idea the evil deeds he is about to uncover there.

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Horror History: André Morell

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andremorellAndré Morell
Born Aug. 20th, 1909 – Died Nov. 28th, 1978

André Morell is a British actor that made his name in the horror genre, mainly thanks to Hammer Films. Appearing in such titles like The Shadow of the Cat (1961), She (1965), The Mummy’s Shroud (1967), and of course, he role as Sir James in Plague of the Zombies (1966), made him a very familiar face to Hammer horror fans. This is probably my favorite of his roles, playing the witty British gentleman, but knows when it’s time to get down to business! He also appeared in non-Hammer films like the underrated The Giant Behemoth (1959) and a bit part in 10 Rillington Place (1971). And while not a horror film, his performance in the 1961 film Cash on Demand, c0-starring Peter Cushing, is just incredible and so much fun to watch.

But even before those films, he had become well known from his work on British televsion, especially working with Nigel Kneale’s 1954 adaptations of George Orwell’s 1984, doing some nasty things to his co-star Peter Cushing. Then in 1959, he appeared as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the BBC broadcast of Kneale’s Quatermass and the Pit. This was such a success that fans started calling him Quatermass. He would have been in Hammer’s movie adaptation had he been available at the time they went into production.

He would later appear alongside Cushing again, in a much more friendlier role as Dr. Watson to Cushing’s Sherlock Holmes in Hammer’s The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959).

Morell was always there to give a memorable characterization as the typical prim and proper British man. Always the gentleman, whether in the hero role or as the villain, as always a joy to watch him perform.