The Gorgon *** (1964, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco, Patrick Troughton, Michael Goodliffe) – Classic Movie Review 2888

‘A Monster With the Power to Turn Living Screaming Flesh Into Stone!’

Director Terence Fisher’s 1964 Hammer horror The Gorgon has an eerie touch in its story about the snake-haired mythical creature The Gorgon taking human form and haunting an Edwardian ruined German castle. Megaera the Gorgon (Prudence Hyman) leaves her castle lair and terrorises a European village and turns everyone to stone at the full moon (cue the same full moon shot at least five times). In truth it is not really a horror film at all, more of an atmospheric Gothic tale.

Christopher Lee plays Professor Karl Meister, an expert from the University of Leipzig, who turns up in town to investigate the weird deaths, arriving at the door of brain surgeon Dr Namaroff (Peter Cushing) and his beautiful helper Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley).

It is a suspenseful, unnerving yarn, imaginatively written by John Gilling (from an original story by J Llewellyn Devine, drawing on Greek mythology) and adroitly directed by Fisher. And it is earnestly acted by Cushing, Shelley, Richard Pasco (in what is really the film’s main role as Paul Heitz), Patrick Troughton (as Inspector Kanof), Michael Goodliffe (as Paul Heitz’s father Professor Jules Heitz) and (in his top-billed star cameo) Lee. Disappointingly though, Lee is insufficiently employed, and has only one brief scene before the last 35 minutes of the film.

James Bernard’s eerie score is a success and despite all the cost cutting by Hammer, Bernard Robinson’s production designs look lovely. Both score and set designs, as well as Rosemary Burrows’s attractive costumes, provide the authentic Hammer Gothic atmosphere.

The only real problem there is, concerns the awkward, cheap-looking special effects, and alas the titular snake-haired monster is only briefly seen, before the climax always as a floaty green demon in the distance. For the climax, Hyman’s snake-filled wig was worked by five wires attached to a box about 25 feet behind her. Alas, Hammer would not spend the money to make The Gorgon look good. Prudence Hyman forgot to duck when Christopher Lee swung the sword to cut off her Gorgon’s head but the assistant director pushed her aside just in time and the scene was redone with a terrible dummy.

Christopher Lee commented: ‘The only thing wrong with The Gorgon is the gorgon!’ And he added: ‘Beautiful-looking picture, but the whole thing fell apart because the effect of the snakes on Megaera’s head was not sufficiently well done for the climax of the film. Not a memorable film, but it could have been terrific.’

Also in the cast are Jack Watson, Jeremy Longhurst, Toni Gilpin, Redmond Phillips, Joseph O’Conor, Alister Williamson, Michael Peake, Sally Nesbitt and Joyce Hemson.

The film was released in a double bill with The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964). It was made at Hammer’s Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England.

Those looking for thrills and excitement will have to look elsewhere. It is not a very scary, horrific or violent film in any way, and there are no shocks or gore to speak of, and the eagerly awaited the big action finish is totally undermined by the abysmal Gorgon effects. The UK cinema version was uncut but even so some shots of The Gorgon’s decapitated head, just a daft rubber bouncy prop, were slightly darkened by the BBFC.

Megaera (jealous) is one of the three Furies, the goddesses of revenge, not a Gorgon. The three Gorgons were Stheno, Euryale and Medusa.

It was shot for £150,000 at Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England.

The Gorgon is directed by Terence Fisher, runs 83 minutes, Hammer Films, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by John Gilling, based on an original story by J Llewellyn Devine, is shot in Technicolor by Michael Reed, is produced by Anthony Nelson-Keys, is scored by James Bernard and is designed by Bernard Robinson.

RIP Barbara Shelley, Hammer Films legend, dead at age 88 on January 3, 2021.

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© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2888

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