Christopher Wicking
Encyclopedia
Christopher WickingChristopher Wicking (born 10 January 1943 in London
, England
; died of a heart attack in Toulouse
, France
, 13 October 2008) was a screenwriter
often in the horror and fantasy genres, notably for the British arm of American International Pictures
and with Hammer Film Productions
, for whom he was the last 'resident script editor'.
. While studying at St Martin's School of Art, London, he determined to break into the film industry
.
Film Distributors and, while working as an assistant film editor on documentaries in London, he began writing profiles of directors for the influential French
movie magazine Cahiers du cinéma
. He was a lifelong fan of westerns and wrote movie feature articles and interviews about the genre for various British
magazines including the Monthly Film Bulletin
and Time Out. He also continued to write for French magazines including Cahiers du cinéma, Positif
and Midi Minuit Fantastique
.
His first credit as a screenwriter was on the 1969 movie The Oblong Box, initially with Michael Reeves
and, after Reeves' death, for director Gordon Hessler
. Although Wicking was only credited for "additional dialogue", Hessler later verbally credited him as writing the entire filmed script.
(1979–1982), Jemima Shore
Investigates and the TV dramas The Way to Dusty Death (1995), On Dangerous Ground (1996). and Powers
(2004).
, the Arvon Foundation
, the National Film and Television School
, Leeds Metropolitan University
and King Alfred's College, Winchester
; and, in Ireland, at University College Dublin
, the Dublin Institute of Technology
and the Irish Film Institute
's Education Department. It was said that he had a fondness for "termite art" - less "precious" work that valued personal vision and idiosyncrasy.
The Madness of Mickey Hamilton (1979); The Gun (1980); Discovered in a Graveyard (1982)
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; died of a heart attack in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 13 October 2008) was a screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
often in the horror and fantasy genres, notably for the British arm of American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
and with Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
, for whom he was the last 'resident script editor'.
Background
Wicking was educated at Coopers' Company's SchoolCoopers' Company and Coborn School
The Coopers' Company and Coborn School is a 11-18 school in Upminster, in the London Borough of Havering, and is part of Essex.-Admissions:The school is a non-selective voluntary aided state comprehensive school describe by Ofsted as "an exceptional school of real excellence". The school excels at...
. While studying at St Martin's School of Art, London, he determined to break into the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
.
Movies
He began as a film booking clerk for Anglo-AmalgamatedAnglo-Amalgamated
Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy that operated from 1945 to the 1970s. Much of the output was low budget and often second features, many produced at Merton Park Studios...
Film Distributors and, while working as an assistant film editor on documentaries in London, he began writing profiles of directors for the influential French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
movie magazine Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
. He was a lifelong fan of westerns and wrote movie feature articles and interviews about the genre for various British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazines including the Monthly Film Bulletin
Monthly Film Bulletin
The Monthly Film Bulletin was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a narrow arthouse release. The MFB was edited in the mid-1950s by David Robinson, in the late...
and Time Out. He also continued to write for French magazines including Cahiers du cinéma, Positif
Positif (magazine)
Positif is a French film magazine, founded in 1952 by Bernard Chardère. It was published by Eric Losfeld.It often acted as a counterpoint to Cahiers du cinéma, another well-known French film journal, notably with Gerard Gozlan's article sarcastically titled "In Praise of André Bazin."The current...
and Midi Minuit Fantastique
Midi Minuit Fantastique
Midi Minuit Fantastique was a French film magazine published by Eric Losfeld . Michel Caen and Alain Le Bris started it, accompanied by Jean Boullet and Jean-Claude Romer....
.
His first credit as a screenwriter was on the 1969 movie The Oblong Box, initially with Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves was an English film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the 1968 American International Pictures/Tigon motion picture Witchfinder General...
and, after Reeves' death, for director Gordon Hessler
Gordon Hessler
Gordon Hessler is a British film and television director, screenwriter, and producer.He was raised in England and studied at the University of Reading. While a teenager, he moved to the United States and directed a series of short films and documentaries...
. Although Wicking was only credited for "additional dialogue", Hessler later verbally credited him as writing the entire filmed script.
Television
Wicking also wrote episodes for British TV series The ProfessionalsThe Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
(1979–1982), Jemima Shore
Jemima Shore
Jemima Shore is a fictional character created by Antonia Fraser, and is portrayed as TV's consummately professional investigative journalist...
Investigates and the TV dramas The Way to Dusty Death (1995), On Dangerous Ground (1996). and Powers
Powers (TV series)
Powers is a United Kingdom television series first broadcast in 2004 on BBC One. The series was created by Jim Eldridge. It was promoted as a children's version of The X-Files, although many regarded it as a successor to The Tomorrow People. Powers ran for one 13-episode season, and was also...
(2004).
Later years
He taught screenwriting at various UK institutions including the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, the Arvon Foundation
Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes creative writing. It is based in the Free Word Centre for literature, literacy and free expression in London.-History:...
, the National Film and Television School
National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and it is located close to Pinewood Studios.-History:...
, Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
and King Alfred's College, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
; and, in Ireland, at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, the Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially in 1992 under the but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland...
and the Irish Film Institute
Irish Film Institute
The Irish Film Institute is both a film theatre and a national body that supports Irish Film heritage. It maintains an archive of Irish films and provides education in film culture. It shows independent and foreign language films overlooked by commercial multiplexes at its cinema in the Temple Bar...
's Education Department. It was said that he had a fondness for "termite art" - less "precious" work that valued personal vision and idiosyncrasy.
Feature films
- The Oblong Box (1969) (additional dialogue)
- Scream and Scream AgainScream and Scream AgainScream and Scream Again is a 1970 British horror film directed by Gordon Hessler and starring Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. It is based on the novel The Disorientated Man by Peter Saxon.- Plot :...
(1970) - Cry of the BansheeCry Of The BansheeCry of the Banshee is a 1970 horror film directed by Gordon Hessler, starring Vincent Price as an evil witchhunter. The film was released by American International Pictures. The film co stars Elizabeth Bergner, Hilary Dwyer, and Hugh Griffith...
(1970) - Venom (1971)
- Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) (co-writer)
- Blood from the Mummy's TombBlood from the Mummy's TombBlood from the Mummy's Tomb is a 1971 British film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, and James Villiers. This was director Seth Holt's final film, and was adapted from Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. The film was released as the support feature to Dr...
(1971) - Demons of the MindDemons of the MindDemons of the Mind is a British period horror film, produced by the Hammer studio. It was directed by Peter Sykes and its cinematographer was Arthur Grant. The cast includes Gillian Hills , Robert Hardy, Patrick Magee, Michael Hordern, and Shane Briant...
(1972) - Medusa (1973)
- To the Devil a DaughterTo the Devil a DaughterTo the Devil... A Daughter is a 1976 horror film made by Hammer Film Productions, taken from the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley, directed by Peter Sykes. It stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott...
(1976) (co-writer) - Lady Chatterley's LoverLady Chatterley's Lover (film)Lady Chatterley's Lover is a 1981 film directed by Just Jaeckin, and starring Sylvia Kristel and Nicholas Clay.-Cast:*Sylvia Kristel as Lady Constance Chatterley*Shane Briant as Sir Clifford Chatterley*Nicholas Clay as Oliver Mellors...
(co-writer) (1981) - Absolute BeginnersAbsolute Beginners (film)Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from the Colin MacInnes book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and a breakout role by Patsy Kensit...
(1986) (co-writer) - Dream DemonDream DemonDream Demon is a British horror film, released in 1988, starring Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall and Jemma Redgrave , who is on the verge of marrying caddish Mark Greenstreet . Spending the night in her spooky old family mansion, Jemma stares into a mirror and begins experiencing terrifying dreams. She...
(1988)
Television Episodes
- The Professionals
The Madness of Mickey Hamilton (1979); The Gun (1980); Discovered in a Graveyard (1982)
Book
- Vahimagi, Tise + Wicking, Christopher (1979). The American Vein: Directors and Directions in Television. Talisman Books ISBN 0905983165 / ISBN 978-0905983165