Terence Fisher
Encyclopedia
Terence Fisher was a film director who worked for Hammer Films
. He was born in Maida Vale
, a district of London, England.
Fisher was one of the most prominent horror
directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, while mild by modern standards, were unprecedented in his day. His first major gothic horror film was The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which launched Hammer's long association with the genre and made British actors Peter Cushing
and Christopher Lee
leading horror stars of the era. He went on to film a number of adaptations of classic horror subjects, including Dracula
(1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles
(1959) and The Mummy
(1959).
Given their subject matter and lurid approach, Fisher's films, though commercially successful, were largely dismissed by critics during his career. It is only in recent years that Fisher has become recognised as an auteur in his own right. His films are characterised by a blend of fairy-tale, myth and sexuality. They may have drawn heavily on Christian
themes, and there is usually a hero who defeats the powers of darkness by a combination of faith
in God
and reason
, in contrast to other characters, who are either blindly superstitious or bound by a cold, godless rationalism
(as noted by critic Paul Leggett in Terence Fisher: Horror, Myth and Religion, 2001). For a detailed discussion of Fisher's works, see The Charm of Evil: The Films of Terence Fisher by Wheeler Winston Dixon
(Metuchen N.J. and London: Scarecrow Press, 1991).
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...
. He was born in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, a district of London, England.
Fisher was one of the most prominent horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, while mild by modern standards, were unprecedented in his day. His first major gothic horror film was The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which launched Hammer's long association with the genre and made British actors Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
and Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
leading horror stars of the era. He went on to film a number of adaptations of classic horror subjects, including Dracula
Dracula (1958 film)
Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
(1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British detective film produced by Hammer Films and directed by Terence Fisher.The film is the first adaptation from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name to be filmed in colour and stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Sir Christopher Lee as...
(1959) and The Mummy
The Mummy (1959 film)
The Mummy is a 1959 Technicolor British Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.Though the title suggests Universal Pictures' 1932 film of the same name, the film actually derives its plot and characters entirely from two later Universal films, The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's...
(1959).
Given their subject matter and lurid approach, Fisher's films, though commercially successful, were largely dismissed by critics during his career. It is only in recent years that Fisher has become recognised as an auteur in his own right. His films are characterised by a blend of fairy-tale, myth and sexuality. They may have drawn heavily on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
themes, and there is usually a hero who defeats the powers of darkness by a combination of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
, in contrast to other characters, who are either blindly superstitious or bound by a cold, godless rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
(as noted by critic Paul Leggett in Terence Fisher: Horror, Myth and Religion, 2001). For a detailed discussion of Fisher's works, see The Charm of Evil: The Films of Terence Fisher by Wheeler Winston Dixon
Wheeler Winston Dixon
Wheeler Winston Dixon is best known as a writer of film history, theory and criticism. He is the author of numerous books on film, as well as a professor who has taught at Rutgers University, New Brunswick; The New School in New York; and the University of Amsterdam, Holland. He received his Ph.D....
(Metuchen N.J. and London: Scarecrow Press, 1991).
Filmography
The following is a list of the theatrical films in which Terence Fisher received screen credit. Television productions are not included.As Editor
- Nine Days a QueenTudor Rose (film)Tudor Rose is a 1936 British film starring Cedric Hardwicke and Nova Pilbeam and directed by Robert Stevenson....
(1936) as T.R. Fisher - Where There's a Will (1936)
- Jack of All Trades (1936) as Terry Fisher
- Windbag the SailorWindbag the SailorWindbag the Sailor is a British comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Will Hay in the title role. Ben Cutlet is a sea captain who entertains his bar room audience with tales of his days at sea, even though in reality his maritime experience extends only to navigating a coal barge...
(1936) - Mr. SatanMr. Satan (film)Mr. Satan is a 1938 British spy thriller, directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring James Stephenson and Chili Bouchier. Unlike a majority of Woods' quota quickie productions of the 1930s which are believed lost, this film survives in the British Film Institute National Archive.-Plot:News...
(1938) - On the Night of the FireOn the Night of the FireOn the Night of the Fire is a 1939 British thriller, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Ralph Richardson and Diana Wynyard. The film is based on the novel of the same name by F. L. Green. It was shot on location in Newcastle upon Tyne and was released shortly after the outbreak of World...
(1939) aka The Fugitive (US) - That's the Ticket (1940)
- Atlantic FerryAtlantic FerryAtlantic Ferry is a 1941 British film starring Michael Redgrave and Valerie Hobson. It was made at Teddington Studios...
(1941) - The Peterville DiamondThe Peterville DiamondThe Peterville Diamond is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Anne Crawford, Donald Stewart, Renee Houston, William Hartnell and Felix Aylmer. A thief tries to steal a diamond from the wife of a wealthy businessman, at her suggestion in an effort to get her husband to...
(1942) - Flying Fortress (1942)
- Tomorrow We Live (1943) aka At Dawn We Die (US)
- They Met in the DarkThey Met in the DarkThey Met in the Dark is a 1943 British thriller film directed by Karel Lamac and starring James Mason, Joyce Howard and Edward Rigby. A cashiered Royal Naval officer and a young woman join forces to solve a murder and hunt down a German spy ring.-Cast:...
(1943) - The Dark TowerThe Dark Tower (1943 film)The Dark Tower is a 1943 film starring Herbert Lom, Anne Crawford, David Farrar and Ben Lyon.-Plot:Stephen Torg seeks work at a struggling traveling circus. While there, a lion escapes; Torg is able to control it with his skill at hypnotism. Phil Danton , the head of the circus, is so impressed,...
(1943) - Candlelight in AlgeriaCandlelight in AlgeriaCandlelight in Algeria is a 1944 British war film directed by George King and starring James Mason, Carla Lehmann and Raymond Lovell....
(1944) - One Exciting NightOne Exciting Night (1944 film)One Exciting Night is a 1944 British musical comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Vera Lynn, Donald Stewart and Mary Clare. A female singer becomes involved with a man who is the victim of a kidnap plot.-Cast:* Vera Lynn ... Vera Baker...
(1944) - The Wicked LadyThe Wicked LadyThe Wicked Lady is a 1945 film starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who secretly becomes a highwayman for the excitement...
(1945) - Master of BankdamMaster of BankdamThe Master of Bankdam is a 1947 British historical film directed by Walter Forde from the novel, The Crowthers of Bankdam, by Thomas Armstrong. It starred Anne Crawford, Dennis Price, Tom Walls, Stephen Murray, Linden Travers and David Tomlinson...
(1947)
As Director
- A Song for TomorrowA Song for TomorrowA Song for Tomorrow is a 1948 drama film directed by Terence Fisher, in his first directed film. It stars Evelyn Maccabe and Ralph Michael.-Cast:*Evelyn Maccabe as Helen Maxwell*Ralph Michael as Roger Stanton*Shaun Noble as Derek Wardell...
(1948) - Colonel BogeyColonel Bogey (film)Colonel Bogey is a 1948 fantasy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Jack Train and Mary Jerrold.-Cast:*Jack Train as Uncle James*Mary Jerrold as Aunt Mabel*Jane Barrett as Alice Graham*John Stone as Wilfred Barriteau*Ethel Coleridge as Emily...
(1948) - To The Public Danger (1948) short
- Portrait from LifePortrait from LifePortrait from Life is a 1948 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Mai Zetterling and Robert Beatty.-Cast:* Mai Zetterling as Lidia* Robert Beatty as Campbell Reid* Guy Rolfe as Major Lawrence* Herbert Lom as Fritz Kottler Hendlemann...
(1948) aka Lost Daughter (US) - Marry Me (1949)
- The Astonished HeartThe Astonished Heart (film)The Astonished Heart is a 1950 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Celia Johnson and Noel Coward and is based on his play The Astonished Heart.-Plot:...
(1950) with Anthony Darnborough - So Long at the FairSo Long at the FairSo Long at the Fair is a 1950 British thriller film directed by Terence Fisher and Anthony Darnborough, and starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde. It was adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name by Anthony Thorne...
(1950) with Anthony Darnborough - Home to DangerHome to DangerHome to Danger is a 1951 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Guy Rolfe and Rona Anderson.-Cast:*Guy Rolfe as Robert*Rona Anderson as Barbara*Francis Lister as Wainright*Alan Wheatley as Hughes*Bruce Belfrage as Solicitor...
(1951) - The Last PageThe Last PageThe Last Page is a 1952 British film noir starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman, and Diana Dors. The movie, largely set in a bookstore, was directed by Terence Fisher and released in the United States as Man Bait.-Cast:...
(1952) aka Man Bait (US) - Wings of DangerWings of DangerWings of Danger is a 1952 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Zachary Scott and Robert Beatty.-Cast:*Zachary Scott as Richard Van Ness*Robert Beatty as Nick Talbot*Naomi Chance as Avril Talbot*Kay Kendall as Alexia LaRoche...
(1952) aka Dead on Course (US) - Stolen FaceStolen FaceStolen Face is a British film noir directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. With its theme of a man who, after the sudden end of a powerful romance with a beautiful blonde tries to recreate her by altering the appearance of another woman, it is clearly a forerunner of Vertigo...
(1952) - Distant TrumpetDistant TrumpetDistant Trumpet is a 1952 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Derek Bond and Jean Patterson.-Cast:* Derek Bond as David Anthony* Jean Patterson as Valerie Maitland* Derek Elphinstone as Richard Anthony* Anne Brooke as Beryl Jeffries...
(1952) - MantrapMantrap (1953 film)Mantrap is a 1953 drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Paul Henreid and Lois Maxwell.-Cast:*Paul Henreid as Hugo Bishop*Lois Maxwell as Thelma Speight*Kieron Moore as Speight*Hugh Sinclair as Maurice Jerrard...
(1953) also as co-screenwriter, aka Man in Hiding (US) - Four Sided TriangleFour Sided TriangleFour Sided Triangle is a 1953 British science-fiction film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions.The film dealt with the moral and scientific themes that were soon to put Hammer Films on the map with the same director's The Curse of Frankenstein...
(1953) also as co-screenwriter - SpacewaysSpacewaysSpaceways is a 76-minute, 1953, British-American, black and white, science fiction film co-produced by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. and Lippert Productions Inc.. It was filmed entirely in England by the Hammer company, with Michael Carreras as producer-of-record and American Robert L...
(1953) - Blood OrangeBlood Orange (film)Blood Orange is a 1953 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Mila Parély.-Cast:* Tom Conway as Tom Conway* Mila Parély as Helen Pascall* Naomi Chance as Gina* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Mercedes...
(1953) aka Three Stops to Murder (US) - Face the Music (1954) aka The Black Glove (US)
- Murder by ProxyMurder by ProxyMurder by Proxy is a 1954 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Dane Clark and Belinda Lee.-Cast:* Dane Clark as Casey Morrow* Belinda Lee as Phyllis Brunner* Betty Ann Davies as Mrs...
(1954) aka Blackout (US) - A Stranger Came HomeA Stranger Came HomeA Stranger Came Home is a 1954 English film based upon a novel of the same name by George Sanders. It was directed by Terence Fisher and starred American actor Paulette Goddard...
(1954) aka The Unholy Four (US) - Final AppointmentFinal Appointment (1954 film)Final Appointment is a 1954 British film directed by Terence Fisher. It starred John Bentley, Eleanor Summerfield and Hubert Gregg. It also featured Arthur Lowe, later to become famous for his portrayal of Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army, in an early role....
(1954) aka The Last Appointment (US) - Mask of DustMask of DustMask of Dust is a 1954 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Richard Conte and Mari Aldon.-Cast:*Richard Conte as Peter Wells*Mari Aldon as Patricia Wells*Peter Illing as Tony Bellario*Alec Mango as Guido Rosetti...
(1954) aka Race for Life (US) - Children GaloreChildren GaloreChildren Galore is a 1955 comedy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Eddie Byrne and June Thorburn.-Cast:* Eddie Byrne as Zacky Jones* June Thorburn as Milly Ark* Betty Ann Davies as Mrs. Ark* Richard Leech as Harry Bunnion...
(1954) - Stolen AssignmentStolen AssignmentStolen Assignment is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars John Bentley and Hy Hazell.-Cast:*John Bentley as Mike Billings*Hy Hazell as Jenny Drew*Eddie Byrne as Inspector Corcoran*Patrick Holt as Henry Crossley...
(1955) - The Flaw (1955)
- The Gelignite GangThe Gelignite GangThe Gelignite Gang is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Wayne Morris and Sandra Dorne.-Cast:* Wayne Morris as Jimmy Baxter* Sandra Dorne as Sally Morton* Patrick Holt as John Rutherford* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Popoulus...
(1956) aka The Dynamiters (US) - The Last Man to Hang?The Last Man to Hang?The Last Man to Hang? is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Elizabeth Sellars.-Cast:*Tom Conway as Sir Rodrick Strood*Elizabeth Sellars as Daphne Strood*Eunice Gayson as Elizabeth*Freda Jackson as Mrs. Tucker...
(1956) - The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
- Kill Me TomorrowKill Me TomorrowKill Me Tomorrow is a 1957 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat O'Brien and Lois Maxwell. It was made by Tempean Films at Southall Studios in West London.-Cast:*Pat O'Brien as Bart Crosbie*Lois Maxwell as Jill Brook...
(1957) - DraculaDracula (1958 film)Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
(1958) aka Horror of Dracula (US) - The Revenge of FrankensteinThe Revenge of FrankensteinThe Revenge of Frankenstein is a 1958 British horror film made by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Michael Gwynn and Eunice Gayson....
(1958) - The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British detective film produced by Hammer Films and directed by Terence Fisher.The film is the first adaptation from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name to be filmed in colour and stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Sir Christopher Lee as...
(1958) - The MummyThe Mummy (1959 film)The Mummy is a 1959 Technicolor British Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.Though the title suggests Universal Pictures' 1932 film of the same name, the film actually derives its plot and characters entirely from two later Universal films, The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's...
(1959) - The Man Who Could Cheat DeathThe Man Who Could Cheat DeathThe Man Who Could Cheat Death is a 1959 British Hammer Film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring and Christopher Lee. It was based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon which had been previously filmed in 1945....
(1959) - The Stranglers of BombayThe Stranglers of BombayThe Stranglers of Bombay is a 1959 adventure/horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Films dealing with the British East India Company's investigation of the Cult of Thuggee stranglers in the 1830s...
(1960) - The Two Faces of Dr. JekyllThe Two Faces of Dr. JekyllThe Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is a 1960 horror film by Hammer Film Productions. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, and co-stars Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee and David Kossoff. It was written by Wolf Mankowitz, based on the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
(1960) - Sword of Sherwood ForestSword of Sherwood ForestSword of Sherwood Forest is a 1960 British adventure film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. Richard Greene reprises the role of Robin Hood, which he played in The Adventures of Robin Hood on TV from 1955 to 1960....
(1960) - The Curse of the WerewolfThe Curse of the WerewolfThe Curse of the Werewolf is a British film based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film was made by the British film studio Hammer Film Productions and was shot at Bray Studios.-Plot:...
(1960) - The Brides of Dracula (1960)
- The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)The Phantom of the Opera is a 1962 British film based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. The film was made by Hammer Film Productions.-Plot:The film opens in Victorian London on a December night in 1900....
(1962) - Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly NecklaceSherlock Holmes and the Deadly NecklaceSherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace is a 1962 black-and-white film directed by Terence Fisher and Frank Winterstein. It was a German-French-Italian co-production. It stars Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes and Thorley Walters as Dr. Watson...
(1962) - The Horror of It AllThe Horror of It AllThe Horror of It All is a 1963 horror comedy film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat Boone and Erica Rogers.-Cast:*Pat Boone as John Robinson*Erica Rogers as Cynthia Marley*Dennis Price as Cornwallis Marley*Andree Melly as Natalie Marley...
(1963) - The GorgonThe GorgonThe Gorgon is a 1964 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer.It stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley and Richard Pasco. The film was photographed by Michael Reed, and designed by Bernard Robinson. For the score James Bernard combined a soprano with a little-known...
(1964) - The Earth Dies ScreamingThe Earth Dies ScreamingThe Earth Dies Screaming is a 1965 British science fiction film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Willard Parker, Virginia Field, Dennis Price, Vanda Godsell, Thorley Walters, David Spenser and Anna Palk.-Production:...
(1965) - Island of TerrorIsland of TerrorIsland of Terror is a 1966 British horror film released by Planet Film Productions. The film was released in the US by Universal Studios on a double bill with The Projected Man . The idea for the film came when Richard Gordon read the screenplay The Night the Silicates Came from Gerry Fernback. He...
(1966) - Dracula: Prince of DarknessDracula: Prince of DarknessDracula: Prince of Darkness is a 1966 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Studios. The film was photographed in Techniscope by Michael Reed, designed by Bernard Robinson and scored by James Bernard.-Plot:...
(1966) - Frankenstein Created WomanFrankenstein Created WomanFrankenstein Created Woman is a 1967 British Hammer Horror film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein and Susan Denberg as his new creation...
(1967) - Night of the Big HeatNight of the Big Heat (1967 film)Night of the Big Heat is a 1967 British sci-fi horror film released by Planet Film Productions, based on a 1959 novel of the same name by John Lymington. It was released in the United States in 1971 under the title Island of the Burning Damned and was double-billed with All Monsters Attack...
(1967) aka Island of the Burning Damned (US) - The Devil Rides OutThe Devil Rides Out (film)The Devil Rides Out is a 1968 British film based on the 1934 novel The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley...
(1968) aka The Devil's Bride (US) - Frankenstein Must Be DestroyedFrankenstein Must Be DestroyedFrankenstein Must Be Destroyed is a British horror film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions from 1969. The cast includes Peter Cushing, Freddie Jones, Veronica Carlson and Simon Ward. The film is the fifth in a series of Hammer films centering on Dr...
(1969) - Frankenstein and the Monster from HellFrankenstein and the Monster from HellFrankenstein and the Monster From Hell is a 1974 British horror film from Hammer Film Productions. It was directed by Terence Fisher and starred Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, and David Prowse...
(1973)