Horror

The Reptile

Hammer Film Productions

United Kingdom

English

Noel Willman

Jennifer Daniel

Ray Barrett

Jacqueline Pearce

Michael Ripper

John Laurie

Marne Maitland

David Baron

Charles Lloyd Pack

Harold Goldblatt

George Woodbridge

Ernie Rice

Jim Brady

Dickey Luck

Harry Phipps

John Gilling

Anthony Hinds

Anthony Nelson Keys

Don Banks

Arthur Grant

Roy Hyde

Bernard Robinson

Don Mingaye

Roy Ashton

Frieda Steiger

George Fowler

William P. Cartlidge

Roy Baker

Leonard Bulkley

Les Bowie

Moray Grant

Lorna Selwyn

Fine entry in the Hammer Horror cycle.

Upon the mysterious death of his brother, Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett) and his wife Valerie (Jennifer Daniel) decide to move to the inherited cottage in a small village in the Cornish countryside. On arrival in the village they are received coldly by the locals, with one exception, bartender and owner of the village pub, Tom Bailey (Michael Ripper). The couple are further mystified when their odd neighbours, Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman) and daughter Anna (Jacqueline Pearce), try to persuade them to sell the house and leave the place as soon as possible. Deciding to stay, Harry and Valerie come to learn that their brothers' death was not the only one to have happened mysteriously. Is there any truth in the Black Death rumours? And does the strange Franklyn family hold the key?

Quality Hammer production that belies it's problematic shoot. As common knowledge now dictates, The Reptile was filmed back to back with Plague Of The Zombies and thus used the same, and excellent, sets. However, with a tight budget, make up problems and constant rewrites of the script, it was a far from a happy production. So somewhat surprising then that it's actually a real tight and effective picture. There is a lovely sense of mystery dripping throughout the piece, and it's real nice to see a Hammer film being driven by its characters. Yes we are all desperate to see the "creature" of the title, but this is astutely kept from us by director John Gilling. So when the last quarter arrives and the story unravels its mystery, the impact is doubled, while make up problems be damned, the "creature" is excellent and a nice addition to the Horror genre. The performances from the cast are uniformly strong, particularly from the stoic Ripper, while Don Banks' music is right on the money. Released as the support feature to Rasputin The Mad Monk, The Reptile is a little Hammer gem waiting to be discovered by more people outside of Britain. 8/10

The Reptile ≣ 1966 ≣ Trailer

The Reptile / Original Theatrical Trailer (1966)

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The Reptile

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Noel Willman

Jennifer Daniel

Ray Barrett

Jacqueline Pearce

Michael Ripper

John Laurie

Marne Maitland

David Baron

Charles Lloyd Pack

Harold Goldblatt

Box office

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