- Film company based in UK
- Founded in 1934 and is best known for a series of Gothic 'Hammer Horror' films (mid 1950s - 1970s)
- Low budgets, but none the less appeared lavish, making use of quality British actors and cleverly designed sets
- Hammer dominated the horror film market, enjoying worldwide distribution and considerable financial success
Early history (1935 to 1937) - Hammer Productions
- November 1934, William Hinds, registered his own film company (Hammer Productions Ltd)
- 10 May 1935 - formed film distribution company Exclusive Films
- Hammer produced a further four films distributed by Exclusive: The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (1936), Song of Freedom (1936), Sporting Love (1937), The Bank Messenger Mystery (1936)
- A slump in the British film industry forced Hammer into bankruptcy and the company went into liquidation in 1937
- Exclusive however, survived and on 20 July 1937 purchased the leasehold and continued to distribute films made by other companies
Resurrection (1938 to 1955) - Hammer Film Productions
- In 1946, James Carreras rejoined the company after demobilisation
- He resurrected Hammer as the film production arm of Exclusive with a view to supplying 'quota-quickies' - cheaply made domestic films designed to fill gaps in cinema schedules and support more expesnive features
- During production of 'Dick Barton Strikes Back' (1948) it became apparent that the company could save a considerable amount of money by shooting in country houses rather than studios
The birth of Hammer Horror
- Hammer consolidated their success by turning their most successful horror films into series
- Six sequels to The Curse of Frankenstein (1959) were produced between 1959 and 1974
- The Revenge of Frankenstein (1959)
- The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
- Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
- Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
- The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
- Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
- Hammer also produced eight other Dracula films between 1960 and 1974
- The Brides of Dracula (1960)
- Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
- Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969)
- Scars of Dracula (1970)
- Dracula AD (1972)
- The Satanicf Rites of Dracula (1973)
- The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
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