Between 1955 and 1959 Hammer made a number of featurettes and short films, usually around 30 minutes in length. These included six musical featurettes produced by jazz music buff, Michael Carreras, which were made during a lull in feature film production at Bray Studios. Others were made whilst shooting on location for another production – as with Italian Holiday which was shot whilst they were making The Snorkel.
The Cyril Stapleton Show Band 1955
Music, Short
Musical featurette filmed at Elstree Studios with dance orchestras popular at the time.
UK Release: May 1955
Format: Colour
Length: 29 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Michael Carreras
Crew: Walter J Harvey, Geoffrey Unsworth, Bluey Hill, Len Harris, Harry Oakes, Hugh Harlow
Featuring
Cyril Stapleton
The Eric Winstone Band Show 1955
Music, Short
A half hour music revue featuring bandleader Eric Winstone
UK Release: 26 August 1955
Format: Colour
Length: 28 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Michael Carreras
Crew: Bill Lenny, Geoffrey Unsworth, James Needs, Len Harris, Harry Oakes, Mickey Delmar, Ted Marshall, Vorke Scarlett, Jeff Owen
Featuring: Kenny Baker, Alma Cogan
Footnotes:
The number ‘Fanfare Boogie’ went on to win an Ivor Novello award.
Copenhagen 1956
Documentary, Short
Travelogue providing a tour of Denmark’s capital city.
UK Release: 1956
Format: Colour
Length: 16 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director & Producer: Michael Carreras
Crew: Len Harris, Eric Winstone, John Hotchkiss, Harry Oakes,
Narrator:
Tom Conway
Cast:
Man looking at statue – Michael Carreras (uncredited)
Boy looking at statue – Christopher Carreras (uncredited)
Footnotes:
The shot where Michael and Christopher Carreras are looking at the statue also featured in the title sequence for The Right Person.
Just for You 1956
Music, Short
Hammer’s second musical featurette filmed at Elstree Studios.
UK Release: January 1956
Format: Colour
Length: 31 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director & Producer: Michael Carreras
Crew: Len Harris, Harry Oakes
Featuring: Ronnie Harries, Joan Reagan, Cyril Stapleton
Footnotes:
A soundtrack album featuring songs from the film was released
The Right Person 1956
Drama, Short
In Copenhagen, Martha Jorgensen receives a visit from a Mr Rasmusson, who is looking for her husband. In fact, if he is the ‘right person’, he has been looking for him for years, as the Jorgen Jorgensen he is seeking was a traitor to the Danish resistance during World War II and Rasmusson has vowed to kill him…..
See further details in our main filmography
Eric Winstone’s Stagecoach 1956
Music, Short
Band leader Eric Winstone and his guests perform a variety of compositions including comical numbers.
UK Release: 25 Feb 1956
Format: Colour
Length: 30 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Michael Carreras
Crew: Bill Lenny, Geoffrey Unsworth, Harry Oakes, James Needs, Len Harris, Mickey Delamar, Ted Marshall Featured: Alma Cogan, Ray Ellington, Marion Ryan, Eric Winstone
Footnotes:
Eastmancolor is mis-spelled Eastmancolour in the credits
A Man on the Beach 1956
Drama, Short
With the help of his driver, a criminal pulls off a daring robbery at a casino in the South of France, then double-crosses and kills him. In the struggle, he is shot and wounded. Stumbling along the shore in agony, he takes refuge in a lonely beach house, where, he finds to his cost, that the owner has a trick or two up his sleeve.
See further details in our main filmography
Parade of the Bands 1956
Music, Short
Musical featurette filmed at Elstree Studios with dance orchestras popular at the time.
UK Release: 17 April 1956
Format: Colour
Length: 28 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Michael Carreras
Crew: Len Harris, Harry Oakes
Featured: Johnny Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Liza Ashwood, Rusty Hurran, Freddie Randall
Footnotes
An early title for the project seems to have been Contrast in Rhythm
Dick Turpin – Highwayman 1956
Adventure, Short
Opening titles:- “Early in the eighteenth century, the roads of England were plagued with highwaymen. Most of them coarse bandits, fit subjects for the hangman. But a few were gentlemen – bold, gallant adventurers, with an eye for a fine horse or a pretty girl. Of these the most legendary was the immortal Dick Turpin.”
See further details in our main filmography
The Edmundo Ros Half-Hour 1957
Music, Short
Features dance band leader Edmundo Ros
UK Release: May 1957
Format: Colour
Length: 28 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director & Producer: Michael Carreras
Featured: Edmundo Ros, Morton Frazer, Buddy Bradley
Day of Grace 1957
Drama, Short
A young boy’s dog, threatened with drowning by his uncle, is reprieved by a kindly farmer
UK Release: 20 July 1957
Format: B&W
Length: 28 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Francis Searle
Crew: Bernard Robinson, Len Harris, Bill Lenny, Stan Smith, Cliff Sandall, Denny Densham, Tom D. Connochie, Stanley Goulder
Featured: John Laurie, George Woodbridge, Nora Gordon, Vincent Winter, Grace Arnold, David Grahame
Footnotes
The dog in this film was the first-ever registered Bearded Collie. All modern “Beardies” are descended from this dog
Danger List 1957
Thriller, Short
When a pharmacist accidentally prescribes poison instead of painkillers, the race is on to find the killer pills.
See further details in our main filmography
Man with a Dog 1957
Comedy, Drama, Short
An old man has to go to hospital for an operation, but won’t leave his dog. Friends and neighbours rally round to help.
UK Release: 3 November 1957
Format: B&W
Length: 24 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Leslie Arliss
Crew: Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson-Keyes, Arthur Grant, Alfred Cox, Ted Marshall, Don Weeks, Hugh Harlow, Jock May, Len Harris, Harry Oakes, James Needs
Cast: Maurice Denham, Clifford Evans, Sarah Lawson, Marianne Stone, John Van Eyssen, Jan Holden, Margaret Boyd, Malcolm Knight, Clive Marshall
Footnotes
Filmed between 25 and 29 March 1957, just 6 days after finishing shooting Danger List
The Seven Wonders of Ireland 1958
Travelogue, Featurette
A short film about the beauties of Ireland.
UK Release: 1958
Format: Colour
Length: 10 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Peter Bryan
Crew: Len Harris, Harry Oakes.
Footnotes
Filmed whilst in Ireland shooting second unit footage of the Irish Sweeps Stake for the comedy short Clean Sweep.
Italian Holiday 1958
Travelogue, Featurette
Little known travelogue
UK Release: 1958
Format: Colour
Length: 10 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Peter Bryan
Crew: Len Harris
Footnotes
Shot during the location filming for The Snorkel (1958)
Clean Sweep 1958
Comedy, Short
Vera Watson struggles to keep her family of gamblers and spendthrifts on the straight and narrow.
See further details in our main filmography
Highway Holiday
Travelogue, Sort
Documentary about holidaymakers driving through Europe.
UK Release: 1959
Format: Colour
Length: 27 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Ian Lewis
Crew : Len Harris
Footnotes
Commissioned by Total Oil in 1959
Operation Universe 1959
Documentary, Short
Documentary looking at one of Britain’s first computers – Duce, and examines Britain’s preparations for space travel
UK Release: 1959
Format: Colour
Length: 28 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Peter Bryan
Crew: Len Harris, Bill Lenny
Narrator : Robert Beaty
Footnotes
Plasterers at Bray made a reproduction of the surface of the moon
Ticket to Happiness 1959
Drama, Short
Short film about a youth club and its patron, who at first had been opposed top its activities
UK Release: November 1959
Format: Colour
Length: 30 minutes
BBFC Cert: “U”
Director: Peter Bryan
Cast : Michael Goodlife, Elwyn Brook-Jones, Jack Allen