The Thimble Rock Lighthouse is discovered by the crew of a passing vessel, its light out, completely deserted apparently in a hurry, a warm teapot still on the table – echoes of the Marie Celeste! What on earth could have happened? In flashback, the strange story unfolds; a story of a brave lighthouse crew and a gang of bank robbers, on the run from the law, plucked by them from the sea.
Production Details
A Hammer production released by Exclusive Films
Opening credit:- “We gratefully acknowledge the kind co-operation of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, the Royal Navy at H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth and in particular the keepers of the Nab Tower Lighthouse in the making of this picture.”
Black & White 66 minutes
Filming Began: January 1951
UK Release: 23rd July 1951
Studio:
Gilston Park, Hertfordshire, England
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Assistant Director | John Arnold | 29 | 3 Sep 1921 | May 2003 | 81 | 2 | 2 | |
Casting | Prudence Sykes | 11 | 2 | 13 | ||||
Chief Technician | Jack Curtis | 3 | 24 | 27 | ||||
Continuity | Doris Martin | 45 | 1906 | May 1993 | 87 | 2 | 2 | |
Director | Vernon Sewell | 47 | 4 Jul 1903 | 21 Jun 2001 | 97 | 6 | 6 | |
Director of Photography | Moray Grant | 33 | 13 Nov 1917 | 17 Sep 1977 | 59 | 29 | 29 | |
Editor | Francis Bieber | 43 | 1908 | 1960 | 52 | 2 | 2 | |
In Charge of Production | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 28 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 87 | 3 | 90 |
Musical Director | Frank Spencer | 39 | 19 Jun 1911 | Feb 1975 | 63 | 22 | 1 | 23 |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 23 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 98 | 9 | 107 |
Recordist | John Bramall | 27 | 18 Aug 1923 | 13 Jun 2000 | 76 | 23 | 23 | |
Writer | Vernon Sewell | 47 | 4 Jul 1903 | 21 Jun 2001 | 97 | 6 | 6 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Joan | Joan Carol | 45 | 1 Dec 1905 | 29 May 1986 | 80 | 3 | 3 | |
Johnny | David Greene | 30 | 22 Feb 1921 | 7 Apr 2003 | 82 | 1 | 1 | |
Linda | Katherine Blake | 29 | 11 Sep 1921 | 1 Mar 1991 | 69 | 1 | 1 | |
Luigi | Martin Benson | 32 | 10 Aug 1918 | 28 Feb 2010 | 91 | 4 | 4 | |
Mark | Albert Lieven | 44 | 23 Jun 1906 | 22 Dec 1971 | 65 | 1 | 1 | |
Matt | Jack Stewart | 38 | 22 Mar 1913 | 1 Jan 1966 | 52 | 4 | 4 | |
Rigby | Norman MacOwan | 74 | 2 Jan 1877 | 31 Dec 1961 | 84 | 2 | 2 | |
Roger | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/john-harvey/# | 39 | 27 Sep 1911 | 19 Jul 1982 | 70 | 12 | 1 | 13 |
Stephen | John Longden | 50 | 11 Nov 1900 | 26 May 1971 | 70 | 4 | 4 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Although he had worked for Exclusive for some years, this is the first film to credit Michael Carreras as Producer.
Vernon Sewell was a journeyman director whose only other films for Hammer were The Jack of Diamonds (1949) and The Black Widow (1951). Much later on, for Tony Tenser’s Tigon company, he directed The Blood Beast Terror (1967, with Peter Cushing) and Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968, with Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee). His many other films include the modest but eerie ghost story House of Mystery (1961) and Some May Live (1966, with Peter Cushing).