- Chronic alcoholism ended both his marriage and his career as a director, and it eventually led to his early death. At the time he died, he was almost penniless and had only a monthly allowance from his father to support himself with.
- Was married from the mid 30's to the mid 50's to the actress Joan Holt, the sister of fellow-director Seth Holt.
- Pre-production work on School for Scoundrels (1960) was marked by enormous arguments between Hamer and producer Hal E. Chester (who contrived to annoy many other people on the film, too). The creative differences continued after the start of filming, and, after five weeks' work, Hamer, who had successfully remained completely teetotal up to this point, went on a massive drinking binge which made him unfit for work and caused him to be fired. The last three weeks of filming were directed by an uncredited Cyril Frankel.
- Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 438-441. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
- He made a major contribution to the screenplay of They All Died Laughing (1964) and had hoped to return to directing with it. But due to his continued alcoholism the producers wouldn't hire him and in fact, he died aged 52 several months before the film was released.
- Died of pneumonia in St Thomas's Hospital.
- Unable to overcome his addiction to alcohol.
- Worked for a few weeks re writing David Niven's dialogue for 55 Days at Peking (1963).
- He was dismissed from the film School For Scoundrels.
- Declared bankrupt November 1961.
- He started at Ealing as an Associate Producer in 1943 where he developed as a director of style and sophistication and directed, among others, Kind Hearts and Coronets and Father Brown.
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