Captain Clegg (1962)

Director:

Peter Graham Scott

Writers:

Anthony Hinds (writer)
Barbara S. Harper (additional dialogue)

Release Date:

13 June 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Horror

Tagline:

Who knows the truth about the curse of Captain Clegg?

Plot:

In this engaging costume melodrama of skulduggery on the low seas set back in the 18th-century, the...

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Smuggling | Ghost | Marsh | Lovers

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Rev. Dr. Blyss (Capt. Clegg)
Yvonne Romain	...	Imogene Clegg (serving wench)
Patrick Allen	...	Capt. Collier
Oliver Reed	...	Harry Cobtree
Michael Ripper	...	Jeremiah Mipps (coffinmaker)
Martin Benson	...	Mr. Rash (innkeeper)
David Lodge	...	Navy bos'un
Derek Francis	...	Squire Anthony Cobtree
Daphne Anderson	...	Mrs. Rash
Milton Reid	...	The Mulatto
Jack MacGowran	...	Frightened Man
Terry Scully	...	Sailor Dick Tate
Sydney Bromley	...	Old Tom Ketch
Peter Halliday	...	Sailor Jack Pott
Rupert Osborne	...	Gerry (as Rupert Osborn)

Also Known As:

Night Creatures (USA)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Norway:16 (1962) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Movie Connections:

Remake of Doctor Syn (1937)

One of Hammer's very best.

While Britains's Hammer film company made their reputation with remakes of the hoary old horror staple potboilers such as their Draculas and their Frankensteins, their true strength was in the creation of relatively small budget genre films that shone with matchless originality and talent. "Captain Clegg" is Hammer Films at their very best.

The story concerns Captain Collier of the English Customs Service arriving in a small seaside town in search of smugglers and of his old arch nemesis, the pirate, Captain Clegg. he soon discovers that things in the village are not as simple as they seem. For a start, there are the "marsh phantoms" which are more than capable of frightening people to death, and then there is evidence of large quantities of illegal rum. The plot thickens as Collier seizes the trail and as the villagers fight back in ways quite unexpected for people familiar with this kind of story. Captain Clegg is a rare blend of horror, suspense and swashbuckling comedy that would not be emulated until 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of the Black Pearl." The plot is full of twists and evil jokes and never lets anything get in the way of what is after all, simply a rollicking good yarn.

The acting is frequently nothing short of breathtaking. Peter Cushing as the Reverend Doctor Blyss is at the top of his very considerable form and delivers an masterful performance. "Doctor Blyss" is a fully rounded and complex antihero character of undeniable magnetism and amazing power. A young and almost unbelievably handsome Oliver Reed delivers an arch and catlike performance that with have viewers rolling in the aisles on one hand and swooning on the other. Michael Ripper delivers what may have been the performance of his career, his character, "Jeremiah Mipps" is worthy of the great Leonard Rossiter at his best.

"Captain Clegg" AKA "Night Creatures" is not a perfect film, but it is one which has found an abiding place in my heart. A true classic, I cannot remember it without smiling.