Captain Clegg
Hammer Film Productions was originally due to film the novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson under the title "Night Creatures," but abandoned the project when the BBFC informed Hammer they would not pass the film. With a film titled "Night Creatures" committed to Universal-International, Hammer Film Productions re-titled the already completed "Captain Clegg" to fill the obligation.,The tavern scenes feature a modern violin.,Imogene - serving wench: Well if youv,e all done staring.
1st Sailor Jack Pott: If it,s all the same to you miss i,d like a few minutes more.,The Romney marshes -- flat and desolate -- was the land of a proud and -- independent people. Their shores faced the shores of France -- and many was the shipload of wine and brandy smuggled across the sea in defiance of the king's revenue men. Many legends have come from this corner of england -- but none so widely believed or widely feared-- as the legend of the marsh phantoms -- who rode the land on dark misty nights -- and struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed their paths.....,Featured in The World of Hammer: Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (1994),Well, here's one Hammer movie that was rather difficult to come across! Especially in comparison to the British studio's classic horror, Sci-Fi and psychological thriller efforts, this mixture between historical drama and swashbuckler adventure (don't let the cover image or US title "Night Creatures" mislead you; it's not a horror film) is obscure and little seen. To my recollection it has never even been aired on the BBC, and that's where I personally watched a lot of Hammer horror movies from the sixties and seventies. I wonder why, because "Captain Clegg" is a solid and engaging film with a good script, fine performances and a handful of truly ingenious highlights. The story takes place around the end of the 18th Century in a small English coastal village named Dymchurch, and I must say it's a downright fantastic little place! Not only does the entire village participate in a giant smuggling network, they also have imaginative ways for transporting bootlegged liquor around town and all the villagers collectively help to mess around with an official delegation of soldiers sent by the British Crown to investigate! They even have an utmost brilliant signaling process with scarecrows in place and call upon sinister skeleton horsemen to scare off potential perpetrators! The charismatic leader of Dymchurch is Reverend Blyss, but serving God obviously isn't his primary mission in life. "Captain Clegg" is a fun watch, neatly written by Anthony Hinds and well-directed by the fairly unknown Peter Graham Scott. The cast is top-notch, with glorious roles for Peter Cushing (reliable as always), Oliver Reed (back when he still appeared on film sets in a sober state), Martin Benson (as the town's weakest link) and Michael Ripper (phenomenal as the local undertaker). There aren't many women in the cast, but the beautiful and curvy Yvonne Romain is astonishing enough to represent a whole army of women. Recommended!,