The Gorgon (1964)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

John Gilling (screenplay)
J. Llewellyn Devine (original story)

Release Date:

17 February 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

A Monster With the Power to Turn Living Screaming Flesh Into Stone!

Plot:

In the early 20th century, a Gorgon takes human form and terrorizes a small European village by turning its citizens to stone.

Plot Keywords:

Gorgon | Stone | Full Moon | Legend | 1900s

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Prof. Karl Meister
Peter Cushing	...	Dr. Namaroff
Richard Pasco	...	Paul Heitz
Barbara Shelley	...	Carla Hoffman
Michael Goodliffe	...	Professor Jules Heitz
Patrick Troughton	...	Inspector Kanof
Joseph O'Conor	...	Coroner
Prudence Hyman	...	The Gorgon
Jack Watson	...	Ratoff
Redmond Phillips	...	Hans
Jeremy Longhurst	...	Bruno Heitz
Toni Gilpin	...	Sascha Cass
Joyce Hemson	...	Martha
Alister Williamson	...	Janus Cass
Michael Peake	...	Constable
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sally Nesbitt	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits
John Gilling		(screenplay)
J. Llewellyn Devine		(original story)

Produced by
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	producer

Original Music by
James Bernard

Cinematography by
Michael Reed		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eric Boyd-Perkins		(as Eric Boyd Perkins)

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Art Direction by
Don Mingaye

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Frieda Steiger	....	hair stylist
Richard Mills	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Batt	....	assistant director
Hugh Harlow	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Stephen Victor	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Banks	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Stan Banks	....	master plasterer (uncredited)
Eric Hillier	....	props buyer (uncredited)
Tom Money	....	property master (uncredited)
Lawrence Wren	....	master painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roy Hyde	....	sound editor
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist
Alan Thorne	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects (as Syd Pearson)
Ray Caple	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	fight arranger
Peter Diamond	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cecil Cooney	....	camera operator (as C. Cooney)
Albert Cowlard	....	camera grip (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Tom Edwards	....	still photographer (uncredited)
John Shinerock	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe mistress
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Marcus Dods	....	musical supervisor
James Bernard	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Pauline Harlow	....	continuity
W.H.V. Able	....	chief accountant (uncredited)
Ken Gordon	....	accountant (uncredited)
Arthur Kelly	....	studio manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions (as A Hammer Film Production)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Bavaria Filmgesellschaft m.b.H. (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "Hammer Films Icons of Horror Collection")
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #20685) | UK:X (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Iceland:16 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2010) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/18

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Christopher Lee is quoted in 'The Films of Christopher Lee': "Beautiful-looking picture, but the whole thing fell apart because the effect of the snakes on Megaera's head was not sufficiently well done for the climax of the film. Not a memorable film, but it could have been terrific."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Megaera is an Erinýe, or Fury, not a Gorgon. The Gorgons were named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.

Quotes:

Dr. Namaroff:[Seeing Carla's reaction to his dissecting of a brain] It isn't a pretty sight. Never ceases to amaze me why the most noble word of God, the human brain, is the most revolting to the human eye.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Perfect Scary Movie (2005) (TV)

Eerie and Haunting

As mentioned by many, the Gorgon is not your typical scare-fest horror film. It's driving force is its atmosphere, its lore and understanding various subplots. Cheaply made, the film has no doubt turned some to stone-cold hysterics with its campy effects and home movie-like makeup of the creature. While the story has wonderful elements of mystery and lure, it never reveals certain motivations. For example, why has the Gorgon's spirit returned to earth? What is the Cushing character's intentions? Many of the story's characters know the myth behind the murders (how many variations are there to a creature turning a man to stone with her gaze?), so controlling the creature was no revelation. But all that aside, the film's theme is captivating. If you don't expect a monster movie, but view this film as a mystery based on folklore and with a haunting backdrop, you too will be delighted with this hidden gem. There is a scene in castle, when Mageara first appears and we catch glimpses of her peeking out at a prospective victim. It's a tantalizing prelude to the terror to come. But the scene that had me mesmerized , and that singularly crystalizes the Gorgon's chilling presence is when she has turned a character with her demonic stare, then seemingly drifts back into the shadows. It is a strangely beautiful scene. The Gorgon, called the Mageara, is a true mystery. She has no emotion, no true motivation, and she is not shown stalking her prey. Like a black widow in human form, she merely waits for (perhaps even lures) innocent souls to come to her parlor. Mageara seemingly in incapable of harming man, except for her petrifying gaze; she quietly floats about the castle. If I were to remake this film, I would tell the story from the perspective of the female host, and the struggle to understand her curse. There is sheer tragedy in what Hammer has presented, and I find myself looking upon many of the story's characters with sense of sadness and doom. Finally, I want to say that I wish the stone victims could have turned quickly, like those poor souls in the film "Thief of Baghdad," with Steve Reeves. Oh well, just a last thought.