User reviews

Just as the Yeti in the film stood head and shoulders over the humans, so this film stands head and shoulders over most of the horror/monster films of the 1950's.

You wouldn't think so from reading the reviews at the time though; one reviewer thought it too subtle, but that could be another way of describing it as intelligent and stylish, the qualities that make it so watchable 60 years later. The film was also saddled with a poor trailer (it's on YouTube). Obviously the marketing people didn't think the film monsterish enough; the trailer gives totally the wrong impression.

British botanist, John Rollason (Peter Cushing), along with his wife Helen (Maureen Connell) and assistant, Peter Fox (Richard Wattis) arrive at the monastery of Long Buk as the guests of the head lama. They are searching for rare plants. A team of American adventurers led by Doctor Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) also arrives, but this party is searching for the legendary Yeti.

The Americans, Tom Friend and his associate, big game hunter Ed Shelley, are loud, brash and totally ruthless as far as preservation of the Yeti is concerned. The members of the British contingent on the other hand are masters of understatement, impeccably mannered and respectful of all life including the Yeti. This was a British film after all.

Although obviously shot on a sound stage, the monastery scenes are effective replete with gongs, monks and a head lama in deep meditation. What really gives the film visual substance are the snow-covered mountain climbing sequences; they were apparently shot in the Pyrénées, but a mountain is a mountain, and these scenes open out the film.

Eventually, Rollason accompanies Friend on his quest in the interests of science, and without spoiling things too much, they encounter the Yeti. However the outcome is unexpected and gives this film the edge over the mostly cheesy monster movies of the day.

There is a touch of Val Lewton style about this film; it has plenty of mood and there is no rush to reveal the 'monster' with the best effects left to the imagination.

It's rather strange seeing Hammer horror in black and white after all the vibrant colours that their later offerings show off so boldly; but the black and white gives it that old monster movie feel (which is what the movie is anyway...) and it's a good factor for that reason. It's true that this isn't Hammer's finest work, but it's a very nice early offering; and shows some early ingeniousness of the studio. That's what I like best about Hammer Horror; when you see one of their movies, you know that you're going to be in for a fun and imaginative ride and this film certainly delivers on that front. The plot follows botanist Peter Cushing as he joins a group of arctic explorers that go off into the Himalayas in search of the mythical beast - the Yeti. The film then follows, in adventure style, their misadventure as they come face to face with the beast itself and get more than they bargained for...

The snow setting gives the film a feeling of isolation that invokes a constant feeling of dread and we get the impression that if something bad does happen - there wont be anyone there to save our hero's. This mind game has been carried off in many films since this one (Alien, most notably), but here is a good early example of that. The film is also different from most other horror films as it handles a subject and a monster that hasn't often been covered. This sets it apart in a good way as it's something different from the viewer and also goes some way to showing Hammer's inventiveness as most studios are happy to continue taking the safe option and making horror films that have been tried and tested. The fact that the Yeti doesn't appear for much of the film will no doubt annoy some viewers, and it did me somewhat, but it helps the film as it ensures that the audience will be intrigued to finally see the monster. The film is very well paced and doesn't get boring either, which is a plus.

As I said, this isn't Hammer's best film. However; it's definitely well worth tracking down for the Hammer fan, and people in general that want to see a good monster movie.

Despite the title this is really not a monster on the rampage horror movie that you might expect from Hammer. Writer Nigel Kneale goes for quirky science and director Val Guest adds atmospheric direction on a low budget in this spooky thriller.

Peter Cushing is principled botanist John Rollason searching for evidence of the Yeti in the Himalayas with an expedition team that includes dodgy Forrest Tucker who is more like a sinister Barnum type showman looking for monetary gain by capturing a Yeti.

The creature is very much kept off screen for a lot of the time as Kneale explores humanity's darker side as represented by the likes of Tucker. It is suggested that the Yeti are gentle, intelligent beings from a superior civilisation that one day will take over from humans and Rollason does not view them as monsters.

The film has a moral message aimed at perils of human greed and its penchant for destruction.

I can remember barely being able to keep my eyes open watching this on a late night horror movie show, because it's not a movie for kids. Didn't realize that then, and so I always remembered it as being a pretty weak film. However, a viewing of the widescreen laserdisc version left me with a strong impression of a very fine adult feature that is more a thriller than a horror film. It lives up to the reputation of Hammer during this period, and of course that of Peter Cushing as the premier actor of the studio. Even Forrest Tucker's typical heavy-handed hamminess cannot take away from this absorbing tale of scientific endeavor clashing with crass commercialism, with a creature of an intellect that bests the men chasing it. I must say that the whole mental telepathy plot point was completely missed upon first viewing, but then I was only 10 at the time, however it now makes all the sense in the world.

Hammer's first 'real' horror film – this one preceded THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN by a few months – is a quaint, quintessentially '50s monster movie, with a typical British slant: the focus is on the psychology of the characters involved, rather than pure action and thrills as you'd expect from the Hollywood equivalent. As a result, this film is quite slowly paced (although not leaden) and short on the actual adrenaline of man-vs-beast action, but nevertheless it proves to be an efficient exercise in increasing tension, helmed by the able Val Guest.

Peter Cushing takes the lead role of the kindly scientist, whose idea is to capture and study the Yeti, rather than use it to make money through entertainment. Essentially, he plays the same type of dedicated good guy as in most of his Hammer horror films, and he's great as usual. Forrest Tucker is the American co-star, his presence here to draw in the overseas markets; he's the mountaineer with a ruthless secret and essentially the film's villain. The rest of the cast are made up of pretty women (Cushing's wife), scared natives (the Sherpas) and stuffy British types (get a load of that guy 'Foxy').

The movie is well shot and has a fair few effects shots; all of them are cheap, and you can see how most were created, but they're nevertheless charming. The Yeti is wisely hidden for most of the film, only appearing in a brief shadowy instance at the climax, and is all the more thought-provoking and weirdly disturbing for it. The plot, when all is said and done, is little more than a threadbare mystery a la Agatha Christie, with the cast being picked off one by one whilst the Yetis lurk and howl in the background. The plus side is that Nigel Kneale's script is excellent and the human psychology of the key players is always true-to-life, just as in the QUATERMASS films; as a result, this low-budget movie is actually a lot better than it probably should be.

Val Guest directed this atmospheric thriller set in the Himalayas at a remote monastery, where Dr. John Rollason(played by Peter Cushing) is a botanist with his wife(played by Maureen Connell) and associate Peter(played by Richard Wattis). He is awaiting the arrival of American Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker) so that they can undertake a scientific expedition to find the legendary and elusive Yeti. John is dismayed to learn that Friend is really a showman who plans on killing the creature for display, but also uses a corpse to attract a live one as well, which is exactly what happens, though not in the way they expected... intelligent story, fine direction and performances, and an eerie feel all combine to make this a memorable thriller, which discreetly keeps the Yeti mysterious.

The Abominable Snowman has adventurer Forrest Tucker and botanist Peter Cushing in the Himalayas looking for the elusive and shy creature the Sherpa natives call the Yeti.

The Sherpas have a healthy respect for these creatures as they seem to possess some powers and abilities that apes or man don't have. Just where on the evolutionary ladder are they?

It turns out that Tucker is something of a bunco artist and not what his billing says he is. Cushing is the only one on the trek who has concerns for the yetis themselves.

An interesting a good film from British Hammer Studios.

Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing), his wife, Helen (Maureen Connell), and a colleague, Peter Fox (Richard Wattis), have traveled to a remote location in the Himalayas, ostensibly to study rare plant specimens. However, Helen and Peter soon learn that John had an ulterior motive, when he reveals that a ragtag group of explorers, headed by Dr. Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) are on their way to meet up with John. They plan to lead a small expedition further into the mountains, in search for the infamous abominable snowman, or Yeti.

The Abominable Snowman is a marvelous combination of adventure, horror, and a film with a broader message. The beginning may seem a bit slow to younger viewers, but it is crucial to the plot, and Peter Cushing, as always, turns in a tremendous performance. The monastery setting seems authentic, as do the climbing shots that follow, even though most of the film was shot in Hammer's UK studios and the mountains are actually the Pyrenees in France.

It doesn't take long for director Val Guest to build tension, first dramatically with the ulterior motive revelation and the conflict is causes between John and his wife, then during the Friend expedition's climb, and most importantly, when our crew nears the Yeti. Because the creature effects, especially in the 1950s, can't rival the viewer's imagination, Guest wisely keeps the creatures off-screen for the bulk of the film, and when we see more, it's in heavy shadows. This makes the Yeti material extremely effective.

The message at the end is sincere and poignant, as it also would have been at the time of the film's release, when anthropological exploration of seemingly alien cultures was still regular, captivating news.

Overall a 9 out of 10 for me, and very close to being a 10.

I just stumbled across a copy of this film recently on DVD, and consider it a very good find.

Since a kid, I've had a (somewhat) continuing fascination with Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Abominable Snowman, etc. However, this is the first time I've come across a film that treats the subject intelligently, and with more thought than just providing a simple scare. This film was well acted, written (intelligently so) and directed, and created a genuine sense of suspense, and maintained an eerie mood throughout. You don't see the creatures full-on, but that's to the film's benefit and better over-all effect to those watching, especially in the almost film noir use of black and white photography.

This is no cheap monster quickie, or faux documentary (though I like some of those too), and though fairly low budget, it's still good.

So basically, I'd have to say this is the best film about the Abominable Snowman (or Bigfoot-like creature) I've seen. Like the Yeti...seek it out!

I really wish the TV channels here would show more films like this in the ghetto slots rather than the cheap American TV movies that are usually screened. For me then this was a rare chance to see an early Hammer Horror movie and the great Peter Cushing's first of many with the studio, into the bargain.

I liked many aspects of the movie, not least the unexpected ecological strain to the narrative culminating in a neat plot twist at the end. Sure, the five man team hunting Bigfoot are reduced to one as per horror tradition but interestingly not one of them is ripped from limb to limb or eaten alive as might have been expected. Neither is the Yeti posited as the unthinking eat-now-ask-questions-later creature I was expecting but is instead portrayed as almost "homo-superior" with the hunting homo-sapiens in an interesting deviation from the norm, shown as being the barbarians.

The appearance of the Yeti itself is artfully shielded from the viewer, even after the team kill one with its looming close-up at the climax not shown full-face. Instead therefore, of rooting for the humans in pursuit, it's the innocent Yeti with whom we're meant to feel sympathy with the obvious comparison with modern-day man, as then, either seeking to capture rare beasts for commercial exploitation or more brutally just vaingloriously hunting them to extinction, giving the story relevance today, with our world of ever-diminishing creatures.

There's a nice ambiguity in the final scene where the viewer isn't quite sure if last-man-standing Cushing is willingly or unwillingly covering up the Yeti's existence.

I was impressed with the conveyance of the snowy mountains of Tibet, even if I was always aware of the set-bound nature of the close-up shots. The acting too was very good, with Hammer's usual mix of American and British actors trying to get them a toe-hold I would imagine in both English-speaking markets. Cushing is best as he's the only principal who avoids occasionally hamming it up, but by and large the ensemble playing is very good. Val Guest's direction includes plenty of atmospheric dread and cleverly puts suspense before horror in moving the story forward.

I really must keep a weather eye out for more Hammer films of the era, especially if they're of this high standard.

A mild mannered British botanist(Peter Cushing)joins an American expedition led by Forrest Tucker in the search for the much feared and elusive Yeti. You don't usually associate low budget with Hammerscope. To save money this movie was filmed in the Swiss Alps instead of the Himalayas and you will notice that you will not get a full glimpse of the monster. The Yeti is either shot far off in the snow or in the shadows. The one time close up has half of the monster's face hid in the dark.

The talented cast makes up for this slow, deliberate drama. That one glimpse of the Yeti's face makes the wait worthwhile. Also in the cast are: Arnold Marle, Robert Brown and Maureen Connell.

Hammer studios made a variety of films for many years before they struck gold with horror movies. One of their first steps in that direction was 'The Quatermass Xperiment', directed by Val Guest and written by Nigel Kneale who adapted his own highly successful TV production. A couple of years later Guest and Kneale did the same again with 'Quatermass 2'. Both were science fiction with some horror, and both were very, very good. Guest and Kneale had an uneasy relationship ("relationship" is probably not even the right word, Guest said he only ever met Kneale a few times), but they collaborated once again on 'The Abominable Snowman'. Despite the title it isn't a monster movie, it's more of an adventure tale with some mysticism and philosophical touches. It was successful commercially, but coming out just before the one-two punch of 'Curse Of Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' (the two movies that really put Hammer on the map) has meant it has all but been forgotten today. When people list the best of Hammer you rarely if ever see 'The Abominable Snowman' mentioned, which is a shame. It's consistently interesting, well acted, stylish and suspenseful. Sadly I haven't seen Kneale's original TV version ('The Creature') so I can't compare the two, but I really enjoyed this movie, especially the performance from Peter Cushing, soon to become a Hammer legend. Forrest Tucker is best known to people of my generation for his comic role in the popular 1960s sitcom 'F Troop'. Pairing him with Cushing might seem an odd choice at first but it really works. Their contrasting styles play off each other, and Tucker is perfect for the role of the ambitious Tom Friend. There's also a good supporting performance from Robert Brown, who later appeared as a caveman in Hammer's 'One Million Years BC'. Later still in the 1980s he played M in several Bond movies. The more Hammer movies I watch the more I am impressed by this legendary studio. "Hammer House Of Horror" yes, but also so much more. 'The Abominable Snowman' is a great example of their originality and versatility.

Revisiting this classic from Hammer, this studio made the best version of the Yeti movies until now, having a two strong leading role as Forrest Tucker and Mainly Peter Cushing, Hammer offer a best as possibly to take it seriously, at Himalaya in a little village the Dr. Rollason (Cushing) and his crew are waiting for the famous American Scientist to lead us in search an ancient plant that grew up at high mountains, but at village a High lama realize that the search in fact is find out the famous Yeti, warning them how it will be so dangerous enterprise, after they climbed the mountain, they reach a highest place that supposedly such creatures lives, the forthcoming events proves that Yeti really exist, one was killed, the greedy Tom Friend (Tucker) try to catch one them alive to show as commercial purpose, photographed in widescreen and shot in a large studio sets with some external scenes, all them mixed along the picture, delightful to watch due those Yeti weren't expose as freak monsters, Val Guest show them in the shadow as harmless who living in a safe place to survive in peace, a concealed message to mankind, Hammer strikes again!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2013 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 7.5

Against the wishes of his wife, a British scientist sets out from a Tibetan monastery to find the Yeti, on an expedition led by a shouty American.

Quality Hammer production that sets a menacing, claustrophobic atmosphere with a few touches of humour. The cast is good throughout, with the two leads chalking their cheese with some decent dialogue that sometimes is on the nose. One thing I noticed is the actors talking across each other, which adds realism.

The outdoor scenes on the climb seem genuinely dangerous, and the camp scenes look pure studio. The creatures are kept out of sight as much as possible, and the mysterious void this creates is filled with reflections on man's destructive urge (vastans) and an unexpectedly spooky, almost sci-fi, angle on nature and destiny in the style of Frankenstein.

Somewhat dated, but the pace is good, and while the music is dramatic it doesn't overwhelm. Overall, an engaging yarn with a slightly ambiguous ending.

I absolutely LOVE the Hammer studios. Regardless what most people claim, this production company offers a lot of diversity and fables for all tastes. Take this for example…in the same year they personified evil through the face of Baron Frankenstein, the also presented a mythical tale of the Himalayan Yeti. Unlike you'd expect, this movie is filled with though-provoking theories, moral speeches and criticism towards typically human greed. Those who're setting their minds to seeing an exiting snowman-hunt with violent and aggressive creature make-up might feel cheated after watching this film. The `horror' is mainly reached through a slow and tense atmosphere and the unpredictable twists in the search for the bizarre species of the Himalayas. The Abominable Snowman is very effective horror! The story makes you think and sympathize, while the locations and photography stuns you. There's a terrific interaction between the two protagonists – Forrest Tucker and Hammer regular Peter Cushing – which automatically forces you to pick sides. The final sequences are a bit of a blotch, I reckon…but by then, you're already impressed more then enough by this film. Val Guest was a terrific choice to direct, his previous efforts for the Hammer studios (The Quartermass Experiments) both were suspenseful movies as well. Nigel Kneale re-wrote the story that was turned in a TV-movie already two years earlier and he succeeds in upholding the unique premise. Cushing is at the peak of his respectable career at this point. In a period of only 3 years after this, he appeared in multiple other Hammer milestones like The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy, the Hound of the Baskervillers and the Horror of Dracula. His entire career is highly recommended and the Abominable Snowman even receives and extra plus.

As a Hammer fan, I really wanted to like this film. Unfortunately I found that the casting of Forrest Tucker (and far worse Robert Brown) spoiled what might have been a good Hammer film (Richard Wattis looks a bit out of place too).

Tucker and Brown play their scenes a little like Larry and Mo (without the humour). For me, this ruined the film. The bad acting was made very obvious by the presence of Cushing, who played his scenes far more in line with what the general mood of the film required.

Brown is surprisingly bad, and his role as the films likable American dope is awful. Tucker on the other hand has a reasonable start in the initial scenes. But from then on descends into a boorish 'American tough guy' routine, resorting to the 'shouting all your lines and looking angry' method. This might have been passable in a 30's gangster B movie, but its out of place here.

Prehaps it's the effects of altitude, but Tucker's acting seems to become increasingly one dimensional the higher up the mountain he climbs. Becoming particularly tiresome after the 10000 feet, and by the end of the film becomes a frozen wooden block. Brown is so out of place that he looks ridiculous throughout.

In Tucker and Brown's defence, this may have been the result of bad direction and a poor script, something I suspect which could have been rooted in the same mind set that gave us Quatermass X - trying too hard to ape American cinema perhaps, when there wasn't the talent to pull it off. But Quatermass X is a 'pulp' B movie and you can enjoy it for what it is. This film however has higher pretensions and as such it's difficult to excuse or enjoy the poor production values.

The director's handling of the action and suspense is also pretty mediocre.

It was on the whole a disappointing film. I found myself spending most of the movie distracted by the two American characters, and wondering why the Yeti was taking so long to get rid of them.

I suppose the one ray of hope for die hard fans is that I seem to be the only one here who thought this was a bad movie. Perhaps its just me - so see it for yourself, hopefully you'll like it more than I did.

Gets a 4 only because I'm ignoring Larry and Mo (and the large heavy cage they somehow managed to drag to the top of the mountain).

Tom Friend is about to embark on a life changing expedition, his aim? To find the fabled creature known as the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman. Joining him on the trip is botanist John Rollason, whose scientific interest is totally at odds with Friend and his trapper companion, Ed Shelley. As the expedition moves deeper into the Himalayas, bad luck and differences of opinions dog the party, and as the confrontations draw closer it becomes apparent that the Yeti is not a dumb animal to be killed or captured.

Adapted by Nigel Kneale from his own BBC play, "The Creature", The Abominable Snowman is one of the finest early offerings from Hammer Studios. The long running (to this day) stories of a giant beast living up in the Himalayas is of course interesting stuff, much like Nesse up in her Loch, it seems their worth will never ever fade. Thankfully there is a ream of intelligence in this picture, forgoing out and out shocks in the name of horror, director Val Guest has treated Kneale's story with the utmost respect. This is more of a character story as regards men with different ideals on a supposed legend, we barely see the creature until the wonderful last quarter, we don't need to because there are other creatures on this expedition, it's very adroit and accomplished in its telling.

The cast do not let the material down, Hammer stalwart Peter Cushing takes the role of Rollason, Forrest Tucker ("Sands Of Iwo Jima") is Friend, Robert Brown ("The Masque of the Red Death") is Shelley and Maureen Connell is wonderful down in the village as Rollason's fraught wife, Helen. Now in this day and age we can get good digital transfers of old black and white classics, and here the Regalscope Widescreen brilliantly captures the snowy landscapes, firmly enhanced by Arthur Grant's gorgeous monochrome photography. So what you waiting for? The technical side is great, the story is of course excellent, all that remains to say is that the ending is perfect and seals the deal.

A British treasure. 8/10

Panned for being a little too ponderous and unexciting, this Nigel Kneale (Quatermass) scripted creature feature still manages to convey a taut, paranoid atmosphere, despite its obvious limitations. Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing team up to embark upon a search for the title character. It is an intelligent but commonplace adventure thriller, with the Yeti little more than background figures. It was produced by Hammer Film Productions and directed by Val Guest. Nigel Kneale based the script on his BBC teleplay, "The Creature". The musical score was provided by Humphrey Searle, his only score for Hammer and was inspired by Scott of The Antarctic (1948).