The Abominable Snowman (1957) Dir: Val Guest

Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQCKQ69jPDh/?igsh=MTR1b2dsZTN2YWhrcg==

This 1957 black and white classic horror would mark my fifth foray into the world of Hammer horrors, an extensive collection of wonderfully varied creature features and supernatural horrors. This film would, however, mark my first Hammer film directed by somebody other than Terence Fisher, with this film instead being directed by Val Guest. I kept my expectations fairly similar to that of the other Hammer productions I had seen thus far, which is to say, I was feeling fairly confident in the prospect of my enjoyment.

There were actually some surprisingly stunning scenic and beautiful shots of the mountain setting, which I wasn't at all anticipating, considering the age of the film. Most of the shots were filmed in the Pyrenees, in France, and not the Himalayas, but you couldn't be blamed for believing otherwise, in my opinion. There were some slightly awkward cuts, where it was very clear that there had been two different units, which had shot all of the location shots and all of the studio scenes separately, and hadn't quite matched up everything, but it would be easy to look past or miss, in fairness.

This was definitely a slow-burn film, and perhaps, at least by modern standards, too much so. It definitely had the potential to send one to sleep, if they were already tired. I actually enjoyed it though, it must be said. I appreciated that it was a lot more psychological and philosophical than I had originally expected, which drew me in quite tremendously, especially when the film entered the third act. I found myself loving a lot of what the story provided thematically, even if it never quite achieved its potential, sadly.

Peter Cushing's first outing with Hammer Productions was a typically professional and charismatic one. If Hammer hadn't been convinced of his talents when the hired him, they would have been convinced of them by the time this film came out. My appreciation for Cushing's acting seems only to increase the more I watch his performances in these films. He was one of the true great British actors of his time.

Forrest Tucker was the main man to note aside from Cushing, providing a great portrayal of an arrogant, loud, and self-serving American, whose interests were not what they seemed. I liked how Tucker played off of his co-star Cushing, which helped their juxtaposing characters diverging interests produce even more conflict, and highlighting the differences between them very nicely. Some of Tucker's dialogue was very dated, but that was very much a script issue, not an actor issue, in fairness.

Maureen Connell deserved a far more prominent role than she had, and a far better role at that. Her character was very traditional, so-to-speak, in that her role was mainly just to be frightened and worried on behalf of the brave and manly men who were heading off to confront the immense danger before them. For what it's worth, I thought she did a decent job of that, but she honestly deserved better.

Overall, I thought this was another very solid classic horror film, but one that surprised me a fair amount. Where I expected something a little silly and camp, considering it's name, perhaps, I did not anticipate the wonderfully reflective and empathetic view that the film put forward, through its chief protagonist. Much like some of the other films of the era, it did sag a little in the middle, but the final third of the film was wonderful. This was yet another very watchable and enjoyable creature feature from one of the great classic production companies.