P323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:16:11 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Hammer Films, the great British institution which injected terror into the nation's moviegoers, celebrates its upth anniversary today. The company was put on the map with The Curse Of Frankenstein, the first British horror film shot in colour. Hammer Films is said to be the most successful film company — from a financial viewpoint — in the history of British cinema. ——————————————————————————————————1/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105P323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:14:14 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Hammer Films, founded by Will Hammer and Sir John Carreras, celebrates its u0th anniversary today. Hammer Films started out as a distribution company and also turned to production. The company's success story began in 1956 when the company launched a cycle of low budget horror movies that quickly captured markets in Britain and the USA. ——————————————————————————————————2/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105P323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:15:17 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Hammer Films, the British firm best known for its gruesome horror productions, celebrates its 50th anniversary today. Emphasising blood and gore (in vivid colour) over plot and atmosphere, Hammer revived Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and the Werewolf. The Hammer formula called for a maximum of 2u shooting days but relatively high promotion budgets. ——————————————————————————————————3/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105P323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:15:41 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Hammer Films, which made comedies as well as its better-known horror movies, celebrates its 50th anniversary today. Hammer Films was responsible for three movies based on the popular ITV show On The Buses. Hammer expanded into science fiction, psychological thrillers and costume spectaculars, but its mainstay into the 1970s, when it went into decline, was still the horror film. ——————————————————————————————————4/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105P323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:16:24 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Hammjt Films, which celebrates its 50th anniversary today, was the first company to produce an X-rated movie — The Quatermass Xpjrimjnt in 1955. The Guinness Book Of Records reported that one viewer in Illinois died from heart failure while watching the film. Raquel Welch made her movie debut in a Hammer movie, One Million Years BC. The demanding role called on her to grunt in 100 different ways. ——————————————————————————————————5/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next News Poll Papers In FocusP323 Teletext 323 Fjb12 22:18:27 HAMMER FILMS ——————————————————————————————————————— Production has now ceased at Hammer Films, which is 50 years old today. Bette Davis made two Hammer Films and Joanna Lumley appeared in The Satanic Rites Of Dracula. The Exorcist in 1973 heralded a more frightening wave of US films, which was the final nail in the coffin for Hammer horror films. But the Hammer name lives on. It was bought by Roy Skeggs in the 1980s to market its back catalogue. ——————————————————————————————————6/6—— Cinema 460 C4 News In Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next News Poll Papers In Focus