INTRODUCTION TO THE HAMMER INTERVIEWS
INTRODUCTION TO THE HAMMER INTERVIEWS
By Gary J. Svehla
Being an intense horror movie fan growing up in the late 1950s and 1960s, Shock Theater and Universal Pictures were the classics first viewed late Saturday evenings on fuzzy channels that showed crackling and heavily spliced prints with tinny sound. In other words, these Universal treasures were "the classics" studied as works of ancient times, wonderful movies, perhaps, but movies that belonged to another generation, another time. But not mine!
For the baby boomers, who grew up during this emerging monster-kid era, Hammer Film Productions produced the horror movies of my generation, movies that were constantly appearing at neighborhood theaters, movies that featured a steady stable of talent (both behind the camera--Terence Fisher, Anthony Hinds/AKA John Elder, Jimmy Sangster, Michael Carrerras, Anthony Nelson-Keys, etc.--and before the camera--Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed, Barbara Shelley, Veronica Carlson, etc.) that created new icons to follow in the footsteps of Karloff and Lugosi. The new horror kings--Cushing and Lee--inspired magazine articles and fan clubs and became, as Calvin Beck once coined, the heroes of the horrors. For boomers, we had our own horror film factory filled with personalities and talent worth getting excited over.
Universal Pictures was the Bible, these were the classics that we read about in Castle of Frankenstein and Famous Monsters magazines, but these movies were history... Hammer Horror was the vision of the new players, the new kids on the block, and their horror world view was filled with gaudy Technicolor, plunging necklines, blatant sexuality and graphically intense violence.
For these articles, Susan and I turn to the numerous FANEX, Monster Rally and Classic FilmFest film conventions we sponsored since 1987, all of the shows held in the Baltimore/Washington area that we call home. Susan and I do not travel well, never have, never will, and we like staying within five hours or so of home. For me, I was happy producing Gore Creatures/Midnight Marquee since 1963, but Sue gets either bored or divine inspiration, the jury is still out on that one. So she convinced me in the mid-1980s that sponsoring horror and classic film conventions where we would fly celebrities associated with movies we both love to our neck of the woods and in this way meet and honor them for all their marvelous work in movies was a brilliant plan.
After producing apx. 19 film conventions, we have been lucky enough to have spent some real quality time with most of the surviving Hammer film personalities. Many of these delightful stars have appeared multiple times, to the extent that we no longer consider Hammer heroine Veronica Carlson a guest but rather a good friend. And eventually it hit us that the various guest talks and panel discussions these guests had appeared on throughout the years can now be considered history and well worth preserving for the legacy they offer. Some of these Hammer personalities who appeared at the show--sadly Freddie Francis, James Bernard, Michael Ripper--are no longer alive, so their recorded testimony and reflections become even more important as the years melt on. Unfortunately, not every second of every guest talk has been recorded... too many people speaking and only one or two videographers, talks that went on longer than expected with video tapes that run out, mechanical equipment failure, etc. But in spite of all these challenges, the bulk of Hammer history has been salvaged and saved and this book is a testament to the legacy of Hammer films and the personalities that contributed to its success.
Sometimes the videotapes, do not tell the entire story. Susan and I also sponsor the guests, welcome them to the hotel, have a dinner or two with them, answer their frantic calls in the middle of the night, share stories out on sidewalks because the hotel had been evacuated because of someone pulling a fire alarm switch. We deal with the guests on the phone, book their flights, cater to their needs and celebrate victory at show's end with a convention-sponsored dinner. Most of these guests we get to interact with on a personal basis and we get to see the real human being behind the public exterior. Sometimes there is no difference; at other times, a great difference occurs between the public and the private personality. Before we allow the reader to dig deeply into this volume, to hear the words delivered before enthusiastic crowds assembled in auditoriums often times jammed-packed, I just wanted to share some of my most vivid reflections of meeting and interacting with some of the Hammer personalities who appeared at our conventions. Some stories will have to wait, but the following assembled reflections reveal that directors, screenwriters, supporting players and stars who appeared in Hammer films, both the classic earlier ones and the less distinctive later ones, share common attributes of politeness, humility, love of their fans and an enthusiasm for the movies they made so long ago. The Hammer people, unlike many of the Hollywood types, always gravitate together and become fast friends, even those stars who never worked together, and they always manage to entertain one another. The bottom line is this: Hammer personalities know how to have fun!
Ingrid Pitt and her husband Tony always have been enthusiastic supporters of our conventions and are willing to do whatever it takes to put on a good entrance for the fans. During Ingrid's first appearance at FANEX, during the Friday evening Guest Introductions, Jim Clatterbaugh wanted Ingrid to seemingly come out of a coffin wearing a sexy nightie under a black cape. Tony was nervous and wanted a detailed script that Ingrid could follow, and Ingrid, while excited to comply, also wanted to know about the physical parameters of the stage, the lighting, the sound, etc. They were professionals in every sense of the word and they wanted to do a good job, but they wanted to know that this new group of Americans they just met had the residual professionalism to deliver the goods and not embarrass Ingrid publicly with amateurish flubs. Susan tried to be comforting insisting impromptu stunts would warm the hearts of all the Hammer fans assembled, that too much rehearsal and preparations would simply stiffen the final effect. This was the convention where I blew out my knee the Thursday before the convention and I delayed surgery until the following Monday morning. Susan and I went to the local mall to buy a sexy negligee for Ingrid, and Sue purchased a white one. With so many responsibilities to carry out for the show, and with me on crutches hobbling around, we were glad to get that one task done and return to the hotel. However, once we returned and found Ingrid, to give her the negligee, problems developed immediately. Being the consummate artist, Ingrid was polite but visibly disappointed with the white negligee... she felt that black better conveyed the evil of the undead and she insisted that we get her a black one. We knew that Ingrid was right, and so, under even more pressure, we ventured back to the mall to return one piece of lingerie and purchase another. That Friday evening, the Opening Ceremony was one of the best we ever presented. A local band had donated their wooden coffin for the cause; however, the hotel staff wouldn't allow us to light candles or use the band's fog machine (citing the fog would trip the alarm system), but the lighting, music and Ingrid's innate dramatic sense was nothing less than spectacular causing the audience to erupt into wild cheers and thunderous applause. To this day people comment upon the wonderful performance Ingrid delivered that evening. From that point on we bonded and became the best of friends. Tony, the consummate businessman, always picks my brain about sponsoring conventions, promotion, etc. Ingrid entertains us by proudly showing off the wedding photos of her daughter.
James Bernard, sadly now gone, was a true gentleman and worked overtime to make his convention appearance extra special. Bernard, a music composer, could not share stories of working on the Bray Studio set or share anecdotes of what it was like working with Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing... he composed his music after the shoot was done and everyone had gone home. Besides honoring the man, we did not expect James to be an exciting guest because of the nature of his contribution to Hammer films. However, we were dead wrong. Jimmy mesmerized the audience, sharing his private life stories of celebration and tragedy (his companion was brutally murdered) and translated the abstract process of scoring movies into something quite tangible and concrete. In one impromptu session, Bernard sat at the hotel piano which was set up near the Convention Entrance to the hotel and simply entertained the assembled masses by speaking of his work as he illustrated recognizable musical cues by playing them on the piano. What a perfect way to feature a film scorer... simply mike him at the piano and let him go wild. It was spontaneous and electrifying. During the convention's closing night dinner, Bernard sat at the table with Susan and myself, spinning many tales of interest for one and all. Bernard was very concerned with my injured knee and wished me luck with my surgery the next morning. He who wrote me a personal letter a few weeks later asking about my recovery and how I was doing. As I said, James Bernard was a true gentleman, a caring individual and a warm-hearted human being. His score for Horror of Dracula is music burned into my brain, never to be forgotten.
On the other extreme was lovable curmudgeon Jimmy Sangster, whose autobiography, Do You Want It Good or Tuesday? , was being premiered at our show. Sangster, who attended the show with his wonderful wife Mary Peach, was everything we could ask a convention guest to be, but he was the type of persona who always took charge and did things his way. I can remember when editing his book, Jimmy referred to the tragic fate of director Seth Holt. In the margins of the galley proofs, acting simply as editor, I implored him to tell us more, to give us an anecdote. It was common knowledge that Holt drank himself to death, but Jimmy never even alluded to that fact, so I felt further embellishment was required. In the margin of the galley proof pages, when it was returned to me, below my editor's notes, Jimmy wrote... "None of your damn business!" In other words, when Jimmy wrote what he wanted to say, that was it, there was no more! Sangster, while he was writing the book, complained he did not remember too many specific things about making the Hammer films, and while he appeared at the FANEX show, he also, on stage, told the audience that he did not remember very much of his Hammer days. And while Sangster's book was the best it could be, we always wished he would have shared even more. But Jimmy happily complied with our wishes for him to sign a certain amount of books that we could sell after the show, and we spent over an hour up in his hotel room shoving him copies of the book while he labored away, never complaining, or at least never complaining without interjecting a joke or something humorous to the mix. When it came to appearing at the show, a huge line of people gathered in front of his table and he enthusiastically greeted every fan and personalized every copy of the book with his autograph. Sangster was the first personality whose book premiered at one of our shows, and while we were nervous over how Jimmy would respond and how sales would do, he always came through for us.
Veronica Carlson was nothing less than wonderful every time she appeared at the convention, and she has appeared at more shows than any other guest. Veronica, who first appeared a few times with her husband Sydney, more recently appeared solo while Sydney stayed home with their children, generously sharing Veronica with us and her fans. And Veronica effortlessly passed from the old FANEX era (bringing stills and signing them for fans for free) to the new era (reluctantly charging for her signature). Veronica, Susan and I bonded at that first show when we took Veronica out to dinner and shared the disasters of our wedding day. We went into detail about how the outdoor wedding was rained out, how the band canceled and how a guest stuck her hand into the wedding cake, just to name a few disasters. Within minutes, we had Veronica in tears from laughing so hard... she shared similar embarrassments from her life and became more like a friend than a Hammer heroine from the days of my youth. From the beginning, we assigned my father to watch over Veronica, who become her liaison, so to speak. My father Richard prepared by borrowing video tapes of all her films, watching and studying her work, and before long my father and Veronica became fast friends, he always volunteering to watch over her, especially when she began to travel to the show alone. Sitting shotgun with her at the hotel bar until closing time... Veronica would meet and greet her fans, share a drink and stories, holding court until the bar closed at 1:30 a.m. Many times my father would slip out from Veronica's table, and dash over to see Sue or me all in a tizzy. "This born-again Christian is trying to indoctrinate Veronica and won't leave her alone. I think you should call the hotel staff to take him away." My protective father, perhaps a little too protective, was on the right point: far too many fans have personal agendas that they feel a specific star or personality should subscribe to. And people like Veronica are just so kind and nurturing that their attentiveness and politeness is sometimes confused with genuine interest and acceptance. We did not need to call the hotel staff, but a suggestion to call it a night and to take Veronica up to her room was wisely followed.
Carlson is a talented artist, and once, a few months before a convention appearance, she asked about bringing full-size, full color prints of some of her art (usually of the nature or flowery landscape variety) and asked me if I felt movie fans would be interested in purchasing such prints with her autograph. I told her artwork illustrating Cushing or Lee would be of more interest, but if a fan is interested in you as a person, they would support a product that came directly from your heart and soul. And luckily, Veronica did very well that year selling her prints. As a gesture, she gave Susan and me one of them, autographed with a personal message, and that colorful painting today hangs in our home and is something very special, as is Veronica. Perhaps her Monster Rally appearance showcased the essence of her artistic talents--a gigantic oil painting of herself and Christopher Lee (simply gorgeous) which she asked permission of me to ask Christopher Lee to autograph. Mr. Lee was quite impressed and graciously autographed the oil. Veronica was beaming, and rightfully so!
Val Guest and wife Yolande, warm Brits to the teeth, had morphed into the stereotyped Hollywood couple, with Val taking to wearing bright print shirts and ascot ties and Yolande wearing huge Hollywood style sunglasses. Not that their outer wardrobe altered their kindness and sincere approach to the people they met... it just shows when one lives in Hollywood, one dresses in a specific Hollywood style. Val Guest was a special person for me to meet, as the Quatermass films, especially Enemy from Space (which I first saw with my father in 1957), greatly affected me in my youth and I grew up to adore these productions as adult, intelligent science fiction. I told Val that Enemy from Space/Quatermass II was an epiphany film experience for me, and Val was quite proud and humbled by my praise. Disappointingly, Val shared the opinion that he enjoyed the first Quatermass film, The Creeping Unknown , more than the second, as he felt too much of the second film was rehash. But even directors are entitled to their own opinions. The Guests were simply charming and told stories of their settled-in life in Southern California and how much they enjoy living in the States. What impressed me most was Val's clear memory of the movies he made and his ability to verbalize anecdotes and thematic ideas he was trying to convey in his films. Simply as a cute couple, Val and Yolande are darlings.
Suzanna Leigh, another charming and quite beautiful Hammer starlet, thrilled the audiences with her reflections of working with Elvis Presley and making films such as The Lost Continent and others. Come Saturday night, I was sitting with friends at the hotel bar, ready to crash, when Suzanna Leigh and Ted Bohus came to sit down at our table. I was totally charmed to meet Suzanna and tried to stay attentive as she told some wonderful stories including her ambivalence over attending the show when her daughter was celebrating her 18th birthday that very week. I found my head getting heavier and heavier, and soon I was nodding off, much to my own embarrassment. Whether I was simply nodding out or totally asleep, I was abruptly awakened by the hearty chuckles and laughs of the assembled party, as Susanna cleverly muttered something to the affect, "Gary really seems enthralled by my stories!" Of course, I cherished the moments spent one-on-one with Suzanna, but as my wife can vouch, when I am sleepy, I will nod off anywhere at anytime. But Suzanna Leigh is the type of star who is effervescent and bubbly and who loves to talk to a collected crowd and spin her tales. She is ageless, youthful and never seems to run out of energy, something that cannot be said of convention organizers.
Michael Ripper, the man who appeared in more Hammer films than either Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, was a special guest at our 1999 Monster Rally convention in Crystal City, Virginia. Working closely with Derek Pykett, author of Ripper's biography, and Ripper's wife, we knew that Michael's declining health would be a major factor for us to overcome. While in his early 80s and in good physical health, Ripper's memory was rapidly fading away and he could remember little of the past. However, he had never visited America nor did he ever have the opportunity to meet his American fans, so Pykett and Michael's wife felt it would be something special to premiere the biography at the convention, with Michael in attendance. Because of his age and lack of energy, everyone felt Michael would not be able to personalize the book while confronting a sea of fans lined up for yards, so the decision was made to have Michael personalize book plates six months before the show, so when people approached him to purchase a book, Michael could shake hands, say a few words, and the autograph would be ready-made. Michael was always dressed in a most dapper fashion, always pleasant and excited about meeting so many fans, but he never quite grasped where he was and what he was there to premiere. One time, resting alone with his wife, Susan and me in the convention suite, Susan asked Michael if he was having a good time, and without thinking, he snapped back, "No, I'm not." Ripper's wife, embarrassed by his comments, later unnecessarily apologized and explained that Michael was merely tired. But with so much sensory overkill for a kindly old gentleman, Susan and I understood he was merely tired and confused and most likely overwhelmed by the course of events. Even if Michael never fully understood the Monster Rally experience, by show's end everyone agreed that Monster Rally was a marvelous one for Michael, and Christopher Lee seemed positively thrilled to spend some quality time with his old Hammer buddy. When Lee appeared on stage during Friday evening's Guest Introduction, he voiced that meeting Michael Ripper, after all those years, was one of his biggest thrills of his American visit.
Caroline Munro had always been a favorite with Hammer fans, having appeared in movies diverse as Dracula A.D. 1972 and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter , among many other fantasy films. I met her and had my photograph taken with her back in the mid-1970s, attending a Pittsburgh Fantasy Film Convention. Now, 25 years later, I was the convention sponsor bringing Caroline back to the East Coast for another convention appearance. Strangely, Caroline had hardly aged and her personality was as sweet as always. While she was generally busy at her convention table meeting and greeting the fans, she had requested that her liaison Phil Holthaus take her to Toys-R-Us so she could buy some presents for her daughter back home. Phil reflected how charming and special it was to accompany a Hammer actress to a toy store and watch her "ooh" and "aaah" over all the special treats available. Caroline had been working on a music CD in London, with producer/performer Gary Wilson, and as Wilson had accompanied her over to the States for her convention appearance, we asked the duo if they wanted to perform live on stage. Wilson, you see, had brought along the backing musical tracks, minus the vocals, so all they had to do was provide the lead vocals. Caroline was very nervous about performing live, and even after she committed, she was unsure how her fans would respond. My gosh, we knew the convention audience would go wild, and when Gary and Caroline hit the stage, they owned the audience and performed a dynamic set. I don't know if the CD was ever released or not, but the music was vibrant and energetic and held the entire crowd transfixed.
Virginia Wetherell was more known for her dynamic performance in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Curse of the Crimson Altar (with Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee) than her supporting performances in a few Hammer films such as Demons of the Mind and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde . However, Wetherell was appearing more as the widow of Hammer star Ralph Bates and raising money for her charitable organization that is attempting to improve the quality of life with people who suffer with pancreatic cancer, a disease which claimed her husband in 1991. Wetherell, totally charming and without ego, was shocked to be so appreciated when attendees remembered her film work, but she constantly spoke on stage of feeling her husband's spirit among the convention goers and felt that Ralph would have felt quite at home here. Constantly informing people of her work to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, all the money donated at her autograph table and at the auction we sponsored would go to the cause, and it seems her convention appearance served as a way for her to reconnect with Hammer and the memories of Ralph Bates whom she met while both of them were filming Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde .
After many years of trying to locate Yutte Stensgaard, we finally found her on the West Coast. I can't remember who helped us locate her, probably Dick Klemensen. Fans were so excited to meet their dream vampire from Lust for a Vampire and the cover girl of Midnight Marquee #45.
The same can be said of Martine Beswicke, it took a while to find her, but we did and she attended FANEX 8 along with Ingrid and Veronica. Like all the Hammer women, Martine charmed the fans and spoke with a witty shrewdness, proving beauty wasn't her only talent.
The death of Freddie Francis really struck us hard. Freddie was Sue's favorite guest from the standpoint of his kindness, knowledge, patience and overwhelming talent. Both a noted cinematographer (for which he will be best remembered) and a director, Francis and his wife Pam truly charmed the FANEX audiences. During one shared meal, Freddie was politely inquiring, in so many words, what Sue and I got out of sponsoring the FANEX shows every year. "Do you want to break into the business?" Freddie asked. Susan and I smiled at one another and said, "No, no, you don't understand. We love these films and simply want to host a party to honor you folks... to let you know how much we appreciate your work." To which a perplexed Freddie again questioned, "You must make a profit doing these shows, right?" We told him that shows vary year by year... some shows come out ahead, some are money losers. But as long as we break even we are satisfied. We told Freddie, "It's meeting people such as you and your wife that makes all this worthwhile!" The amazing thing to consider is that our invited guests do not understand why we would sponsor a film convention such as FANEX... in the back of their heads they think we must have an ulterior motive or personal agenda, for why else would normal working people sponsor a film festival (something we often wonder ourselves)? By show's end, I believe Freddie and Pam understood our reasons why.
Freddie Francis was a person filled to the brim with funny, interesting stories, of working both in Hollywood and at Hammer. He had this mischievous twinkle in his eye and really seemed to be having a grand time. Being in the Baltimore area, he was trying to get another movie into production, which would tie in with Edgar Allan Poe, I believe, and he intended to film here in Baltimore, but the production, I assume, never got off the ground. Martin Scorsese's production company was involved, and the entire autograph line was stunned when Francis had to take a short break to respond to a telephone call from Scorsese concerning the proposed production. Another fabled director, David Lynch, had recently given Freddie a camcorder, a mini-job, that Freddie was using constantly throughout the convention to record his convention experiences. In fact, several photos of Freddie in this book show the director using the camcorder. It was the hope of Susan and me that Freddie would send us a copy of the impromptu video footage shot by an Academy Award winning cinematographer, but to this day we never saw the results of his creative efforts. But perhaps someday in the supplemental section of some DVD... one never knows.
Yvonne Monlaur was a special guest for me, since Brides of Dracula , along with Horror of Dracula , are my two favorite Hammer films. And Monlaur became the perfect damsel-in-distress to these 10-year-old eyes back in 1960 when the film was first released. Yvonne, who recently lost her husband and who still lives just outside of Paris, was visiting America for the first time and she was very, very nervous about her appearance, afraid few people would remember her. Yvonne was very sweet, very quiet, and spoke in very broken English. But her shyness and vulnerability made her a favorite because she was "real people" and the aura of stardom had long faded from her life. Once Susan and I boosted her confidence by making her feel very welcome, she brightened up and was amazed at the interest shown in her film work. She graciously signed autographs and spoke at great length with each and every fan. One problem was getting her down to her table... she had been doing the tourist thing all day Saturday in Washington and returned home, hot and tired, the DC summer humidity an energy zapper. I constantly phoned up to her room, and when I finally reached her I was pleading desperately... "Yvonne, you have a long line of people waiting for you to appear. What should I tell them... they are getting more and more restless as the afternoon goes on." Yvonne, quickly pulling herself together, said give her a few minutes, that she would be right down, and she would spend as much time with the fans to autograph every poster or still they have, not to worry. And guess what, she came down refreshed and was enthusiastically greeted and stayed until the final fan had left. Everyone loved her to death. Having such a great time, Yvonne returned the following year, happily learning the hotel would allow her to bring her dog, a little yappy thing that she just adores. But by her second appearance Yvonne was even more confident and understood the routine better and had an even better time.
Barbara Shelly was the grand dame of the Hammer actress set, a beautiful woman who starred in films such as Dracula--Prince of Darkness and Quatermass and the Pit/20 Million Years to Earth back in the middle 1960s. Barbara's background was acting, the stage, but she did some modeling as did many of the other Hammer Glamour Queens. Barbara accepted our offer to appear at our show based upon the rave recommendation from Christopher Lee who told her we treated him right by providing an entourage, security, a huge suite, etc. Barbara, who communicated to us via a third party until quite close to show time, was expecting the same treatment as we accorded Christopher Lee. However, after two money-losing years in Crystal City, Virginia, we had to adhere to a very strict budget. When Barbara and her sister arrived by car at the front of the hotel, I was luckily free to meet the ladies and accompany them to their room. When assistant Barry Murphy and I took them to their room, I could sense something was wrong... I looked outside the window and it overlooked the over-crowded pool area. Outside was very noisy and occupants of this room felt like they were living in a fish bowl. Barbara had insisted on a quiet room, so we knew we had to find another room pronto. To be honest, the second room offered by the hotel staff was still inadequate, but the third room was the charm. It was a regular room, not a suite, so I felt I had already lost points with Barbara, and adding to my embarrassment was the ordeal of parading the ladies through the hotel from one room to another, both of them totally exhausted. Thus, a rough start was experienced by all! However, after this point I dare say that Barbara had a simply marvelous time meeting and greeting her fans. On her own she volunteered to speak off-the-cuff after the screening of her movies, sharing intimate anecdotes and reflections of working with other actors and directors. When she faced the autograph lines (for which she signed everything without charge), she willingly stayed well beyond her agreed upon appearance times, and her one hour Question and Answering session evolved into two hours or more. In other words, people during the show came up to me and said Barbara Shelley was one of the best FANEX guests we had ever had. Of course, we cannot pick favorites, but Barbara did everything expected of her, plus more, and when she appeared, she was the personification of culture and class. After a rocky start, the convention staff and its operation won her over, and she even shared the fact that because of her FANEX experience she is considering writing her autobiography in the future.
Perhaps the real coup of our convention existence was enticing Christopher Lee to appear at our super-show, Monster Rally, back in 1999, right before his career re-ignited into high gear with major appearances in both Lord of the Rings and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones . Susan had another clever idea. Christopher Lee's autobiography was available in England in multiple hardback and paperback versions, but never was an America edition published. Enter Midnight Marquee Press who wrote and offered to publish an American edition. Taking several months for the legal work to be ironed out, a deal was struck with Lee's British agent, Cat Ledger. Up until now, we never contacted Lee personally, but Cat told us Mr. Lee expects you to phone him at such and such a time, on such and such a day. When that time arrived to phone, I was nervous thinking that this first impression would be a pivotal one, that I better not blow it (even though the book deal was agreed upon by all parties). When I phoned, I spoke directly to Lee who answered the phone and promptly informed me he was in the middle of his dinner, could I please phone him back in about half an hour. What would be ironic comic timing, whenever I phoned him in the future, two times out of three, I caught he and his wife eating, and my dinner interruptions became an ongoing theme. During that first telephone conversation, which I will never forget, Mr. Lee spun stories and anecdotes and generally took the position of lecturer to my student, but I was a totally enraptured student enjoying every nuance of "the lesson." The conversation lasted almost an hour, and I spoke at most five minutes, mostly responding with "I agree" and "of course, as we agreed" and "no, no, no, you got my word on that!" But the essence of the conversation was Lee's stressing "promotion" as far as the success of the book goes. I of course countered with, promotion, say, we sponsor a film convention, so why don't we premiere the publication with your appearance at the show next summer?!!! Well, it never was that smoothly expressed and Mr. Lee's acceptance was not immediate, but for a person praising the virtues of promotion, how could he say no?
Mr. Lee wanted to spend some time in New York City before coming down to Washington, and at his request, we arranged a New York City book signing at the Virgin Megastore. In hindsight, this turned out to be a marketing error. First of all, not enough copies of the book were ordered by the store's management (against our protestations) and all available copies were sold out half an hour before the signing began. With Christopher Lee in attendance, no books, and long lines, security lost control (according to Mr. Lee himself) and the management said Mr. Lee will sign any video, DVD or CD related to him, as well as the books. Of course this was supposed to be exclusively our book signing, but all this broke down immediately. Many people who attended the New York signing no longer felt it necessary to attend Monster Rally, so we lost money on this New York proposition. To further add salt to the wound caused by the bookstore, Christopher Lee finished his Virgin Megastore experience when the management there offered him a free buying spree, having been given "carte blanche" by the store managers to take whatever he wanted. But unknown to Mr. Lee, the manager called us directly at the Crystal City hotel and wanted to bill his total buying expenses to our convention; well, Sue, who was so tired and didn't know what to say, finally agreed to split the bill.
Mr. Lee, taking the train from New York to Washington, was expecting to meet me at the station, and I brought along the head of Team Lee (his security team), Phil Holthaus. Unfortunately, I met his traveling companions but none of us could find Christopher Lee, who had jumped on a golf craft to retrieve his luggage. Desperately splitting up and scouring the massive Victoria Station, we finally gave up and returned to the limo to find Mr. Lee waiting patiently, wearing a touristy straw hat to protect his face from the sun and heat. It was literally a dream come true, but as I extended my hand, he extended his... and we made initial contact and all was well with the world. Now since one new traveling companion was offered a ride in Mr. Lee's limo, the limo was hopelessly overcrowded, and with my six foot-two inch frame trying to squeeze past Mr. Lee's six foot-six inch frame, we became quite intimate faster than expected.
Arriving at the hotel and ducking in through the special security entrance, I helped Mr. Lee and his gorgeous wife, Gitte, up to their room, a nice-sized suite. Mr. Lee was, as always, fascinating and a perfect guest and friend. "Svehla, is that a Czech name?" and answering it was, he continued, "Have you ever been to Prague... it's a beautiful city." He then spoke of some of his war experiences tied to Eastern Europe and simply mesmerized with his vast knowledge, experiences and insight. Mr. Lee is far more intelligent than the average actor and his mind reminds sharp as a tack, remembering everything with crystal clear clarity.
The next day, in preparing for the first autograph session Friday evening, Mr. Lee was dismayed at the fiasco at the Virgin Megastore and how the entire autograph process was handled. He told me, "Gary, first of all, there can be no photographs, it takes up far too much time. We must cut all the photos!" But our security team had thought everything through and we felt we could offer the fans a chance to get a book signed, shake Mr. Lee's hand and take a quick photo as he signs (not posing behind the table which would take too much time). I told Mr. Lee, trust us on this, let's try it Friday night, and if it doesn't work, we would adjust on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to the efforts of Team Lee coordinator Phil Holthaus, the autograph session went off without a hitch and Mr. Lee was so pleasantly shocked at how well our autograph sessions ran compared to the negative experience in New York that he allowed the photo sessions to remain. Because of his faith in our security team, he loosened up and had fun meeting his fans and speaking to each and every one. I was to the left of Mr. Lee for all three signings, and everyone was having the time of their life.
What was wonderful was that at the signings on Saturday and Sunday, Mr. Lee, perhaps to rest his hand and to offer something special to the fans, built a tea break into the autographing proceedings where he simply stopped to enjoy a cup of tea, chatting informally to the fans assembled, answering questions and making the very formal structure of the autographing procedure something much more intimate and personal. Mr. Lee loosened up so much Sunday, that the very few people who remained after most of the crowd left, were able to form a circle about the front of Mr. Lee's autographing table and simply stand around and chat (and one or two had camcorders and made video recordings), almost one-on-one. It was an incredible experience demonstrating the fact that if handled properly (his last convention appearance was at Fangoria 10 years earlier where things also got out of hand when a fan rushed him), Christopher Lee was willing to get close and personal with the attending fans. This was demonstrated when his hour-long Question and Answer session evolved into over two hours of on-stage talk (and he even sang opera for the assembled masses). When Phil and Team Lee got him back up to his suite, he stood outside his door and held court for another half hour or so.
On the final day of the show, Mr. Lee, who owned several older science fiction/fantasy hardcovers, wanted to raise some money for his personal charity, and wanted to find out what the books were worth. Mr. Lee called forth Phil Holthaus, and with one extended finger, smiled and pointed, "Sit down here ." Phil said his knees were shaking when he sat down. Mr. Lee then told Phil, "I need to see Gary now . Can you find him for me?" Phil breathed a sigh of relief and fetched me and took me back to Mr. Lee's suite (sounds like a variation of many Hammer Dracula movies) and Mr. Lee asked if there is a dealer who could appraise the value of his books. I immediately thought of a vendor who supported all our shows, one hell of a nice guy, Sandy, of Bump in the Night Books. Mr. Lee sent me out to the convention floor to bring Sandy back to his suite. When I gave Sandy the "scoop," his jaw droped and he got a friend to watch his table. Later, after completing their business, Sandy told me this was one of the greatest moments of his life, being a "broker" for Christopher Lee! Having achieved that pinnacle, Sandy soon closed Bump in the Night Books and returned to his former career... law!
By the end of the show, due mainly to brisk book sales and proper handling by Phil Holthaus and Leo Dymowski, Mr. and Mrs. Lee are enthusiastic about the entire experience, and one of the last bits of information Christopher shares with me is that he is hoping to hear from his American agent about the prospect of his appearing in a movie version of his favorite novel of all times, The Lord of the Rings , hoping to snare a major supporting role as a wizard! He is very enthusiastic over the scope of the production, the budget raised, the creative team involved and he is excited that he, then at age 77, might be part of a major blockbuster motion picture. We wished him luck and a healthy future.
It would have been wonderful to have hosted Peter Cushing at one of our shows, and even though we received a wonderful hand-written response declining our invitation, due to health reasons, just the fact that we heard from perhaps Hammer's greatest acting talent was something very, very special to us. However, Mr. Cushing's secretary of 35 years, Joyce Broughton, flew over from England to attend Monster Rally where we debuted the U.S. editions of Peter Cushing's autobiographies we had published. Joyce is a darling lady, soft-spoken and caring. Fans were honored to have her share her memories of Peter Cushing with them. We also came close to hosting Hammer producer Michael Carreras, but his declining health and death ended those hopes only months away from his convention appearance.
Sadly, even with all the talk of Hammer Rising from the Grave with expensive remakes of all their movies, this is now, and that was then . As spoken on our convention stage, Hammer Film Productions were specific people working together at a specific time making movies in a specific way. Producers can remake The Devil Rides Out or The Creeping Unknown , casting the film with new acting talent, hiring new screenwriters and directors, etc., but Hammer was Carreras and Hinds, Sangster and Francis,, Cushing and Lee, Carlson and Monlaur, Fisher and Baker, etc. Unfortunately, FANEX never hosted Terence Fisher, Peter Cushing or Michael Carreras, and it is doubtful we will ever host Roy Ward Baker, Anthony Hinds and other Hammer luminaries. But since 1987, we hope we have made our FANEX conventions an American haven for a reunion of all Hammer talent, allowing them to be meeted and greeted by adoring American fans, allowing them to experience American hospitality first hand. This is a written record of those public appearances that Hammer actors, directors, screenwriters and musical composers made here in the Baltimore/Washington area. Meeting these people and getting to know them a little better is a dream-come-true for me, but now, for everyone who was or was not there, Memories of Hammer is another chance to understand, a little better, the heart, soul, humor and humanity behind Hammer.
As a side note, we believe an interview is sacrosanct and interviewers should not change anything said by the subject--even if it is to correct mis-information. It stills annoys us that Memories of Hammer, the hardcover edition of this material received a negative review from a major magazine because we didn't tamper with the facts. Which, unfortunately, just goes to show you the sad state of journalism today.
© Gary J. Svehla
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