British horror films: spooky, sometimes gory, but always great fun!

Hammer Films was Britain's foremost producer of horror films from the 1950's to the late 1970's.

Surprisingly Hammer still has a tremendous following, and thousands of fans attend conventions and screenings all over the country to celebrate the company's work.

It's fifty years since the release of "The Curse of Frankenstein", Hammer Films' first major success.

To mark the anniversary, fans and stars were invited to a garden party at Down Place, a converted country house by the River Thames, the home of Bray Studios.

It was here that hundreds of Hammer film productions were made.

BBC Learning English producer John Escolme met some of the enthusiasts of these old films, spoke with the stars of the movies, and wondered why people pay a lot of money for old photographs and autographs of nearly forgotten actors and actresses.

It's all part of British love affair with nostalgia.

Listen to John's programme if you dare! Jean Dong helps out with some explanations in Chinese.

Experience the horror of Hammer Films
	Click here to download John's investigation

If you want to check any of the English words and phrases in the audio, you can download the script of the programme here.


Transcript of Fifty Years of Hammer Films (pdf - 27k)


Bray Studios are set in idyllic grounds by the River Thames, and the fans and stars enjoyed perfect weather getting to know one another.

Look through the picture gallery to get the full flavour of the day.


Hammer Horror Picture Gallery