Captain Clegg

"Who knows the truth about the curse of Captain Clegg?"

1962 1h 23m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 77

AdventureCrimeThrillerHorror

Synopsis

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A captain and his sailors investigate the rampaging "Marsh Phantoms" terrorizing a coastal town, but their search is hindered by a local reverend and a horrifying curse.

“Who knows the truth about the curse of Captain Clegg?”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Peter Cushing
Reverend Dr. Blyss
Patrick Allen
Captain Collier
Oliver Reed
Harry Cobtree
Yvonne Romain
Imogene Clegg
Michael Ripper
Jeremiah Mipps
Martin Benson
Mr. Rash
David Lodge
Navy Bosun
Derek Francis
Squire Anthony Cobtree

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Graham Scott
Writers: Anthony Hinds
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

64 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Graham Scott, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Don Banks. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter Cushing and Patrick Allen and Oliver Reed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Who knows the truth about the curse of Captain Clegg?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0056277 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Graham Scott directs. Arthur Grant behind the camera. Don Banks scores. Eric Boyd-Perkins cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
264 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Peter Graham Scott, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Don Banks. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Peter Cushing and Patrick Allen and Oliver Reed carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Who knows the truth about the curse of Captain Clegg?".
8IMDB entry: tt0056277 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 77 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Original score: Don Banks
Editing: Eric Boyd-Perkins
Production design: Bernard Robinson
Makeup / hair: Roy Ashton
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Captain Clegg (1962)

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Peter Graham Scott

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John Chard2020-04-26
★ 8/10
Captain Nathaniel Clegg, Pirate, Hanged at Rye, 1776. Captain Clegg (AKA: Night Creatures) is a Hammer-Major production in Eastman Color, it's directed by Peter Graham Scott with a screenplay written by John Elder. It stars Peter Cushing, Yvonne Romain, Patrick Allen, Oliver Reed, Michael Ripper and David Lodge. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by Arthur Grant. "The Romney Marshes-Flat And Desolate-Was The Land Of A Proud And-Independent People. Their Shores Faced The Shores Of France-And Many Was The Shipload Of Wine And Brandy Smuggled Across The Sea In Defiance Of The King's Revenue Men. Many Legends Have Come From This Corner Of England-But None So Widely Believed Or Widely Feared-As The Legend Of The Marsh Phantoms-Who Rode The Land On Dark Misty Nights And Struck Fear Into The Hearts Of All Who Crossed Their Paths." Hammer's film is actually a remake of a little known 1937 film called Doctor Syn that starred George Arliss as the title character and featured Margaret Lockwood in support. For their take on the Captain Clegg/Marsh Phantoms story, Hammer craft a colourful Gothic like mystery/thriller that contains horror elements. It's certainly not overtly horror, something that has undoubtedly threw some horror seekers venturing into the film for the first time. This may explain why to a large extent it remains a largely unknown Hammer picture, which doesn't as yet have a DVD release in the country of its birth! The story is a very good one with smugglers, murders, romantic passions, ghostly apparitions and duplicitous characters. All given an excellent period production design by Bernard Robinson for the interiors, while the exteriors are nicely filmed out of the village of Denham in South Buckinghamshire. Pigeon Pie, Creepy Scarecrow and the Romney Marsh Phantoms. Of course none of the period flavourings and narrative intrigue would mean much if the acting wasn't up to scratch. Which on reflection is another reason why this is something of a criminally under seen Hammer picture. For not only does it have Cushing turning in one of his best performances (blending dandy fop with a crafty undercurrent), it also has a cast around him that are fully committed and effective in their roles. Which nicely includes Hammer stalwart Michael Ripper (as Mipps the undertaker) getting a more meatier role than usual. Patrick Allen (Dial M for Murder) is imposing as the officious Captain Collier, Martin Benson (The King and I) is suitably shifty as Rash and David Lodge (The Cockleshell Heroes) adds the muscle presence as Bosun. Standing out is Olly Reed as Harry, wonderfully dominating his scenes, he does a neat line in brooding, while Romain (The Curse of the Werewolf) is the classic Hammer wench type, pretty with a heaving bosom, she induces lusty lustations in Harry and Rash. There's some plot holes that the alert will not miss, and the big reveal is pretty much sign posted to us at the mid-point. But this is a little cracker that Hammer fans, Cushing fans and fans of period mysteries should definitely seek out. 8/10
Wuchak2022-11-21
★ 7/10
Mysterious adventure at a marsh village on the coast of England in the late 1700s A group of naval militants are sent by the Royal Crown to investigate rumors of smuggling at a coastal town in 1792, where whisperings of spooky “marsh phantoms” abound. Patrick Allen plays the humorless commanding officer of the King’s men while Peter Cushing stars as the genial pastor of the village. “Night Creatures” (1962) is an obscure Hammer production originally called “Captain Clegg” based on the first book in Russell Thorndike's Doctor Syn series – “A Tale of Romney Marsh," which was published in 1915. The title “Night Creatures” is a misnomer while “Captain Clegg” doesn’t work for reason I can’t explain. The working title “The Curse of Captain Clegg” would’ve been more fitting. In any case, this is an 18th century costume melodrama with skullduggery and quite a bit of action, plus some spooky bits. The presence of Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain naturally bring to mind “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961) and this is cut from the same cloth, just minus the lycanthrope trappings. “Witchfinder General” (1968), aka “The Conqueror Worm,” is very comparable. “Black Death” (2010) was no doubt inspired by it, especially the mysterious marsh sequences. Reed was in his prime and the stunning Yvonne Romain has a more significant role than “Curse of the Werewolf.” Meanwhile Cushing was at the top of his game as the interesting protagonist. The movie runs 1 hour, 22 minutes, and was shot in Berkshire & Buckinghamshire, England, both just west of London. GRADE: B
CinemaSerf2024-11-19
★ 7/10
Peter Cushing is super as "Dr. Blyss" in this period mystery as the erudite and charming vicar by day, but the leader of a gang of smugglers by night. "Captain Collier" Patrick Allen is sent to investigate these illegal goings on with a troop of soldiers, and they engage in a enjoyable cat-and-mouse game as Allen tries to discover the leader of the smugglers, and also to lay to rest the myth about "Captain Clegg" - a nefarious pirate reputedly hanged at Tyburn years earlier. It's got a cracking supporting cast - Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed, Martin Benson with Derek Francis ably playing the bumbling local squire and Yvonne Romain as the "serving wench"; with plenty of colour, humour and adventure - well worth a watch.