Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970).

We’re back to Hammer Horror, back to Christopher Lee, and back to Dracula. In this episode of General Witchfinders, we sink our teeth into Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), the fifth official film in Hammer’s Dracula series and our sixth Hammer Dracula review to date. You can find links to all previous vampire escapades at https://tinyurl.com/Witchdrac.

This British gothic horror classic, directed by Peter Sasdy and written by Hammer regular Anthony Hinds (under the alias John Elder), was nearly a Dracula-free affair. Christopher Lee had originally declined to return, and the script focused instead on Ralph Bates’s doomed Lord Courtley. But Warner Bros. insisted: no Dracula, no deal. So #BigChrisLee once again rises from the grave — bloodthirsty, silent, and furiously regretting his contract.

Taste the Blood of Dracula opens with a satanic ritual involving Dracula’s powdered remains, a trio of Victorian hypocrites, and the ill-fated resurrection of evil. It’s a moody, blood-soaked revenge tale packed with brooding graveyards and Hammer’s trademark blend of sex, sin and satin capes.

Cast Highlights:

• Christopher Lee as Count Dracula — in his fourth Dracula outing for Hammer.
• Ralph Bates as Lord Courtley — Hammer’s would-be replacement for Lee.
• Geoffrey Keen as William Hargood — a patriarch with a hidden penchant for brothels.
• Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood — the daughter turned devotee, previously seen in Baby Love and The Blood on Satan’s Claw.
• Peter Sallis as Samuel Paxton — yes, that Peter Sallis: Cleggy, Wallace, and voice of animated British melancholy.
• Roy Kinnear as Weller — bringing tragic optimism, as only Kinnear can.

There’s Hammer horror royalty in every frame, from Linda Hayden’s eerie innocence to Ralph Bates’s foppish devilry. And Geoffrey Keen? You may recognise him as Sir Frederick Gray, the Defence Minister across six Bond films — The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights.

Ralph Bates, meanwhile, would go on to star in Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, The Horror of Frankenstein, Lust for a Vampire, becoming one of Hammer’s key players. He also turned up in the final season of Secret Army (inspiring ’Allo ’Allo), and was once considered for major roles in Lifeforce — as discussed back in episode 39.

Peter Sallis, who we last touched on in our Nicolas Lyndhurst deep-dive (episode 54), had an extraordinary career in British television, from Doctor Who to The Wind in the Willows to Wallace & Gromit. His role in this film might be brief, but his CV is longer than Dracula’s cape.

And finally, Roy Kinnear: from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to Help!, Watership Down, Blake’s 7, and beyond — always brilliant, always beleaguered.

Trivia for the diehards:

• This film was part of a double bill with Crescendo on release.
• The infamous brothel scene was trimmed from the theatrical cut but restored for later DVD editions.
• Released just 22 weeks before Scars of Dracula (covered back in episode 28).

Whether you’re a lifelong Hammer horror collector, a Christopher Lee completist, or simply a fan of vintage British horror with gothic flair, Taste the Blood of Dracula is essential viewing.

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In this episode of General Witchfinders, we revisit one of the most unsettling and prophetic dramas ever broadcast by the BBC – Survivors (1975), created by Terry Nation, the man behind the Daleks and Blake’s 7. Specifically, we’re talking about The Fourth Horseman, the chilling first episode of this 1970s British post-apocalyptic classic.

💀 Trigger warning / content note: this episode contains discussion of global pandemics, mass death, and social collapse. If the subject feels a little too close to home after recent years, we completely understand if you choose to skip this one.

Survivors imagines a world where a man-made virus, accidentally released by a scientist, spreads globally via air travel. Within weeks, nearly the entire population is dead. Society collapses, infrastructure crumbles, and the few who remain must fend for themselves in a near-empty Britain.

This isn’t zombie apocalypse stuff or glossy sci-fi. There’s no government bunker, no miracle cure—just grief, loss, and the brutal reality of surviving in a world where almost everyone is gone.

Created by Terry Nation—best known for creating the Daleks in Doctor Who—Survivors taps into the very real fears of the Cold War era: disease, nuclear disaster, the fragility of civilisation. Nation was also behind Blake’s 7, and brought his trademark bleakness to both series. But before that, he was a comedy writer for the likes of Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers—a strange career path that makes the grim tone of Survivors all the more striking.

The pilot episode features a brilliant, if doomed, ensemble cast. Peter Bowles plays David Grant, alongside Peter Copley as Dr Bronson. Bowles was a fixture of 70s telly (The Bounder, To the Manor Born, Only When I Laugh, Lytton’s Diary, and The Sarah Jane Adventures). Copley also had an enviable run, including The Forsyte Saga, The Avengers, Pyramids of Mars, and The Colour of Magic.

We’re also introduced to the show’s core survivors:

• Carolyn Seymour as Abby Grant – later seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager, ER, Quantum Leap, and more. She’s also a prolific voice actor, particularly for Big Finish.
• Lucy Fleming as Jenny Richards – niece of Ian Fleming and a regular presence in British drama.
• Talfryn Thomas as Tom Price – the go-to Welsh character actor of his day, best known for Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son, Hi-de-Hi!, and Doomwatch.

Although Survivors only ran for three series (1975–77), it remains one of the most grounded and frightening depictions of societal breakdown ever broadcast. The lack of music, the naturalistic dialogue, and the eerie emptiness all contribute to its unsettling power.

Whether you remember watching Survivors when it first aired, or you’re coming to it fresh in an age where its central premise no longer feels far-fetched, this is vintage British TV worth revisiting. It’s thoughtful, well-acted, and grim as hell. Just how we like it.

And if you’d like episodes early (and ad-free), you can support General Witchfinders over on Patreon.

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This time on General Witchfinders, we’re heading back into the blood-soaked, Rage-infected streets of post-apocalyptic Britain with 28 Weeks Later — the 2007 zombie horror sequel to Danny Boyle’s groundbreaking 28 Days Later.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 28 Weeks Later builds on the legacy of 28 Days Later (which we covered in episode 43), expanding the world of the Rage Virus and the aftermath of a collapsed society. While Danny Boyle didn’t direct this time around — due to commitments on Sunshine — he stayed on as executive producer and even directed key sequences himself, including the ferocious opening scene.

The original creators — Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter Alex Garland — initially considered a direct sequel called 29 Days Later, potentially continuing the story of Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris’s characters. Instead, they pivoted to a broader, bleaker vision: an infected London under military quarantine, a supposed victory against the virus, and the inevitable resurgence of horror.

Set weeks after the events of the first film, 28 Weeks Later follows the failed attempt to repopulate a ‘safe zone’ in London, guarded by the US Army. As expected in a British zombie film, things go catastrophically wrong.

Filming took place in iconic London locations, including Canary Wharf and 3 Mills Studios. A sequence planned for Wembley Stadium had to be shot in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium instead. The film’s viral marketing campaign — quite literally — included a huge biohazard warning projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover.

The Rage Virus was back.

Opening in 2007, 28 Weeks Later landed in over 2,000 US cinemas and took nearly $10 million on its opening weekend. It didn’t match the cultural impact of 28 Days Later, but it cemented the franchise as a landmark of modern British horror — helping shape the next wave of post-apocalyptic zombie cinema.

28 Weeks Later features a fresh cast, including Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Idris Elba, and a young Imogen Poots. While none of the original characters return, the film builds on the terrifying groundwork Boyle and Garland laid in 28 Days Later — exploring themes of infection, trust, trauma, and institutional failure.

The trilogy-that-never-was stalled with 28 Months Later, which entered development hell. But a proper sequel, 28 Years Later, has finally been greenlit, with Danny Boyle returning to direct and Cillian Murphy on board as producer. The Rage Virus isn’t done with us yet.

If you’re searching for podcasts about 28 Weeks Later, 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle, zombie movies, the Rage Virus, post-apocalyptic horror, or modern British horror cinema — you’ve found the right episode.

Expect discussion of British zombie films, Rage-infected lore, military horror, abandoned London, and whether 28 Weeks Later holds up next to its predecessor.

🎧 Subscribe to General Witchfinders for more British horror deep dives, and catch up on our previous episode on 28 Days Later for the full Rage Virus experience.

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This time we watched Tomorrow, the Rat — Episode 4 from Series 1 of Doomwatch, first broadcast 2 March 1970 and written by Terence Dudley. That’s four years before James Herbert published The Rats (which we covered in episode 4). It’s highly likely he was inspired by this vintage BBC sci-fi thriller—pen in hand, watching Doomwatch unfold.

Doomwatch was a vintage BBC science fiction series that aired from 1970 to 1972. A prime example of British sci-fi, it followed a government scientific agency led by Dr Spencer Quist (John Paul) investigating futuristic environmental and technological threats. Think of it as classic BBC sci-fi with serious Black Mirror energy.

The show was created by Doctor Who masterminds Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler—the very same duo who invented the Cybermen. Davis had been a Doctor Who story editor; Pedler served as scientific adviser. Their fascination with the dangers of science run amok became the foundation of Doomwatch, this cult BBC science fiction drama.

Series 1 and 2 each had thirteen episodes; Series 3 had twelve (though one, Sex and Violence, was never broadcast). The BBC got cold feet, possibly due to real execution footage and unflattering portrayals of public figures like Mary Whitehouse and Cliff Richard.

As with far too much vintage BBC content, parts of Doomwatch are missing—wiped or taped over. At its peak, the show pulled in over 13 million viewers, cementing its place in classic British sci-fi history.

Dr Quist was a Nobel-winning physicist haunted by his involvement in the Manhattan Project. (Yes, he appears in Oppenheimer.) John Paul, who played him, was a familiar face on British television: I, Claudius, Triangle, The Avengers, The New Avengers—proper BBC veteran.

Toby Wren, played by Robert Powell (who we talked about in episode 46, The Survivor), was a key figure in Series 1. He met a legendary end in the finale, Survival Code. Powell asked to go out with a bang—literally. The BBC received more letters about his on-screen death than any issue since World War II.

This episode, Tomorrow, the Rat, was written by Terence Dudley—then the producer of Doomwatch. Dudley directed three episodes and went on to work extensively in Doctor Who, including directing Meglos (1980), and writing Four to Doomsday, Black Orchid, and The King’s Demons. He also wrote Target novelisations and K-9 and Company. Classic vintage BBC sci-fi pedigree.

Simon Oates plays Dr John Ridge—you may remember him from Beasts (The Dummy episode, which we reviewed in 44a). He also played Steed in the stage version of The Avengers.

Penelope Lee appears as Dr Mary Bryant. She once auditioned to play Barbara, the Doctor’s original companion. She later voiced Lyn Driver in The Plague Dogs (a British animation not for the faint-hearted) and a computer in Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks. She also featured in Richard Donner’s Superman as the Ninth Elder. Peak British sci-fi credentials.

Hamilton Dyce turns up as the Minister. You might recognise him as Major General Scobie in Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space—another vintage BBC sci-fi staple.

And no, before you ask, none of this cast ever turned up in Boon.

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Sorry to audio-spam you all, but we've got two things on the go that we thought you might like to hear about:

First up, Jon’s teamed up with his designer mate Sean Rees to create a photography book celebrating his 25-year love affair with the South Wales Valleys. It’s 72 pages of full-colour images and B5 sized.

He’s currently crowdfunding it, so if you’d like to get a copy, head here:

👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/valleys-photography-book

And secondly, the second issue of our General Witchfinders horror ’zine is now out!

76 pages of pagan rites, glam rock ghosts, Catholic dread, murderous roadies and more. Strange stories. Fantastic articles. Killer art.

You can pick one up here:

👉 https://ko-fi.com/s/b70a30924c

We’d love your support — whether it’s a purchase, a share, or just telling your spooky mates.

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In this episode of General Witchfinders, we take a close look at The Creeping Flesh (1973), a British horror film from cult studio Tigon British Film Productions. Best known for low-budget horror that ran alongside the likes of Hammer Horror and Amicus, Tigon was founded in 1966 by Tony Tenser and operated out of Hammer House on Wardour Street in London. This marks our first dive into their back catalogue—and what a place to start.

The Creeping Flesh stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (#BigChrisLee) as brothers on opposing ends of a bizarre scientific discovery involving an ancient skeleton, reanimation, and some very shaky ideas about inherited evil. Lorna Heilbron plays opposite them as the increasingly disturbed Penelope.

The film was directed by Freddie Francis, a key figure in British horror cinema. Francis replaced Don Sharp at the last minute and brought his usual visual flair, having previously directed Paranoiac, The Evil of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Tales from the Crypt. He’s also better known in wider circles for his cinematography—earning two Academy Awards and five BAFTAs for work on Sons and Lovers, The Elephant Man, The Innocents, Return to Oz, and Glory. He also worked on Dune, Cape Fear, and even music videos for All Saints and Jimmy Nail.

Cinematographer Norman Warwick handled the visuals on The Creeping Flesh. Warwick was also behind the camera for The Abominable Dr. Phibes (see Episode 10), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, and Confessions of a Window Cleaner. The film was shot at Shepperton Studios and Thorpe House in Surrey.

We believe The Creeping Flesh was the 20th film pairing Cushing and Lee, likely falling between Horror Express (Episode 7) and Nothing but the Night (Episode 42). We’re happy to be corrected—find us on BlueSky @generalwitch.

Subscribe, listen, and join us as we explore the world of British cult horror, Tigon films, and everything in between.

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Join us for Hammer’s Hands of the Ripper, a 1971 British horror film released as the second half of a double feature with Twins of Evil. Directed by Peter Sasdy, produced by Aida Young, and written by L.W. Davidson from a story by Edward Spencer Shew.

Making good use of the large Baker Street set at Pinewood Studios—left over from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes—the production was denied permission to film its final scenes at St. Paul's Cathedral, so a replica was constructed instead. If the Pritchards' home and staircase look familiar, it’s because Hammer’s ever-resourceful set designers reused elements from The Curse of Frankenstein years earlier (see episode 2 of our podcast for more on that classic).

Director Peter Sasdy, who cited Hands of the Ripper as his favourite film, also directed the original Adrian Mole TV series (both The Secret Diary and The Growing Pains), three episodes of Hammer House of Horror, and two other Hammer features: Countess Dracula and Taste the Blood of Dracula (the latter coming to the podcast later this year, hopefully). Most monumentally, he directed the legendary BBC sci-fi thriller The Stone Tape (definitely check General Witchfinders number 5—our third most popular episode to date!).

Eric Porter stars as Doctor Pritchard. Renowned for his work in film, television, and theatre, he famously played Professor Moriarty opposite Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes and Soames Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga.

Angharad Rees plays Anna, the daughter of the Ripper. She appeared in Boon (take a drink), starred as Demelza in 28 episodes of Poldark, and, the year after Hands of the Ripper, featured in Under Milk Wood alongside Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, and Elizabeth Taylor. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, had a pub named after her in Pontypridd (sadly now a card shop), and founded a Knightsbridge jewellery company, Angharad. Pieces she designed were featured in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Wikipedia also notes she was once in a relationship with Alan Bates, which we mention only to plug episode 35, where we talked about The Shout.

Lynda "Nurse Gladys Emmanuel" Baron appears as Long Liz—a curious name choice considering Long Liz was an actual canonical Ripper victim. Here, she’s depicted alive and well (at least initially), years after Saucy Jack's supposed demise.

Baron appeared as a recurring character in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, and played three different characters in Doctor Who across three Doctors.

Dora Bryan turns up as Mrs Golding, one of two clairvoyants in the film. You may know her from 50 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, Boon (drink), or as Helen in A Taste of Honey (written by Jon's mum's mate Shelagh Delaney). She (Dora, not Shelagh) also appeared in both a Carry On and a St Trinian's.

Lastly, Norman Bird pops up as the Police Inspector. If he looks familiar, it's because he had over 200 TV and 60 film roles. He was in Spywatch (as Mr Jenkins), Boon (drink), Woof!, Whack-O!, and Help! (with Stephen Mangan). He also did a stint in Jim Davidson’s Up the Elephant and Round the Castle—only mentioned because Ross was convinced it was alongside Marina Sirtis, but IMDb says she was in just one episode?

Anyway, back to Norman Bird. He appeared in The Adventure Game, Whistle Down the Wind, Steptoe and Son, Fawlty Towers, Please Sir!, and The Medusa Touch (on our long list since day one). He was Mr Braithwaite, the farmer, in Worzel Gummidge and voiced Bilbo in the 1978 Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings.

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Bear with us this month, listeners, as we take a left turn down Duckett's Passage to talk about something a little different from our usual classic British horror.

Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst, born April 1961, is an English actor who began his career as a child actor and is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which ran from 1981 to 2003.

PART ONE:

Tonight's first topic covers his role as the time-travelling bigamist Gary Sparrow in the British sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. Created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran and produced by the BBC, Goodnight Sweetheart ran from 1993 to 1999, broadcasting a total of six series.

The sitcom follows Gary Sparrow, an accidental time traveller living a double life through a time portal that connects 1990s London with 1940s wartime London. While the show's creators, who also made Birds of a Feather and The New Statesman, wrote most of the episodes, we chose to watch series six, episode one ("Mine's a Double") and episode five ("The 'Ouses in Between") because they had at least a tenuous link to our podcast's premise. These episodes were written by Gary Lawson and John Phelps (as a writing team) and Geoff Rowley, respectively.

‘Sweetheart featured Victor McGuire as Ron Wheatcroft, Gary's best friend in every episode of the show. McGuire is best known for playing Jack Boswell in Carla Lane's Bread. Related to our areas of interest, he appeared in an episode of Chernobyl, was a bar patron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, played Police Officer No. 1 in 2005's Hellraiser: Hellworld, and portrayed Gerald Hardy in the 2012 Daniel Radcliffe version of The Woman in Black.

Dervla Kirwan played Gary's wartime love interest and later wife, Phoebe, in the first three series before being replaced by Elizabeth Carling. Carling was briefly engaged to Neil Morrissey, whom she met while both were in the oft-mentioned Boon; she also appeared alongside him in an episode of the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. After ‘Sweetheart, she released an album of wartime covers, also titled Goodnight Sweetheart.

Similarly, the role of Gary's modern-day wife, Yvonne, was initially played by Michelle Holmes, who rose to prominence as Sue, one of the babysitters in Rita, Sue and Bob Too. After three seasons, she was replaced by Emma Amos, who appeared in Vera Drake, Bridget Jones's Diary, and an episode of Murder Most Horrid with Dawn French (cue Jon singing the theme tune). We've mentioned "Rear of the Year" a few times on this show, so it's worth noting that Amos was (according to Wikipedia — although Ross can't verify this) voted as having "TV's Best Legs" by readers of The Economist.

PART TWO:

We also listened to Channel Crossing by Rosemary Timperley. This was an episode of Haunted: Stories of the Supernatural, which ran for several years on the BBC World Service in the early 1980s and has since had a second life on Radio 4 Extra (thanks to Mysterious Magpie on YouTube for sharing some of these stories so we count listen to review it today).

Rosemary Timperley was an author of over sixty novels and hundreds of short stories and feature articles, best known for her classic ghost stories The Mistress in Black and Christmas Meeting. Although primarily a mainstream writer, Timperley wrote numerous short stories that explored different aspects of the supernatural. She was well known for editing five volumes in a series of ghost story anthologies. Timperley also wrote several acclaimed radio and television scripts, and her short story Harry has been adapted to film multiple times.

This episode featured Nicholas Lyndhurst as Jack, Peter Sallis as Edward, Patsy Rowlands as Frances, Gregory de Polnay as Gregory, and Sonia Fraser as Annabelle.

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It’s 17th February 1964 – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by The Righteous Brothers is at number one in the UK. Sir Alec Douglas-Home is Prime Minister, Beatlemania has erupted in the United States, Southampton has been granted city status (can you tell this script was running short?), and the Channel Tunnel Agreement was signed, with an estimated completion time of five years (though it would actually take 30). Meanwhile, at the cinema, released as a double feature with The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, is today’s topic – The Gorgon.    

Anthony Nelson Keys, one of four filmmaking sons of comedian Nelson "Bunch" Keys, is well-known in this parish for a number of topics we’ve discussed before, including Quatermass and the Pit (Ep 34) and The Reptile (Ep 19). He joined Hammer in 1956 as an associate producer, later becoming a producer and occasional screenwriter. Keys also served as General Manager of Bray Studios in the 1960s and eventually co-founded Charlemagne Productions with Christopher Lee—or should that be production (singular)? As we know, they managed only one film together: Nothing but the Night (covered in Episode 42).     

Richard Pasco plays Paul Heitz. Late in his career, he starred as Tom Colley in The Watcher in the Woods, a favorite film from Ross’s youth that we must cover one day. Before that, he played Cardinal Richelieu in the 1966 TV adaptation of The Three Musketeers and Dr. Boris Zargo in Rasputin: The Mad Monk.    

#BigChrisLee appears as Professor Karl Meister, while his best buddy Peter Cushing plays Dr. Namaroff. Despite popular belief that they always worked together, the pair hadn’t shared the screen in four years before this production began.    

Barbara Shelley stars as Carla Hoffman. Born Barbara Teresa Kowin in 1932, Shelley appeared in over 100 films and TV series. She’s celebrated for her roles in horror classics like Village of the Damned, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk, and Quatermass and the Pit.    

For the role of the monster, former ballerina Prudence Hyman was cast, as the creature was intended to float gracefully, almost like a wraith. (Spoiler alert!) Shelley had hoped to play her character’s Gorgon form herself for continuity and even suggested using a special wig with live green garden snakes for realism. Unfortunately, the idea was rejected due to budget and time constraints. After seeing the disappointing Gorgon effects in the final cut, Keys admitted to Shelley that her suggestion might have been the better choice. As #BigChrisLee quipped, “The only thing wrong with The Gorgon is the Gorgon!”    

Visually, this film is stunning, so let’s give a shoutout to Michael Reed’s cinematography and Bernard Robinson’s production design. Michael Reed’s CV includes Dracula: Prince of Darkness, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and five episodes of CITVs Press Gang. Meanwhile, Bernard Robinson designed some of Hammer’s greatest productions, spanning from the very first to the last of their classic horror films.    

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The original run of A Ghost Story for Christmas aired on the BBC from 1971 to 1978, bringing classic ghost stories to television and keeping alive the tradition of sharing supernatural tales during the Christmas season. 

In our journey through the series, we’ve covered A Warning to the Curious and The Signalman in Episode 21, Whistle and I’ll Come to You and Stigma in Episode 32, and The Stalls of Barchester alongside The Treasure of Abbot Thomas in Episodes 41a and 41b. 

Just five days ago, on Christmas Eve, we delved into The Ash Tree. If you missed it, you can find it in our podcast feed. And tonight, as we stand on the brink of the space year 2025, we’re excited to bring you Lost Hearts. 

Written by Robin Chapman, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator Lawrence Gordon Clark, Lost Hearts is based on the 1895 ghost story of the same name by M.R. James. It first aired on BBC1 on December 25, 1973, marking the first installment in the series to be broadcast on Christmas Day itself—and one of only three to ever air on that date. 

Robin Chapman also wrote 30 episodes of Tales of the Unexpected. (Seek out episode 29, where good old Bernard Cribbins makes an appearance.) 

The film features Joseph O’Conor as Mr. Abney. O’Conor lent his voice to the narrator in (the best Muppet movie) The Dark Crystal, played Mr. Brownlow in Oliver! (cue James mentioning the exclamation point here), and portrayed the Coroner in The Gorgon—but more on that soon. 

Simon Gipps-Kent plays Stephen, the young protagonist. Tragically, Gipps-Kent passed away at just 28 years old. However, in his brief career, he appeared in several notable films and TV shows of interest to our listener. He played Paul in The Tomorrow People, had a brief role in Quadrophenia, portrayed Seth in the Doctor Who serial The Horns of Nimon, and starred in something called A Traveller in Time from 1978. which was filmed at Babington House, a farmhouse owned by the parents of Blue Peter presenter Simon Groom. 

In 2018, Severn Film Productions released a new adaptation of Lost Hearts, directed by Max Van De Banks. This version updated the story to the 1940s (and later 1953). After the death of Stephen’s parents, the young boy is evacuated to the countryside during World War II. Unusually, this production was filmed in two parts: the main elements were shot in 2005, while the beginning and ending scenes were filmed in 2016. Louis Newton, who played Stephen in 2005, returned to portray him as a young man recounting the events to his bride-to-be ten years later.

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A Ghost Story for Christmas is a series of annual British short films first broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and sporadically revived by the BBC since 2005. With one exception, the original films were directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and shot on 16 mm color film. The series aimed to adapt classic ghost stories for television, echoing the tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas.

So far, we’ve covered A Warning to the Curious and The Signalman in Episode 21, Whistle and I’ll Come to You and Stigma in Episode 32, and The Stalls of Barchester along with The Treasure of Abbot Thomas in Episodes 41a and 41b.

This year, we’re bringing you Lost Hearts on New Year’s Eve. But tonight, Christmas Eve—the traditional night for ghost stories—we’ll be discussing The Ash Tree.

Written for the screen by David Rudkin and based on M.R. James’s short story, The Ash Tree was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. Looking back at Clark’s credits, it’s surprising we haven’t mentioned that he also directed one of our favorite monkey-man TV drama events from the 1990s—Chimera. That’s definitely something we should cover, assuming we can find a way to watch it.

The Ash Tree aired on December 23, 1975, and featured Edward Petherbridge in the dual roles of Sir Richard and Sir Matthew. According to IMDb, Petherbridge began his career in 1961 and appeared in a wide range of film and TV roles. He’s apparently best known as the sharp and snooty sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey in The Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries. Impressively, he kept working until 2017, with one of his final roles being the voice of a gentleman fish in one of Tim Burton’s Alice films.

The cast also included Preston Lockwood as Dr. Croome, Barbara Ewing as Anne Mothersole, and, happily for our status as a secret Doctor Who podcast (though perhaps less happily for James), Lalla Ward as Lady Augusta.

Barbara Ewing had an impressive career on the small screen, appearing in shows like Peak Practice, Casualty, The Bill, an episode of Hammer House of Horror, and even the Pertwee-fronted game show Whodunnit?. She also appeared in Chiller, a British horror/fantasy anthology series from 1995 that Ross has somehow never seen but seems to pop up constantly on people’s CVs. are you two aware of this and should we be covering it?) Beyond acting, Ewing is also an accomplished novelist, with nine books to her name. Her novel A Dangerous Vine even made the long list for the Orange Prize.

Lalla Ward had a fascinating career trajectory. Her first film after leaving the Central School of Speech and Drama was Hammer’s Vampire Circus. She was close friends with Douglas Adams, who famously took her as his date to a screening of The Empire Strikes Back in the early 1980s. Adams also introduced her to her second husband, Richard Dawkins (for whom she would later provide illustrations for his controversial books), at his 40th birthday party—they were the only two who showed up on time! Of course, her first husband was Tom Baker, with whom she starred in Doctor Who as the second incarnation of the Time Lady Romana from 1979 to 1981.

There really should be a General Witchfinders drinking game where you take a sip every time we mention someone in this next bit: In 2019, a modern-day audio adaptation of The Ash Tree was released by Bafflegab Productions. Written by Matthew Holness, it starred Amanda Abbington, Reece Shearsmith, and John Sessions.

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Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter is a 1974 British swashbuckling action horror film, written and directed by Brian Clemens in his directorial debut. Clemens was celebrated for his work as a screenwriter, particularly for his contributions to British television series. Prior to Captain Kronos, he wrote and produced Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde for Hammer. Other films he wrote that fall into and circle around our areas of interest include And Soon the Darkness (which he wrote with Dalek creator Terry Nation), See No Evil (the 1971 Mia Farrow film,), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The Watcher in the Woods (one of Disney's forays into horror and one of Ross's all-time favorites), and one of the most bizarre sequels of all time—Highlander II: The Quickening. According to his son Samuel, Clemens' last words were, "I did quite a good job," spoken after watching an episode of The Avengers.

In Captain Kronos, the titular character is played by Horst Janson, famous in Germany for his role in Salto Mortale, where he portrayed a trapeze artist. He later became familiar to younger audiences as "Horst" in Sesamstrasse, the German adaptation of Sesame Street, which he hosted from 1980 to 1983. The Captain's voice was dubbed in this film due to Janson's strong German accent, with Julian Holloway taking on the task. Holloway, who featured in eight Carry On films before moving into voice-over work, has recently voiced Prime Minister Almec and Admiral Kilian in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also appeared in Doctor Who's last story of the classic era, Survival. In 1976, he had a brief relationship with Tessa Dahl, daughter of Patricia Neal and Roald Dahl, which produced one daughter, the author and former model Sophie Dahl, who was born the following year.

The supporting cast includes John Carson as Dr. Marcus, a physician who enlists Kronos's help to investigate strange deaths in his village. Carson, often noted for his voice that bears a striking resemblance to James Mason’s, was a Hammer regular with appearances in Taste the Blood of Dracula and The Plague of the Zombies.

Caroline Munro appears as Carla, a Romanian girl who becomes Kronos's feisty sidekick. Known for her glamorous looks, Munro rose to fame as the "Lamb's Navy Rum" poster girl, a role she held for ten years. She initially caught Hammer’s attention through her work on The Abominable Dr. Phibes, where she played Vincent Price's silent, deceased wife, and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again (check out episode 10 for our review of the first of those two "classics"). As well as this film, she of course appeared in the subject of our very first podcast episode, Dracula A.D. 1972. Outside Hammer, Munro went on to play the slave girl Margiana in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, the princess in At the Earth's Core, and the deadly Bond girl Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me, turning down the role of Ursa in Superman to accept it.

The film’s score was composed by Laurie Johnson, who, from the 1960s to the 1980s, composed over fifty themes and scores, including the theme used on This Is Your Life (entitled "Gala Performance"), The Avengers (from 1965), Animal Magic (entitled "Las Vegas"), Jason King, The New Avengers, and The Professionals.

Though Captain Kronos was shot in 1972, it was delayed and eventually released in 1974. The film was intended to kick off a series featuring Kronos and his companions, but no sequels were made—although there have been a number of follow up comic book adventures.

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The Dæmons is the final story in the eighth season of Doctor Who, with Jon Pertwee playing the eponymous hero (see episode 48 covering The House That Dripped Blood for some fantastic Pertrivia). It aired over five weeks on BBC1 from 22 May to 19 June 1971.

In The Dæmons, the Master, played by Roger Delgado, awakens the ancient horned alien Azal, hoping to gain his immense power. Delgado, a close friend of Pertwee, worked extensively on stage, TV, film, and radio. His work included the BBC’s Quatermass II, Battle of the River Plate, Hammer's The Mummy's Shroud, and English dubbing for The Horror Express (see episode 7). He often played villains in British action-adventure series like Danger Man, The Saint, The Champions, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Tragically, Delgado died in a car accident in Turkey while filming a Franco-German mini-series. He was only 55 years old.

The Dæmons began as an audition scene for Jo Grant, played by Katy Manning, and was later reworked into episode four. Manning attended Miss Dixon and Miss Wolfe's School for Girls, becoming close friends with Liza Minnelli. She socialized with stars like James Mason, Dirk Bogarde, and had tea with Noël Coward at The Savoy. As a teenager, she modeled for Biba and dated Jimi Hendrix, Richard Eyre, David Troughton, Derek Fowlds, Stewart Bevan, and Peter Bardens, Rod Stewart’s keyboard player.

Manning had a close bond with Pertwee, who would pick her up daily for filming, either in his car or on his motorbike, where she would ride pillion. They even raced with Dick Emery and Sir Ralph Richardson to see who could reach the BBC studios first. After three years on Doctor Who, Manning left to pursue other acting work. Pertwee was saddened by her departure, citing her exit and Delgado’s death as two major reasons for leaving the show a year later.

Producer Barry Letts wanted to write a story about black magic to tap into the zeitgeist of the Age of Aquarius and frighten young viewers. However, script editor Terrance Dicks had concerns it might be seen as Satanist. The story was revised to focus on a scientific threat with occult themes. Originally, the Master was to worship the demon in a church, but to avoid offending religious viewers, the scenes were moved to a crypt, later referred to as a cavern (though the set remained crypt-like). Letts co-wrote the script with playwright Robert Sloman under the pseudonym Guy Leopold, as the BBC frowned on production staff writing for their own shows.

Much of the serial was filmed on location in Aldbourne, Wiltshire, with two weeks allocated for filming—more than double the usual time—leading to more outdoor scenes.

The cast included comedy actress Damaris Hayman, who starred as Miss Hawthorne. Hayman had an interest in the supernatural and served as an unofficial adviser on the production. Her friend, a practicing witch, praised the accuracy of the scripts. Future Sooty puppeteer Matthew Corbett had a brief role in the final episode as a hooded coven member who objects to Jo’s sacrifice. Corbett, whose great-uncle was Harry Ramsden of fish-and-chip fame, had to change his name when joining the actors' union Equity, as there was already a Peter Corbett registered.

Studio taping for The Dæmons was completed on 16 May 1971, just weeks before the final episode aired. This episode included footage of a model church being blown up, which was so realistic that it prompted viewer complaints. If the clip of the Brigadier's helicopter crashing into the heat shield looks familiar, it was borrowed from the James Bond film From Russia with Love.

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This time, we listened to and read Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman.

Robert Fordyce Aickman was an English conservationist and writer. As a conservationist, he played a key role in preserving and restoring England's inland canal system. As a writer, he is best known for his supernatural fiction, which he described as "strange stories."

On his mother’s side, Aickman was the grandson of the prolific Victorian novelist Richard Marsh. Marsh is known for his occult thriller The Beetle, a book as popular in its time as Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Aickman is best known for his 48 "strange stories," published across eight volumes.

Podcast favorite Jeremy Dyson has adapted Aickman’s work in various forms. Listen to episode 8 for our most in-depth look at Jeremy’s work. A musical version of Aickman’s short story The Same Dog, co-written by Dyson and Joby Talbot, premiered in 2000 at the Barbican Concert Hall.

In 2000, Dyson, along with his League of Gentlemen collaborator Mark Gatiss, adapted Ringing the Changes into a BBC Radio Four play, airing exactly twenty years after the CBC adaptation. This adaptation was intended to start a tradition of 'An Aickman Story for Halloween,' but unfortunately, it did not continue. Dyson also directed a 2002 short film based on Aickman’s story The Cicerones, with Gatiss as the principal actor.

It is this Dyson/Gatiss adaptation that we listened to for this episode. (Thanks to ‘Mysterious Magpie’ for putting this up on YouTube so we could listen to it)

The cast includes George Baker as Gerald. Baker is known for his roles in The Dam Busters as Flight Lieutenant D. J. H. Maltby, Tiberius in I, Claudius, D.C.I. Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Decider Logrin in the Doctor Who story Full Circle, and appearances in two James Bond films.

Fiona Allen plays Phrynne. Allen is an actress and writer known for 24 Hour Party People, Smack the Pony, and Poirot. She has been married to Michael Parkinson since April 2001. This surprised Ross when writing this until he discovered it wasn’t ‘That’ Michael Parkinson (see episode 18 of this podcast for more about him). Instead, it’s the patronymic son of the chat show legend, whom she met while he was working as a location manager on Smack the Pony. Confused? I am!

Friend of the show Mark Gatiss appears as the Narrator and Mr. Pascoe, the landlord. 

Commandant Shortcroft is played by Michael Cochrane, known for his role in 280 episodes of The Archers, Arnold (Private Godfrey) Ridley in We’re Doomed! The Dad’s Army Story, and for playing three different characters in three different episodes of Heartbeat.

Barbara Shelley plays Mrs. Pascoe. Known to our podcast listeners for her portrayal of Barbara Judd in the Hammer version of Quatermass and the Pit (reviewed in episode 34), she also starred in The Village of the Damned (which we need to review soon), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (one of the Dracula films we still need to cover), Rasputin: The Mad Monk, The Gorgon, and the 1958 Hammer wannabe Blood of the Vampire, written by Jimmy Sangster. 

She also appeared in both Blake’s 7 and Doctor Who— as I'm sure James is dying to know, we can tell you she played Sorasta in Planet of Fire and was considered for the role of Tanha in Snakedance… but that’s enough Doctor Who for now…

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"The House That Dripped Blood" is a 1971 British anthology horror film directed by Peter Duffell and distributed by Amicus Productions. The film is a collection of four short stories, each concerning a series of inhabitants of the eponymous building.

Denholm Elliott appears in the segment "Method for Murder," playing Charles Hillyer. He is joined by Joanna Dunham, who portrays Alice Hillyer, Charles' wife.

Peter Cushing stars in the segment "Waxworks," portraying Philip Grayson. Joss Ackland (known for "Lethal Weapon 2," "Watership Down," and "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," among over 100 other films) plays Neville Rogers, Grayson's friend. Wolfe Morris appears as the Waxworks Proprietor.

Christopher Lee appears in the segment "Sweets to the Sweet," playing John Reid. He is joined by Nyree Dawn Porter (star of "The Forsyte Saga," who turned down the lead female role in "The Avengers") as Ann Norton, the tutor hired to care for Reid's daughter.

Jon Pertwee features in the segment "The Cloak," portraying Paul Henderson. Ingrid Pitt plays Carla Lind, Henderson's co-star and love interest in the vampire film they're working on.

All of the stories were written by Robert Bloch, best known as the writer of "Psycho." Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels and was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft.

Amicus films are sometimes mistaken for the output of Hammer Films due to their similar visual style and use of some of the same actors. However, unlike the period gothic Hammer films, Amicus productions were usually set in the present day.

In the Second World War, Denholm Elliott (famous to this podcast for his titular role as the Signalman in the BBC "Ghost Story for Christmas," podcast episode 21) joined the Royal Air Force, training as a wireless operator/air gunner in 1942. His aircraft was hit by flak and subsequently ditched in the North Sea. Elliott and four of his crewmen survived, and he spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft VIIIb, a prisoner-of-war camp.

Later, Pertwee was attached to the top-secret Naval Intelligence Division, working alongside future James Bond author (and of course Big Chris Lee’s cousin) Ian Fleming and reporting directly to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In 1967, he was chosen by "Dad's Army" producer David Croft for the role of Captain Mainwaring, but Pertwee turned it down. In 1969, Pertwee asked his agent to apply for the role of Doctor Who and was surprised to find he was already on the shortlist. He was the second choice for the role; Ron Moody was the first but was unavailable.

Jon Pertwee later claimed that "The House That Dripped Blood" was meant to be a comedy-horror film and was initially filmed in that way. However, during the production, "the producer came in, took one look at what we are doing, and went raving mad," insisting it be a horror film and not a comedy. This change meant a shift in tone, but the material already filmed remained, resulting in the film dipping in quality and edits to remove comedy elements from Pertwee's sequences. He also admitted that he intentionally based his character on his co-star and friend Christopher Lee. In a scene where Jon's character talks about favourite roles, he says that he prefers Bela Lugosi's Dracula rather than "the chap who plays him nowadays."

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Inside No. 9 is a British black comedy anthology series that aired from February 5, 2014, to June 12, 2024. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and produced by the BBC. The only recurring elements are a setting related to the number 9 and a hidden brass hare statue. The show blends comedy, horror, and plot twists.

The episode we watched, "The Devil of Christmas," is a Christmas special and the first episode of the third series, aired on December 27, 2016. Directed by Graeme Harper and written by Pemberton and Shearsmith, it took heavy inspiration from 1970s anthology programs such as Beasts (see episode 27 and 44 a and b), and Tales of the Unexpected (listen to episode 29 for more details), filmed at Studio D in the BBC Elstree Centre with rented 1970s costumes and props, the production used retrofitted 1970s cameras and lighting. This approach differed from the usual single-camera setup of the series. Producer Adam Tandy noted the blend of heritage and modern technology, while Shearsmith remarked "it looks shit, but it's brilliant".

Graeme Harper, the episode's director, is well-known for his work on Doctor Who, being the only person to direct both the original and revived series. Harper's direction was widely acclaimed, with Peter Davison praising him as the best director he worked with on Doctor Who.

The episode featured Rula Lenska, born Roza Maria Leopoldyna Lubienski, who has appeared in Special Branch, Minder, Boon, The Detectives, Footballers' Wives, To the Manor Born, One Foot in the Grave, Casualty, Space: 1999, Return of the Saint, Robin of Sherwood, Doctors, and EastEnders, where she played Frank Butcher's girlfriend, Krystle, in a 2002 Costa del Sol special. In the 1970s, she was shortlisted for the role of companion Jo Grant in Doctor Who and later appeared in Resurrection of the Daleks. She starred as Mrs. Peacock in series 2 of Cluedo and appeared with John Inman in the series Take a Letter, Mr. Jones.

In 2009, Lenska joined the cast of Coronation Street as Claudia Colby, an old friend of Audrey Roberts. She left in May 2011 to join the Calendar Girls tour. Lenska was married to actors Brian Deacon and Dennis Waterman, with both marriages ending in divorce. She appeared in commercials for Alberto VO5 in the US during the late 1970s, becoming a running joke on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. Her work with the London Gay Men's Chorus led to her participation in the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, where she made headlines for a role-play task with George Galloway.

Since today's topic was a last-minute change to our schedule, we didn't have much time to research Steve and Reece thoroughly. I’m sorry we don’t have more to share about them, but they seem like really nice guys. Both, along with the other two members of the League of Gentlemen, consistently create content that we pretty much universally like, if not love. (Ross is speaking for himself here, but I think Jon and James would agree.)

This episode also features the voice of Sir Derek Jacobi, Professor Yana himself!!!!. Due to time constraints, our research for this episode was limited. We'll need to cover another project featuring Derek so we can properly explore the life and work of this wonderful actor. If you have any suggestions, please tweet us @GeneralWitch1.

In May 2024, it was announced that Pemberton and Shearsmith had adapted the series into a West End stage play, Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright. They will perform in the production, premiering in January 2025 at Wyndham's Theatre, London. (Ross and his wife have tickets to go in April!)

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Intro music from:

Arthemis - Survivor (Destiny's Child Cover)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjYCOtYjCY4

The Survivor is a 1981 supernatural horror Australian-British co-production directed by David Hemmings and starring Robert Powell, Jenny Agutter, and Joseph Cotten.

In Adelaide, Australia (not Eton in the UK as in the original novel written by James Herbert), airline pilot David Keller (played by Powell) survives the crash of his Boeing 747-200, unhurt despite all 300 passengers dying in the accident. With no memories of the accident, he starts to suffer strange supernatural visions.

Director David Hemmings is most famous for his acting roles, including Dildano in Barbarella, Marcus Daly in Dario Argento's Deep Red, and Thomas, the fashion photographer in the hugely successful avant-garde mystery film Blowup – a role turned down by Sean Connery because director Michelangelo Antonioni would not show him the full script but only a seven-page treatment stored in a cigarette packet. Hemmings would later feature in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Connery 37 years later.

Robert Powell, best known for his portrayal of a charismatic cult leader/son of a carpenter in the 1977 epic television drama series Jesus of Nazareth, also played secret agent Richard Hannay in The Thirty-Nine Steps, appeared in Ken Russell's Tommy as Captain Walker and, at the request of his friend and golf partner, comedian Jasper Carrott, co-starred in the BBC sitcom The Detectives (which ran for five series!). He also lent his voice to the 2002 rock opera The Hound of the Baskervilles by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, playing John Watson. Powell was considered for several roles in Lifeforce (featured in episode 39 of this podcast). A founder member of the Social Democratic Party in 1981, he campaigned alongside Barry Norman on behalf of the party's first leader, Roy Jenkins.

Jenny Agutter (OBE), who plays the role of Hobbs the clairvoyant (a male character in the novel), is best known for her ongoing role in the inexplicably popular Call the Midwife. She also starred in two adaptations of The Railway Children, the critically acclaimed film Walkabout, and, relevant to this podcast, An American Werewolf in London (listen to episode 26 for more info). 

The film also features Joseph Cotten, (best man at Orson Welles's wedding to Rita Hayworth) appeared in five films selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant. In addition to these classics, he appeared in many films and TV programs, including, pertinent to this podcast, one episode of Tales of the Unexpected. He later admitted, "I was in a lot of junk. I get nervous when I don't work." This was his final motion picture, suffering a stroke shortly after working on it.

James Herbert, author of the source novel, sent a note to David Hemmings offering his assistance. He never received a reply, and in 1988 dismissed this film and the later Deadly Eyes (the film adaptation of The Rats) as "They're terrible...absolute rubbish. I can only say - don't blame me." The Survivor was Herbert's third novel, published in 1976, coming after The Rats and The Fog.

The music for this film is by Brian May! …but not the one you're thinking of... This is the Australian Brian May, who has an impressive musical CV, including: The Blue Lagoon, Gallipoli, Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Missing in Action 2 and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.

This was the first Australian movie to cost more than $1 million (Australian) to make. The location was shifted to OZ as a complex tax dodge, allowing English investors to completely write-off on the whole film.

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We return to Hammer Productions with Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, filmed at Elstree Studios in 1972. It marked the final chapter in the Hammer Frankenstein saga and director Terence Fisher's last film. 

The Film Features: 

Peter Cushing in his sixth and final portrayal of Baron Victor Frankenstein, a part he originated in 1957's The Curse of Frankenstein. Despite being 59 and apparently in poor health when he made this film, Cushing still insisted on performing a stunt requiring him to leap from a tabletop onto the hulking creature's back, spinning wildly in circles to subdue the monster gone amok with a sedative. 

Shane Briant as Dr. Simon Helder, best known for his four Hammer appearances, including this film and Demons of the Mind, Straight on Till Morning, and Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (coming soon from General Witchfinders). He reprised the role of Simon Helder years later in the film Sherlock Holmes vs. Frankenstein. 

Madeline Smith as Sarah "Angel" Klauss. Also seen in Hammer's The Vampire Lovers, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Tam-Lin, and Theatre of Blood, she went on to become the first Bond girl of the Roger Moore era, Miss Caruso, in the post-opening titles sequence of Live and Let Die (infamous for the scene where Bond unzips her dress with a magnetic wristwatch). After taking a break from acting to raise her daughter, she is still working now at the age of 74, recently appearing in Mark Gatiss's The Amazing Mr. Blunden. 

And of course, the main event... the feature creature... we have Dave ("Dave Prowse IS Darth Vader") Prowse as the Creature / Herr Schneider. 

Actor, bodybuilder, and strongman Dave Prowse carved a unique path in film history. He's best known for portraying Darth Vader (voiced by American actor James Earl Jones) in the original Star Wars trilogy. However, his career stretched far beyond that iconic role. 

He was a familiar face in the UK as the Green Cross Man, promoting road safety for children. However, in a recurring snub to the beautiful West Country accent, the first two adverts in the series had Prowse's voice dubbed by another actor. Thankfully, he appeared using his own voice in the third advert. 

Dave won the British heavyweight weightlifting championship for three consecutive years (1962-1964). Leading him to compete for England in the 1962 Commonwealth Games. During his bodybuilding training, he befriended future action stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. 

His role as the manservant in Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film, "A Clockwork Orange," caught the eye of Star Wars director George Lucas, which led him to the defining role of Darth Vader. Throughout his film and TV career, Prowse was often typecast with parts such as the circus strongman in Vampire Circus, a Minotaur in (Doctor Who Klaxon)'The Time Monster,' and an android named Coppin in The Tomorrow People.  

He supposedly came close to iconic roles, claiming to have nearly landed the part of Jaws in James Bond and being considered for Conan the Barbarian before those parts went to other actors. 

We are told that Prowse lobbied for the role of Superman in Richard Donner's 1978 film. In a television interview, he recounted his response to being told "we've found our Superman" with a simple "Thank you very much," only to then learn Christopher Reeve had been chosen and Prowse would be his trainer. 

Finally, it's worth noting that David Prowse made his second appearance as a Frankenstein laboratory creation in this film, his first being in The Horror of Frankenstein (uncredited cameo in 1967's Casino Royale aside). He holds the distinction of being the only actor to play a Hammer Frankenstein's monster more than once.

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Welcome back to our “Beasts” Double Bill! Last time, we watched "The Dummy" from the infamous anthology series by General Witchfinders hero Nigel Kneale.

We now leave the smashed-up movie set of "The Dummy" with its snarling Y-fronts-wearing jilted actor and join Angie and Roger Truscott in their secluded Hampshire home for "During Barty's Party." This episode features the only actual 'beasts' as the main threat: in this case, large, super-evolved, intelligent rats.

Elizabeth Sellars plays Angie Truscott, known for "The Mummy's Shroud," and Anthony Bate plays Roger Truscott, heavily channeling Michael Bryant's Peter Brock character from "The Stone Tape." Bate was cast as Doctor Fendehman in "Image of the Fendahl" but dropped out, with Denis Lill taking the role.

Colin Bell plays Barty Wills, the local DJ hosting the titular "Barty's Party," his regular rock and roll radio show. Like the rest of the cast, Bell is only heard, not seen. He is seen, however, in "The Sea Devils" and "Invasion of the Dinosaurs," both Jon Pertwee stories.

Norman Mitchell plays the Police Sergeant. Supposedly, at 18, Mitchell walked from Sheffield to London to become an actor, leading to nearly 200 film appearances, 500 radio broadcasts, and an estimated 2,000 television appearances. He developed a niche of playing policemen, appearing as such in 12 episodes of "Worzel Gummidge," "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" (more on this very soon), "And Now the Screaming Starts!", "Oliver!" and the first Doctor Who Christmas episode, "The Feast of Steven."

John Rhys-Davies plays Peter Newell. Famous for his parts in Lord of the Rings and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Rhys-Daviesis a supporter of the British Conservative Party, Rhys-Davies was a radical leftist in the '60s, who tried to heckle a young Tory MP. But the parliamentarian "shot down the first two hecklers in such brilliant fashion that I decided I ought for once to shut up and listen". The MP was Margaret Thatcher. He is a supporter of Brexit. On 25 April 2019, he appeared as a panellist on the BBC's Question Time. His conduct on the programme towards politician Caroline Lucas was later described as "thuggish and sexist" by some viewers.

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We continue where we left off in episode 27 with our exploration of the 1976 British anthology series "Beasts," written by the legendary Nigel Kneale (who now has his own dedicated page on our website!), tonight we watch the first of two episodes "The Dummy." Directed by Don Leaver (not Cleaver), a veteran of many shows from our youth and boasts credits on two episodes of "Hammer House of Horror": "Witching Time" and "The Mark of Satan"  

Bernard Horsfal as Clyde Boydl: He appeared in classic TV series like the very first episode of "The Avengers" and a four "Doctor Who" serials: "The Mind Robber," "The War Games," "The Planet of the Daleks," and "The Deadly Assassin." 

Glyn Houston as Sidney Stewart: another "Doctor Who" alumnus, having featured in "The Hand of Fear" and "The Awakening." 

The fantastically named Thorley Walters as Sir Ramsey: bringing a wealth of genre experience to the table, playing the Burgermeister in "Vampire Circus, "Dr. Hertz in "Frankenstein Created Woman" and Inspector Frisch in "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed,". Notably, 

Michael Sheard as the Sergeant, who gained fame for his portrayal of the tyrannical schoolteacher Mr. Bronson in Grange Hill during the mid-1980s. He also developed a niche for playing Adolf Hitler, appearing in four films: "Rogue Male," "The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," an uncredited role in "Hitler of the Andes." and in the TV series "The Tomorrow People." Sheard also made appearances in Doctor Who: "The Ark," "Mind of Evil," "Pyramid of Mars," "The Invisible Enemy," "Castrovalva," and "Remembrance of the Daleks. 

We also see Lillias Walker as Joan Eastgate - her obligatory Doctor Who appearance being "Terror of the Zygons", was married to Peter Vaughan, who starred in "Warning to the Curious." (episode 21) 

Patricia Haines as Sheila Boy - She also starred in "Virgin Witch" with first-time actor Vicky Michelle. Haines was married to Michael Caine with whom she had a daughter; sadly, this was her final screen role.  

And finally, of course, one of our most featured actors, Clive Swift (or as the Apple Podcasts AI transcript generator calls him, Kloof Swift). We've covered his career several times now, and I highly recommend Andrew Screens ‘Book of Beasts’ blog for a fantastic, exhaustive biography. 

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