MovieChat Forums > Captain Clegg (1962) Discussion > Overlooked and underappreciated

Overlooked and underappreciated


The old saying "Timing is everything" applies to this little jewel from England's Hammer Films. Based on the Dr. Syn stories by Russel Thorndyke, NIGHT CREATURES (aka CAPTAIN CLEGG) had the misfortune to go into production around the same time Disney's own adaptation of one of the Syn stories did. Although Hammer's film plays more like a remake of the 1937 DR. SYN, because Disney had purchased the rights to certain characters from the stories, Hammer had to rename Dr. Syn, rechristening him Reverend Bliss. (Since Disney made no reference to Syn's alias, Captain Clegg, Hammer was able to retain that.) While Disney's film remains entertaining (and is slated for a DVD release later this year), the Hammer film has been all but buried. One of several Hammer titles released in the U.S. by Universal, they completely ignored it when releasing other titles from the Hammer library on their home video label. Even TV showings have become almost non-existent lately. It's time someone (if not Universal, then maybe Anchor Bay?) gave this film its due.

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I agree with all what you say about Night Creatures, I am a a Hammer film fan, if you have a copy of the above or Terror of the Tongs or any pre 1955 Hammer film, I would be pleased if you could make me a copy, I would send you all costs etc.



All the best Dave

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You're right about how the Hammer film plays. The original Dr Syn film was made after London films bought the rights to the book from Russell Thorndike. Hammer films bought London and therefore had ownership of the rights to the one book. Subsequent books were written and Disney bought the rights to the whole thing. They found out that Hammer were making Captain Clegg and went to court over it. In the end Disney won (what a surprise!!!!) and Hammer were allowed to make the film as long as it was based on the screenplay of the original Dr Syn film and that they changed the names of the characters that Disney wanted to use.
It was a favourite of Peter Cushing's and he did attempt to produce a sequal butit all fell through.
Really wish Disney would let someone make the whole story - its a fantastic saga. Then again there are pirates in it and maybe they're worried about the competition with their latest franchise!!

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The Disney film is actually, according to its onscreen credits, based on the final Syn book, CHRISTOPHER SYN, which is credited as being co-written by William Buchanan and Russell Thorndike. (Vic Crume later did a novelization of the Disney film.) I've read that particular book, and the Disney film does tone it down a bit. For example, one of the Scarecrow's closest associates, after Mipps (who rides with the Scarecrow as "Hellspite"), is a woman (who rides under the name "Curlew"), and you come away with the impression that there might be a relationship between she and Syn...something Disney certainly did not retain. Disney had given some thought to a possible Dr. Syn tv series. If I recall, when I contacted the Disney studio several years back about the Patrick McGoohan film for an article I was working on, they did not actually buy the rights to all of the Syn books, but only licensed certain characters from the saga. It's been a while, so I may be misremembering, but I think the film rights for Syn may still be available. If so, it would be great to see a new production. (I'd like to also see the whole set of novels get reprinted.)

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