Fabulous little implicit horror gem from Hammer Studios with subtle performances by Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing. I was amazed to see how youthful looking Peter Cushing looked in this movie compared to just a few years later. Seemed to have come after The Curse of Frankenstein(1957) and The Horror of Dracula(1958). The Abominable Snowman(1957) looks at the notion of the yeti in an abstract manner. The legendary yeti in the film is given an ambiguous quality that makes them into a fearful presence. Intellgent film that could only have been done by the British for filmmakers of Hollywood(many of them) would not make a film richly deep with implicit fright and intellegence. When it comes to creating Science fiction flicks that are scary as well as intellegent the British filmmakers for the most part are bar none the best. Parts of the story reminds me of Frank Capra's Lost Horizon(1937) which also took place in the Himalayas mountains. Both The Abominable Snowman(1957) and Lost Horizon(1937) deal with ideas of spiritality and humanity. Peter Cushing as Dr. Rollason is a good counterpart to the money and fame hungry Dr. Friend played by Forrest Tucker. Peter Cushing gives a gentle and thoughtful performance that is uncharacteristic of the many roles he had for Hammer studios. Imaginating written by Quatermass creator, Nigel Kneale who is a master of suggestive terror. The Abominable Snowman(1957) is one of the main influences besides Cannibal Holocaust(1979) for Blair Witch Project(1999). Abominable Snowman(1957) is a more effective film in suggesting terror than Blair Witch Project(1999) for a couple of reasons. First, the former does show bits and pieces of the yeti which is more imaginative than not showing anything of the witch at all as the latter. Second, the fear and terror felt by the characters in The Abominable Snowman(1957) feels geniune unlike in Blair Witch Project where emotions of fear and terror feel manipulated and forced. An excellent motion picture for a someone like Val Guest whose career is filled with ups and downs. The Abominable Snowman(1957) ends on a thought provoking note about the Yeti as well as other intellegent metaphysical issues.
