The Abominable Snowman

Val Guest directed this atmospheric thriller set in the Himalayas at a remote monastery, where Dr. John Rollason(played by Peter Cushing) is a botanist with his wife(played by Maureen Connell) and associate Peter(played by Richard Wattis). He is awaiting the arrival of American Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker) so that they can undertake a scientific expedition to find the legendary and elusive Yeti. John is dismayed to learn that Friend is really a showman who plans on killing the creature for display, but also uses a corpse to attract a live one as well, which is exactly what happens, though not in the way they expected... intelligent story, fine direction and performances, and an eerie feel all combine to make this a memorable thriller, which discreetly keeps the Yeti mysterious.

Hammer studios made a variety of films for many years before they struck gold with horror movies. One of their first steps in that direction was 'The Quatermass Xperiment', directed by Val Guest and written by Nigel Kneale who adapted his own highly successful TV production. A couple of years later Guest and Kneale did the same again with 'Quatermass 2'. Both were science fiction with some horror, and both were very, very good. Guest and Kneale had an uneasy relationship ("relationship" is probably not even the right word, Guest said he only ever met Kneale a few times), but they collaborated once again on 'The Abominable Snowman'. Despite the title it isn't a monster movie, it's more of an adventure tale with some mysticism and philosophical touches. It was successful commercially, but coming out just before the one-two punch of 'Curse Of Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' (the two movies that really put Hammer on the map) has meant it has all but been forgotten today. When people list the best of Hammer you rarely if ever see 'The Abominable Snowman' mentioned, which is a shame. It's consistently interesting, well acted, stylish and suspenseful. Sadly I haven't seen Kneale's original TV version ('The Creature') so I can't compare the two, but I really enjoyed this movie, especially the performance from Peter Cushing, soon to become a Hammer legend. Forrest Tucker is best known to people of my generation for his comic role in the popular 1960s sitcom 'F Troop'. Pairing him with Cushing might seem an odd choice at first but it really works. Their contrasting styles play off each other, and Tucker is perfect for the role of the ambitious Tom Friend. There's also a good supporting performance from Robert Brown, who later appeared as a caveman in Hammer's 'One Million Years BC'. Later still in the 1980s he played M in several Bond movies. The more Hammer movies I watch the more I am impressed by this legendary studio. "Hammer House Of Horror" yes, but also so much more. 'The Abominable Snowman' is a great example of their originality and versatility.

Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing), his wife, Helen (Maureen Connell), and a colleague, Peter Fox (Richard Wattis), have traveled to a remote location in the Himalayas, ostensibly to study rare plant specimens. However, Helen and Peter soon learn that John had an ulterior motive, when he reveals that a ragtag group of explorers, headed by Dr. Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) are on their way to meet up with John. They plan to lead a small expedition further into the mountains, in search for the infamous abominable snowman, or Yeti.

The Abominable Snowman is a marvelous combination of adventure, horror, and a film with a broader message. The beginning may seem a bit slow to younger viewers, but it is crucial to the plot, and Peter Cushing, as always, turns in a tremendous performance. The monastery setting seems authentic, as do the climbing shots that follow, even though most of the film was shot in Hammer's UK studios and the mountains are actually the Pyrenees in France.

It doesn't take long for director Val Guest to build tension, first dramatically with the ulterior motive revelation and the conflict is causes between John and his wife, then during the Friend expedition's climb, and most importantly, when our crew nears the Yeti. Because the creature effects, especially in the 1950s, can't rival the viewer's imagination, Guest wisely keeps the creatures off-screen for the bulk of the film, and when we see more, it's in heavy shadows. This makes the Yeti material extremely effective.

The message at the end is sincere and poignant, as it also would have been at the time of the film's release, when anthropological exploration of seemingly alien cultures was still regular, captivating news.

Overall a 9 out of 10 for me, and very close to being a 10.

I can remember barely being able to keep my eyes open watching this on a late night horror movie show, because it's not a movie for kids. Didn't realize that then, and so I always remembered it as being a pretty weak film. However, a viewing of the widescreen laserdisc version left me with a strong impression of a very fine adult feature that is more a thriller than a horror film. It lives up to the reputation of Hammer during this period, and of course that of Peter Cushing as the premier actor of the studio. Even Forrest Tucker's typical heavy-handed hamminess cannot take away from this absorbing tale of scientific endeavor clashing with crass commercialism, with a creature of an intellect that bests the men chasing it. I must say that the whole mental telepathy plot point was completely missed upon first viewing, but then I was only 10 at the time, however it now makes all the sense in the world.

Just as the Yeti in the film stood head and shoulders over the humans, so this film stands head and shoulders over most of the horror/monster films of the 1950's.

You wouldn't think so from reading the reviews at the time though; one reviewer thought it too subtle, but that could be another way of describing it as intelligent and stylish, the qualities that make it so watchable 60 years later. The film was also saddled with a poor trailer (it's on YouTube). Obviously the marketing people didn't think the film monsterish enough; the trailer gives totally the wrong impression.

British botanist, John Rollason (Peter Cushing), along with his wife Helen (Maureen Connell) and assistant, Peter Fox (Richard Wattis) arrive at the monastery of Long Buk as the guests of the head lama. They are searching for rare plants. A team of American adventurers led by Doctor Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) also arrives, but this party is searching for the legendary Yeti.

The Americans, Tom Friend and his associate, big game hunter Ed Shelley, are loud, brash and totally ruthless as far as preservation of the Yeti is concerned. The members of the British contingent on the other hand are masters of understatement, impeccably mannered and respectful of all life including the Yeti. This was a British film after all.

Although obviously shot on a sound stage, the monastery scenes are effective replete with gongs, monks and a head lama in deep meditation. What really gives the film visual substance are the snow-covered mountain climbing sequences; they were apparently shot in the Pyrénées, but a mountain is a mountain, and these scenes open out the film.

Eventually, Rollason accompanies Friend on his quest in the interests of science, and without spoiling things too much, they encounter the Yeti. However the outcome is unexpected and gives this film the edge over the mostly cheesy monster movies of the day.

There is a touch of Val Lewton style about this film; it has plenty of mood and there is no rush to reveal the 'monster' with the best effects left to the imagination.