And the Wall Came Tumbling Down

"And the wall came tumbling down" is not a particularly great short film, but I'm already very glad it at least contains action and spectacle all throughout its running time. In every installment of the "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense" installment that I watched thus far; this wasn't the case. This one has a good variety, because it takes place in both medieval times as well as in present day, and there are people getting killed during the film, whereas in other ones there was only a non-stop building up towards the climax.

Former Playboy girl Barbi Benton stars as a historic researcher. She's horribly miscast, of course, but who cares because she's always a joy to behold. The premise is also fantastic, as it deals with the demolishing of an ancient 300-year-old church in the middle of London city. When construction workers start tearing the place down, evil forces are unleashed and a young Londoner relives horrific events that took place in 1643, when a cult of devil-worshipers confiscated the church.

One of my fellow reviewers here said it best when he described "And the Wall Came Tumbling Down" as a crossover between "Witchfinder General" and "The Church". Two great horror titles this short film certainly cannot live up to, but the subject matter is very reminiscent. Far from great, but enjoyable. And it seems to become a tradition in "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense" that the very last shot of every episode is brilliant.

PS: should you also be breaking your head over where you know the grandmother from, she's the hag with the little doggies in "A Fish Called Wanda".

First viewing: November 1984 / Second viewing: October 2003

While this did not inspire the Style Council hit of the following year, "Walls Come Tumbling Down", this "Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense" episode nevertheless ended the series on a high note. Well it was the last one broadcast on Irish TV back in 1984 anyway.

A stirring performance from Gareth "Maxwell House" Hunt provides a key ingredient in our enjoyment of this episode. With credible flashbacks to "witching times" and a relatively spooky atmosphere in the old church, "And The Wall Came Tumbling Down" is a chastening tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice for a man's beliefs. To it I bestow 7/10

Plans to pull down down a Church hit a snag, an old wall inside holds an ancient and powerful, satanic force.

It is horror, but it relies on the imagination to do some of the work, the main strength here is the atmosphere, it's incredibly moody and sinister, they went to great lengths to generate a murky atmosphere, and they succeeded.

Gareth Hunt is the standout, by far the best one in it, he shines, even if some of the acting in support is a little wooden. I'm not the biggest fan of Peter Wyngarde, and I'd say he's true to form here. Patricia Hayes is a delight.

It's a pretty good watch. 7/10

I first saw this in 1984 (a year earlier than the 1985 US date shown on IMDb) when it was broadcast in the UK as an episode of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense. An abandoned church, a hidden room (complete with skeletons), a mysterious cult whose actions are felt across hundreds of years... I should have loved it. Unfortunately, it fails to live up to it's potential. The whole thing has a very pedestrian feel to it, Barbi Benton looks nice but recites her lines as though she learned them just before the cameras rolled, and Gary Waldhorn is wasted with such little screentime. Brian Deacon and Carol Royle are okay, but the best things in it are Gareth Hunt (best known as Gambit in The New Avengers) and Peter Wyngarde (best known as Jason King). They both deserved better. On paper it probably looked like a pretty good project; there's certainly an air of Nigel Kneale about it - especially Quatermass and the Pit (itself superbly adapted by Hammer in 1967) - but it fails to get anywhere close to that quality. The atmospheric church (a real location) and Hunt and Wyngarde get this a 5/10.

The Hammer films were horror classics of the 1960s. Unlike modern films they relied more on atmosphere than special effects - not because that was beyond their makers resources - but because that was what made a good horror film. "And the Wall Came Tumbling Down" is a late addition to the corpus of Hammer works (no pun intended).

Though it perhaps suffers from the limitations of a TV production, this film deserves to be seen. From the initial breaking down of a wall in a church due to be demolished, to the final appallingly chilling climax, the film positively reeks with atmosphere.

If you like to be frightened, or have fond memories of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and the original Hammer films, this one is for you.

This is a nice atmospheric horror in the Hammer tradition. The denouemont is slightly shocking, and the best moments are the carefully crafted details, including the coiling power cable in the first few minutes.

One of the best elements in the characterisation, which is noticeably stronger than in the mindless "slasher" films which are so much in fashion.

Well worth watching, but not by the nervous (unless accompanied by a more robust individual).

The plot is slightly less "realistic" than is traditional for Hammer horrors, but it is internally consistent, however far-fetched it may seem.