The birth of Hammer Horror, formerly commenced in 1955, and while the studio was founded in November 1937, its most significant importance didn’t occur until the mid-50s, though most know of the gothic horror of reinventing the Universal Monsters. It started with Nigel Kneale’s television science fiction series The Quatermass Experiment directed by Val Guest, which was adapted, and title change to The Quatermass Xperiment [1955] immediately finding success and led to more successes. Following those productions, the studio hired Val Guest using another Kneale television script for The Creature [1955] to create The Abominable Snowman, though found itself backburnered as the Curse of Frankenstein had a more prestigious volley for the audiences. The backstory for Nigel’s tale is quite remarkable, he didn’t want another merely monster movie, rather the morality pitted against a man who sought knowledge versus a man wanting fame and fortune. In addition, he was influenced by the numerous reports of the Yeti (a cryptozoology creature in the vein of Bigfoot except with a white fur appearance); that included discoverers of footprints in 1951 by Eric Shipton, an explorer and again in 1953 when two more men completed the first ascent of Mount Everest. This all led to an unsuccessful expedition in 1954 once that has been redone with no confirmed findings, but with plenty of hoaxes. Overall, there’s two camps of thought on the films, in one group is it is stiff with vast swarths of dialogue and the second is that it delivers tension generating a slow build of suspense with way it stars Peter Cushing; for this review I shall present both schools of thought hence allowing you to choose for yourselves which is the best option.

The story is mostly very basic, but Cushing works to convey the tension, while other supporting cast members, even those in the most minor roles offer a bit of mysticism, while two men of the western world have diametrically opposing viewpoints especially involving uncovering nature’s secrets. Therefore, let’s meet them first a man of high intellectual and science Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing (Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors [1965])) who is an anthropologist with a specialty in botany, as well as a former mountain-climber and is accompanied by his cable wife Helen (Maureen Connell) and a friend are studying rare plants at a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas. Meanwhile, an egomaniacal Dr. Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker (The Crawling Eye [1958])) who treats many with contempt, empty promises and a selfish mindset, who is on the hunt for his own business interest, his attitude which become a normal character trope in many horror films, he reminds one of the character Dr. Mark Williams from The creature from the Black Lagoon [1954]. Rollason, is convinced there is truth to the Yeti legend and desperately wants to discover it as well as the link back to prehistoric mankind, which causes a split between primates and humans. He seeks to advance intelligence and scientific research hence to join an expedition of Friend’s and against the passionate pleas of his wife not to venture into the unknown. Aiding this in the journey is artifact, Dr. Friend shows the proof, the question later becomes was or is it even a true piece or more of fancy fictional item, as he seeks more of financial rewards on vanity from publicity. Unfortunately, Rollason doesn’t realize Friend’s true motives until is far too late, damned by his location and limited choices, which some were self-induced because of blind quest of knowledge he must submit to the will of his travel companion. Ideally what truly makes for enjoyable entertainment is the tension between actors tucker and Cushing, and how it conveys with their characters; a wonderful blend of tone, pitch, well-rehearsed and perfect for actors to watch and to show that it can exist even smaller productions. It works to convey an interesting third act and knowing not to push tit further due to budget constraints.

Val Guest likely makes one of the most important decision’s one can on the production, he never clearly shows the Yeti creature, all the audience witnesses is hairy, white, oversized claws and footprints, otherwise more of a blur, this all die to budgetary concerns. In hindsight a wise maneuver perhaps taking a page from The Thing from Another World [1951], limited visual field of a monster is more potential fear from some teenager markets s far better than sheer laughter, as someone likely saw in The Giant Claw [1957]. In addition, to add to the scare-factor, it is assisted but animalistic howls and panic horrific screams.

This is a very good movie and I for one purchased as soon as a Blu-ray was made available, the story and style might seem dated to some, but the quality of character driven scenes works to keep it in the forefront of many fans’ minds. Some of the horror tropes continue in films of today especially when dealing this creature, knowing that there aren’t many folks dressing like one is the upper snow covered mountain lurking about to get their jollies and yes an entire subgenre of Snow Creatures have emerged to battle against their counterparts of Bigfoot. In fact, 5-years later Horror Express [1972] incorporated both the Yeti and the Thing [1951] and perhaps laid some foundation for John’s Carpenter’s The Thing [1982], then just 5-years later a television movie Snowbeast [1977] would grace the small screens. While most likely wanted a firmer confrontation between the monster versus man, it becomes more of subtler point that the real monsters of both man and science and a mainstay to watch during both winter seasons and Halloween.

TAGLINES:

• WE DARE YOU TO SEE IT ALONE!
• Each chilling moment a shock-test for your scare-endurance!!
• DEMON-PROWLER OF MOUNTAIN SHADOWS…
• DREADED MAN-BEAST OF TIBET…
• THE TERROR OF ALL THAT IS HUMAN!!
• THE SUPERBEAST UNLEASHES NEW WORLDS OF TERROR
• See It With Someone Brave! — A Timeless Terror to Freeze You to Your Seats!
• Demon-prowler of the mountain shadows…Dreaded man-beast of Tibet…The terror of all that is human

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050095/

IMDb Rating: 6.4/10

Baron’s Rating: 6.5/10