IMDb RATING
6.4/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti.A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti.A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti.
Arnold Marlé
- Lhama
- (as Arnold Marle)
Anthony Chinn
- Majordomo
- (as Anthony Chin)
Jack Easton
- Yeti
- (uncredited)
Fred Johnson
- Yeti
- (uncredited)
Joe Powell
- Yeti
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was Peter Cushing's first of 22 Hammer films. However, the second Hammer film that he made, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), was released first.
- GoofsIt's day in the long shots, but then back to night in the close-ups of Forrest Tucker.
- Quotes
Dr. John Rollason: This creature may have an affinity for man, something in common with ourselves. Let's remember that before we start shooting.
- Crazy creditsHammer shot this in an anamorphic widescreen process which they credited as "Hammerscope." When it was released in the United States, the promotional material credited it as "Regalscope."
- Alternate versionsThis was released in the United States in an edited version as "The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas" (1957) with a running time of 85 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The World of Hammer: Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing (1994)
Featured review
Thrilling combination of adventure and horror with a message
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.
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.
- BrandtSponseller
- Jan 17, 2005
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- How long is The Abominable Snowman?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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