Nigel P Possibly one element of Hammer's early horror films (Curse of Frankenstien, Dracula) that really got them noticed was the infusion of bright red blood and gruesome gore into otherwise sedate pictures.Captain Clegg doesn't contain those extra elements – it is a tale of 19th century smugglers who disguise themselves as skeletal 'marsh phantoms' to obfuscate their wrong-doings. Despite references to having ears and tongues cut out, the horror element is very much in the background, and instead this is more of a period caper full of derring-do and spirited British performances. Sadly, this makes it substantially less interesting than Hammer's better known output.Yvonne Romain, who starred in the similarly anemic 'Curse of the Werewolf (1960)' plays the subject of pirates' desire and the daughter of Captain Clegg (Peter Cushing), and her co-star from that earlier film (although they never shared scenes), Oliver Reed is mostly wasted in the under-written role as innocent Harry, her would-be suitor.This is a well-played, intriguing, mannered film with plenty of good performances. It's a rollicking yarn - as a horror tale however, it doesn't deliver the goods unless you are frightened by men riding around dressed as skeletons, on similarly disguised horses.

zardoz-13 "Subterfuge" director Peter Graham Scott's period piece "Night Creatures" (aka "Captain Clegg") qualifies as a rare Hammer film that is neither about supernatural demons nor larger-than-life monsters. Basically, "Night Creatures" concerns British smugglers at war with the Royal Navy. This suspenseful, atmospheric epic came out a year before the Walt Disney picture "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow" with Patrick McGoohan. Indeed, the uncredited source of John Elder's screenplay with Barbara S. Harper's supplemental dialogue is Russell Thorndike's novel "Dr. Syn." The two films cover roughly the same subject matter, but "Night Passage" director James Neilson's Disney version with McGoohan ranks as the better of the two. Hammer avoided a copyright infringement law suit with Disney by changing the protagonist's name from Dr. Syn to Reverend Blyss. Nevertheless, Hammer serves up an interesting version of its own that ranks as far more realistic. The ending is not as rosy as "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow" and morality plays an important part in the unhappy conclusion."Night Creatures" unfolds with a prologue set in the year 1776 aboard a sailing ship in the tropics. A stocky mulatto seaman (Milton Reid of "The Spy Who Loved Me") is punished for "willfully and maliciously" attacking the wife of the ship's captain, Captain Clegg, and he is sentenced to have both ears slit and his tongue cut out. Furthermore, the Mulatto is abandoned on the nearest uninhabited shore and left tied to a cross with neither food and water and left to die. Mind you, Scott doesn't provide a reversal shot during the sentencing scene so we never know what Captain Clegg looks like, but the Mulatto remembers him as he pleads for mercy. The scene shifts to a church back in England in the year 1792. A narrator provides the following exposition: "The Romney Marshes,--flat and desolate,--was the land of a proud and independent people. Their shores faced the shores of France--and many was the shipload of wine and brandy smuggled across the sea in defiance of the King's revenue men." The narrator pauses and continues, "Many legends have come from this corner of England--but none so widely believed or widely feared,--as the legend of the Marsh Phantoms--who rode the land on dark, misty nights--and struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed their paths . . ." The Royal Navy dispatches Captain Howard Collier (Patrick Allen of "The Wild Geese") to search for French wine that has been smuggled into England without a tax levied on it. Indeed, somebody is violating the trade embargo against Revolutionary France and Collier and his able-bodied seamen march into a remote British town and turn it upside down. Dr. Blyss (Peter Cushing of "Horror of Dracula") is the village vicar of Dymchurch, a tiny English coastal village, and he welcomes Collier and his men with open arms. Meantime, the people in the village who earn extra income from smuggling set about hiding what is left of what they have. They have created ingenious passageways between various buildings where they have stashed away the untaxed alcohol. The British couldn't have arrived at a worse time because Blyss and company have a rendezvous. Collier, who has been pursuing Clegg on the high seas for years, has brought the Mulatto with him. Collier rescued the mute and plans to use him as a blood hound to sniff out untaxed stores of wine. Blyss and the villagers have their hands full trying to distract Captain Collier. At one point, a frightened villager (Jack MacGowran of "The Exorcist") distracts them while Blyss and company sell their contraband liquor. Eventually, the suspicious Collier threatens to kill the frightened villager if he doesn't take them to the smugglers. Reluctantly, the frightened villagers complies, but Blyss' men have staked out scarecrows as sentinels. Actually, some of the smugglers masquerade as scarecrows to provide an early warning system for their comrades. Meantime, one of the conspirators, an innkeeper Mr. Rash (Martin Benson of "Goldfinger") cracks up and stabs a sailor to death after Blyss has warned him repeatedly not to resort to violence.

mlraymond I had seen this movie once, on the late show when I was a kid, and had always remembered it for its mix of pirate themes with spooky undertones. Having seen it recently for the first time in years, I was delighted to find that it is even better than I remembered, and is actually one of the best movies from Hammer Studios, of all their varied types of storyline.It looks wonderful, with rich colors and excellent period costumes. It has the look of a a higher budgeted picture, well rounded characters, good dialogue, humor, suspense, and romance. There are lots of surprises and never a dull moment.Special mention must be made of the performances of Michael Ripper as coffin maker Jeremiah Mipps and Peter Cushing as the Reverend Dr. Blyss.Ripper is given lots of scenes and choice dialogue, showcasing his comic abilities beautifully. Cushing nearly steals the picture with his delightful portrayal of the kindly village parson with a colorful past. Yvonne Romain and Oliver Reed make an appealing pair of young lovers, and Patrick Allen is good as the no nonsense Customs official come to investigate reports of smuggling, with excellent support from David Lodge as his jovially sinister boatswain.This is a wonderful movie for Cushing fans, Hammer cultists, and viewers who love pirate stories. This is probably the best of Hammer's historical adventures, with just a touch of the macabre. Highly recommended.

johnrtracy Night Creatures, a/k/a/ Captain Clegg is a pretty good pirate yarn. It was based on a 1915 novel by Russell Thorndyke titled "Dr. Syn". Later this book was, in 1936, made into a film starring George Arliss. Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen, and best of all, Michael Ripper, as Jeremiah Mipps, were excellent. Michael Ripper, in his best Hammer movie role, almost stole the picture from Peter Cushing. The movie moves along pretty well and there are enough twists to keep you interested. Peter Cushing shows off his athletic ability, along with his oratory skills. Oliver Reed is quite good in his role as the Squires'son, Harry. Beware of the marsh phantoms. Enjoy! John R. Tracy.