Four Sided Triangle (1953)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1953
Running Times: 81 mins
Length: 2234.79 metres
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Director: Terence Fisher

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Hammer Film Productions Limited
Executive Producer: Michael Carreras
Producer: Alexander Paal
Production Manager: Victor Wark

SCRIPT
Script: Terence Fisher, Paul Tabori
Novel: William F. Temple

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Bill Shore
Continuity: Renée Glynne

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Reginald H. Wyer
Camera Operator: Len Harris

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Maurice Rootes

MUSIC
Music: Malcolm Arnold
Conductor: Muir Mathieson

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Bill Salter
Dialogue Director: Nora Roberts

COSTUMES AND MAKE UP
Make Up: D. Bonner-Morris
Hair: Nina Broe

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: J. Elder Wills

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bray Studios, Down Place, England, UK; Lulworth Cove, Weymouth, England, UK

CAST

Barbara Payton (Lena/Helen)
James Hayter (Dr Harvey)
Stephen Murray (Bill)
John Van Eyssen (Robin)
Percy Marmont (Sir Walter)
Jennifer Dearman (Lena as a child)
Glyn Dearman (Bill as a child)
Sean Barrett (Robin as a child)
Kynaston Reeves (Lord Grant)
John Stuart (solicitor)
Edith Saville (Lady Grant)

Scientists Bill, Robin and Lena invent a machine capable of exactly duplicating any object. But their elation at their breakthrough is tempered by the relationship that develops between Lena and Robin, devastating the jealous Bill when the couple marry. Bill uses the device to make a duplicate of Lena which he names Helen. But Helen soon falls in love with Robin and Bill has to resort to more extreme methods to solve the problem...

SF drama from Hammer before the big break through with The Quatermass Xperiment (1955). Unusual opening and closing talks to the camera from James Hayter in a device taken from Went the Day Well (1942). American production money meant the use of US B-movie leads including the tragic Barbara Payton. Terence Fisher keeps it moving but the great Hammer team had yet to unite. Thus the action, invention and blood of the Quatermass series and the gothic horrors is nowhere in evidence. Dull and talky.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Exclusive Pictures Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Astor Pictures Corporation
Video Distributor: Sinister Cinema
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay (DV 11075 - includes: the World of Hammer episode The Curse of Frankenstein)

UK
Rating: A

TIMELINE

1953
May
15: USA - theatrical release
25: UK - theatrical release

1960
January
3: UK - television broadcast

August
28: UK - television broadcast

2000
May
23: USA - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV 11075))

The Monster and the Woman

MAGAZINES

The Dark Side no.55 p.25 (UK)
review

Dark Terrors no.11 p.23 (UK)
article

BOOKS

The Hammer Story p.180
credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.141
credits

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.147
credits

book into film, human duplication, human experiments, scientists

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009