The Man and the Snake (1972)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1972
Running Times: 26m
Length: 2318 ft
Format: colour
Colour Format: Eastmancolour
Aspect Ratio:
Sound:

DIRECTION

Director: Sture Rydman

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Jocelyn Films
Producer: Elizabeth McKay
Production Manager: John O'Connor

SCRIPT
Script: Brian Scobie and Sture Rydman
Based on the story by: Ambrose Bierce

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Peter Carter
Continuity: Renee Glynne

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography: Gerry Fisher

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Peter Musgrave

MUSIC
Music: Marc Wilkinson

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Bob Allen

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Yvonne Coppard
Hair: Kate Dawson
Wardrobe: Marina Drecker

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Bryan Graves

CAST

John Fraser (Harker Brayton)
André Morell (Dr Druring)
Clive Morton (Colonel Gordon)
Madge Ryan (Mrs Druring)
Damaris Hayman (Mrs Gordon)
Brenda Cowling (Molly)
Stephen Waller (Malcolm Druring)

During a dinner with the family of his student Malcolm Druring, teacher Harker Brayton learns of the student's father, Dr Druring's passion for snakes. Another guest, Colonel Gordon claims to have seen a man mesmerised by a cobra while serving in India, though Druring denies that this is possible, arguing that a man may charm a snake, but never the other way round. Druring invites Braton to stay the night at the house and the teacher accepts, though Druring warns him that his collection of snakes sometimes escape their glass cases and can be found slithering around the house at nights. Brayton's discomfort is heightened by an unsettling tour of Druring's snake house. That night, while preparing for bed, Brayton is terrified by a pair of glowing eyes watching him from beneath the bed...

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Twentieth Century Fox

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Film Ideas
Video Distributor: Facets Multimedia; Monterey Home Video; Movies Unlimited

1972
November
Day Unknown: UK - theatrical release

PERIODICALS

Cinefantastique vol.4 no.2 (Summer 1975) p.34 (USA)
review

CinemaTV Today no.9991 (29 July 1972) p.18 (UK)
credits, review

Films and Filming vol.20 no.5 (February 1974) p.50 (UK)
credits, review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.39 no.467 (December 1972) p.264 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

BOOKS

British National Film Catalogue vol.11 (1973)
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.283
credits

Ten Years of Terror p.317
credits, review (by Kim Newman)

snakes, teachers, students, fear, phobias

Last Updated: 19 October, 2009