Captain Clegg (AKA: Night Creatures) is a Hammer-Major production in Eastman Color, it's directed by Peter Graham Scott with a screenplay written by John Elder. It stars Peter Cushing, Yvonne Romain, Patrick Allen, Oliver Reed, Michael Ripper and David Lodge. Music is by Don Banks and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

"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. 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."

Hammer's film is actually a remake of a little known 1937 film called Doctor Syn that starred George Arliss as the title character and featured Margaret Lockwood in support. For their take on the Captain Clegg/Marsh Phantoms story, Hammer craft a colourful Gothic like mystery/thriller that contains horror elements. It's certainly not overtly horror, something that has undoubtedly threw some horror seekers venturing into the film for the first time. This may explain why to a large extent it remains a largely unknown Hammer picture, which doesn't as yet have a DVD release in the country of its birth! The story is a very good one with smugglers, murders, romantic passions, ghostly apparitions and duplicitous characters. All given an excellent period production design by Bernard Robinson for the interiors, while the exteriors are nicely filmed out of the village of Denham in South Buckinghamshire.

Pigeon Pie, Creepy Scarecrow and the Romney Marsh Phantoms.

Of course none of the period flavourings and narrative intrigue would mean much if the acting wasn't up to scratch. Which on reflection is another reason why this is something of a criminally under seen Hammer picture. For not only does it have Cushing turning in one of his best performances (blending dandy fop with a crafty undercurrent),it also has a cast around him that are fully committed and effective in their roles. Which nicely includes Hammer stalwart Michael Ripper (as Mipps the undertaker) getting a more meatier role than usual. Patrick Allen (Dial M for Murder) is imposing as the officious Captain Collier, Martin Benson (The King and I) is suitably shifty as Rash and David Lodge (The Cockleshell Heroes) adds the muscle presence as Bosun. Standing out is Olly Reed as Harry, wonderfully dominating his scenes, he does a neat line in brooding, while Romain (The Curse of the Werewolf) is the classic Hammer wench type, pretty with a heaving bosom, she induces lusty lustations in Harry and Rash.

There's some plot holes that the alert will not miss, and the big reveal is pretty much sign posted to us at the mid-point. But this is a little cracker that Hammer fans, Cushing fans and fans of period mysteries should definitely seek out. 8/10

The great Peter Cushing has one of his most memorable non-horror films as Dr. Blyss, the beloved creature of a small English town where the notorious Captain Clegg was buried years ago after allegedly being hung. The unseen Clegg is first shown condemning the brutal Milton Reid to have his ears cut off and tongue removed and placed on a cross on a deserted island to die in agony. Betrayal was the name of Reid's game, but somehow he survives and ends up in this town accompanied by members of the British Navy on a strange mission. It's pretty obvious what the night creatures looking psychedelic in skeleton attire are, but they do make a nice frame galloping across the marshes and looking quite spooky. That's the one element of horror in the film which also combines piracy, gothic mystery and romance with the star-crossed lovers of the beautiful Yvonne Romain and the dashing Oliver Reed, aided in their quest to be together by the very complex Cushing.

A nice performance by Patrick Allen as the navy captain helps build this up to its mystery being exposed. I was able to figure out what was going on from the start practically, but it was very intriguing to watch everything unfold. The beautiful Hammer color photography is a nice piece of artwork, and the musical score is spectacular. I've seen rhe 1937 version of the "Dr. Syn" story starring George Arliss, and I'm curious to see the Disney version of that same tale released the same year as the Hammer film. Something tells me it will be quite different, not as gruesome in its presentation of certain details in the story, which makes this version a must to see compared to the other two.

This is a very odd film in that practically the same film was made in the States starring Patrick MaGoohan for the Disney company just a year later ("Dr. Christopher Syn"). Also, both films were remakes of a 1937 film which starred George Arliss ("Dr. Syn").

The film is about a small town along the English coast that is jam-packed full of smugglers. Their leader is actually the kindly vicar (Peter Cushing)--a great cover for an ex-pirate and smuggler! Most of the film concerns the efforts of Captain Collier to figure out who is the leader of the smugglers AND put a stop to it. Little does he know that Cushing is actually Captain Clegg--a pirate hung for piracy a decade earlier.

Along the way are some very capable actors--including a dashing young Oliver Reed. All the performances are competent and I have no real objections to this rousing adventure film, though I must admit it was very pleasant but not especially memorable. It's hard to say exactly why, but the scenes involving the phantoms on skeletal horses looked pretty cheesy, so that sure didn't help.

An interesting film and perhaps, if your curiosity is piqued, you'll try to see the other versions as well.