[7]
Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing star in this Hammer Studios production about a group of men who set off on an expedition to find the legendary Yeti — the Abominable Snowman. Tucker plays the brash American who wants to capture a live Yeti to exploit for profit, while Cushing plays the more thoughtful British botanist who comes to respect and admire the mythical creature as the expedition closes in on it. The team dwindles in numbers, picked off by inclement weather, avalanches, and shock, until Tucker and Cushing are alone, holed up in a cave and losing their minds while Cushing’s wife (Maureen Connell) leads a rescue effort after them.
Some will find this film a ‘slow burn’ in need of more visceral thrills, but I find it one of the more compelling films Hammer Studios ever made. Written by Nigel Kneale (creator of the Quatermass book series) and directed by Hammer regular Val Guest, The Abominable Snowman is a satisfying mystery-adventure that makes the most of its capable cast, some terrific sets, and a lot of spooky atmosphere. The creature is largely kept off-screen until a large hairy hand finally appears, creeping through the bottom of a tent wall. We finally see the full creature briefly at the end — and you almost wish you didn’t. Not because the makeup is bad, but because the film is so good at building suspense and wonder around the Yeti, you might prefer to preserve it in your own imagination. This thoughtful subversion of a typical ‘monster movie’ also benefits from a great score by Humphrey Searle that evokes the Tibetan setting, and a generous helping of grand helicopter photography of the Himalayan mountains.