19 - The Reptile (1966)

Staring Noel Willman, Ray Barrett, Jennifer Daniel and Jacqueline ‘Servalan’ Pearce, The Reptile is based in the fictional village of Clagmoor Heath in Cornwall where several locals are dying from what is deemed to be the "Black Death".

Harry Spalding inherits his late brother Charles' cottage and arrives with his new bride, Valerie. The inhabitants of the village keep clear of the couple and only the publican, Tom Bailey, befriends them. Tom explains that the hostility exhibited by the townspeople is the result of many mysterious deaths in the community.

The sinister Dr. Franklyn, the owner of the nearby Well House, is the only resident in the vicinity of the cottage, and he lives with his daughter Anna and her menagerie of ‘pets’. Franklyn treats Anna with cruel contempt, and she is attended by a silent Malay servant.

The production was filmed by Hammer, back to back with The Plague of the Zombies, using many of the same sets, including exterior shots in the grounds of Oakley Court near Bray, Berkshire (seen burning in the final frames).

As documented in books on Hammer Film's history, Jacqueline Pearce disliked wearing the Infamous Reptile make-up as she suffered from claustrophobia. After this film, she vowed never to wear "creature" make-up in her future acting projects.

The film was released in 1966 and in some markets was shown in a double feature with Rasputin, the Mad Monk.

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