The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Perfectly adorable

Crappy film

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

SYNOPSIS: An American adventurer (Forrest Tucker) and a British scientist (Peter Cushing) lead an expedition into the Himalayas in search of the legendary, huge, half-human beasts called Yetis, who leave their footprints but are seldom seen. They are warned by a mystical priest that it is death to look upon the Yetis.NOTES: 'Scope process not credited in the U.K. and Australia, but credited as RegalScope in the U.S.A. REVIEW: I don't know that this story of the Yeti is all that familiar as some critics have claimed, and I for one found Guest's direction to be well up to his usual fairly imaginative level. In my opinion, the trouble with the film is that the photography of the studio material doesn't match the 2nd unit stuff; and secondly but more importantly, that Kneale's script is far too wordy and also has some characters that are none too believable. The rather ordinary cast doesn't help much, but striking art direction, plus atmospheric music, photography and sound effects, do build up considerable tension. .

A nice cross between an adventure film and a horror that places a bunch of character archetypes into the dangerous conditions of the Himalayas. It's a surprisingly good movie although a lot of it doesn't hold up for a modern audience; for example, the abominable snowmen themselves do just look like men. However, the team behind this film played well to their restrictions by keeping the snowmen offscreen until the end, building up the suspense effectively until the big reveal. Cushing's British scientist and Tucker's gruff American are nice contrasts as our protagonists, with their interests and intents being revealed to be more and more different as the film progresses. Director Val Guest leaves us on a rather poignant note, however; using the Yetis as a metaphor for the genuine exploration and endangerment of animals, which was common news at the time.

English botanist John Rollason (Peter Cushing) joins with American Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) on an expedition in search of the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas. The two men couldn't be more different, however. Rollason is searching for the creature just to prove its existence, not capture it. Friend fully intends to capture it and brings along weapons and traps to see to it. Eventually they come face to face with the elusive creature and get more than they are prepared for.This is one of my favorite Peter Cushing movies. I'm a big fan of Yeti or Bigfoot stories and I'm also a big fan of Hammer and Cushing, so this was right up my alley. I first saw this movie as a teenager before I had seen any of the color Hammer horror films. As a matter of fact, it was through this movie that I discovered Cushing and subsequently Hammer. It's a great movie with an intelligent script and good performances from Cushing and Tucker.

I enjoy most Hammer pictures for their skillful storytelling and good production values, but this is that rare Hammer film that seems to me incompetently made.We wait and wait for a glimpse of the Yeti--even after one has been killed and is lying there in the pursuers' camp, we do not see what it looks like. Finally two live Yeti show up for a brief "cameo," and they look like two guys in gorilla suits.The Yeti hunters include Forrest Tucker as a pushy, loud-mouthed American and Peter Cushing, an English gentleman who by comparison seems rather prissy. (No stereotypes in this film!) These two and their three sidekicks climb a mountain with enough equipment for an army--guns, oxygen canisters, steel traps, a cage, and much else. There follows a series of foolish or stupid actions, with people raging at each other and at the mountain in general, firing off rifles, and so forth. One Yeti hunter sets what amounts to a bear trap and catches a member of his party instead. Forrest Tucker hunts for a missing member of the group by firing of round after round with his pistol, thereby killing himself by means of an avalanche.Meanwhile, Cushing's wife realizes that the hunting party is in trouble and simply rushes off to climb the glaciated mountain to find her husband. She did take time to put on a coat.Tucker intends to capture a Yeti alive and bring it back home to exhibit it and make a lot of money. I kept wondering how he planned to climb back down the mountain with a live Yeti. Perhaps they would loan him some of their gear.It was as if the movie were really "Laurel and Hardy Hunt the Yeti," only without the laughs.