Hey! Wait a second! This isn't a horror movie. It's a pirate movie. I think truth in advertising has to be brought into question here. Hammer's trying to pull a fast one as there is nothing in this movie that is scary in the least. But this is a really good tale about a little town and its struggle to survive the unfair taxation of its citizenry by the Government. And as boring as that sounds nothing could be further from the truth.

The whole thing starts with a very effective scene of a crewman on the ship of the feared Captain Clegg. The crewman is being punished for apparent wrongdoings. His ears are slit his tongue is cut out and he's left on an island to die. This set up really engages you and starts the movie off on a high note. Next we see visions of skeletons on horses who scare an old man to death in the marshes surrounding the town.

After that strong opening we meet up with Peter Cushing as the spiritual leader and minister of a local church. From that point on the movie belongs to Cushing. His performance is as good if not better than anything else I've seen him in. His role here is totally different than his horror performances. Here he is practically a secret agent as he plots and carries out masterful schemes to thwart the King's army. Eventally we are treated to Cushing in a fight that is worth the price of admission. There is much else to like here. Oliver Reed as Harry Crabtree and Yvonne Romain as the gorgeous Imogene come to mind.

The story carries with it a mild twist that brings everything together nicely. Much of the dialogue is effective in that it sets up a lot of suspicion and distrust that pays off as the plot progresses. There aren't a lot of special effects and the "night creatures" are actually pretty sloppily done. But they're practically unseen so their overall effectivenss is minor to the advancing the story.

If you watch "Night Creatures" don't expect the typical Hammer horror experience because it isn't here. What you will encounter though is a really enjoyable tale with elements of suspense thrills and even a fair bit of action.

**_Mysterious adventure at a marsh village on the coast of England in the late 1700s_**

A group of naval militants are sent by the Royal Crown to investigate rumors of smuggling at a coastal town in 1792, where whisperings of spooky “marsh phantoms” abound. Patrick Allen plays the humorless commanding officer of the King’s men while Peter Cushing stars as the genial pastor of the village.

“Night Creatures” (1962) is an obscure Hammer production originally called “Captain Clegg” based on the first book in Russell Thorndike's Doctor Syn series – “A Tale of Romney Marsh," which was published in 1915. The title “Night Creatures” is a misnomer while “Captain Clegg” doesn’t work for reason I can’t explain. The working title “The Curse of Captain Clegg” would’ve been more fitting.

In any case, this is an 18th century costume melodrama with skullduggery and quite a bit of action, plus some spooky bits. The presence of Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain naturally bring to mind “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961) and this is cut from the same cloth, just minus the lycanthrope trappings. “Witchfinder General” (1968), aka “The Conqueror Worm,” is very comparable. “Black Death” (2010) was no doubt inspired by it, especially the mysterious marsh sequences.

Reed was in his prime and the stunning Yvonne Romain has a more significant role than “Curse of the Werewolf.” Meanwhile Cushing was at the top of his game as the interesting protagonist.

The movie runs 1 hour, 22 minutes, and was shot in Berkshire & Buckinghamshire, England, both just west of London.

GRADE: B

Captain Nathaniel Clegg, Pirate, Hanged at Rye, 1776.

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