Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 25, 2021

Peter Graham Scott's "Captain Clegg" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with music historian David Huckvale; new audio commentary by critic and filmmaker Constantine Nasr; archival promotional materials; archival interview with director Peter Graham Scott; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Marsh Phantoms

It seems like there wasn’t much that Peter Graham Scott could have done so that Captain Clegg did not disappoint. For example, the film is loosely based on Russell Thorndike's novel Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh, but when Walt Disney secured the rights to use the famous character’s name in another project Hammer was forced to make a very odd adjustment, which is why Peter Cushing plays a man named Doctor Blyss. Then there was all the drama that ensued after the BBFC declared that Hammer will not be allowed to produce their planned cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic novel I am Lagend, which was titled Night Creatures. Hammer had already signed a deal to deliver a film with this title to U.S. distributors, so after the BBFC made its decision Captain Clegg was promptly retitled and sent on the other side of the Atlantic to fulfill the studio’s obligation. In other words, a lot that could go wrong went terribly wrong.

But Captain Clegg still could have turned out pretty good, perhaps even great, if its creators had avoided a very obvious flaw. (Kim Newman’s comments on this particular issue are spot on, but then again, the flaw is impossible not to recognize). Interestingly, the flaw does not have anything to do with the renaming of Cushing’s character, or the chronology of the events that he is a part of. Rather, it pertains to the expectation that Captain Clegg becomes a period crowd-pleaser and therefore does everything as safely as possible. In other words, what is missing and having a tremendous effect on the entire production is the edge Hammer’s classic films are known for, which is unfortunate because there are some very interesting characters that quite easily could have been let loose to transform it in exactly that kind of a film. (For reference, Robyn Hardy’s The Wicker Man, which tells a similar story, works very well precisely because it does not attempt to be a conventional period crowd-pleaser. It targets a very particular audience of grown-ups).

The best material in Captain Clegg features the Marsh Phantoms emerging and quickly disappearing into the shadows of the night. It has a genuine Hammer ambience. Unfortunately, the rest looks and feels pretty bland. After Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) and his men enter the village and begin gathering information about a gang of bootleggers, the film spends an enormous amount of time on cliched interactions between the secretive vicar (Cushing), his young assistant Harry Cobtree (Oliver Reed), his future wife Imogene (Yvonne Romain), and an unhinged deaf mulatto (Milton Reid). Connecting the dots while the drama is underway is beyond easy, so the film essentially prolongs the inevitable resolution for as long as possible.

A few years after contributing to Captain Clegg, production designer Bernard Robinson was hired to work as a supervising art director on the classic shocker Quatermass and the Pit a.k.a. Five Million Years to Earth.

*Indicator/Powerhouse Films’ release offers an option of viewing the film as Captain Clegg or Night Creatures. The latter was the 'version' of the film that was screened in the United States. Both have the exact same running time. The only difference is in the opening title sequence.

Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Captain Clegg arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The master that was used to source this release is old and unfortunately quite weak. Indeed, while there are select close-ups that can appear rather decent, all panoramic shots lack proper delineation and depth. The bigger issue, however, is the presence of filtering adjustments that cause all sorts of different distracting anomalies. For example, every time the camera moves there is light to moderate smearing that can become quite annoying. In darker footage, and especially in nighttime footage, the smearing flattens and occasionally even comtely eliminates native detail. Some ranges of supporting darker nuances are affected as well, though the overall balance isn't too convincing and there are other issues like less than optimal saturation that are contribute as well. Image stability is good. There are no large age-related imperfections, but minor specks and scratches can be spotted. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I thought that the lossless audio track was excellent. It is possible that a few areas where the music becomes prominent can be tweaked to open up the audio a bit, but I am unconvinced that the difference will be substantial because the 'thinness' that emerges there is clearly inherited. Clarity and sharpness are very good. The upper register is healthy as well.

Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Kim Newman - in this new video piece, critic Kim Newman discusses the complex production history of Captain Clegg, the film's style, and the evolution of Hammer productions. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Trailer - vintage theatrical trailer for Night Creatures. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Image Gallery -
  
  1. Production Stills
  2. Promotional Materials

• The Mossman Legacy - in this archival video piece, Wayne Kinsey discusses the contributions of collector George Mossman to various Hammer films. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Peter Cushing: Perspectives - this new program takes a closer look at the life and legacy of Peter Cushing. Included in it are interviews with documentarian Richard Edwards, actor Derek Fowlds, and authors Brian Reynolds and Phil Campbell, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• Smugglers' Gothic: Huckvale on Banks and Martell - in this new program, music historian David Huckvale discusses the lives and careers of composer Don Banks and music supervisor Philip Martell as well as their contributions to Captain Clegg. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Making of Captain Clegg - this archival documentary focuses on the conception and production of Captain Clegg. It was written by Wayne Kinsey, and produced by Jim Groom and Don Fearney for Final Cut Entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Hammer's Women: Arbuthnot and Burrows - in this new program, critic Josephine Botting discusses the careers of wardrobe specialists Molly Arbuthnot and Rosemary Burrows. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The BEHP Interview with Peter Graham Scott - this video interview was conducted by Darrol Blake and John Sealey on July 23, 2004. It covers the entire career and cinematic legacy of director Peter Graham Scott. In English, not subtitled. (201 min).

• Commentary - exclusive audio commentary recorded by critic and filmmaker Constantine Nasr.

• Booklet - exclusive booklet with a new essay by Emma Westwood, archival articles and interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

Captain Clegg Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite contributions from a number of very good actors, Captain Clegg is one seriously underwhelming Hammer production. Its biggest flaw is instantly recognizable -- it aims to be a big crowd-pleaser, which means that it must play it safe at all times. This is the main reason why it looks more like a conventional period drama than a proper horror film of the kind that made Hammer a legendary studio. This release is sourced from an old and quite weak master, but has a very good selection of archival and exclusive new bonus features. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Hammer Volume Six: Night Shadows four-disc box set.