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Customer Reviews of The Gorgon

The film marked the first teaming since "The Mummy" of the legendary Hammer partnership of Terence Fisher, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Here as well as tacking very different subject matter they also take on slightly different roles than usual for a pleasing change. Peter Cushing in a unique change takes on the semi villianous role of Dr. Namaroffthe local asylum director who is desperately trying to conceal the real cause of a series of horrible murders in the local village of Vandorf where the victims are found to have been turned to stone (Gorgonized). Christopher Lee in a distinct change of pace and almost unrecognisable under a grey wig and moustache plays Professor Karl Meister who journeys to Vandorf to aid Paul (Richard Pasco)in finding out what exactly did happen to the two most recent victims, his brother and father. The role reversals are an interesting twist in your normal expectations of a Cushing/Lee production and both I feel perform admirably with Lee definately having the more colourful role of the two.

The two leads are aided tremendously by a very able supporting cast. Hammer regular Barbara Shelley lends her usual solid performance as the sympathic Carla who in a surprise ending is revealed as the mythical Gorgon. Richard Pasco who I dont recall seeing in any other Hammer productions of the period and was ordinarily a Shakespearen actor is excellent in the tormented role of Paul Heitz who is frustrated at every turn in his search for the truth about his family and in his love for Carla. His survival of one chance encounter with the Gorgon provides the Hammer makeup artists with an interesting challenge as he is only partly "Gorgonized" and ages quite a bit from one scene to the next. It is amusing when Christopher Lee's character on first seeing him after the partial transformation says " you look like someone has just dug you up from the grave!"

As to be expected in any Hammer production the settings and attention to all details is impeccable and this aids greatly in the enjoyment of this film. Fisher's direction of many scenes at night in fog shrouded settings or mysterious gales, and especially in the abandoned old castle adds greatly to the eerie feel of the story. The graveyard sequences I dont think have been surpassed in any other Hammer production in the disturbing scene where Paul actually digs up his father's coffin to see what actually happened to him only to find a stone figure reclining in the casket. Certainly I agree with the other reviewers in that the "Gorgon" makeup is poor and I feel it is much more effective when the Gorgon (played by Prudence Hyman..a much older actress than Barbara Shelley) is only seen as a reflection in a pond or at a distance in the old castle. Nevertheless the use of a Greek Myth as the basis for this story is an interesting and original one. The eerie musical score and voice over of the Gorgon's wail is also a highly effective mood setter for this piece.

"The Gorgon" is a very worthwhile production at a time when Hammer was venturing out into other topics. For scene setting it is the equal of such classics as "Horror of Dracula" and "The Mummy" and any teaming of Cushing and Lee, two superb British actors who haven't yet I feel been properly recognised for their excellent talents, makes a film well worth viewing. Watch it late at night when it's dark and windy outside! Enjoy

An offbeat monster movie from Cushing, Lee & Fisher
Hammer reunited their big three of actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee along with director Terrence Fisher for the first time since "The Mummy" for the 1964 film "The Gorgon." Having seen success providing their own twists on Universal's classic monster, Hammer was obviously going for something original. Our story begins with the death of a beautiful artist's model who is found petrified, the seventh victim turned to stone in the last five years. The local physician, Dr. Namaroff (Cushing) convinces the police to pin the murder on the girl's lover, artist Bruno Heitz, who was found hung. When his father, Professor Heitz (Michael Goodliffe) arrives to investigate he encounters a strange crature in the shadows. Turning to stone, the Professor manages to scrawl a note before the process is complete. The Professor's other son Paul (Richard Pasco) now arrives upon the scene, learns of his father's death, reads the note and concludes that the killer is in fact Magera, one of the Gorgons of classical mythology (title gives it away, right?). Namaroff sends his assistant Carla Hoffman (Barbara Steele) to spy on Paul, but the two fall in love. When Professor Meister (Lee) arrives to help Paul, he connects the dots and figures out Magera has been possessing Carla and that Namaroff is hiding this horrible secret. We then proceed to the unhappy ending.

Obviously the makeup job on the Gorgon (played by Prudence Hyman instead of Steele) leaves a lot to be desire, even given that we are talking about Hammer Studios in the Sixties. One of nice things about this film constitutes something of a role reversal for Cushing and Lee (I am trying to remember another film where Christopher Lee gets to play the hero). Both Steele and Pasco turn in what is arguably the best performances of the love interests in a Hammer film, but the love story is hampered somewhat by the script, written by John Gilling but heavily revised by Anthony Hinds. Still, when all is said and done, I think "The Gorgon" is an above-average effort from Hammer.

Megera - The Gorgon
There were 3 sisters who lived in the Ancient Greek: Medusa,
Megera and Astherno.They died.But Megera's soul came here,
to the city of Vandorff.People have lived in the Castle of Brosky
but up to the present moment her, Megera.
It has been stablished a love triangle:Carla, Namaroff and Heitz.
Heitz met Namaroff in the castle.One was determined to meet Carla
and the other to kill Megera.A fight began.Namaroff attacked
Paul Heitz using a sword.Heitz used a large lamp.While they were

fighting, Megera was going down the stairs.Namaroff knocked down
Paul Heitz.He fell down with a groan.Namaroff faced Megera.
He became a statue.Meister arrived later.He killed Megera using
a sword.The sword was scattered away on the floor.Megera's soul
has gone away and Carla became free.There was nothing that Meister could do.Fisher used a combination of Greek mithology
and the terror in the eighteen century to perform this film.