No company in the history of cinema did more to legitimize the horror film than Hammer Films-the small British independent, which operated out of its tiny Bray Studios on the banks of the River Thames. From the Gothic elegance of The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula to the violent sexploitation of The Vampire Lovers and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, the Hammer name stood for one thing to a generation of films fans as the term "Hammer Horror" became a part of the language. This revised and updated edition of A History of Horrors traces the life and "spirit" of Hammer, from its fledgling days in the late 1940s through its successes of the 1950s and '60s to its decline and eventual liquidation in the late 1970s. With the exclusive participation of all of the personnel who were key to Hammer's success, Denis Meikle paints a vivid and fascinating picture of the rise and fall of a film empire, offering new and revealing insights into "the truth behind the legend." Much has been written about Hammer's films, but this is the only book to tell the story of the company itself from the perspective of those who ran it in its heyday and who helped to turn it into a universal byword for terror on the screen. This definitive history also includes cast and credits listings for the "Hammer Horrors" and a complete filmography of all of Hammer's feature productions.