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Hammering out a Deal: The Contractual and Commercial Contexts of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958)

2013; Routledge; Volume: 34; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01439685.2013.847650

1465-3451

Vincent Barnett,

Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism

AbstractThis article takes a business history approach to analysing Hammer's early success in the horror genre by providing a detailed case study of the commercial and contractual aspects of their first two Gothic horror films, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), both of which were international box-office sensations. New data on pre-production financing, budgetary outlays, box-office performances and financial receipts are presented and interpreted, alongside an account of the individuals and companies involved in these dealings such as Cadogan Films, Eliot Hyman, Universal-International, Warner Bros. and the National Film Finance Corporation. Through this analysis a greater understanding of the structural and institutional factors involved in Hammer's early business success are revealed, and the commercial consequences of the contracts that were made are outlined.View correction statement:Erratum Additional informationNotes on contributorsVincent L. BarnettVincent L. Barnett is an independent researcher in the fields of Russian history, the history of economic thought and the economic history of the film industry. He is the author of numerous books and journal articles including the Routledge Historical Biographies of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes.