Jimmy Sangster was born on 2 December 1927 in Wales.

He was a screenwriter and producer — largely with Hammer Film Productions during its most successful period. But he worked there as a production manager. Hammer had to push him into writing. He first wrote the short, A Man on the Beach. It is a crime drama that would have fit right in with Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

He next wrote the feature X the Unknown. It is sort of a sequel to Hammer’s previous year’s hit, The Quatermass Xperiment. With that, he was on his way. He wrote multiple films for most years into the early 1970s. At that point, he also directed 3 horror films for Hammer.

But starting in 1972, he changed and wrote primarily for US television — continuing at a breakneck speed. He wrote the “Horror in the Heights” episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which will be of interest to psychotronic fans.

But Jimmy Sangster is best known for his Hammer films. He wrote or co-wrote the first three Dracula films and was the sole writer of the first two Frankenstein films and the first Mummy film. He also co-wrote, produced, and directed the final Hammer Frankenstein film, The Horror of Frankenstein.

Today, let’s talk about the two Bette Davis films he wrote and produced. The first was The Nanny (1965). It is an excellent evil-nanny horror film. But I figure most people have seen it.

But more interesting is a film I only just watched for the first time, The Anniversary (1968). It is an extremely funny black comedy where Davis chews the scenery with delightful effect. It is hard to escape the conclusion that she wasn’t the basis for Jessica Walter’s character in Arrested Development.

So let’s celebrate the life and work of Jimmy Sangster by watching this exceptional film!

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Jimmy Sangster via TMDB under Fair Use.