Broadly based on the Doctor Syn series of novels by Russell Thorndike, the movie stars Peter Cushing as the titular captain, by day a mild-mannered small-town parson and by night the leader of a gang of smugglers whose eerie methods of concealment have the locals terrified.
Directed by Peter Graham Scott from a screenplay by Anthony Hinds, the film’s combination of the suspenseful and the supernatural rips along in fine style, propelled by excellent performances not just from the ever-reliable Cushing, but also a veritable who’s-who of other stars including Yvonne Romain, Oliver Reed, Michael Ripper and Jack MacGowran. Of particular note is the make-up of the “Marsh Phantoms” themselves, created by Roy Ashton and Les Bowie: the image of the spectral riders is a powerful and arresting one.
Although Captain Clegg is perhaps not one of the best-known names in the Hammer stable, it’s a satisfying, thoroughly entertaining romp, and one which darts deftly from wry humour to edge-of-the-seat suspense against the brooding backdrop of the Romney Marshes’ lonely wastes.
The Story: Set in 18th-century Dymchurch, Royal Navy sailors arrive to investigate local smuggling. They face a mild-mannered parson, Reverend Dr. Blyss, who secretly leads the bootleggers using local legends of glowing "Marsh Phantoms" to scare people away
Origin: The film is loosely based on Russell Thorndike’s Doctor Syn novels. Hammer changed the names due to a concurrent Disney adaptation.