The Legacy Of Amicus Productions

Amicus Productions was a small-budget film production company, based out of Shepperton Studios in England. It was founded by American screenwriters Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg, who moved production across the pond to save on costs. They started off making a couple of rock ‘n roll musicals, before finding some success with their first Horror anthology film (also known as a portmanteau film), Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It proved to be a successful formula that they would return to, again and again, whenever in need of a success.

Amicus’ gained further notoriety, making the first film adaptation of a new SF program called Dr. Who. Dr. Who And The Daleks starred Christopher Lee as the good Doctor, and was not intended as a continuation of the TV serial, having him as a human scientist with the surname Who, rather than a wormhole hopping time lord. The gross negligence of the ongoing storyline would most likely leave modern viewers aghast, but it was the first time the Time Lord was seen in Technicolor and on the big screen. It was a success at the time, and gave them the clout to continue… read more >