By Alex Matthews
Mail to:
almatthews@thekmgroup.co.uk
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| Thomas Maylott, 66, worked for the Hammer Films
company |
A former movie make-up man needs those who care to scare to
join his new film company in north Kent. - with stars such as Christopher Lee - for more than 20 years as a
make-up artist. He is now looking to set up his own cinematic
production group, the Hammer Film Preservation Society.
The group, based in Stone, Dartford, hopes to
produce horror films similar to those made by the company in their early
years.
Launched in 1934 by jeweller William Hinds and
cinema owner Enrique Carreras, Hammer made a series of successful horror films
throughout the decades with many, such as Dracula starring legendary actor
Christopher Lee, later gaining cult status. Mr Maylott, of Carlton Avenue, Greenhithe, worked
on films such as Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Plague of the Zombies and The
Reptile.
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Thomas Maylott, right, shakes hands with Christopher Lee in
his make-up artist days
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He is now hoping to showcase his skills in his
latest project, Dracula Walks the Night. The make-up man plans to film around Dartford and
said that former Hammer actors have shown an interest. Now he is trying to
organise funding.
Mr Maylott has had a passion for cinema ever
since he was a youngster, but has a particular affinity with Hammer’s horror
films, something he is hoping to pass on to a new generation of movie
enthusiasts.
He said: "I used to like classic westerns but I
just got into Hammer. I've got lots of signed photos from different people and
ex-Hammer people and I just want to get this going. "We can do talks about the history of Hammer.
It's a fascinating thing because the films were made in four weeks,
back-to-back."
Mr Maylott, who retired after a heart attack,
wants budding actors and crew members to join.
He said:
"What we’re trying to do is a
community thing, to help teenagers and young people have a go at filming..."
- Thomas Maylott
Mr Maylott transformed many actors into monsters
during his career and said that it took a skilled hand to make a man a beast.
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Taken around 20 years ago, this is Thomas Maylott in Highgate
Cemetery
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He said: "It took about three-and-a-half hours on
the Curse of Frankenstein the make-up was horrendous. "It was a sort of mortician's wax and I had to
spread it. The actor couldn't eat or anything that day. That was my favourite,
that was a top monster. "It takes a lot of skill and definitely a steady
hand."
For information on the Hammer Film
Preservation Society, email Mr Maylott at maylott@btinternet.com or phone 07412
925576.
