Editing Val Guest (section)

===Hammer Films===
Guest began an association with Hammer films when he directed ''[[The Men of Sherwood Forest]]'' (1954). After ''[[The Runaway Bus]]'' (1955) with [[Frankie Howerd]] he made ''[[Life with the Lyons (film)|Life with the Lyons]]'' (1955) with Daniels and Lyon, a spin off of their radio show. It was popular enough for Guest to make a sequel ''[[The Lyons in Paris]]'' (1955).

He did a thriller ''[[Break in the Circle]]'' (1954) and ''[[Dance, Little Lady]]'' (1954).

Despite his career in comedy films, he was offered the chance to direct Hammer's first [[Bernard Quatermass|Quatermass]] film, adapted from the BBC television serial by [[Nigel Kneale]]. Uncertain about taking it on, (he was not a fan of science fiction), he was persuaded to do so by his wife, Yolande Donlan. Guest shot ''[[The Quatermass Xperiment]]'' (1955) as though it was a television documentary.<ref name="Telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1518447/Val-Guest.html Obituary: Val Guest], ''Daily Telegraph'', 16 May 2006</ref> Its success led to the Hammer company changing its direction.

He followed it with a drama ''[[They Can't Hang Me]]'' (1955) and musical ''[[It's a Wonderful World (1956 film)|It's a Wonderful World]]'' (1956). Republic Pictures hired him to make the thriller ''[[The Weapon (1956 film)|The Weapon]]'' (1956) and he directed a comedy, ''[[Carry On Admiral]]'' (1957).

''Quatermass'' had been a big hit and Hammer asked Guest to direct the first sequel, ''[[Quatermass 2]]'' (1957). They also used him to do ''[[The Abominable Snowman (film)|The Abominable Snowman]]'' (1957), from a Kneale TV play, and a POW movie, ''[[The Camp on Blood Island]]'' (1958).

Guest made a comedy ''[[Up the Creek (1958 film)|Up the Creek]]'' which led to a sequel ''[[Further Up the Creek]]'' (1958).

Hammer asked him back to do another war movie, ''[[Yesterday's Enemy]]'' (1959) with [[Stanley Baker]]. Then he made the film version of ''[[Expresso Bongo]]'' (1959) with Donlan, giving an early role to [[Cliff Richard]].

Guest returned to comedy with ''[[Life Is a Circus (1960 film)|Life Is a Circus]]'' (1960) starring [[Bud Flanagan]]. He made another for Hammer with Stanley Baker, a tough crime film, ''[[Hell Is a City]]'' (1960). He followed this with a thriller for Hammer, ''[[The Full Treatment]]'' (1960).

Guest's next film, ''[[The Day the Earth Caught Fire]]'' (1961), won Guest and [[Wolf Mankowitz]] a [[BAFTA Award]] for Best Screenplay.<ref>[http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=The+Day+the+Earth+Caught+Fire&=Search "Film: Best British Screenplay 1962"], BAFTA</ref>

Guest made ''[[Jigsaw (1962 film)|Jigsaw]]'' (1962) and ''[[80,000 Suspects]]'' (1963). ''[[The Beauty Jungle]]'' (1964) was an exposé on beauty competitions. ''[[Where the Spies Are]]'' (1965) was a spy film for MGM starring [[David Niven]].