Kim Newman suggests that “For the most part, the serial uses fake products, companies and newspapers.” [2] But in actual fact, the bulk of the named products and companies are real. The posters are real. The magazines are real.
Thanks to the joys of modern home entertainment formats, it is possible to scrutinise the set in greater detail than a typical cinema outing.
The Posters of Hobbs End Underground Station
The underground station itself contains no fewer than three Hammer posters.
The Witches had been produced at Bray Studios as part of the same deal as Quatermass and the Pit and had opened in London in November 1966, and as filming started on Quatermass was still playing on screens across the UK in places like the Alexandra Cinema in Coventry (demolished in 2014) and The Curzon in Belfast (demolished 2003).
In the frenzy that follows the fatal press conference towards the film’s climax, the poster will end up on the floor among the debris, covering the body of one of the injured. Itself perhaps a nod to The Witchs‘ own frenzied end (see above).
On the wall opposite the poster for The Witches, and to the left, just visible as various cast members enter the Hobbs Lane set is a quad for Dracula Prince of Darkness – another Tom Chantrell artwork, screen printed with dayglo inks (and one of my personal favourite Hammer posters). You can see it on the far left of the screengrab above – and in more detail in the picture below (of an original in my own collection – those inks are quite something!).
Dracula Prince of Darkness had been released to UK cinemas by Warner Pathe in January 1966, and by the end of February 1967 as cameras rolled on Quatermass was no longer screening (although it was playing at the Abbey Cinema in Wicklow, Ireland. It had still been playing regional screens in Irvine, Scotland, and Belfast in Northern Ireland the month before, and would pick up additional screenings after Quatermass wrapped (hitting the Lyric, Coventry in August).
Also visible in the shot above is a quad poster featuring artwork by Bob Peak for the film adaptation of musical My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn. Another Warner Pathe release, it had made its way to UK screens at the end of 1964.
Perhaps surprisingly for cinema-goers in 2022, My Fair Lady was still playing cinemas at the time of the Quatermass production. Screening in March and April 1967 at the likes of Belfast, Warrington, Coventry, King’s Lynn, Lanarkshire and at the Oxford Cinema, Whitstable (which Hammer fans may note is now the Peter Cushing pub!).
Pictured to its right in the Hobbs Lane set is a promotional poster for daily Coach Air trips from London to Jersey, at the bargain price of £6 14s. I haven’t been able to identify the poster precisely, but it appears to be a 1967 Jersey Airways product.
From another angle, we can see two further posters on the platform itself. Just a couple of feet to the left of The Witches image that started this thread (just visible above) there is an advertisement for Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky.
Walker’s Scotch had origins in Ayrshire in the 1820s, and its ‘striding man’ ident had been in use since 1908. There are many similar adverts based around the man with a plain white background, usually accompanied by the slogan “still going strong”. While I haven’t found an exact duplicate the following advertisement (found via Alamy) is similar:
This second version is closer in terms of wording, but lacks the obvious copy from the bottom of the Underground poster, but appears to be a modern repro based on a vintage advert.
Another Johnnie Walker poster is visible as the visitors exit the lift into the platform area, close to the Dracula poster.
And a third Johnnie Walker poster is present on the other side of the tunnel. We see it only fleetingly in a pan, but it carries a picture of a bottle of whisky and to its right a tumbler with a measure of spirits, and the legend “Johnnie Walker for all seasons”.
As the dishevelled soldier is taken to a seat, we can actually see the image of the whisky tumbler on one side of the frame, while Barbara Shelley takes out a hipflask and offers a tot. Then we see Quatermass taking a nip of whisky while one of the Johnnie Walker posters is clear in the back of frame, “I don’t normally before midday” – I think its safe to say this was a bit of careful product placement.
Disappointingly, the slogan “Choose English Cheese” which we can see as the soldier is being tended to, does not result in a cheddar and crackers picnic.
The ‘Choose English Cheese’ adverts, were part of a marketing strategy used throughout the 1960s and beyond by the Milk Marketing Board – a company Hammer worked with on multiple promotions, including during filming of The Mummy’s Shroud and Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires.
You can see a full authentic ‘Choose English Cheese’ poster, complete with cheesy stack, just behind the car in this photo taken in West End Lane in 1966 by Flickr user Libby Hall.
This one is for Hotel, a Warner Bros melodrama directed by Richard Quine, which had just gone on UK release as Hammer commenced filming. [If you’re interested, there’s a quad on ebay from RareFilmPosters at the time of writing – January 2022 – here].
One other Hammer makes an appearance in the station set, just visible in the next image:
Easily missed, is the Tom Chantrell artwork on the quad poster for Hammer/Warner Pathe’s The Reptile. First released on a double bill with Rasputin – The Mad Monk in March 1966, it had just finished a short run at the Regal, Wadebridge in February 1967, and opened at the Broxburn Regal, West Lothian on 27 February and would continue a run of Irish and Scottish screens during March and April.
There are several other posters visible in the Hobbs Lane set. I’ve not been able to get a clear image of each of them. 
Just beside the cordoned off platform is a rather bright advertisement with the words “express road services through the Thames Valley” (there’s another example beside the Dracula poster and lift doors). This is actually an advert for motorway services – fuel stations, accommodations, rest stops and their ilk – from South Midland Motor Services Ltd, and Thames Valley Traction Co. Ltd. It was designed by artist Royston Cooper in 1960 and outlines the coach routes from London to Worcester in a flower form. Cooper designed quite a few transport and health and safety posters during the 60s and 70s – many of you will know his work, without knowing his work.
The routes incidentally, take in High Wycombe and Maidenhead – right through the heart of the old Hammer country…
Unsurprisingly, a second Royston Cooper poster for the network is also present on the set. Depicting the route in a tree like form, you can see it in the next image. On the wall opposite is one of his flower posters, and you can also see a Johnnie Walker and Dracula Prince of Darkness images.
This also originates to c. 1960.
Also present are a travel advert advertising the “Sunny South Coast” with a large orange fish on a navy background. And on the right, what looks to be an advert for train services through the Northwest, Midlands and London. I have not been able to locate original examples of these at time of writing.
Seaside holidays were evidently the done thing, in the days before cheap international travel, and UK stations happily promoted the convenience of the transport network. One final example can be clearly spotted just to the left of the platform advert for the South Midland Motor Services.
The lovely example on the right of the poster for The Reptile, is advertising the pleasantries of Clacton and its daily entertainment. It does seem a rather apt choice for a Hammer film. Will Hammer had presented entertainment shows in Clacton for many years, and owned the West Cliff Theatre, alongside presenting shows in other venues in the town.
The distinctive poster with its girl and inflatable duck is by illustrator Daphne Padden (21 May 1927 – 21 September 2009). She worked extensively during the 1950s, 60s and 70s on advertising material in a distinctive style (echoed by the satirical work of Scarfolk today), mostly in watercolour and gouache.
An example with very wording to the one used in the Hammer set can be found on the Flickr account of Velda.
[1] Wayne Kinsey, Hammer Films: The Elstree Years (Tomahawk Press, 2009), p24
[2] Kim Newman, BFI Film Classics: Quatermass and the Pit (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019)
The Exclusive Films Project 