Gordon Hessler's life began in Germany, where he was born to a Danish mother and an English father. His educational journey took him to England, where he later moved to the United States in his late teenage years.
During his formative years in the US, Hessler worked in the documentary field, laying the foundation for his future career. His unique English accent caught the attention of Universal, leading to his placement under contract with the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.
As part of his contract, Hessler worked on Hitchcock's iconic TV series, starting as a story reader and gradually climbing the ranks to become an associate producer and eventually a producer in the final year of the show. A rejected novelette for the series later became the basis for Hessler's first feature film, The Woman Who Wouldn't Die, in 1965.
When the production of the AIP Edgar Allan Poe series was shifted to Britain, Hessler collaborated with producer Louis M. Heyward and horror enthusiast/screenwriter Christopher Wicking on three Poe films, as well as the sci-fi shocker Scream and Scream Again in 1970.
In addition to his work in the fantasy field, Hessler also directed the Ray Harryhausen stop-motion swashbuckler The Golden Voyage of Sinbad in 1973, as well as several small-screen suspense thrillers, including the Psycho-inspired Scream, Pretty Peggy in 1973, starring the renowned actress Bette Davis.
