The Quatermass Xperiment

The Quatermass Xperiment
A photograph, green, of a man, standing to the right. His eyes are sunken into a gaunt face and he is holding out his right arm, which is horribly deformed. Left and centre is the film's tagline and title: "No terror ever like…" and "The Quatermass Xperiment" in white lettering, except for the 'X' in 'Xperiment', which is in red. Below, in lettering, are the names of Brian Donlevy and Jack Warner, the film's top-billed stars.
UK quad crown theatrical release poster
Directed byVal Guest
Screenplay by
  • Richard Landau
  • Val Guest
Based onThe Quatermass Experiment
by Nigel Kneale
Produced byAnthony Hinds
Starring
CinematographyWalter J. Harvey
Edited byJames Needs
Music byJames Bernard
Production
company
Distributed byExclusive Films
Release date
  • 26 August 1955 (1955-08-26) (United Kingdom)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£42,000[1] or $140,000[2]

The Quatermass Xperiment (a.k.a. The Creeping Unknown in the United States) is a 1955 British science fiction horror film from Hammer Film Productions, based on the 1953 BBC Television serial The Quatermass Experiment written by Nigel Kneale. The film was produced by Anthony Hinds, directed by Val Guest, and stars Brian Donlevy as the titular Professor Bernard Quatermass and Richard Wordsworth as the tormented Carroon. Jack Warner, David King-Wood, and Margia Dean appear in co-starring roles.

The film concerns three astronauts who have been launched into space aboard a single-stage-to-orbit rocket designed by Professor Quatermass. It crashlands with only one of its original crew, Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth), still aboard. He begins mutating into an alien organism, which, if it spawns, will engulf the Earth and destroy humanity. After Carroon escapes from custody Quatermass and Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner) of Scotland Yard have just hours to track him/it down and prevent a catastrophe.

Like its source TV serial, the film was a major success in the UK. It also brought public attention to Hammer Film Productions around the world. The film was released in the United States in a double feature with The Black Sleep.[3]

  1. ^ Vincent L. Barnett (2014) Hammering out a Deal: The Contractual and Commercial Contexts of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 34:2, 231–252, p 233 DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2013.847650
  2. ^ "Exclusive Films' Warner, UA Deal". Variety. 27 March 1957. p. 13.
  3. ^ McGee, Mark Thomas; Robertson, R.J. (2013). You Won't Believe Your Eyes. Bear Manor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-273-2. Page 254