The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Val Guest

Writers:

Richard H. Landau (screenplay) &
Val Guest (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Beware of "THE CREEPING UNKNOWN!"

Plot:

A missile, launched by the team led by Prof. Quatermass, lands in the English countryside. Of the three members of the crew...

Plot Keywords:

Rocket | Alien | Hospital | Astronaut | Rocket Crash

Cast

Brian Donlevy	...	Prof. Bernard Quatermass
Jack Warner	...	Insp. Lomax
Margia Dean	...	Mrs. Judith Carroon
Thora Hird	...	Rosemary 'Rosie' Elizabeth Rigly
Gordon Jackson	...	BBC TV producer
David King-Wood	...	Dr. Gordon Briscoe (Quatermass' associate)
Harold Lang	...	Christie (man who helps Victor escape)
Lionel Jeffries	...	Blake
Sam Kydd	...	Police sergeant questioning Rosie
Richard Wordsworth	...	Victor Carroon (spaceship crew member)

Also Known As:

Shock
The Creeping Unknown (USA)
The Quatermass Experiment (USA)
X the Experiment (UK) (informal alternative title)

Runtime:

82 min | USA:78 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:T | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Actress, cake decorator, and former fiancée of Paul McCartney, a young Jane Asher plays as the little girl trying her unsuspecting best to befriend a transmogrifying Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth). The chance encounter is reminiscent of James Whale's classic Frankenstein (1931), wherein Little Maria and the Frankenstein monster meet.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Victor stumbles out of bed while his wife sleeps, a crew member is reflected on the glass doors.

Quotes:

Insp. Lomax: Nobody ever wins a cold war.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: The Creeping Unknown (#1.9)" (1995)

Good early science-fiction thriller.

Science-fiction movies from the '50's are obviously not known for being subtle or their brilliantness. Many people would often think about Ed Wood- and Ed Wood type of Z-movies when mentioning '50's science-fiction. This movie tries to be different by putting in thriller elements, that work out effective and make this a successful and enjoyable movie to watch.

The movie and its story is obviously inspired (too much) by the horror/science-fiction movie "The Thing from Another World". Both movies show more than a few similarities and even the main plot line is comparable. Both feature plant like aliens that have come to Earth and of course cause mayhem. So no, "The Quatermass Xperiment" isn't exactly the most original movie but nevertheless the movie is good enough and still offers plenty of original genre elements to consider this a good and certainly enjoyable early science-fiction from the Hammer Studio's.

The story however features a bit too many implausibilities and clumsiness's to take the movie and its story very serious. For instance why exactly does the wife of Carroon wants to take her husband home, knowing the strange condition that he is in? There are a couple of more moments in the movie that don't exactly help to make this the most credible or clever movie around.

The movie has an overall good tension and atmosphere. Especially the mystery of the movie is well build up and constructed. The movie takes its time and does a good job to let the story and its mystery and suspense develop. It provides the movie with some great moments and a satisfying finale.

The movie is atmospherically shot in black & white, with the atmospheric London as the backdrop for the movie and the movie has some good enough early effects and make-up.

Richard Wordsworth has great physical looks for the movie its 'monster'. None of the other actors however really impress, which is sort of OK and suiting for a genre movie like this one.

It all in all is a good and well constructed and enjoyable early refreshing science-fiction thriller.

7/10