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Title: X the Unknown (1956)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Dean Jagger | ... | Dr. Adam Royston | |
| Edward Chapman | ... | John Elliott | |
| Leo McKern | ... | Insp. 'Mac' McGill | |
| Anthony Newley | ... | LCpl. 'Spider' Webb | |
 |
Jameson Clark | ... | Jack Harding |
| William Lucas | ... | Peter Elliott | |
| Peter Hammond | ... | Lt. Bannerman | |
|
|
Marianne Brauns | ... | Zena, the Nurse |
|
|
Ian MacNaughton | ... | Haggis (as Ian McNaughton) |
| Michael Ripper | ... | Sgt. Harry Grimsdyke | |
|
|
John Harvey | ... | Maj. Cartwright |
| Edwin Richfield | ... | Soldier Burned on Back | |
|
|
Jane Aird | ... | Vi Harding |
|
|
Norman MacOwan | ... | Old Tom (as Norman Macowan) |
| Neil Hallett | ... | Unwin (as Neil Hallet) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
British Army radiation drills at a remote Scottish base attract a subterranean, radioactive entity of unknown nature that vanishes, leaving two severely radiation-burned soldiers... and a "bottomless" crack in the earth. Others who meet the thing in the night suffer likewise, and with increasing severity; it seems to be able to "absorb" radiation from any source, growing bigger and bigger. What is it?? How do you destroy a thing that "feeds" on energy? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
It rises from 2000 miles below the earth to melt everything in its path! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
May 1957 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La incógnita X See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
(uncredited)
Written by Antonín Dvorák
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The film was originally intended to have been a sequel to another Hammer success, The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), but creator Nigel Kneale vetoed the use of his character(s) by another writer - hence Prof. Bernard Quatermass swiftly became Dr. Adam Royston. See more »Goofs
Near the end, when John is backing up the jeep to the pit, he is sweating profusely. In the next scene his face is dry. See more »Soundtracks
Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22: V. Finale: Allegro vivace(uncredited)
Written by Antonín Dvorák
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
Often overlooked even by those who enjoy the sci-fi films of the fifties, "X The Unknown" is one of those sleepers that real afficionados will watch over and over. Starring Dean Jagger, the cast also features a very young Anthony Newly as a British Army corporal.
There's not much that professional critics would find either amusing or compelling about this film, but when considered in its place as a landmark movie both for the sci-fi genre and for Hammer films, it shines somewhat brighter.
As has aready been mentioned, this film occupies a prominent role among those that feature a "blob" monster. The special effects, incidentally, are not bad for the year (1956), and the concept of a radioactive blob is perhaps even more interesting than one that merely gobbles up people.
I understand that this was one of the early films produced by Hammer, as a step toward making more sci-fi entries. I'm glad they took the chance. This film and those that followed it enriched the genre for all fans of 1950's and 1960's sci-fi films.