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IMDbPro

Quatermass and the Pit

  • 19671967
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
10K
YOUR RATING
Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
Official Home Video Trailer
Play trailer2:38
2 Videos
65 Photos
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Sci-Fi
A mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called into to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.A mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called into to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.A mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called into to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
10K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Roy Ward Baker
  • Writer
    • Nigel Kneale(original story)
  • Stars
    • James Donald
    • Andrew Keir
    • Barbara Shelley
Top credits
  • Director
    • Roy Ward Baker
  • Writer
    • Nigel Kneale(original story)
  • Stars
    • James Donald
    • Andrew Keir
    • Barbara Shelley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 174User reviews
    • 80Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Quatermass and the Pit
    Trailer 2:38
    Quatermass and the Pit
    Five Million Years To Earth
    Trailer 1:01
    Five Million Years To Earth

    Photos65

    Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    James Donald and Barbara Shelley in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    James Donald, Andrew Keir, and Barbara Shelley in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Julian Glover and Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    James Donald, Andrew Keir, and Barbara Shelley in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Maurice Good, Andrew Keir, and Bryan Marshall in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Julian Glover in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Julian Glover in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    James Culliford, James Donald, and Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Barbara Shelley in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
    Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (1967)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Donald
    James Donald
    • Doctor Roneyas Doctor Roney
    Andrew Keir
    Andrew Keir
    • Quatermassas Quatermass
    Barbara Shelley
    Barbara Shelley
    • Barbara Juddas Barbara Judd
    Julian Glover
    Julian Glover
    • Colonel Breenas Colonel Breen
    Duncan Lamont
    Duncan Lamont
    • Sladdenas Sladden
    Bryan Marshall
    Bryan Marshall
    • Captain Potteras Captain Potter
    Peter Copley
    Peter Copley
    • Howellas Howell
    Edwin Richfield
    Edwin Richfield
    • Ministeras Minister
    Grant Taylor
    Grant Taylor
    • Police Sergeant Ellisas Police Sergeant Ellis
    Maurice Good
    Maurice Good
    • Sergeant Cleghornas Sergeant Cleghorn
    Robert Morris
    Robert Morris
    • Watsonas Watson
    Sheila Steafel
    Sheila Steafel
    • Journalistas Journalist
    Hugh Futcher
    Hugh Futcher
    • Sapper Westas Sapper West
    Hugh Morton
    • Elderly Journalistas Elderly Journalist
    Thomas Heathcote
    Thomas Heathcote
    • Vicaras Vicar
    Noel Howlett
    Noel Howlett
    • Abbey Librarianas Abbey Librarian
    Hugh Manning
    Hugh Manning
    • Pub Customeras Pub Customer
    June Ellis
    • Blondeas Blonde
    • Director
      • Roy Ward Baker
    • Writer
      • Nigel Kneale(original story) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the London Underground, there are quite a few posters from other Hammer projects such as The Reptile (1966), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), and The Witches (1966), as well as My Fair Lady (1964) and Hotel (1967), on the station walls. An old, partially-ripped poster for Sex and the Single Girl (1964) can be seen on the wall opposite the entrance to Hobbs End station.
    • Goofs
      A minute or so before the end credits roll, as Quatermass is walking away from the devastation, a crew member's hand swings into the right-hand side of the frame and back out again.
    • Quotes

      Professor Bernard Quatermass: The will to survive... it's an odd phenomenon. Roney, if we found out earth was doomed - say, by climatic changes - what would we do about it?

      Dr. Mathew Roney: Nothing. Just go on squabbling as usual.

      Professor Bernard Quatermass: Yes, but if we weren't men?

    • Alternate versions
      The 2011 UK DVD and Blu-ray release has some of the credits in the opening titles reworked to remove the "Associated Britsh-Pathe Limited presents" credit and accordingly the titles appearing from "A Hammer Film Production" to the title of the film appear in a different synchronized order and accordingly have been extended to appear longer on the print by a few seconds so that the title of the film still appears at the same music clash points as intended.
    • Connections
      Featured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: Five Million Years to Earth (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Opening Credits and Prelude
      (uncredited)

      Written and Performed by Tristram Cary

    User reviews174

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    As complex and intellectual as 2001: A Space Odyssey
    Hammer Films have a lot to thank writer Nigel Kneale and his most popular character Bernard Quatermass for. When the BBC originally broadcast The Quatermass Experiment to a terrified audience, Hammer producer Anthony Hinds saw the potential for a movie adaptation and quickly snapped up the rights. At the time, Hammer were enjoying modest success making low-budget second features, but 1955's The Quatermass Xperiment (named so to highlight the X rating dished out by the BBFC), known as The Creeping Unknown in the U.S., became a hit and put the company's name on the cinematic map. Quatermass 2 (a.k.a. Enemy From Space) followed shortly after, and the rest is history.

    It seems like they were saving the best for last, and waited a whopping 10 years to deliver it. When skeletal remains are dug up during an extension to the London Underground, Palaeontologist Dr. Mathew Roney (James Donald) is called in, who concludes that the remains are that of an ancient race of 'apemen', possibly from 5 million years ago. Bernard Quatermass (Andrew Keir) disagrees however, and when further digging reveals a large metallic object, he believes it may be of alien origin. Colonel Breen (Game of Thrones' Julian Glover) insists that it is an unexploded bomb from World War II, and refutes Quatermass' claims. As the mystery unfolds, the discovery may lead to shocking revelations regarding man's evolution, and one that we are not ready to face.

    Quatermass and the Pit may feature some incredibly dated effects, but this is sci-fi as complex and intellectual as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); a film it is often compared to. Based on the six- part series, Pit's main issue is the difficulty in condensing hours' worth of material into a 98-minute movie, hitting the audience with one theory and revelation after another. But great sci-fi is primarily built on a singular great idea, and this is up there with the best. While the twists and turns are often a struggle to keep up with, the frantic pace created by the lack of running time means that we're kept on the edge of our seats for the duration. Keir is also an improvement on American Brian Donlevy (who played the professor in the previous two films), infusing Quatermass with warmth and a distinct Britishness.
    helpful•7
    0
    • tomgillespie2002
    • Jan 17, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 7, 1968 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Japan
    • Official sites
      • Hammer (United Kingdom)
      • Hammer Films (United Kingdom)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Five Million Years to Earth
    • Filming locations
      • St Nicholas Church, Chiswick, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Hammer Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £275,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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