Quatermass
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,856Chief of Staff
Further to a chat with Gymkata during a recent podcast, here’s an overview of the Quatermass series. It ran for many years, though suffered from inconsistent casting of the lead actor, and was strongly influential on such things as “Dr Who” and Stephen King (“The Tommyknockers”).
(1) THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT (aka The Quatermass Xperiment, The Creeping Unknown)
In 1953 writer Nigel Kneale came up with this for the time very popular BBC series. His main character, Professor Bernard Quatermass, was played by Reginald Tate. Unfortunately, only two episodes survive (thank you, BBC).
The success of this led to a Hammer film adaptation in 1955 called “The Quatermass Xperiment”- title changed to capitalise on the then-new X certificate. As was their custom at the time, Hammer imported an American actor to play the lead- Brian Donlevy. The film was a success, starting Hammer off on their course of sci-fi/horror movies. Kneale was not happy with Donlevy’s performance (and the script) and when Hammer wanted to make a sequel he refused them permission.
In 2005 a remake starring Jason Flemyng was done by the BBC.
(1a) X- THE UNKNOWN
This 1956 Hammer film was their response to Nigel Kneale refusing the use of Quatermass. The main character is called Dr Adam Royston and was played by American actor Dean Jagger. Basically, it’s a Quatermass film in all but name.
(2) QUATERMASS 2 (aka Quatermass II, Enemy From Space)
A second BBC production, again by Nigel Kneale, in 1955. Sadly, the actor Reginald Tate died shortly before production and was replaced by John Robinson who gives a rather stiff performance. This was again a big success and was filmed by Hammer in 1957, once again starring Brian Donlevy.
This is perhaps the first film/TV production to use “2” as a suffix- eg “Jaws 2”- though I may be wrong about that.
(3) QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (aka Five Million Years To Earth)
IMHO the epitome of the series. Again, Kneale wrote the BBC series which was shown in 1958-59. Quatermass was this time played by Andre Morell. It took Hammer till 1967 to film it, starring Andrew Keir. The film has become a cult classic.
(4) QUATERMASS (aka The Quatermass Conclusion)
A 1979 Thames TV production, written by Kneale, starring Sir John Mills as Quatermass. It was filmed in such a way that an edited movie length version could also be released.
(5) THE QUATERMASS MEMOIRS
A 1996 radio production, written by Kneale, with Andrew Keir as Quatermass.
(1) THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT (aka The Quatermass Xperiment, The Creeping Unknown)
In 1953 writer Nigel Kneale came up with this for the time very popular BBC series. His main character, Professor Bernard Quatermass, was played by Reginald Tate. Unfortunately, only two episodes survive (thank you, BBC).
The success of this led to a Hammer film adaptation in 1955 called “The Quatermass Xperiment”- title changed to capitalise on the then-new X certificate. As was their custom at the time, Hammer imported an American actor to play the lead- Brian Donlevy. The film was a success, starting Hammer off on their course of sci-fi/horror movies. Kneale was not happy with Donlevy’s performance (and the script) and when Hammer wanted to make a sequel he refused them permission.
In 2005 a remake starring Jason Flemyng was done by the BBC.
(1a) X- THE UNKNOWN
This 1956 Hammer film was their response to Nigel Kneale refusing the use of Quatermass. The main character is called Dr Adam Royston and was played by American actor Dean Jagger. Basically, it’s a Quatermass film in all but name.
(2) QUATERMASS 2 (aka Quatermass II, Enemy From Space)
A second BBC production, again by Nigel Kneale, in 1955. Sadly, the actor Reginald Tate died shortly before production and was replaced by John Robinson who gives a rather stiff performance. This was again a big success and was filmed by Hammer in 1957, once again starring Brian Donlevy.
This is perhaps the first film/TV production to use “2” as a suffix- eg “Jaws 2”- though I may be wrong about that.
(3) QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (aka Five Million Years To Earth)
IMHO the epitome of the series. Again, Kneale wrote the BBC series which was shown in 1958-59. Quatermass was this time played by Andre Morell. It took Hammer till 1967 to film it, starring Andrew Keir. The film has become a cult classic.
(4) QUATERMASS (aka The Quatermass Conclusion)
A 1979 Thames TV production, written by Kneale, starring Sir John Mills as Quatermass. It was filmed in such a way that an edited movie length version could also be released.
(5) THE QUATERMASS MEMOIRS
A 1996 radio production, written by Kneale, with Andrew Keir as Quatermass.
Comments
Quartermaster Xperiment is my favourite but the Pit comes a close second. I did read that Brian Donlevy liked a drink and was often on set inebriated. Nigel Kneale was unhappy at this and according to the director Val Guest, Kneale exaggerated the extent of his drunkenness, Guest maintaining that Donlevy always knew his lines.
I think you’re right Barbel, in that Quatermass II is the first “numbered” sequel movie, (although Shakespeare got there first in the play, Richard II) :v
As a kid I read magazines like Famous Monsters and yearned for the chance to see a Hammer film but it wasn’t until about 1972, aged 16, that I saw Dracula (1958) and Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) on a double bill at some London fleapit.
The version I heard or read was that Donlevy would be sitting on the set, quite drunk and barely able to walk or talk, but when Guest yelled "Action!" he would leap up and say his lines flawlessly, hitting his marks and giving a professional performance.... until Guest yelled "Cut!" when Donlevy would again collapse into his chair. Don't know how true that is, but all sources agree that Nigel Kneale totally disapproved of him as Quatermass. (My favourites would be Morell and Keir)
Bond connections- Cec Linder (Felix in GF) is in the BBC version of "Pit", while Julian Glover is in the Hammer version of it (as is Bryan Marshall from TSWLM). Plus Val Guest was one of the many directors of CR67.
if you can find it, I think Amazon Prime has a terrible lay out and finding
stuff can be a nightmare.
Sure by today's standards it slow moving, but I enjoyed it. The final
creature attack has some great miniature work.
I think Jaws 2 was the first movie sequel not to use Roman Numerals but a
standard 2 ?
Glad you enjoyed "X- The Unknown". I feel a watching of that coming on soon....
As during the first season of Jon Pertwee's
Doctor, the producers actually acknowledged
That they were adopting the Quatetmass
Format, and several stories from that era
Are very much in that vein
I watched all the early ones (Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee) then began to watch less not cos of the series but because of that terrible thing called real life. By the 80s I wasn't watching at all, and never got into the revival.
Back in the 70s we kids could watch
The Master perform a satanic black
Mass to raise the Devil, ..... at tea time
Of a Saturday evening .
"The Doctor becomes alarmed on seeing television coverage of an archaeological dig by a Professor Horner into an ancient barrow near the village of Devil's End. He hurries to the scene with Jo....
The Doctor and Jo arrive at the site of the dig at the stroke of midnight, just as Professor Horner breaks through a stone wall that he has uncovered. A freezing wind blasts through the hole, apparently killing both Horner and the Doctor.
The Doctor and Jo enter the barrow to investigate further. They find what looks like a model spaceship but the Doctor explains that it is a real ship that has been miniaturised. ...The materialises and grows to giant size before her eyes..."
with Patrick Stewart as Ian Hood a modern Quatermass type character
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Hour_(British_TV_series)
sadly this never seems to get a repeat showing. It was later made
in to an American series but I enjoyed the British one better.
And Nigel Kneale often said he hated Dr Who, I think!
There's a Sylvester McCoy episode set in the early 60s where it is mentioned by some of the characters that perhaps it would be a good idea to give Bernard a call, although he's busy with the British Rocket Group...
It’s a studio bound effort but very atmospheric as in the Quatermass films and Peter Cushing is in it as well
I saw it on Amazon so it’s easily available to watch.
Kneale was a very interesting and individual writer whose work is well worthy of discussion!
I just picked up the Blu Ray of the original serial from Amazon a couple of weeks ago: it's only £7.99 and the HD transfer of the film materials is stunning: it's like it was made yesterday.
Re-watched many Blake's seven
Episodes on YouTube , but I'm expecting
Better quality. A couple of others I'm
Reliving. UFO, Space 1999 and The Avengers
Brad or Ingrid?
Yes, B7 isn't (and can't be) HD but The Avengers is and looks superb.
Space 1999 looks great too, and even weirder it's in widescreen but doesn't feel cropped..?
Brad or Ingrid ?
I must have been thinking of
Ingrid, hence the two big Ts
This may be the ultimate test of sexual orientation
For those who haven’t seen it this is the comic strip from House Of Hammer magazine of The Quatermass Xperiment…
Gosh. Nicely scanned. That is a severely condensed narrative - yet captures the essence of the story really well. Some excellent art work and I loved the more organic floral look of the creature. Also Quatermass himself looks intense and authoritative; I like the pirate beard! Not read this thread before, a good read on the train home.
Yes, I agree. Thanks @CoolHandBond!
And the sequel - from the retitled Hammer’s Halls Of Horror magazine…
Loved reading that, many thanks CHB. Both of those adaptations would have been very welcome back when people couldn't watch a particular film at will.