*** Welcome to piglix ***

The Quatermass Xperiment

The Quatermass Xperiment
A black and white photograph, tinted green, of a man, standing to the right, against a black background. 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 white lettering, are the names of Brian Donlevy and Jack Warner, the film's top-billed stars.
Directed by Val Guest
Produced by Anthony Hinds
Screenplay by
  • Richard Landau
  • Val Guest
Based on The Quatermass Experiment
by Nigel Kneale
Starring
Music by James Bernard
Cinematography Walter J. Harvey
Edited by James Needs
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 26 August 1955 (1955-08-26) (United Kingdom)
Running time
 82 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget £42,000

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 eponymous Professor Bernard Quatermass. Jack Warner, Richard Wordsworth, and Margia Dean appear in supporting roles. The film's US release in 1956 was on a double bill with The Black Sleep.

Three astronauts are launched into space aboard a rocket designed by Professor Quatermass, but the spacecraft returns to earth with only one occupant, Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth). Something has infected him during the spaceflight, and he begins mutating into an alien organism which, if it spores, will engulf the Earth and destroy humanity. When the Carroon-creature escapes from custody, Quatermass and Scotland Yard's Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner), have just hours to track it down and prevent a catastrophe.

The British Rocket Group, headed by the taciturn Professor Bernard Quatermass, launches its first manned rocket into space. Shortly thereafter, all contact is lost with the rocket and its three crew: Carroon, Reichenheim, and Green. The large rocket later returns to earth, crashing into an English country field. Quatermass and his assistant Marsh arrive at the scene, along with the local emergency services, Carroon's wife Judith, Rocket Group physician Dr. Briscoe, and Blake, a Ministry official who chides him repeatedly for launching the rocket on impulse and without official permission. Finally opening the rocket's access hatch, the space-suited Carroon stumbles outside; inside, there is no sign of the other two crew members. Carroon is in shock, only able to say the words "Help me". Inside the rocket, Quatermass and Marsh can find no sign of the other two crewmen, only their completely-fastened spacesuits.


...
Wikipedia

...