Review of The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) by Stuart K — 07 Feb 2013

This is what sprung Hammer to prominence, they bought the rights to do this big screen adaptation of the 1953 serial broadcast on the BBC. It shocked viewers, but when Hammer got the rights they wanted to show more than what the BBC version would allow.

It's still effective all these years later, and it was the template for the Hammer Horrors that were to come. A manned rocket, which was developed by Professor Bernard Quatermass (Brian Donlevy), crashes in the English countryside, the only survivor is Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth), who is shellshocked and battered.

He's taken to hospital, but it's not long before he undergoes a horrific transformation, murdering some of the hospital staff and escaping into London. Quatermass and Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner) go on a hunt to find Carroon before he does more damage.

But not before they discover what happened on the rocket, where the other two crew members seemingly vanished. But, Carroon's transformation doesn't stop and he transforms into something hideous.

It's a brilliantly suspenseful chiller, and a forerunner of what was to come with The Fly (1986). Director Val Guest does well with the material, and he seemed able to turn his hand to anything, and he gets good performances from his cast here.

Hammer wanted more, and they got it.