Review of X: The Unknown (1956) by Stuart K — 27 Apr 2014

In 1955, Hammer Films had a huge box-office success with their adaptation of the BBC's 1953 serial, The Quatermass Xperiment. This sci-fi thriller, scripted by future Hammer veteran Jimmy Sangster, originally started life as a sequel to Quatermass.

However, it's creator Nigel Kneale said no, so Hammer made it a film in it's own right, and it's a very good thriller, with a good cast to boot too. During an army training exercise in a remote part of western Scotland, a large earthquake occurs where soldiers involved in the exercise, including Private Lansing (Kenneth Cope) are exposed and injured by radiation exposure.

Dr. Royston (Dean Jagger), who works at the nearby Atomic Energy Laboratory, is called in with Inspector McGill (Edward Chapman), to investigate this, and why it happened. But, when villagers in nearby communities to where it happened start dying of radiation poisoning, Royston and McGill deduct that the force is some prehistoric lifeforce which predates man, and has been trying to get to Earth's surface.

It's a very good thriller, and it has a good cast of faces from film and TV of that time and later. It was directed by Leslie Norman, (Barry's Dad), who replaced Joseph Losey, who had ran away from the Communist Witch-hunts of America.

As a result, it was a difficult production, but it manages to be exciting to watch.