QUATERMASS
AND THE PIT-1958-This is the third Professor Quatermass serial
produced by the BBC. Despite a lot of talk and non-action it's very
well done. In a London district, an archeological dig led by Prof.
Roney (Cec Linder; Felix Leiter in GOLDFINGER) find evidence of a new
hominid and later discover a huge metallic object.
Roney brings in
his friend Prof. Quatermass (Andre Morell) to investigate.
Quatermass' war department nemesis the pompous Colonel Breen (Joseph
Bushell who later directed TERROR OF THE TONGS for Hammer) gets
involved as well.
When an air tight compartment in the object is
finally opened a bunch of dead insect like creatures are found. This
leads Quatermass to the theory that the creatures are from Mars and 5
million year ago
they came to Earth and experimented on early man! Of course the
government will have none of it. A haunted house, telekinesis,
ancient myths and a weird machine that can record “visual
impressions inside the brain” all figure into this ambitious ahead
of it's time story which if it sounds familiar was later re-made by
Hammer as the full length film 20 MILLION YEARS TO EARTH. The final
speech by Quatermass really rings true!
Also
with Christine Finn (the voice of “Tin-Tin” on THE THUNDERBIRDS)
& John Stratton. Michael Ripper portrays a army sergeant in the
first five segments. Morrell was in THE GIANT BEHEMOTH around this
time and played Dr. Watson to Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes in
Hammer's THE HOUND OF THE BASERVILLES in 1959.
Screenwriter
Nigel Kneale had written the feature length film ENEMY FROM SPACE
(where American actor Brian Donlevy was the professor) in 1957 and
later did screenplays for movies like LOOK BACK IN ANGER, THE
ENTERTAINER and FIRST MEN IN THE MOON. Director Rudolph Cartier had a
long career in BBC TV.
Good night and thanks for reading!
(imdb)
