X-THE UNKNOWN

(1956) Black and White, 78 minutes, Not Rated
CAST: Dean Jagger (Dr. Adam Royston), Edward Chapman (Elliot), Leo McKern (Innspector McGill), William Lucas (Peter Elliot), John Harvey (Major Cartwright), Peter Hammond (Lt. Bannerman), Michael Ripper (Sgt. Grimsdyke), Anthony Newley (Corp. Spider Webb), Ian MacNaughton (Haggis), Kenneth Cope (Pvt. Lansing), Marianne Brauns (Zena), Fraser Hines (Ian Osbourne), Edwin Richfield (Old Soldier), Jameson Clark (Jack Harding), Jane Aird (Vi Harding), Michael Brook (Willie Harding), Neil Hallet (Unwin), Norman Macowan (Old Tom), Neil Wilson (Russell), John Stone (Gerry), Archie Duncan (Sgt. Yeardye), John Stirling (Police Driver), Shaw Taylor (Police Radio Operator), Frank Taylor (P.C. Williams), Brown Derby (Vicar), Max Brimmell (Hospital Director), Robert Bruce (Dr. Kelly), Stella Kimball (Nurse), Anthony Sager (Gateman), Phillip Levene (Security Man), Barry Steel (Soldier In Trench), Lawrence James (Guard), Brian Peck, Edwad Judd (Soldiers), Stephenson Lang (Reporter)
CREDITS: Director: Leslie Norman; Producer: Anthony Hinds; Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster; Director Of Photgraphy: Gerald Gibbs; Music: James Bernard; Musical Supervisor: John Hollingsworth; Special Effects: Jack Curtis, Bowie Margutti Ltd; Editor: James Needs; Production Design: Bernard Robinson; Assistant Director: Chris Sutton; Makeup: Phil Leakey; Camera: Len Harris; Costumes: Molly Arbuthnot; Continuity: June Randall; Sound Mixer: Jock May; Production Manager: Jimmy Sangster

A platoon of British soldiers on a training maneuver discover a radioactive spot in a quarry that suddenly opens up into a large fissure that leaving one of the soldiers dead, covered in radiation burns. Because of the dangerous levels of radiation escaping from the fissure, Dr. Royston is called in to investigate. Later that night a young boy from a nearby village is playing in the woods and is terrified by something mysterious and he is overcome with radiation sickness and dies.

It becomes apparent to Dr. Royston that something is leaving the fissure and seeking out radiation and then returning to the fissure and that it might be pure energy that is feeding on radiation. Royston has been working on a device that will neutralize atomic bombs and feels that he can adapt this device to stop the creature. Luring it out of it's pit with cobalt, the creature is trapped and then bombarded with Royston's device as it bursts into flames ending the terror of X-The Unknown...for now.

Hammer followed up their successful QUATERMASS XPERIMENT with this effective little horror/sci-fi film. Jimmy Sangster was hired to develop a screenplay. Up until this point, Sangster was a production manager at Hammer. They wanted to quickly cash in on the success of Quatermass but they had no story to work with. In a brain-storming session an idea was begun that Sangster began expounding on until finally Anthony Hinds approached him about writing the story. Jimmy wrote a story treatment and then was told to write the screenplay, his first. Actually all of this was a blessing to Jimmy Sangster, he had hated being a production manager because they get all of the dirty jobs like hiring and firing, watching the budget and basically running the film unit. Thanks to the success of Quatermass and a studio who needed a follow up hit, the world got one of the horror film's greatest screen writers.

X-THE UNKNOWN went into production of January of 1956. Joseph Losey had been hired to direct (under the name of Joe Walton) and Losey despised the project from it's inception. The day before it was to go before the camera's he reportedly came down with pneumonia and cancelled. Leslie Norman was called in to replace him and even though he took the job, he also hated the project.

Hammer studios had developed an almost family environment and working on a Hammer film was usually a pleasant experience. This wasn't the case here. Norman became known for fits of anger and for shouting obscenities at the cast and crew which was something that just wasn't done on the Hammer projects. Norman came into a project where the cast was already hired and the sets already built and had no input other then the way the movie would be directed. On top of these problems there were several problems with the weather during the production.

Dean Jagger wasn't overly happy with the project as well but still approached the role professionally until he came under the verbal abuse of Norman. It's amazing with all of these problems that the film got made at all. It premieres on September 21, 1956 and met with positive reviews and excellent box-office. RKO had originally agreed to pick up the film for US distribution but had to back out because of financial problems. Warner Brothers had been having a great deal of success with the sci-fi chillers like THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and THEM so Warner's wisely picked up the project with excellent result, beginning a partnership with Hammer for the distribution of their films.

X-THE UNKNOWN is an effective horror film wrapped in sci-fi trimmings and proved that Jimmy Sangster could write a good screenplay. With the success of this film, Hammer turned back to Quatermass for QUATERMASS 2, released in the United States as ENEMY FROM SPACE.