Quatermass and the Pit

Quatermass and the Pit is a truly remarkable piece of television. An excellent script, brilliant atmospheric direction and great performances from the cast. Anthony Bushell's Colonel Breen is an utterly unlikable character without being a clichéd hissable villain figure. The guy is so uptight you can almost feel his buttocks clenching! Cec Linder is a very likable character and his friendship with Quatermass is totally believable. As for Quatermass himself... whilst Brian Donlevy played a totally different character (let's be honest the character in the first two Hammer movies is Quatermass in name only, or should that be'Quittermuss'?) John Robinon was really good in the role, Reginald Tate, Andrew Keir and John Mills were all excellent but Andre Morell makes the role his own and completely outshines all the other very fine actors who played this part. He's a charismatic figure full of charm, authority and compassion (if I was a scientist I'd like to be this guy!). Morell is totally convincing in all aspects of the role, whether arguing with pompous ministers or fighting the Martian influence he carries the whole thing along with considerable style. Rudolph Cartier creates a truly chilling atmosphere, complimented by the sinister incidental music. The design is also magnificent. The Martians were an inspired design and Hammer's version of the creatures ten years later are very poor in comparison. A brilliant piece of television science fiction, rarely (if at all) equalled in nearly fifty years!

I've only found this site today, and it's tremendous to know that so many commentators felt about the BBC 1958 original in exactly the same way that I did. (I was far too young to watch it - only ten! - and spent most of the episodes peering out from behind the armchair...) I read recently that the classic scary moment when one of the disinterred Martians suddenly falls through its supports was actually a repeat of an accident that took place in rehearsal, and which the special effects people kept in the final version. I would personally highlight the title and incidental music, by Trevor Duncan (who was also the composer of the "Dr Finlay" theme music), which seems to me to be the final vital ingredient in creating the chilling atmosphere we all experienced. It's marvellous news that BBC Worldwide are going to release a DVD set of all the surviving episodes of all three BBC Quatermass serials in April 2005. If I can only dare to watch them!

The line above, uttered by Professor Bernard Quatermass in the abandoned and derelict building in Hob's Lane, Knightsbridge, remains one of the most chilling moments of dialog ever uttered on either the television or theatrical screen. I was twelve at the time and came as close to wetting my pants that night as I have since. (with the possible exception of the day I received a letter postmarked R.A.A.C. telling me I had been conscripted into the Australian Army in 1967 - THINK about it!)

So far ahead of its time QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, Nigel Kneale's third installment in the Quatermass series, was a brilliant pot-pourri of horror, sci-fi, mysticism, the occult and just plain scripted genius. It was estimated that more than 3/4 of Britain were tuned-in to the 6th and final episode - the rest we presume, didn't have television!

Distinguised British actor Andre Morell WAS the perfect Quatermass, Senior Government scientist and head of Rocket Research, assigned to an investigation of the presumed 'unexploded bomb' unearthed during a routine archaeological 'dig' at Knightsbridge, subsequent upon the discovery of a human skull during building excavation there. Following the unearthing of the object virtually unmarked, yet located BELOW the skull, since carbon-dated as being at least five million years old, extreme paranormal occurrences are recorded which in 1958 were simply terrifying. Their power can still be seen even in the creaky and grainy old B & W video re-edit that was released some years ago and which I regularly watch, probably as much to re-capture my youth as to be thrilled once again.

This was a cerebral trip, Neve Campbell really wouldn't have slotted in here! It was a DIFFERENT fear back then...cabalistic markings, disturbing sounds, ghosts and demons you couldn't see, but KNEW were there (that awesome utterance in the summary!) and the biggest fright of all - the dead martian as it rustled and slipped through that web of decaying strands that had held it in place all those centuries! The big-screen color re-make FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH was OK but lost all the POWER of the TV original and remains a pale imitation.

To have been able to watch this epic piece of film-making AT THE TIME was a great privilege, I don't think today's audience are going to feel quite the same about Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees in 2046. (although I HAVE to say, I rather LIKE these guys...they're almost family now!)

I envy anybody who was lucky enough to watch this one the first time around! Seeing the re-released video version today I can imagine what a mind-blower this must have nearly 45 years ago. An amazing technical achievement for the time, while the movie remake had a bigger budget and was in colour, it's debatable whether it actually bettered this original TV version. A plot that mixes science fiction and the occult in a way reminiscent of some of H.P. Lovecraft's later stories, added to inventive (low budget) direction, and generally strong acting, especially from Andre Morell (possibly the best Quatermass of them all), this is a must see for any genuine SF fan. Nigel Kneale deserves a place in the history of fantastic television and cinema, and this is one of his best efforts.

I had always considered the third - and most ambitious - Quatermass film (made in 1967) as a masterpiece; if anything, the original serial is even better as the accumulation of detail (Kneale's decidedly cerebral script taking in an archaeological expedition overrun by the military, paranormal manifestations going hand in hand with a secret alien invasion, a startling revelation concerning Homo Sapiens, riots provoked by the sudden appearance of an energy-consuming demon, and ending with a plea for tolerance!) is more smoothly distributed - and, consequently, better digested - over the period of 3½ hours rather than a film little more than 90 minutes in length!!

Casting is very strong and about the best of all three serials, with Andre' Morell (standing in for the recently deceased John Robinson) emerging as the finest Quatermass ever; Michael Ripper - the actor with more Hammer Films credits to his name (though not, curiously enough, their version of this serial!) - is featured in a supporting role. The film - among the top two or three ever turned out by Hammer - obviously substituted color for black-and-white (arriving 10 years after the last Quatermass picture with a new director and lead actor); an inspired touch, however, was its resetting the excavation site where the alien spacecraft is discovered to a branch of the London Underground and, besides, this time around they could afford to show the demon and its subsequent destruction!

Of course, having watched the Hammer films numerous times prior to going through the serials themselves, the narratives hold no real surprises - but, then, because Kneale's concepts are so fascinating and even persuasive, they keep one riveted (and, despite their considerable length, don't make one restless to get to the 'goodies', so to speak). Again, the opening credits and the score set the tone wonderfully for what's to come - and, contrary to the monster of "The Quatermass Experiment" (which the BBC hated so much that the final episode of that first serial was deleted immediately!), some care was evidently allowed here to the preparation of the Martian creatures so vital to the program!!

Unfortunately, I experienced freezing around the 147-minute mark during playback of this particular disc - but, by fast-forwarding and rewinding a bit, I managed to make it through the effected part regardless...