X the Unknown (1956)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1956
Running Times: 75m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Ratio:
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Leslie Norman, Joseph Losey (uncredited)

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © MCMLVI [1956] by Sol Lesser Productions, Inc. [US prints only]
Production Company: Exclusive Films presents [UK prints only]  Warner Bros. presents [US prints only]  A Hammer Film production
Executive Producer: Michael Carreras
Produced by: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Mickey Delamar (uncredited)
Production Manager: Jimmy Sangster

SCRIPT
Story and Screenplay by: Jimmy Sangster

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Chris Sutton
2nd Assistant Director: Roy Stevens (uncredited)
3rd Assistant Director: Hugh Harlow (uncredited)
Continuity: June Randall

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gerald Gibbs
Camera Operator: Len Harris
2nd Camera Operator: John Reid (uncredited)
Focus Puller: Harry Oakes (uncredited)
Clapper Loader: Michael Rutter (uncredited)
Stills: Tom Edwards (uncredited)

EDITOR
Editor: James Needs
Assistant Editors: Bill Bouvet, Henry Richardson (both uncredited)

MUSIC
Music Composed by: James Bernard
Musical Director: John Hollingsworth
Music Recorded at: Anvil Studios (uncredited)

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Jock May
Sound Recording: Cliff Sandell (uncredited)
Sound Camera Operator: Michael Sale (uncredited)
Boom Operator: Jim Perry (uncredited)
Sound Maintenance: Charles Bouvet (uncredited)
Sound Editor: Alfred Cox
RCA Sound System

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot

SPECIAL MAKE UP
Make-up and Special Make-up Effects: Philip Leakey

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Bowie-Margutti Ltd., Jack Curtis
Special Effects Assistants: Roy Field, Ray Caple, Brian Johnson (all uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Edward Marshall (uncredited)
Draughtsman: Don Mingaye (uncredited)

OTHER CREW
Production Secretary: Margaret Quigley (uncredited)
Publicity Director: Bill Batchelor (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Produced at: Bray Studios[, Berkshire, England, UK]

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Producers wish to acknowledge the co-operation received from the War Office during the production of this film

CASTING
Casting: Joseph Losey (uncredited)

CAST

Dean Jagger (Dr Adam Royston)
Edward Chapman (John Elliott)
Leo McKern (Inspector McGill)

with
Anthony Newley (Corporal "Spider" Webb)
Jameson Clark (Jack Harding)
William Lucas (Peter Elliott)
Peter Hammond (Lt Bannerman)
Marianne Brauns (Zena)
Ian MacNaughton (Cpl Haggis)

and
Michael Ripper (Sgt Harry Grimsdyke)
John Harvey (Major Cartwright)
Edwin Richfield (soldier burned on back)
Jane Aird (Vi Harding)
Norman Macowan (Old Tom)
Neil Hallett (Unwin)
Kenneth Cope (Pvt. Lansing)
Michael Brooke (Willie Harding)
Fraser Hines (Ian Osborn)

UNCREDITED CAST

Robert Bruce (Dr Kelly)
Archie Duncan (Sgt Yeardye)
Stella Kemball (Willie's room nurse)
John Stone (Gerry)
Neil Wilson (Russell)
John Stirling (police car driver)
Shaw Taylor (police radio operator)
Frank Taylor (P.C. Williams)
Brown Derby (vicar)
Max Brimmell (hospital director)
Anthony Sagar (gateman)
Philip Levene (security man)
Barry Steel (soldier in trench)
Lawrence James (2nd guard)
Brian Peck (1st soldier)
Edward Judd (2nd soldier)
Stephenson Lang
Angela Crow

PLOT SUMMARY

Radiation tests being staged by the British Army at a remote Scottish base disturb a radioactive creature that attacks and kills two soldiers before disappearing. It leaves behind a huge fissure in the earth, then returns and starts attacking with increasing ferocity, absorbing radiation as it goes and growing larger and larger...

Hammer's follow-up to the might The Quatermass Experiment (1955) is the lesser film but is nontheless a fine piece of work, grittily directed by Leslie Morman and tightly plotted by future Hammer regular scribe Jimmy Sangster. The monster is a bet of a let down though.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Exclusive Films
Video Distributor: Walton

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Video Distributor: Warner Bros.

Finland
Rating: K-16

UK
Rating: X

USA
Rating: unrated

1956
January
9: Principal photography begins; James Carreras brokers a distribution deal with Sol Lesser

February
Day Unknown: Principal photography ends

August
14: UK - trade show at the Studio One, London (at 1030)

September
21: UK - London premiere at the Pavilion Theatre, Piccadilly Circus

November
5: UK - theatrical release on ABC circuit on double bill with Les Diaboliques

1957
June
24: Denmark - theatrical release

1959
February
20: Finland - theatrical release

X - den ukendte fare - Danish title
X - tuntematon - Finnish title
X contro il centro atomico - Italian title
XX unbekannt - West German title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
The Blob (1958)
Caltiki, il mostro immortale (1959)
The Quatermass Experiment (1955)

PERIODICALS

Daily Film Renter no.7191 (16 August 1956) p.3 (UK)
review (by S.M.)

Fangoria no.184 (July 1999) p.35 (USA)
illustrated review

The House That Hammer Built no.1 (February 1997) pp.35-40 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, production notes (by Wayne Kinsey)

Kinematograph Weekly no.2557 (16 August 1956) p.23 (UK)
review (by Josh Billings)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.23 no.273 (October 1956) p.128 (UK)
review

Today's Cinema vol.87 no.7586 (15 August 1956) p.9 (UK)
review (by D.R.)

BOOKS

The A-Z of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films p.299
credits, review

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Science Fiction pp.164-165
credits, review

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.890
credits, review, UK video data

The Hammer Story pp.18-19
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

Hoffman's Guide to Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.401
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films III pp.309-310
credits

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.552
credits

KEYWORDS

military, blobs, monsters, radiation

Last Updated: 18 October, 2009