Review of X The Unknown

Introduction

In 1956, Hammer Films was ready to have another go at the world of horror (having made their first foray into the genre proper with "The Quatermass Xperiment" the previous year). They wanted an original story, rather than something lifted from television. Unfortunately Nigel Kneale, who had written "Quatermass", was under contract to the BBC and in any case had reservations about Hammer`s adaptation of the story. An office discussion led to production manager Jimmy Sangster being given his first feature film script commission. Sangster would go on to script many of Hammer`s future projects and beyond to script dozens of movies and tv shows here and in Hollywood. "X - The Unknown" is an outstanding debut script and stands up as well as nay of Nigel Kneale`s work.

This is one movie that Barry Norman shouldn`t have a bad word for, because his dad - eminent director Leslie Norman - made it. Originally, Joseph Losey ("The Servant", "The Go Between") had been hired to direct but (officially) ill-health and (unofficially) his politics caused him to be replaced at the helm. According to the disc`s wondefully copious notes, the new director brought some friction to the set and the extensive location shooting was not helped by atrocious shooting conditions - you can actually see ice on the puddles in the initial scenes.

American actor Dean Jagger, possibly best known as the old Colonel in "White Christmas" although he won an O*car in 1949 for "Twelve O`Clock High", was cast in the lead. It was common for B- or C- list American actors to go slumming in British movies of the forties and fifties and Hammer productions of the era are full of such figures, although some have since gone on to better things. Jagger played Dr Adam Royston, an expert in nuclear physics with a penchant for playing with Meccano and radioactive isotopes. In supporting roles were Edward Chapman (Norman Wisdom`s sidekick Mr Grimsdale), Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey), William Lucas (the father from Black Beauty), actor-crooner Anthony Newley, Kenneth Cope (the original Marty Hopkirk) and as a schoolboy Fraser Hines (who grew up to play a Dr Who companion before becoming a long-standing member of the Emmerdale cast). The rest of the cast list was peppered with Hammer regulars such as Michael Ripper and Edwin Richfield.

With makeup by Phil Leakey (later to redesign the Frankenstein Monster for Hammer) and special effects by Bowie Margutti (whose team included technicians who would go on to work on "Thunderbirds", "Alien" and "The Empire Strikes Back") the film is classic Hammer and a classic of the "threats to earth" sub-genre of Science Fiction.

Video

A very clear monochrome transfer, with some wear and tear visible. The opening Warner Bros. logo is a freeze frame before the main titles start and there is the briefest glimpse of the original BBFC certificate just before that. The movie was shot 4:3, and that aspect ratio is preserved here.

Audio

The soundtrack is provided in Dolby 2.0 Mono. There is also a writer`s commentary track with Jimmy Sangster and Hammer historian Marcus Hearn.

Features

In addition to the aforementioned yak track (which is fairly informative although Mr Sangster isn`t as forthcoming as he might), there is the original theatrical trailer, a specially-shot interview of Jimmy Sangster by Marcus Hearn and best of all an episode of the Best of British World of Hammer documentary series narrated by Oliver Reed. This episode is on Sci-fi and was, incidentally, the episode included as an extra on the Anchor Bay release of "Quatermass and the Pit". The disc comes with a profusely illustrated and marvellously informative 24-page booklet that has been absolutely invaluable in writing this review.

Conclusion

This is another old Hammer movie I first encountered on the Midnight Movie strand, and I remember it as being possibly even creepier than the Quatermass stories. Watching it now, I realise it was a lot creepier. This picture is good old-fashioned horror story telling at its best, and Jimmy Sangster is a master of the genre.