As a teenage boy I attended a high school that was chartered to provide an education with deeper concentration on technology, industry and the sciences. I other words it was a haven for geeks and nerds. Despite the pejorative connotations associated with those adjectives even forty years ago we held our slide rules aloft proud of whom we were. One corollary to growing up in this sort of environment collectively we tended to appreciate the more esoteric forms of Science fiction. Sure, most of the kids our age were into Sci-Fi, particularly the space operas that rose to popularity with the previous decade of infatuation with the space race but with such a high percentage of aficionados concentrated in one location we tended to extend our developing love of the genre to some of the more esoteric novels, films and television series. Everyone was into the classics such as Heinlein or Bradbury and the wonderfully creative movies of early masters of space flick like George Pal, tucked away in our high school we were exposed to a broader variety by both classmates and some progressive members of the faculty. This introduced us, me included, to the incredible universe of science fiction, British style. We quickly became lifelong fans of such offerings as Doctor Who and the adventures of a more terrestrially bound Professor Quartermass. This imaginative series of teleplays came from the genius possessed by Nigel Kneale. He was a writer for the BBC but several of his stories made their way to relatively inexpensive but exceptionally creative movies. The third of the series, ‘Quartermass and the Pit’ remains a prize in my collection even though it was dubbed from a video tape. This brings us to the subject of this consideration, ‘The Quartermass Xperiment’. This classic film from 1955 is part of the latest wave of offerings in the ongoing Manufacture on Demand series from MGM. The quality is reasonably better than that cherished disc made from an old video tape but the important thing is the treasure represented by the film. This movie is a certified piece of cinematic history and for many of us an immeasurable memory from our personal past.

Typical of a movie made in the mid fifties the public is offered a bit of relief from worries concerned with the Communist plot for global domination by presenting a story of world destruction from an extraterrestrial source. In this film the menace rides to earth on a manned space exploration craft crashing upon its return to earth. The scientist who designed the space ship, Professor Bernard Quatermass (Brian Donlevy), is dispatched to the site accompanied by his stalwart assistant Dr. Gordon Briscoe (David King-Wood). The mission had been problematic from the start losing contact with the ground almost immediately after lift-off. Three Astronauts departed but the only one to survive and return was Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth). The mystery deepens with the two crewmembers lost without a trace and Carroon aphonic frantically mouthing the words ‘Help Me’. The Authorities place Victor in hospital pending an inquest and examination but his wife Judith (Margia Dean), manages to evade security and sneaks him off base. So much for heighten Cold War security.

Carroon has begun to undergo a deadly change becoming less human with each passing hour. Infected by something they encountered on an asteroid in space Carroon now exists by draining the life out of anyone he encounters. In represents something that had been gaining popularity at that time, taking themes from mythology and ancient folk lore and giving them a modern technological spin. In this instance the eternal favorite, the blood sucking vampire with given a horror flick make over. one of the more intense tropes seen in this movie is the depiction of the inner conflict Carroon is undergoing as he desperately tries to hold on to the rapidly diminishing humanity. This is exhibited by borrowing from another great moment in horror history; Frankenstein’s monster and the little girl. Victor encounters a similar child and through a demonstration of will power avoids consuming her life. The incident does heighten the resolve of Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner) to capture the creature that was once a heroic human being. It is up to the intrepid scientific acumen before the alien creature has a chance to reproduce.

The Quartermass trilogy is one of the early examples of the use of science to protect humanity from the new horrors that is present due to the advances of technology. This was common to the era having the threat rise up from science only to be resolved by advances in technology. It basically acknowledged the prevalent fear of the unknown represented by technology exploding faster than ever before. At the same time movies like this reassured that same public that ultimately science will prevail to the benefit of all mankind. The effects are notably primitive even by then contemporary standards but this was the golden age of this genre were the acting and dialogue told the story not glitzy effects.

The other notable aspect of this film was it was produced by one of the best known studios for fifties horror, Hammer Studios. Their reputation for quick and cheap horror flick frequently expanded into Sci-Fi flicks like this. Hammer is making a comeback with a new line of horror but nothing beats classics like this. Hammer was the place to look for Anglophile horror and science fiction imprinting my generation with an enduring appreciation for movies from the other side of the pond. The appeal of MGM’s Manufacture on demand line is obvious but I sincerely hope that young movie buffs decide to extend the scope of their favorite films to the ones that make up this line of DVDs. Blu-ray and even regular DVDs may exceed these MOD discs for technical specifications but few can match the incredible content offered by this series of releases. The other Quartermass movies are exceptionally difficult to find but hopefully MGM will be able to secure the distribution rights and help us diehard fans continue to improve our collections.