Quatermass 2 – 1957

A Hammer film production released by Exclusive films (UK)I and Warner Brothers (USA)
A Hammer production released by United Artists
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 18126
Opening credit;- “The Producers acknowledge the assistance received from the Hemel Hempsted New Town Development Corporation during the Shooting of this film”
Closing credit;-“The Producers Wish to acknowledge with thanks, the facilitie, extended to them by “Shell” Refining arId Marketing Company for the shooting of many scenes, at Shell Haven Refinery, Essex”
RCA Sound Recording
Produced at New EIstree Studios
Black & White 85 mins
Storyline
Professor Quatermass is working on a moonbase project from which the government suddenly and inexplicably withdraws funding. At the same time, instruments at his laboratory pick up a strange shower of meteor-like objects in the area of a village called Winterton Flats.
Quatermass and one of his colleagues, Marsh, set out for the village and to their shock find a gigantic complex of buildings, which bears an uncanny resemblance to his moonbase plans. Then Marsh finds a meteorite still intact and picks it up.
As he examines it, it explodes in his face, leaving a black wound on his cheek. Before the Professor can help him, armed guards, all bearing similar marks, arrive and take Marsh to the complex, a place shrouded in secrecy which the locals are unwilling to discuss. As he investigates further, Quatermass uncovers a terrifying scheme by Martian beings for an imminent invasion of earth…
Watch the trailer on YouTube
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits |
Art Director | Bernard Robinson | 44 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 46 |
Assistant Director | Don Weeks | 52 | 15 Nov 1904 | 1 Mar 1988 | 83 | 30 |
Camera Operator | Len Harris | 40 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 52 |
Conducted by | John Hollingsworth | 40 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 36 |
Continuity | June Randall | 29 | 26 Jun 1927 | 18 Jan 2015 | 87 | 6 |
Directed by | Val Guest | 45 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 29 |
Director of Photography | Gerald Gibbs | 49 | 7 Nov 1907 | 23 Jan 1990 | 82 | 3 |
Editor | James Needs | 37 | 17 Oct 1919 | 2003 | 83 | 110 |
Executive Producer | Michael Carreras | 29 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 82 |
Make-up | Phil Leakey | 48 | 4 May 1908 | 26 Nov 1992 | 84 | 48 |
Music | James Bernard | 31 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 24 |
Produced by | Anthony Hinds | 34 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 84 |
Production Manager | John Workman | 36 | 28 May 1920 | 1973 | 52 | 2 |
Production Supervisor | Anthony Nelson-Keys | 45 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 |
Screenplay by | Nigel Kneale | 34 | 18 Apr 1922 | 29 Oct 2006 | 84 | 6 |
Screenplay by | Val Guest | 45 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 29 |
Sound | Cliff Sandall | 53 | 24 Apr 1903 | 1988 | 84 | 2 |
Sound Editor | Alfred Cox | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | |
Special Effects | Bill Warrington | 47 | 1910 | 11 Sep 1981 | 71 | 2 |
Special Effects | Frank George | 3 | ||||
Special Effects | Henry Harris | 57 | 13 Nov 1899 | 1971 | 71 | 1 |
Story by | Nigel Kneale | 34 | 18 Apr 1922 | 29 Oct 2006 | 84 | 6 |
Wardrobe | Rene Coke | 1 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances | |
Banker | Gilbert Davis | 57 | 9 May 1899 | 28 Feb 1983 | 83 | 1 | |
Brand | William Franklyn | 31 | 22 Sep 1925 | 31 Oct 2006 | 81 | 3 | |
Broadhead | Tom Chatto | 36 | 1 Sep 1920 | 8 Aug 1982 | 61 | 1 | |
Commissioner | John Stuart | 58 | 18 Jul 1898 | 17 Oct 1979 | 81 | 7 | |
Constable | Arthur Blake | 27 | 7 Nov 1929 | 27 Nov 2001 | 72 | 1 | |
Dawson | Charles Lloyd-Pack | 54 | 10 Oct 1902 | 22 Dec 1983 | 81 | 8 | |
Ernie | Michael Ripper | 43 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | |
Gorman | Percy Herbert | 36 | 31 Jul 1920 | 6 Dec 1992 | 72 | 6 | |
Harry | Michael Balfour | 38 | 11 Feb 1918 | 24 Oct 1997 | 79 | 3 | |
Inspector | Lloyd Lamble | 42 | 8 Feb 1914 | 17 Mar 2008 | 94 | 3 | |
Intern | John Fabian | 29 | 19 May 1927 | 11 Apr 2012 | 84 | 1 | |
Jimmy Hall | Sidney James | 43 | 8 May 1913 | 26 Apr 1976 | 62 | 7 | |
Kelly | Betty Impey | 26 | 5 Dec 1930 | 91 | 1 | ||
Lab. Assistant | Robert Raikes | 28 | 1929 | 93 | 1 | ||
Lab. Assistant | Philip Baird | 1 | |||||
Lomax | John Longden | 56 | 11 Nov 1900 | 26 May 1971 | 70 | 4 | |
Marsh | Bryan Forbes | 30 | 22 Jul 1926 | 8 May 2013 | 86 | 2 | |
McLeod | John Rae | 61 | 21 Jun 1895 | 4 Jun 1977 | 81 | 1 | |
Michaels | Howard Williams | 24 | 10 May 1932 | 89 | 3 | ||
Mrs McLeod | Jane Aird | 46 | 12 Jul 1910 | 26 May 1979 | 68 | 2 | |
Peterson | Edwin Richfield | 35 | 11 Sep 1921 | 2 Aug 1990 | 68 | 10 | |
Professor Quatermass | Brian Donlevy | 55 | 9 Feb 1901 | 5 Apr 1972 | 71 | 2 | |
Secretary | Marianne Stone | 34 | 23 Aug 1922 | 21 Dec 2009 | 87 | 9 | |
Sheila | Vera Day | 21 | 4 Aug 1935 | 86 | 4 | ||
Super | George Merritt | 66 | 10 Dec 1890 | 27 Aug 1977 | 86 | 3 | |
The P.R.O. | John van Eyssen | 34 | 19 Mar 1922 | 13 Nov 1995 | 73 | 4 | |
Woman M.P. | Joyce Adams | 1 | |||||
Young Man | Ronald Wilson | 26 | 2 Apr 1930 | 17 Jul 2014 | 84 | 1 |
Production
FILMING BEGAN | 21 May 1956 | |
UK RELEASE | 17 June 1957 | |
STUDIO | New Elstree Studios, Elstree Road, Borehamwood. Hertfordshire, England | |
LOCATION | Chobham Common, Surrey, England | |
Shell Haven Refinery, Essex, England | ||
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England | ||
House of Lords, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, England | ||
Ivinghoe Beacon, The Ridgeway, Buckinghamshire, England | Winnerden Flats | |
Parliament Square, Westminster, London, England | ||
South Downs outside Brighton, East Sussex, England | ||
Trafalgar Square, St James's, London, England | ||
Canvey Island, Essex, England |
Footnotes
Versatile actor Bryan Forbes also turned his hand to screenwriting, production and direction. His credits as director include “Whistle down the Wind” (1961), “The L-Shaped Room” (1962), “Seance on a Wet Afternoon” (1964) and “The Wrong Box” (1966). He is married to actress Nanette Newman, who appears in Hammer’s “Man at the Top” (1974).
Charles Lloyd Pack is a fairly regular face in Hammer’s repertory company of actors. Other appearances by him for them include “Dracula” (1958), “The Revenge of Frankenstein” (1958), “The Man Who Could Cheat Death” (1959), “The Reptile” (1966) and “Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell” (1973).
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection