In the remote Scottish highlands, army exercises are disturbed by violent earth tremors and an explosion which kills one soldier and badly burns another. Scientists are called in to investigate the great chasm left by the explosion and soon discover that an enormous blob of radioactive slime lurks within it. But worse is to come – the slime is capable of movement and begins to venture out above ground in search of more radioactivity, threatening to destroy anything and anyone in its path!
Production Details
A Hammer film production released by Exclusive films (UK)I and Warner Brothers (USA)
Opening credit: – “The Producers wish to acknowledge the co-operation received Irom the War Office during the production of this film
RCA Sound System
Produced at Bray Studios
Black & White 75 mins
UK Release: 5th November 1956
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Locations:
Gerrard’s Cross, Buckinghamshire
Beaconsfield Gravel Pits, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Hidden | Death | Age | Hammer Credited | Hammer Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Art Director | Edward Marshall | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Assistant Director | Christopher Sutton | 25 | 01 Sep 1931 | 01.09.1931 | 92 | 7 | 7 | ||
Associate Producer | Mickey Delamar | 48 | 1 Jan 1908 | 1 Jan 1971 | 63 | 7 | 1 | 8 | |
Boom Operator | Jim Perry | 8 | 8 | ||||||
Camera Operator | Len Harris | 40 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 52 | 1 | 53 | |
Casting | Joseph Losey | 47 | 14 Jan 1909 | 22 Jun 1984 | 75 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Clapper Loader | Mike Rutter | 21 | 1 Jan 1935 | 6 Mar 2021 | 86 | 2 | 2 | ||
Continuity | June Randall | 29 | 26 Jun 1927 | 18 Jan 2015 | 87 | 6 | 6 | ||
Director | Leslie Norman | 45 | 25 Feb 1911 | 18 Feb 1993 | 81 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Director of Photography | Gerald Gibbs | 48 | 7 Nov 1907 | 23 Jan 1990 | 82 | 3 | 3 | ||
Draughtsman | Don Mingaye | 27 | 1 Jan 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 26 | 14 | 40 | |
Draughtsman | Tom Wollard | 24 | 3 Sep 1932 | 3.09.1932 | 91 | 1 | 1 | ||
Editor | James Needs | 37 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Executive Producer | Michael Carreras | 28 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 82 | 5 | 87 | |
First Assistant Editor | William Bouvet | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Focus Puller | Harry Oakes | 35 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 53 | 53 | ||
Make-up and Special Make-up Effects | Phil Leakey | 48 | 4 May 1908 | 26 Nov 1992 | 84 | 48 | 48 | ||
Master Plasterer | Arthur Banks | 18 | 29 | 47 | |||||
Music Composer | James Bernard | 31 | 20 Sep 1925 | 12 Jul 2001 | 75 | 24 | 1 | 25 | |
Musical Director | John Hollingsworth | 40 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 36 | 2 | 38 | |
Producer | Anthony Hinds | 34 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 84 | 1 | 85 | |
Production Manager | Jimmy Sangster | 28 | 2 Dec 1927 | 19 Aug 2011 | 83 | 65 | 2 | 67 | |
Production Secretary | Margaret Quigley | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Publicist | Bill Batchelor | 57 | 3 May 1899 | 23 Sep 1990 | 91 | 3 | 3 | ||
Second Assistant Director | Roy Stevens | 22 | 12 Mar 1934 | 29 Mar 2006 | 72 | 3 | 3 | ||
Second Assistant Editor | Henry Richardson | 20 | 13 Jan 1936 | 31 Jul 2017 | 81 | 4 | 7 | 11 | |
Second Camera Operator | John Reid | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Sound Camera Operator | Michael Sale | 8 | 8 | ||||||
Sound Editor | Alfred Cox | 31 | 1 Jan 1925 | 1 Jan 2005 | 80 | 21 | 4 | 25 | |
Sound Maintenance | Charles Bouvet | 50 | 27 Oct 1906 | 1 Jan 1978 | 71 | 6 | 6 | ||
Sound Mixer | Jock May | 51 | 1 Jan 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Sound Recordist | Cliff Sandall | 53 | 24 Apr 1903 | 1 Jan 1988 | 84 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Special Effects | Vic Margutti | 43 | 1 Jan 1913 | 1 Jan 1980 | 67 | 6 | 6 | ||
Special Effects | Jack Curtis | 3 | 23 | 26 | |||||
Special Effects | Les Bowie | 42 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 32 | 11 | 43 | |
Special Effects Assistant | Brian Johnson | 17 | 29 Jun 1939 | 29.06.1939 | 84 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
Special Effects Assistant | Ray Caple | 18 | 5 Jan 1938 | 1 Jan 1993 | 54 | 6 | 6 | ||
Special Effects Assistant | Roy Field | 24 | 19 Aug 1932 | 23 May 2002 | 69 | 4 | 4 | ||
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 26 | 26 | |||||
Story and Screenplay | Jimmy Sangster | 28 | 2 Dec 1927 | 19 Aug 2011 | 83 | 65 | 2 | 67 | |
Third Assistant Director | Hugh Harlow | 17 | 17 Jun 1939 | 17.06.1939 | 84 | 3 | 28 | 31 | |
Wardrobe | Molly Arbuthnot | 47 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 4 | 52 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Hidden | Death | Age | Hammer Credited | Hammer Uncredited | Total Hammer |
1st Soldier | Brian Peck | 26 | 24 Oct 1930 | 3 Apr 2021 | 90 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
2nd Soldier | Edward Judd | 24 | 4 Oct 1932 | 24 Feb 2009 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Burned Soldier | Edwin Richfield | 35 | 11 Sep 1921 | 2 Aug 1990 | 68 | 10 | 10 | ||
Dr Kelly | Robert Bruce | 38 | 1 Jan 1918 | 1 Sep 1967 | 49 | 1 | 1 | ||
Dr Royston | Dean Jagger | 52 | 7 Nov 1903 | 5 Feb 1991 | 87 | 1 | 1 | ||
Elliott | Edward Chapman | 55 | 13 Oct 1901 | 9 Aug 1977 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Gateman | Anthony Sagar | 36 | 19 Jun 1920 | 24 Jan 1973 | 52 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Gerard | Lawrence James | 29 | 7 Apr 1927 | 21 Feb 1986 | 58 | 1 | 1 | ||
Haggis | Ian McNaughton | 30 | 30 Dec 1925 | 10 Dec 2002 | 76 | 1 | 1 | ||
Hospital Director | Max Brimmell | 29 | 27 Apr 1927 | 15 Feb 1993 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Hospital Porter | Patrick Halpin | 55 | 4 Mar 1901 | 21 May 1971 | 70 | 5 | 5 | ||
Ian Osborne | Frazer Hines | 12 | 22 Sep 1944 | 22.09.1944 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Inspector McGill | Leo McKern | 36 | 16 Mar 1920 | 23 Jul 2002 | 82 | 2 | 2 | ||
Jack Harding | Jameson Clark | 49 | 1 Jan 1907 | 4 Jan 1984 | 77 | 1 | 1 | ||
Jeep Driver | Arthur Howell | 36 | 5 Jan 1920 | 1 Aug 2003 | 83 | 5 | 5 | ||
Jerry | John Stone | 32 | 26 May 1924 | 1 Jan 2007 | 82 | 1 | 1 | ||
Lancing | Kenneth Cope | 25 | 14 Apr 1931 | 14.04.1931 | 92 | 2 | 2 | ||
Lt Bannerman | Peter Hammond | 32 | 15 Nov 1923 | 12 Oct 2011 | 87 | 1 | 1 | ||
Major Cartwright | John Harvey | 45 | 27 Sep 1911 | 19 Jul 1982 | 70 | 12 | 1 | 13 | |
Old Tom | Norman MacOwan | 79 | 2 Jan 1877 | 31 Dec 1961 | 84 | 2 | 2 | ||
Peter | William Lucas | 31 | 14 Apr 1925 | 8 Jul 2016 | 91 | 3 | 3 | ||
Police Car Driver | John Stirling | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Police Radio Operator | Shaw Taylor | 32 | 26 Oct 1924 | 17 Mar 2017 | 92 | 1 | 1 | ||
Police Sergeant | Jack Lambert | 56 | 29 Dec 1899 | 13 Mar 1976 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Private Webb | Anthony Newley | 25 | 24 Sep 1931 | 14 Apr 1999 | 67 | 1 | 1 | ||
Reporter | John Stevenson-Lang | 50 | 28 Feb 1906 | 1 Jan 1961 | 54 | 1 | 1 | ||
Russell | Neil Wilson | 40 | 24 Jun 1916 | 24 Jan 1975 | 58 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Security Man | Philip Levene | 30 | 9 Jun 1926 | 25 Mar 1973 | 46 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sergeant Grimsdyke | Michael Ripper | 43 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
Sgt Yeardye | Archie Duncan | 42 | 26 May 1914 | 24 Jul 1979 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Soldier in Trench | Barry Steele | 35 | 3 Mar 1921 | 30 Sep 1982 | 61 | 2 | 2 | ||
Unwin | Neil Hallett | 32 | 30 Jun 1924 | 5 Dec 2004 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Vi Harding | Jane Aird | 46 | 12 Jul 1910 | 26 May 1979 | 68 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Vicar | Brown Derby | 42 | 5 May 1914 | 17 Jul 2000 | 86 | 1 | 1 | ||
Willie Harding | Michael Brook | 14 | 1 Jan 1942 | 8 Jun 2014 | 72 | 1 | 1 | ||
Willie's Room Nurse | Stella Kemball | 30 | 28 Apr 1926 | 24 Nov 2001 | 75 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
With | Angela Crow | 20 | 13 Dec 1935 | 3 Mar 2022 | 86 | 2 | 2 | ||
With | Raymond Dudley | 12 | 01 Jan 1944 | 01.01.1944 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Zena, the Nurse | Marianne Brauns | 38 | 01 Jan 1918 | 01.01.1918 | 106 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
A very young Frazer Hines appears in this film. He later played Jamie alongside Patrick Troughton in BBC TV’s “Doctor Who”, as well as Joe Sugden in the Yorkshire TV soap opera Emmerdale Farm”.
Director Leslie Norman is the father of film critic Barry Norman.
Uncredited Shaw Taylor is best known for presenting the long-running five-minute crime programme Police 5.