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THE UNKNOWN (1956)Director: Leslie Norman
Anchor Bay Entertainment
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THE UNKNOWN (1956)During the mid-50s, before they gloriously revived gothic horror to its most colorful grandeur, England's Hammer films produced a handful of black & white sci-fi efforts that retained a suitable following. Produced the same year as their initial "Quatermass" effort (THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT), X THE UNKNOWN was the first Hammer film scripted by the legendary Jimmy Sangster who would soon reinvent the exploits of Frankenstein, Dracula and many more.
Originally released by Warner Bros. (whose logo prevails on the film, and if they still held the video rights, we'd be looking at a shoddy cable TV dub instead of a glorious DVD), the film concerns a radioactive, muddy blob creature that is unleashed from a crack in the earth. Already mysteriously offing a number of Scottish soldiers, the creature is believed to live off radioactivity as it burns any living being that comes within close range of it.
In comes a concerned nuclear scientist (played by American Dean Jagger) who attempts to determine the creature's existence and why people are dying from radiation burns. The head of the facility (played by Edward Chapman) is reluctant to accept Jagger's theories, but an agreeable, high-ranking inspector (Leo McKern of HELP! and "Rumpole of the Bailey" fame) is brought in, and he supports the inquisitive scientist all the way. Jagger and McKern are both very interesting in the leads, and there are some nice bit parts by Michael Ripper and future singing sensation Anthony Newley as one of the younger soldiers.
As black & white 50s sci-fi thrillers go, X THE UNKNOWN is somewhat eerie and has at least two genuinely scary scenes. One has a small boy wondering into the forest only to be traumatically frightened by a suggested, offscreen entity, and a scene where a hospital attendant is exposed to the radioactive creature, only to hideously decompose, thanks to Les Bowie's innovative effects. This sequence only makes one wonder what it would be like if Christopher Lee's "blistering" scenes during the climax of HORROR OF DRACULA really did exist!
Bowie's effects are pretty good for 1956, but the scenes of miniatures (including the unconvincing "blob" creature that resembles chocolate pudding) and matte paintings are extremely detectable due to the finely polished transfer, which looks great. Anchor Bay's DVD is presented full frame, with sparkling detail, great contrast, and solid blacks. This film has never looked better, with amazingly pristine source material. The mono audio track is in Dolby Digital, and presented as a 2-channel mix, giving it exceptional sound quality for an older film.
Also included is the original theatrical trailer, as well as an episode of WORLD OF HAMMER entitled, "Science Fiction." Narrated by the late Oliver Reed, it spotlights some of Hammer's best known sci-fi epics, including the "Quatermass" trilogy, and Joseph Losey's rarely seen (THESE ARE) THE DAMNED. (George R. Reis)