Today Hammer Film Productions is best known for their successful Gothic horror movies they made from the late Fifties into the early Seventies As well known as their Gothic horror movies are, Hammer also made films in other genres, including film noir, psychological thrillers, and even science fiction. Among their science fiction films is Quatermass and the Pit (1967), based on the 1958 BBC television serial of the same name. The television serial Quatermass and the Pit was a sequel to two earlier BBC serials, 1953's The Quatermass Experiment and 1955's Quatermass II. Both of those films were also adapted as Hammer movies. In fact, their adaptation of The Quatermass Experiment, subtly re-titled The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), was the first horror movie ever made by Hammer Film Productions.
In Quatermass and the Pit (1967), an ape man dating far back far earlier than previous specimens along and a mysterious metal object, initially thought to be an undetonated bomb, are uncovered by workers on the London Underground. Professor Quatermass becomes involved after his project to colonise the moon is taken over by the military (namely Colonel Breen, played by Julian Glover), and Colonel Breen is brought in to help with the "bomb." As it turns out, the bomb isn't a bomb at all, but actually something much more dangerous.
As mentioned above, Quatermass and the Pit (1967) was an adaptation of the TV serial Quatermass and the Pit, which aired from December 22, 1958 to January 26, 1959 on the BBC. The origins of both go back to the original serial, The Quatermass Experiment, which aired on the BBC in 1953. Nigel Kneale was a member of the BBC writing staff when he was assigned the task of coming up with a six-part serial to air on the BBC in July and August. The result, The Quatermass Experiment, proved enormously popular. It led to a sequel, Quatermass II, which aired in 1955. It also proved successful, leading to Quatermass and the Pit.
It was only two days after The Quatermass Experiment concluded its run on the BBC that Hammer Film Productions asked the BBC about the film rights. The BBC initially turned Hammer down, favouring either the newly formed Group 3 Films or the production team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. Fortunately, Hammer won out in the end, picking up the rights to The Quatermass Experiment by offering the BBC £2,000 and 20% of all profits from the film. The fact that Hammer had no objections to the film receiving an "X" Certificate, unlike the other production companies, helped them cinch the deal (for those who do not know, the "X" certificate was a film rating created by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 1955 for films were were deemed only "Suitable for those 18 and over"). Hammer titled their adaptation of the serial The Quatermass Xperiment in hopes of taking advantage of the publicity surrounding the new "X" certificate.
The Quatermass Xperiment proved to be a success for Hammer, so that they immediately made a similar movie, X the Unknown (1956). After the serial Quatermass II aired on the BBC, Hammer immediately picked up the film rights and adapted it as Quatermass 2 (1957). Hammer optioned the movie rights to the third Quatermass serial, Quatermass and the Pit, in 1961. At the time, the plan was for the movie version of Quatermass and the Pit to go into production in 1963 with Val Guest, who had directed The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Quatermass 2 (1957), as director, and Brian Donlevy, who played Quatermass in the first two movies, to play the character again. Unfortunately for Hammer, it would take a bit longer for Quatermass and the Pit to go into production.
Quite simply, Columbia Pictures, which distributed Hammer movies in the United States at the time and served as a co-producer for Hammer's movies, was not interested in providing money for what could be a very expensive science fiction movie. Hammer tried to arouse Columbia's interest by shortening the title to The Pit and lowering the £180,000 budget. Even this did nothing to sway Columbia.
Regardless, work would continue on the project. Nigel Kneale completed the screenplay on March 26, 1964. It was in July 1966 that the movie version of Quatermass and the Pit began to see the light of day after it was added to a list of films that would be co-produced by Seven Arts and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
As to casting the film, Nigel Kneale had never been happy with Brian Donlevy playing Bernard Quatermass. He had been originally cast in The Quatermass Xperiment to interest American audiences. Hammer would consider several actors to play Professor Quatermass. James Carreras, Hammer's chairman, suggested another American actor, Van Heflin. Producer Brian Lawrence suggested Peter Finch. Ultimately, Harry Andrews, Jack Hawkins, Trevor Howard, Kenneth More, André Morell, and Anthony Quayle were considered. In the end, Scottish actor Andrew Keir was cast in the role. He had earlier appeared in the Titanic movie A Night to Remember (1958) and the Hammer movies Pirates of Blood River (1963), The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964), and Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966). While The Quatermass Xperiment and Quatermass 2 had been directed by Val Guest, Roy Ward Baker would direct Quatermass and the Pit. At the time Val Guest was busy with Casino Royale (1967). Roy Ward Baker had directed A Night to Remember and The Valiant (1962), as well as episodes of such shows as The Human Jungle, Gideon's Way, The Avengers, and The Saint.
Not only would Quatermass and the Pit (1967) have a different star and a different actor than the first two, but it would also be the first to be shot in colour. Of course, this was nothing unusual for Hammer at the time, who had been shooting their horror movies in glorious Eastmancolor since The Curse of Frankenstein (1957).
At the time, most of Hammer's films were shot at the Associated British studios, later renamed Elstree Studios, where The Avengers was occasionally shot and later such films as Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Star Wars (1977) would be filmed. Requiring more space, Quatermass and the Pit (1967) was instead shot at the MGM Borehamwood studio. With nothing else being shot there at the time, Hammer had the studio all to itself for Quatermass and the Pit (1967). This ensured that the film would not exceed its budget of £275,000.
It should come as no surprise that the BBFC certified Quatermass and the Pit "X." This would change over the years. In 2012, the BBFC certified the film 12A, which means that a film is "suitable for those aged 12 years and over" and "children under 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. " As to home video, it was certified "15" in 1992, which was changed to "12' in 2003.
Qutatermass and the Pit (1967) premiered in the United Kingdom.on November 9, 1967. It went into general release in the UK on November 19, 1967, as part of a bill with Circus of Fear. In the United States, it was released on February 7, 1968. Since the Quatermass serials had never aired in the U.S., 20th Century Fox renamed the movie Five Million Years to Earth.
Quatermass and the Pit (1967) received most positive reviews, even if at times critics didn't take the film too seriously. Paul Errol in the Evening Standard wrote that it was a "well-made, but wordy, blob of hokum." Dilys Powell at The Sunday Times, wrote of the movie, "Let me hasten to separate myself from any tendency to scoff. The film is produced and directed with dash--and an absolutely straight face." She also said the film was "pretty smart." Some American critics were much less impressed. The Variety Staff wrote, "Routine, somewhat distended development blunts impact of this British-made programmer." Renata Adler of The New York Times was even harsher, writing "All of its pseudo-scientific talk seemed to short-circuit the audience's interest--in it and in themselves."
Over time the reputation of Quatermass and the Pit has improved. It is currently rated 88% Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. It is regarded by many as one of Hammer's best productions from the late Sixties. It was certainly one of Hammer's more intellectual films. Indeed, the film raises questions about the nature of good and evil and it ties into human evolution. What is more, these intellectual arguments actually drive the plot forward. Andrew Keir is brilliant as Bernard Quatermass.
As it is, Quatermass and the Pit (1967) would have a lasting impact. While based on Colin Wilson's novel The Space Vampires, some have viewed Tobe Hooper's movie Lifeforce as a loose remake of Quatermass and the Pit (1967). John Carpenter's movie Prince of Darkness (1987) shows influences from Quatermass and the Pit (1967) and the earlier Quatermass movies. John Carpenter even wrote the screenplay as "Martin Quatermass." While Hammer remains best known for their Gothic Horror movies, Quatermass and the Pit shows they could do science fiction horror as well.
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