Rudolph Cartier and Nigel Kneale had been asked by the BBC to consider making another adventure for their popular creation, Quatermass. They met in Cartier's office to throw some ideas about, during which Kneale observed that there was a great deal of reconstruction going on in the capital's blitzed areas. Supposing a group of workmen were to uncover something that looked like an ancient spaceship? The appeal of this was that they could film another alien invasion without repeating the formula of their first two stories. This time the conflict arose from the long term consequences of an extra-terrestrial contact. Not only that but the horrors would be based around a contemporary situation that was immediately recognisable to the viewers. To convey the alien influence in humanity's character, Kneale placed the Professor within a central trio, his companions being archaeologist Dr Roney and military man Colonel Breen.
"It's a funny word, worn out before anything turned up to claim it. Martians!"
Pit's storyline concerns a mysterious capsule unearthed by a group of archaeologists, led by Doctor Roney, working on a old blitz site in Knightsbridge. Professor Quatermass, facing a Whitehall takeover of his Rocket Group, is enlisted for his advice and he soon deduces that the cylindrical object is not an unexploded WW II missile but something far older and stranger. When they break into its sealed chamber they find the preserved corpses of three giant insects. Meanwhile a series of bizarre poltergeist incidents suggest that the capsule is still active. The scientists come to realise that they have discovered a relic from a long-extinct Martian civilisation and more disturbingly, that such a race might have brought about man's evolution from the ape in order to continue their own kind. But the narrow-minded establishment, led by Colonel Breen utterly refute an extraterrestrial explanation and insist that the capsule is a Nazi propaganda weapon. The Professor's fears are realised when the capsule changes into the shape of Hob, a giant demon, and activates the dormant Martian instinct in London's population with the goal of transforming the city into a Martian colony. Only a handful of people remain immune and it falls to them to rescue humanity's future.
"My name is Quatermass! If that means anything to you..."
Andre Morell is for me the definitive Professor, portraying him not only as a brilliant scientist but a compassionate, responsible and ultimately heroic man. He is not just admirable but genuinely likeable, a feature in many of Morell's performances. Not only that but his range of expertise is now much broader. As well as rocketry, he displays expert knowledge in the fields of electronics; helping Roney complete his experimental Optic-encephalograph; and biology; identifying the fibres in the capsule as resembling nerve-endings. He has become a general-purpose scientist rather than the rocket engineer of previous tales. Following the trials of Quatermass II, Kneale seems to have repositioned him not only as the conscientious face of science, but also an anti-establishment idealist, fighting against vested interests and government short-sightedness. In the early committee room scenes it is clear that he has gained the reputation as a troublemaker and he is treated with long-suffering patronage by most of the other members of the group, except a fellow scientist. (Referred to in the script as the Tweedy Scientist!) The Professor's honesty is demonstrated by his bold statement that he will fight the super weapon, Dead Man's Deterrent all the way. Another man might have compromised or lied to save his position. As far as the military and the minister are concerned he is yesterday's man. Admittedly one who has done sterling work in his time but who now is a bit stuck in his ways; still clinging to old-fashioned methods rather than facing the larger realities. They barely conceal their relief that he is soon to be replaced by Breen, who is a fervent supporter of the Dead Man's Deterrent and possibly one of its devisers. Morell also brings out a new, humorous side to the Professor's character where his predecessors had made him seem a bit dry. He gets in quite a few sly digs at Breen's obtuseness and his flimsy Nazi weapon theories in the early episodes and also displays an amusing flair for deadpan comments. When Potter is unsure whether he can convince Breen to leave the capsule alone, the Professor, who has just left Breen being sick following a Martian sonic assault, says, "At the moment I think he's fairly amenable!". His earlier encounters with the unknown have forced him to have an open mind and so he is more willing to pursue the supernatural elements of the mystery, not because he literally believes in ghosts but because he can conceive they may be evidence that can point to the truth. Of course this flexible approach is an anathema to the practical Breen who twists the paranormal elements into further proof of the Professor's foolishness. That he is susceptible to the Martian influence is a real shock because he has always been the one totally dependable element in earlier stories. In a memorable scene, he fights back against the mental domination and wins only to slip back to his Martian state a few minutes later and attempt to kill Roney. Even though he regains control with Roney's help, he is tainted and cannot save the world this time.
"Is Colonel Breen an imbecile or a fool?"
Colonel Breen is the complete opposite of the two scientists, not only
in outlook but personality as well. Although he is an officer, he is completely
lacking in gentlemanly traits; being aggressive, vulgar, blunt and humourless.
There is nothing sympathetic about him. When he tries to be charming, for
example when he is trying to make a fresh start with the Professor at the
beginning of his posting as 'Deputy' Controller, he comes across only as
smarmy and false. The Professor regards him as, "A career militarist
of the worst kind." There is always a danger that his character will
slip into pure caricature but Anthony Bushell's performance keeps him on
the right side of believability, suggesting a man completely repressed
by his military lifestyle. Early on in their partnership the Professor
pushes Breen into the Hob Lane problem to see what sort of a man he will
be working with and perhaps to try to round off a few of Breen's sharp
corners. His is the classic closed-mind; one that forms a theory almost
immediately and then either twists the evidence to fit, in this case that
the cylinder is a German V weapon, or ignores it as irrelevant, such as
the half-life of the artificially produced radiation at the site being
five million years old. All Breen wants to see is that the radiation level
is safe and that it won't effect his excavation. Such obtuseness makes
his early statement, "This is a problem. I enjoy problems.", seem
more like an affectation since when he is up against a real problem, he
doesn't even try to think his way through it.
Though he is described as an expert in rocketry, evidence of a good
education, Breen's behaviour is more like that of a philistine. He has
no hesitation in bringing in earth-moving equipment to excavate the cylinder,
even though he knows it is an archaeological site. When Roney complains
that the fossils need care and that a lot of evidence has been destroyed,
Breen merely snarls, "You've got them haven't you?", indicating
the small pile Roney has salvaged. Fossils have no significance to his
job and so he does not care about them, or consider that others might be
bothered. His military mind naturally lends itself to secrecy. Even though
the cylinder poses no obvious threat or strategic significance he assumes
that his operation is militarily sensitive and his anger at Fullalove the
reporter's presence is way out of proportion. When he reads the reporter's
unkind words in the Gazette the next day, he is almost on the verge of
hysteria, proof that he is becoming increasingly out of his depth as the
evidence of the cylinder's alien origins mounts up. There is nothing in
Breen's experience that involves aliens and he lacks the imagination to
adapt to the idea. Eventually he cannot cope with the proof and instead
pretends that it is not there; replacing it with a story of Nazi propaganda
weapons which is pathetically thin. Unfortunately the Minister possess
a similarly closed mind. He is only concerned with the narrow world of
Westminster politics and his own position, a real contrast to Roney's and
the Professor's readiness to put their good names on the line for the sake
of their beliefs. So it is Breen's explanation that is accepted, an incredibly
frustrating moment of drama. The audience knows that the Professor is right
but it also knows that there is no way he can make it sound convincing
to men such as these. Thus he is impotent against their 'common sense'.
"It was a kind of figure! It went through the wall!"
Archaeologist, hustler, anthropologist and even a bit of an occult expert,
Doctor Roney is a man of many parts. Although he is an ally and an old
friend of the Professor, not to mention being an example of a man who has
outgrown his alien inheritance, there is something vaguely unlikable about
him. He is excellent in his chosen field but considerably less accomplished
at handling the people around him. His passion for his discoveries leads
him not only to take risks with his reputation makes him blunt and short-tempered
at times. When the bomb squad arrives he quickly antagonises Potter by
suggesting he is unsuitable to deal with the capsule. Miss Judd is often
criticised unfairly as well. Her suggestion that the mysterious cylinder
might be a bomb is quite reasonable, given where they are excavating, but
he turns on her as though she placed it there deliberately to slow him
down. Later when Roney notices her absence during the unearthing of the
second skull, he makes a sexist comment that, "She's probably getting
her hair done!". In fact she is in the library researching the history
of Hob Lane for the Professor. Kneale makes a point of contrasting Canadian
Roney's energy and pugnaciousness against the more stoic and convention-bound
attitudes of his British contemporaries; especially during the press conference
where the cautious attitude of the official host is trampled over by Roney
as he makes dramatic predictions about what his discoveries may mean.
Barbara Judd is a sensible girl. That really sums up much of her character.
For most of the time she remains practical, level-headed and useful, sometimes
making connections that her male compatriots do not see. She is the first
to really examine the ghostly history of Hob's Lane. Her controlled personality
makes her sensitivity to the Martian influence all the more striking and
one imagines that for her, losing control like that is very disturbing.
During "Hob", the scene where she telekineticly attacks Potter, advancing
on him impassively while objects whirl around them is marvellous, particularly
since we realise, like him, that there is nothing remaining in her to appeal
to.
The inclusion of Captain Potter is meant to be a contrast to the bombastic
Breen. He is younger, more open to reasonable argument and ultimately proves
to be one of the humans who has outgrown his violent Martian heritage.
Yet against these recommendations it must be observed that he is frequently
officious and stuffy; for instance after talking to the Chilcots he patronisingly
dismisses them as senile and daft as a brush. Several times he orders Judd
away from the Pit in a manner that suggests that 'this is no place for
a woman'. Although there are lines which suggest a possible relationship
developing between Judd and himself, there are no real sparks emanating
from either of them to justify this. His immunity from the Martian influence
is meant to show that not all military people are automatically bad.
"Tearing into angry young men or sex in the coffee bars!
Pit sees the return of the Professor's old ally, James Fullalove, star reporter for The Evening Gazette. Sadly Paul Whitsun-Jones was unavailable to recreate his role from first Quatermass serial so Brian Worth replaced him. Worth's portrayal is much straighter and traditional than the flamboyant, droll character of before but that is probably better for the darker atmosphere of Pit. Nevertheless his opening scene features some good newsroom banter between him and the News Editor. "I'm in conference!" "With these two?" replies Fullalove gesturing at his fellow hacks. Like the Professor he is interested in finding out the truth about the cylinder, though in his case for the sake of a story. During their examination of manuscripts at the Westminster Abbey archives, Fullalove reveals a slightly surprising ability to read medieval latin! Although initially annoyed at his presence and questions, the Professor soon realises that he has a useful friend in the journalist. At the press conference, Fullalove stoutly defends the Professor and tries to help him break up the event, risking his professional impartiality in front of his colleagues from the other papers. It is his dedication to getting the big scoop that ultimately leads to his brutal demise. By staying behind in the Pit to photograph the appearance of Hob, he reveals himself to a group of possessed humans who telekineticly stone him to death. A sad loss.
Kneale has remarked that Pit has "a cast of thousands" and that he wrote a bevy of colourful supporting characters to illustrate his plot and bearing in mind that it was still live television, allow the cast to shine through. His ear for realistic, succinct dialogue is at a peak in this story, so for once his working class characters are less caricatured than in previous Quatermass adventures. One of my favourite scenes in the whole story comes in "The Ghosts" when the Professor visits the Chilcots and the prosaic soothsayer Mrs Groom as she scowls into her tea-leaves. They are examples of the simple undramatic belief in the supernatural that many people have. Mrs Groom prediction of a sea journey is amusingly countered by Mrs Chilcot's practical point that she can hardly leave her husband alone. The Professor's tactful questioning of the two women shows his harming sympathetic side and they in turn are shown as down to earth normal folk, rather than fearful yokels. The policeman who shows the Professor about the ruined house while gradually becoming more and more nervous is a good cameo, conveying the menacing atmosphere within the building. Sladden, the cheery drilling expert, begins as a comic turn. "I had to get a bloke out of a safe. Secret job, like this one!" But when his latent powers emerge he becomes a fearful figure, his facial features actually contorting into an approximation of a Martian, staring eyes and a gash of a mouth. Following this incident, his demeanor changes from matey confidence to servile insecurity, exhibiting a child-like trust in the vicar who gives him sanctuary and the Professor who says he can find the answers. This vicar represents the old school faith; firmly believing that he is faced with Old Nick. In fact he may well be secretly pleased to be faced with unequivocal evidence of the supernatural and that he can do something positive and obvious against it; as opposed to unravelling the causes of complex social ills. For if the Devil exists, then God does as well. And in some ways the Martian inheritance really is the Devil, the source of man's self-destructive tendencies. He views the Professor as a threat to his faith, an atheist who will scoff at all that seems important to him. "I understand you're a scientist - Are you going to explain all this away in fashionable terms!" But the Professor treats him with respect and goes some way to agreeing that what they have encountered is fundamentally evil. Fullalove points out the next day that the church alone cannot defeat this threat, it has already tried in 1341. Michael Ripper meanwhle gives his standard gruff sergeant performance but then that is probably why they hired him.
"What has been uncovered is evil. It's as diabolically evil as anything ever recorded!"
Once again producer Rudolph Cartier pushed BBC drama's technical resources
to the limit and achieved impressive results. Pit's biggest innovation
was TV's first electronic sound effect, created by the newly formed Radiophonic
Workshop. Previously, strange sounds were made by improvisations such as
scraping a thumbnail across the microphone to create a rocket's roar. The
ominous vibration that heralds a Martian attack is an impressive debut
because it sounds so unnatural.
Cartier's direction is gripping, atmospheric stuff. He had a real comprehension
of the power of that small screen in the corner of the living room. "There
is nothing to distract (the viewer) him." Although he had never reached
Hollywood, he was extremely in touch with all the methods of the big screen.
As with Quatermass II the scenes of rioting crowds are extremely
well choreographed, capturing the frenzy and confusion of the alien takeover.
The chaos is illustrated aurally as well when the professor hears the flesh-crawling
howls of all the cats and dogs being slaughtered. The Professor's conversation
with Sladden in the vestry is memorable for the eerie firelight which illuminates
them as the workman tries to describe his vision. There is a feeling of
impending evil suffusing that moment. Cartier had always felt that television
was the ideal medium for spine-chillers. "The viewer - I like to think
- was completely my in power and accepted the somewhat far fetched implications...
in the cinema, there was usually a titter..."
Although still transmitted live, the series made extensive use of pre-filmed
sequences, enhancing its cinematic qualities. Sladden's flight through
the lamp-lit streets of Knightsbridge, his footsteps echoing behind him
and the alien throbbing sound pursuing him, is worthy of any classic film
noir. Elsewhere the film sequences are mainly used to establish locations.
For the first time the series enjoyed its own original music rather
than relying on Holst's Mars. Trevor Duncan provided a dramatic opening
theme which accompanied the titles as they slowly emerged from the ground,
etched in a stone slab; while throughout the episodes his atmospheric melodies
enhanced the monochrome images immensely.
Quite what Bernard Wilkie and Jack Kline thought when they initially
read the script is unknown but they rose to the challenge magnificently
and created a plethora of haunting special effects sequences. The Martians
are sinister, believable creations; comparable to insects found on Earth
and yet still containing the stylistic influence of a gargoyle. Their initial
appearance at the end of "Imps and Demons" is a superb moment and there
are few people seeing it for the first time who won't flinch when one of
them jerks suddenly. The climatic appearance of Hob, hovering over the
city like an angel of death is disappointing only in that it is confined
to one scene. Thereafter Hob is only referred to by the cast or indicated
by a bright glow at the edge of the screen. To achieve the capsule's metamorphosis
into the shape of Hob a paraffin wax model of the capsule was melted on
camera; a process made extremely messy by the addition of Golden Syrup
to the miniature to emphasise that the capsule was changing. As the camera
panned upwards, the model of Hob was faded in and out of the picture. On
a more physical level, the poltergeist effects as cables shake, objects
fly across the room and the very ground flexes and ripples, are almost
seamlessly achieved. The forgiving nature of black and white 405 line video
is a help for these scenes. More serious was the final explosion as Roney
hurls a length of chain into Hob. In the script Kneale made it clear that
this had to be a near-apocalyptic conflagration. The special effects explosive
charge was consequently extra large; so powerful in fact that Cec Linder
had to stand between it and the camera or the it would have been damaged.
The actor had to be wetted down, wear fire-resistant clothing and eye-pads
to prevent himself being either set aflame or blinded by the flash. On
top of that he had to reach the correct marker on the studio floor without
being able to see. The resulting explosion is worth it though, on screen.
But the special effects highlight is the race memory of The Wild Hunt,
the ritual cleansing of the Martian hives. It lasts about a minute but
in that time the viewer is assaulted by a rapid succession of images. Armies
of insects leaping along, bodies being shattered, close-ups on pulsating
eyes and all the time, a cacophony of strange whistling and chirruping.
The sequence has the feel of a vivid nightmare and considering this was
decades before sophisticated animatronics, its effectiveness is a triumph.
In fact the Martian swarm were a series of vac-formed plastic miniatures,
the first time the technique had been used for a BBC programme. Although
cheap to produce, the models were hellish to stick together neatly (Anyone
who has attempted a Seven's Dalek Kit for the first time will know what
I mean!) and some ended up held together by sellotape. Meanwhile the flexing
alien iris was in fact a inflating condom.
Clifford Hatt's set design is very professional. The Pit itself was
constructed at Ealing studios, requiring several tons of mud to be laid
on the floor. To create the impression of the excavation's increasing depth,
the Pit sides were heightened in sympathy. This is best shown by the foreman's
hut which begins at ground level but by the last episode, is raised well
above the cast's heads. The Martian capsule is a subtle design; despite
its simplicity it is recognisably non-human in conception.
On the same night as the final episode, Panorama featured a
short interview with Nigel Kneale, accompanied by two of the Martian insect
props. During the item, Richard Dimblebly inquired if the writer was "any
sort of ghoul" to create such a frightening story. Not surprisingly
Kneale denied the charge. He did not mind frightening adults but he was
concerned that children could have been watching because they were "at
the mercy of all the special effects ...it may be in his bedroom tonight.
That's not something to play with."
"This Quatermass, he's big stuff... Rockets."
To accompany the first episode, the Radio Times featured a half page
article by Kneale, illustrated by a photo of the main cast gathered around
a patch of uncovered space capsule. In the piece, the author contemplated
the Professor's continuing popularity; putting it down to the public's
awareness of the influence science is having on their lives. The other
element of his success of course, Kneale admitted, were the scene-stealing
aliens. Meanwhile on the programme details page there was a picture of
Potter investigating the mysterious 'bomb'. The following issue had a photo
of Roney examining the skull, while "Imps and Demons" was promoted by a
photo of Breen. "The Enchanted" details were accompanied by Potter crouching
within the capsule and "The Wild Hunt" by a portrait of Barbara Judd. Finally,
"Hob" was illustrated by a photo of the Professor inserted within a small
artwork of the Martians. When the series was repeated the following year;
the columnist Dafydd Gruffyd toasted Pit in his overview of the
BBC's year as the series which kept millions at home on Mondays. Part one
of the omnibus repeat had a photo of the cast watching the Sergeant as
he dug at the newly excavated capsule. The second part was advertised with
a photo of Potter dragging the hysterical Barbara away from the pit. The
credits were more extensive for this repeat.
By now television had a much higher profile in the arts page of the
newspapers which incidentally made my research a lot easier than it was
for the first two articles. Quatermass's stature was such that it
enjoyed healthy, favourable coverage from just about everybody, especially
after its apocalyptic conclusion. The Sunday Times observed that the opening
instalment was, "An excellent example of Mr Kneale's ability to hold
an audience with promises alone." Further more the reviewer feared
that, "Sharing them with Mr Andre Morell and Mr Cec Linder is an unnerving
prospect." He also picked up on the sub-plot of the Professor being
a prisoner of Whitehall mandarins, rather than the pioneer of earlier stories.
The Guardian hailed the dramatic finale as "a BBC triumph". True
the reviewer had been hoping for an army of tripod insects descending on
the city and thought that Roney's iron/water solution was too simple; but
since "...the scenes of panic and confusion were brilliantly conceived
and carried out" it seemed "...uncharitable to complain." Observing
the enormous effect the series had had on the public, the writer concluded
that, "If the Martians ever do invade, they might do it simply by way
of television." Over at the Daily Telegraph, their TV columnist L.
Marshland Gander pondered that since Kneale was a Manxman it was perfectly
understandable that his Martians should have three legs! He added that
Kneale had visibly paled when he suggested a fourth Quatermass serial.
After the first episode, Clifford Davies of the Daily Mirror predicted
that, "The monotony of Keep it in the Family could drive viewers
seeking stimulating entertainment into the arms of Quatermass and the
Pit!" Six weeks later he praised the conclusion as "A fantastic
production," though he tempered this with the comment, "It was a
modern fairy tale, childish in conception, but like all fairy tales, pointed
with a moral." The Daily Mail gave "The Halfmen" a big thumbs up. "Nigel
Kneale's script and Rudolph Cartier's production values showed the virtues
which have made Quatermass a popular favourite." The programme's formula
was summed up as taking its story seriously but with touches of hokum where
appropriate. After asking several rhetorical question such as "What is
it?", the article ended with the reviewer promising, "The Professor
can count on my sympathetic attention to these problems..." "Hob" left
him quaking in his shoes, "It was a stunning experience." He appreciated
the slow build-up of tension, the evil growing as the Professor's understanding
increased while the team of The Professor, The Doctor and The Colonel were,
"An admirable trio." But he just wondered if anyone else could hear
a ringing in their ears - from the direction of Knightsbridge?
For a change, the related merchandise includes more than the published
script. The scriptbook is up to the usual high standards of its predecessors.
Its Penguin edition features an eerie illustration of a screaming man fleeing
the pit and its occupier while against the night sky stands a ruined house.
Within were eight pages of photographs. The Arrow reprint's cover contains
a marvellous portrait of one of the Martians. The Martian sound is preserved
on the BBC record, "Twenty Five Years of the Radiophonic Workshop". More recently a CD of stock music used on Doctor Who in the sixties was released entitled "Space Adventures. Its final bonus track is the stirring theme music from Pit.
In 1988 BBC Video released an omnibus edition, edited to remove the episodes'
credits and a couple of padding scenes which Kneale had written purely
to allow the cast to move to another part of the set during the live transmission.
The first missing scene occurs between the scene of the Professor and Roney
in the club and the committee room and features a television interviewer
questioning passers-by outside the pit. These edits were approved by the
author. In places, the quality improves because the editor incorportated
the original 35mm prints where they were available, rather than the telecine
copy. Indeed Pit is one of BBC Video most well-packaged titles,
especially compared to the early Doctor Who omnibus titles of the
time. Recently it has been reissued with an almost identical jacket, except
for a new logo.
The homages to Pit deserve an article all of their own. For
the moment however it is worth mentioning Doctor Who - The Image of
the Fendahl, John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness and Stephen
King's The Tommyknockers as three of the highest profile productions
which have re-used Kneale's storyline. Such was the notoriety of the series,
two famous comedy programmes produced their own versions shortly afterwards.
One came the week after the last episode in Hancock's Half Hour,
in an story called The Horror Serial, when the lad 'imself, still
nervous after watching Pit, is digging in his garden when he uncovers
a mysterious 'pod'. Believing it to be a Martian spaceship he immediately
calls in the army but to his eventual embarrassment, the truth turns out
to be all too terrestrial. The Goons meanwhile discovered The Scarlet
Capsule and it was up to Neddy Seagoon (as Quatermass OBE!) and the
usual characters to solve its meaning. Interestingly this episode used
the authentic Radiophonic Workshop sound effects.
Kneale has maintained that the Quatermass serials always had more humour
than horror in them. But Pit is a triumph of disturbing science
fiction. Perhaps Kneale and Cartier realised it would be very difficult
to surpass it or more likely Kneale was tired of the character, but Pit
marked the end of Quatermass's black and white era. It would be twenty
years before he would face another alien menace and by that time the whole
world of television had changed; as had the Professor himself. How it all
happened is unsurprisingly a subject for the next article.
Gareth Preston
Episode One: The Halfmen
Episode Two: The Ghosts
Episode Three: Imps and Demons
Episode Four: The Enchanted
Episode Five: The Wild Hunt
Episode Six: Hob
Professor Quatermass: Andre Morell
Dr Matthew Roney: Cec Linder
Barbara Judd: Christine Finn
Colonel Breen: Anthony Bushell
Captain Potter: John Stratton
Sergeant: Michael Ripper
James Fullalove: Brian Worth
Designer: Clifford Hatts
Producer: Rudolph Cartier