Review #722: 'Quatermass 2' (1957)

After the huge success of The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) - the film that launched Hammer Productions into the mainstream - Hammer and the BBC were quick to greenlight an adaptation of the sequel before the television serial of the same name even aired. Original creator Nigel Kneale was brought back in to pen the early draft, which was later revised by director Val Guest. Kneale's main problem with the first film was the brusque performance of American Brian Donlevy, and was disappointed that he would again reprise his role. But Kneale's criticism's aside, Quatermass 2 is a more action-packed and dramatic effort, although admittedly inferior to the first.

Professor Quatermass (Donlevy) is struggling to get his Moon Project off the ground. His plan is to set up a base on the moon and be the first to successfully colonise it. These plans are interrupted when Quatermass becomes intrigued with various meteorites that have been landing in the area. After travelling with his colleague Marsh (Bryan Forbes) to one of the meteor sites, Marsh is injured as one of the meteorites cracks open and leaves him with a 'V'-shaped burn on his face. Armed guards with similar facial scarring take Marsh to their nearby government facility, leaving Quatermass to contact his old friend Inspector Lomax (John Longden) for advice. This leads him to Vincent Broadhead (Tom Chatto), a member of parliament also investigating the strange goings-on at the site.

Although it was Nigel Kneale's main gripe with the movie adaptations of his creation, Donlevy's (possibly alcohol-fuelled) performance as Quatermass is one of the most intriguing aspects of the Quatermass series. He should be your typical Sherlock Holmes-esque British inquisitor, but Donlevy's interpretation is arrogant, selfish and abrupt, making him one of the more interesting 'heroes' of the genre. Here he is more action star too, dodging machine gun fire and making quick getaways in a film that is much more action-orientated than it's predecessor, although it retains much of it's realism. Due to this, it lacks the slow-build atmosphere of Xperiment, almost losing it completely with the overblown climax full of explosions and gun-fire. Even though it was overshadowed on its release by Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), it is still a fun film, and even features of pre-Carry On Sidney James.


Directed by: Val Guest
Starring: Brian Donlevy, John Longden, Sidney James, Bryan Forbes, Vera Day
Country: UK

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie