Quatermass II: The BBC Television Serial Pt 2
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The Published Scriptbooks
The script from the BBC TV serial of 'Quatermass II' was printed in 1960 by Penguin Books (Books for 'The Quatermass Experiment' & 'Quatermass and the Pit' appeared in 1959 & 1960, also released by Penguin). The original Penguin edition had some terrific expressionist artwork by Nigel Kneale's brother Bryan. The book itself had a printed cast list on the inside, as well as some still shots from the 1955 serial on the inside. The script itself diverts somewhat from the serial, & there are several alternative scenes added to the script, these mainly occur during Quatermass, Fowler & Ward's visit to the plant, such as the writing in of the smaller 'Hemispherical Domes', these do not appear in the serial, only the Hammer film, but as Kneale had a hand writing the screenplay for the Hammer film and admired director Val Guest's use of them, probably felt inspired enough to include them within the Penguin scriptbook.
'Quatermass II' was then reprinted in Italian in 1978, and has more recently (2005), been reprinted in that country.
Arrow Books were the next book company in the UK to reprint the scriptbook, in 1979. This time the book had some rather odd artwork, which resembled actor Richard Wordsworth from the Hammer film 'The Quatermass Xperiment'. This time the book included a foreward by Kneale himself, who gave background to the 1955 serial (Quatermass II), as well as expressing his dislike of Brian Donlevy, who had played Professor Quatermass in the 1955 Hammer remake of 'The Quatermass Experiment'.
The book has never been reprinted since, and is in a lot of peoples minds long overdue such an event. Both UK editions are quite collectable and can bring a high price for mint condition copies. A prose version of 'Quatermass II' appeared in 'The Daily Express' in late 1955, and was written by Kneale himself, but was cut short by the newspaper when it became bored of installments See Here.
Above: A variety of book cover artwork. From left to right. The original Penguin Books cover, next to that is the 1978 Italian release, followed by the 1979 Arrow Books release, & finally the more recent Italian reprint from 2005.
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John Robinson....Professor Bernard Quatermass.
Monica Grey....Paula Quatermass.
Hugh Griffith....Dr. Leo Pugh.
Austin Trevor....Fowler.
John Stone....Captain John Dillon.
Rupert Davies....Vincent Broadhead.
John Miller....Stenning.
Peter Carver....Australian Commentator/Inspector Clifford.
O'Donovan Shiell....Head of Commission.
Scott Harrold....Man in Pub/Medical Attendant.
Charles Price....2nd Guard.
Dermot MacMahon....3rd Guard.
Claude Bonsor....Clerk.
Stephen Scott....Guard.
Manny Michael....Guard.
Malcolm Watson....Member of Commission.
Carl Lacey....Member of Commission.
Robert S Young....Member of Commission.
Bernard Dudley....Member of Commission.
Stephen Dunne....Member of Commission.
Harry Brooks Jr....3rd Guard.
Roger Delgado....Hugh Conrad.
Brian Hayes....Sergeant Grice.
Michael Golden....Paddy.
Tony Lyons....Private.
Derek Aylward....Rupert Ward.
Eric Lugg....Fred Large.
John Rae....McLeod.
Elsie Arnold....Mrs. McLeod.
Hilda Barry....Mrs. Large.
Wilfrid Brambell....Tramp.
John Cazabon....Doctor.
Herbert Lomas....Robert.
Ian Wilson....Ernie.
Michael Brennan....Dawson.
Tom Clegg....Guard.
Richard Cuthbert....Landlord.
Margaret Flint....Waitress.
Ilona Ference (Replacing Nelly Griffiths)....Girl's Mother.
Shiela Martin....Girl.
Kim Grant....Technician.
Martin Lane....Technician.
Nigel Kneale....Narrator/Loudspeaker Voice at Plant.
Sydney Bromley....Frankie's Father.
Hilda Fenemore....Frankie's Mother.
Melvyn Hayes....Frankie.
Desmond Jordan....Young Workman.
Michael Collins....Thompson.
Malcolm Knight....Office Boy.
Peter Macarte....Second Technician.
Queenie Barratt....Barmaid.
Trevor Reid....Analyst.
Nickola Sterne....Secretary.
Philip Levene....Supervisor.
Fletcher Lightfoot....Man in Pub.
Edwin Brown....Guard.
Bryan Kendrick....2nd Technician.
Austin Webb....Man in Pub.
Peter Roy Taylor....Ambulance Man/Plant Technician.
Reginald Jessup....Ambulance Man/Plant Technician.
David Gordon....Ambulance Man/Plant Technician.
Michael Bilton, Patrick Carter & Philip Ingram ....Ambulance Men/Plant Technicians.
Brian Moorehead....1st Guard.
Diana Chesney....Secretary.
Christine Baird....Woman Assistant.
Ernie Beard....Electricar Driver.
Lee Crawford, Peter Exposite & Peter Grisewood....Workers with Bazooka.
Daphne Ewing....Arm In Car.
Edward Higgins....1st Guard.
Patricia Horder & Madge MacMahon....Women in Pub.
John Richards....1st Worker.
George Tovey....2nd Worker.
Denton De Gray....Technician.
Denis McCarthy....Doctor.
Cyril Shaps....Ground Controller.
Norman Taylor....Paratroop Lieutenant.
Hugh Willis & Grant Duprez....Paratroopers.
Jack Kine & Bernard Wilkie....Spacesuit Technicians.
John Dunbar, Dennis Handby, Arthur hosking, John Lynn, Kevin Peters, Cyril Renison, Roy Siddons, Ralph Tovey & Fraser White, ....Workers.
Keith Banks, Jamie Barnes, Archie Angus, David Birks, Michael Harrison, Aubrey Lewin, Derek Mayhew, Hugh Morrison, Michael Rathbone, James Bulloch, Alan Gore-Lewis,Mark Goullet, Harry Hancock, John Herrington, Victor Hughes, Robert Kramer, Harry Landis, Jonathan Maine, John Roden, Nigel Sharpe, Victor Taylor, William Thomley, Richard Wade....Workers/Zombies.
Plus 30 extra Workers from the Shell oil Refinery, Essex.
Cast
Above Top: John Robinson, Monica Grey & Hugh Griffith on set during recording. Above Middle: John Robinson (Bottom Left of pic) during rehearsals, note the giant Rocket fins. Bottom: John Robinson, John Stone, Hilda Barry & Eric Lugg in a still shot from the production.
Episode 1: The Bolts.
Transmitted: Saturday 22nd October 1955 (8pm).
Repeated: Monday 24th October 1955 (10.15pm).
Episode 2: The Mark.
Transmitted: Saturday 29th October 1955 (8pm).
Repeated: Monday 31st October 1955 (10.15pm).
Episode 3: The Food.
Transmitted: Saturday 5th November 1955 (9pm).
Repeated: Monday 7th November 1955 (10.15pm).
Was repeated as part of 'The Lime Grove Story', on Monday 26th August on BBC2 (10.05pm).
Episode 4: The Coming.
Transmitted: Saturday 12th November 1955 (8pm).
Repeated: Monday 14th November 1955 (10.15pm).
This particular recording carry's a warning preceding the episode. The warning says that the programme may be unsuitable 'for children or those of you who may have a nervous disposition'.
Episode 5: The Frenzy.
Transmitted: Saturday 19th November 1955 ((8pm).
Repeated: Monday 21st November 1955 (10.15pm).
Episode 6: The Destroyers.
Transmitted: Saturday 26th November 1955 (8pm).
Repeated: Monday 28th November 1955 (10.15pm).
Episode Listings
Writer/Script....Nigel Kneale.
Producer....Rudolph Cartier.
Camera Operator....Charles De Jaeger.
Production Design....Stephen Taylor.
Grams Operator (soundtrack sections)....Arthur Dungate.
Jack Kine & Bernard Wilkie....Special Effects.
Darrol Blake....Design Assistant.
Daphne Ewing....Production Secretary.
Michael Leeston-Smith....Production Secretary.
Credits
Shell Haven Oil Refiney, Essex. England.
Mucking Marshes, Essex. England.
Lime Grove Studios, London. England.
White City Stadium, London. England.
BBC Television Centre, London. England.
Locations
Above: The BBC symbol that was shown, accompanied with a WARNING about Episode 4 (The Coming) of Quatermass II.
Continued on page 3....
Stephen Reed. 2008.
