The Quatermass Experiment (1953) s01e02 Episode Script

After it has been lost in outer space for 57 hours following a mechanical failure, Professor Bernard Quatermass is able to re-establish remote control over the world's first manned space rocket when it swings again near the Earth.
He is assisted by Judith Carroon, mathematician wife of one of the rocket's crew, and his control engineers John Paterson and Marsh.
It is brought down in an emergency landing near Wimbledon, and throughout the night, a huge crowd waits anxiously for the rocket to cool.
When the door is opened, one man emerges.
Victor Carroon.
He seems dazed and unable to speak.
When the professor and Marsh enter the rocket to look for Dr Reichenheim and Charles Greene, the other members of the crew There's no sign of either of them.
They're gone.
- They're gone! - What? - What? - They're not inside.
- They must be, unless they opened the door.
- That door hasn't been opened until now.
Victor! Where are the others? Victor! What's happened? He doesn't seem able to talk.
- Oh, he's so cold.
- Victor, wake up.
- Wake up! Answer me! - Stop that.
Leave him alone.
- On the way back - You're back.
You're home.
- Don't you know me? - Judith - Oh, but he doesn't.
He's so ill.
- Yes, shock and exhaustion.
Must get him out of here.
Inspector! No, no, gospel truth.
There isn't a sign.
There's nowhere inside that they could possibly be.
I don't understand.
- Ambulance! Quickly! - Right, sir.
No, don't try to get him out of it.
Lift him.
Give him support.
Better than a stretcher.
- I'm sorry to trouble you - This man's ill.
He's a national hero, Inspector.
Picture, Fred.
Whatever he's been through, he's the first man to have done it.
- Tell us.
We want to know.
- That's enough! - Support him along there.
- No, wait! Carroon! I'm cold.
Cold - Help me.
- Oh, Victor.
Take him to the ambulance.
Make way there! Let them through, Sergeant.
That suit they wear, it is like they show in comic magazines.
Ah, Professor Quatermass.
Any statement to make now, sir? Mr Greene and Dr Reichenheim are missing.
- Any theory? - No chance of their being alive? I prefer not to say.
We must find out details from the base in Australia about the take-off.
Why? Is there any doubt they were in the rocket? Mr Greene's wife is arriving by Comet later today.
And Dr Gordon Briscoe.
He's been responsible for the training of the crew in Australia.
- They may have something to tell us.
- Surely you know if the rocket had a full crew? - Sorry, no statement.
- Haven't you spoken to the base? - If there's a possibility of a mistake - And the distance it travelled.
- Any doubt about that now? - Are Reichenheim and Greene on the Comet? - What paper do you represent? I apologise.
- There will be a statement as soon as possible.
- Why not now? - All right, that's enough! - If you're agreeable, I'd like to have a look.
- Of course.
Come along.
- Mitchell! Nobody else past here.
- Very good, sir.
What sort of alibi was he handing out? I've got a good mind to go in there.
- You heard what he said.
- It's not a weapon? - No good hanging on here.
Only lose time.
- Yes, get the hero into print while he is one.
- So this is it? - Yes.
You can call it snug or abominably cramped, whichever you like.
Food supplies.
Recording apparatus.
Transmitter.
Vision monitor.
Remote control.
Bunks for the crew.
They're strapped down during take-off.
How far did you say it had travelled? 384,672 miles.
- Find any trace? - Been down below.
Nothing.
- Mr Paterson, a member of my staff.
- How do you do? - Inspector.
- Where does this lead to? - It's a limited access to the propulsion units.
- For any maintenance during flight.
I see.
But no way out? No.
This is the only entrance.
If you have more, you get pressure problems.
That's where we get the mystery, Professor.
Inspector, take a look at this.
You must accept our word for it, but this indicates it beyond any question.
- That door was sealed throughout the flight.
- What? Why did you? Leave this to me.
I'm afraid that won't mean much to you.
But the door must have been opened.
Whatever this gadget is, couldn't it be wrong? I dare say.
As inventors, we're not infallible.
The past two days have shown us that.
I remember I once saw a film about a Well, I suppose you'd call this a spaceship.
Men opened the door and went out.
They would They seemed to float.
Quite correct.
In space, nothing has weight.
Yes, and one of them got lost.
Could that happen in reality? - Yes, it could.
- Oh, er By the way, when they went out in the film, they were wearing What do you call them? - Pressure suits.
- Yes.
To get through that door alive, they'd have to use those, wouldn't they? Then why is this here? That door must have been opened.
Professor, I shall have to report this whole business.
I shall have to report it.
It would help if we could have a suit for examination.
- Of course.
Collect it whenever you like.
- Thank you.
- You didn't want him to know about that door.
- I've got to work that out.
It hadn't been opened, had it? John, I want all these instruments dismantling.
We've got to find out what went wrong with that transmitter.
Then there's the sound recorder.
Marsh will help you.
I'm going to the hospital.
- Ring if there's anything.
- All right, sir.
Whitney made a better job of that technical waffle than I'd have thought.
Not a bad special edition.
Finish your tea, James.
- You surprised me, too, in a different way.
- Did I? I knew it was tricky, but I thought you'd roast them.
Yes? Just on my way now, darling.
We've been busy.
Yes, you can put the bacon on for breakfast.
- Excuse me.
- I'm not a cynic, Jacko.
I'm troubled when I see a truthful man driven to petty evasions.
- This professor, you mean? - Yes.
He was stalling desperately.
And badly.
For a moment, he looked ready to recant the whole story.
There There's no chance of a hoax, is there? I was there, Jacko.
No.
Granted, he'd been through frightful strain.
Makes history and finds he's lost two valued friends.
- But that doesn't make him tell fibs.
- What, then? Something had alarmed him so much, he felt he had to hide it.
This technical waffle of Whitney's.
"Space velocities, synergic curves, mass ratios.
" - All spaceship jargon.
You get the feel of it? - It's above my head.
It's mankind trying to sound certain of himself, because he knows that just beyond the air begins a new wilderness.
Pitch-dark both day and night.
Empty and cold.
You need breakfast as much as I do.
Consider yourself invited.
- Come along.
The story's written.
- No.
I've an idea we haven't started yet.
- Thanks for the offer.
- As you like.
Hello.
I want to find out about the Comet air service from Australia.
Yes, arriving today.
Try, darling.
Try to remember.
Were they hurt? Hurt There was no Curious.
Each time it's almost an answer, but not quite on.
Carroon, listen to me.
Did they go outside? Did they go out? Outside From outside.
Was the door opened? Carroon, try to remember.
Open - Open.
- The door? Was it? Inspector, this must stop.
Doctor said no excitement.
Look at him.
His hands.
He can't bear to be touched, as if it were painful.
- Extraordinarily cold.
- Doctors talk about shock.
It's too extreme.
- Please, not in front of the patient.
- Sorry, Sister.
It's my fault.
- Could I have a word with you over here? - Yes, of course.
Sergeant, stay by him in case he says anything.
Right, sir.
This was the clothing he was wearing inside that outfit.
Dr Briscoe designed them for the experiment.
Layers of nylon.
Each joins onto the next.
It's more wearable under the pressure suit.
It would be difficult to remove from a sick person? - Yes, it was.
- Yes, of course.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs Carroon.
We're investigating this case as one of missing persons.
There's a lot that's hard to understand, or to believe.
Now, apart from your personal involvement, you are a technical expert on the background.
- You're the professor's first assistant.
- On the mathematical side.
You'll be likely to recognise significant facts or to give a meaning to anything he says.
- I suppose so.
- Of course.
You will reach me at this number.
Chief Inspector Lomax.
Don't hesitate.
- Thank you.
- All right, Best.
I hope it's only a temporary condition.
Silly advice, but try not to worry.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
- It can't be.
- What is it? I don't think he took it properly.
Perhaps I should see the doctor.
- You can't come in here.
- It's all right.
- I have instructions.
- It's all right, Sister.
- I shall have to report this.
- How is he? - Still this abnormal cold.
- The heat cradle doesn't help, or the drugs.
Victor.
Quatermass here.
Victor? Look at me.
All around All around.
- Look at me, Victor.
- Sometimes he does see you, then nothing.
The things he says are like delirium.
- Victor! - Oh, it's useless.
His memory's gone.
Or his brain must have been damaged.
Don't sob.
I can't bear it any longer.
I can't bear it.
It's more than anybody could be expected to bear.
- You don't understand.
- It's a reaction.
It can't last.
- When we know what he's undergone - Don't.
Don't comfort me.
All those hours of waiting.
The anxiety when the rocket was I did want him to come back.
I did.
You've got to believe that.
You've got to.
But we Go on.
We weren't happy.
We tried very hard, but somehow he Never mind.
Months ago, before he went to Australia I made up my mind to leave him.
I see.
Who is it? May I know? Gordon.
Briscoe? - Might have guessed.
- We were going to be quite honest.
Tell him as soon as the flight was over.
When the rocket didn't return, I felt disloyal.
Almost as if I had caused it to happen.
I couldn't bear it.
I wanted him to come back more than anything else in the world.
And now Now he's like that.
I won't ever leave him.
- You'll have to tell Gordon.
- I will.
Oh, well, there's not much that I can say.
No.
Poor devil.
Going to need you now, if ever he did.
Your care.
Do you notice his face? Yes.
I thought pressure effects didn't last.
- Who else has been here? - Two men from Scotland Yard.
- What did they want? - They questioned him.
They're looking into it.
They did more than that.
- He's been fingerprinted.
A hasty job.
- Fingerprinted? They can't suspect that he - What are you going to do? - I'm going to get him out of here.
Sister! Hello.
British Experimental Rocket Group? Research station? Is Professor Quatermass back yet? No.
No, no.
No message.
- Fingerprint report in half an hour.
- I can't see the point, but it may help.
He didn't object.
"We trust that the courage and daring by which he has accomplished this mighty feat "will be suitably and quickly rewarded.
" - That's the man whose fingerprints we took.
- Yes.
- Do you read science fiction? - No.
Well, we'd better start to catch up on fact.
Look at all this.
All full of hero-worship.
Whatever comes to light is going to be tricky to handle.
There's a Professor Quatermass here, sir.
Got your card.
He's very insistent.
- Show him in.
- This way, sir.
- Inspector Lomax? - Just the man we want to see.
Take a seat.
- Without help from you - Why are you treating Carroon as a suspect? Professor, that's rather hard.
We have to make enquiries.
I can save you time.
This contains particulars of all three members of the crew.
Charles Greene.
Ludwig Reichenheim.
And Victor Carroon.
All there.
Personal descriptions.
Medical histories.
Academic achievements.
Professional activities.
Politics.
Fingerprints.
The only enquiry likely to be useful is a scientific one.
I'll carry that out myself.
- I've had Carroon transferred from hospital.
- To your research station? - Subpoena me and I'll answer that.
- Just one moment, Professor.
Would you mind taking a look at this? Best, give us that contraption.
We obtained this with your permission.
It belongs to one of the missing men.
- Yes.
- It's just as you discovered it? As far as I can see, yes.
I believe specially designed clothing is worn with it, underneath.
Now, if it were being removed from a body I said "if".
This would go first, followed by the linked sections of the inner garment? He can't just slip out of it, if that's what you mean.
It's all there in one piece, linked.
There must be some simple explanation.
I thought perhaps you'd be able to help us, Professor.
Can you? Must have time to consider this.
I That shook him.
BOAC Comet service No.
115 from Sydney, Darwin, Singapore has just landed You know, it's as clear-cut as this.
A: He's on a level with Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus.
B: It's hokum.
- How likely is B, with Quatermass's reputation? - Yes, but what happens? Carroon is too ill to be seen or moved.
Detectives see him and he is smuggled out.
- It's getting pettier.
Why? - Ask it in print.
I don't want to doubt the story.
I just want to know.
- Perhaps it's murder.
- This would be a time to pick.
I bet they won't be here, after their evasions and excuses.
- Where's the alternative? - You've got to know your way about.
I know.
Perhaps he does, at that.
- On time, Professor.
- What? Oh, you.
- James Fullalove, "Daily Gazette".
- Waiting for me? Sorry.
I like to watch the aeroplanes.
Can I go this way? I'm meeting some people off this plane.
I am very sorry, sir.
People are looking this way.
Two old ladies over there.
A party of Belgian tourists there.
That man who's just bought a newspaper to confirm it really is Quatermass.
- You can't escape.
You've touched their lives.
- What? New horizons.
A very nice trip indeed.
There he is! What happened? In Rome there were newspapers with silly reports.
- I told her not to believe anything.
- Over here.
No, tell me now, please.
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, Charlie Charlie was gone? I'm afraid there was some sort of accident.
Let me explain on the way.
- I want to know! - Not here, Mrs Greene.
I want to know.
I'm here to watch the aeroplanes.
Will passengers on BOAC flight No.
24 to Sydney please take leave of their friends - There's nobody here, either.
- There they are.
Come on.
Those men were in the rocket when it took off.
So you got the story? No, no, no.
- I admit they're indistinct.
- They're a mess.
I didn't botch them.
I'm certain of that.
I've taken enough fingerprints in my life.
That means the ones in Quatermass's file aren't his.
THEY botched it.
That's more likely.
Just a minute, though.
You see those two tented arches? - Yes.
- Identical, absolutely.
Yes, but on the other hand, look at the central pocket loops.
No, no, no.
There's no scar there.
Yeah, that central pocket loop.
Well, I must be suffering from eye strain.
I thought I'd noticed it in - Memory, don't let me down.
- Those files belong to the other two men.
Let's get back to work.
- The identical central pocket loop.
- What? Yes.
Take it easy, Vic.
There's nothing to worry about.
- Nothing - No.
There's nothing That blood pressure, it's almost impossibly low.
Pulse, temperature, reflexes, all the same.
- He was perfectly fit before take-off? - Strong as a horse.
Possible effects of acceleration pressure.
That was the part we always had to guess at.
During testing he took 17 times the force of gravity without a headache.
Out of control, they may have taken 30.
- If that didn't kill them, it might have - Temporary changes.
They pass in seconds.
- It's not just his face, you know.
- Yes, I suspected that.
I'll show you.
Victor? I don't think it'll do him any harm to hear us talking.
I doubt if he takes it in.
I have accurate knowledge of the constitution of these three men after the examinations.
- Well? - First of all, the less important.
Take a look at the skin, anyway.
Here on the shoulder.
Swollen.
Coarsened, you mean? That's the way it would look under a strong magnifying glass, only there's no glass.
- Did the doctors say anything about that? - No, no.
Too concerned with the temperature.
Go on.
What else have you found? I'd rather not say until I've taken some X-ray plates tomorrow.
Bone structure? I could be wrong about the length of a limb, but not about the shape of the bones.
There's been a change.
I'm convinced of it.
- Change - All right, Victor.
Changing - Go back - Easy, easy.
This means something.
Victor, what was changing? When was it, Victor? Was it something in the rocket that changed? Gordon, I don't like this.
I've always been afraid of something that we couldn't deal with.
- I'll do everything I can.
- I don't just mean Carroon.
Come along.
Let's get this over with.
What we can be responsible for.
30 years ago I'd almost decided to devote my life to land surveying in the tropics.
That would have harmed only myself.
I'll give him something to step up the metabolic rate.
- Have you found out anything? - It's not due to radiation from the propulsor.
I'll examine him when he's gained strength.
She insists on seeing him tonight.
I told her he remembers nothing.
It makes no difference.
Somebody else to be responsible for.
- Gordon, do you agree to this interview? - Yes.
Right.
I'll have a word with her first.
- What harm can it do? - Mrs Greene? She's nearly crazy with anxiety.
- And Victor? - Anything may jog his memory.
A word, a face.
- You can't tell.
- He had injections in hospital.
It's all right.
I've made a check.
He didn't even feel it.
Gordon, I Yes? I'm staying, you know.
With him? Yes.
There he is.
Remember, don't expect anything.
- Victor.
- Victor, it's Mrs Greene.
But he's different.
Look at him.
His eyes, his expression.
He's a very sick man.
Victor, try to remember.
What happened to my husband in the rocket? You must know.
His eyes.
What's the matter with him? The rocket - Victor.
- Go on.
Tell me about Charlie and Dr Reichenheim.
What happened to them? You've got to tell me.
The rocket - All - You were all inside.
You went too far away.
Far away.
- Lou - Lou! Charlie used to call me that.
Didn't like Louisa.
They must have talked about me.
He remembers.
Victor, what did he say? Try and remember.
- You'll only get him started.
- Tell me, Victor.
Cold Cold, Lou.
- Here now.
- Go on.
- It's Lou.
I'm here.
- Stop it! - What is he? - He can't remember.
It's upsetting you.
- I want to stay.
- Sit down.
I've got an idea.
Now, listen.
- Gordon, your film of the take-off.
- I handed that to Marsh.
- Marsh is back, is he? - Yes.
Marsh? Quatermass.
Did you and Paterson locate that? He's still out there? That film that Dr Briscoe brought back from Tarooma of the take-off.
Yes.
I want that setting up for projection in three minutes' time.
All right? Right.
- Judith, take her to the projection room.
- Why? I'm going to try something else.
Please, please.
Gordon, I'll do anything to bring his memory back.
Anything.
Get him wrapped up.
I want him to see that picture.
Shock tactics can't be relied on.
- You can't help Greene and - I'll take full responsibility.
You ARE afraid of something.
Get him moving.
You've no need to worry, my dear.
He'll get well.
- He'll remember everything and tell us all.
- You must try to keep calm, Mrs Greene.
- You didn't know my husband well.
- I worked with him.
That's not the same thing.
He was a very orthodox man.
Books like to make scientists absent-minded, untidy people.
Charlie was very particular.
- Steady.
Bring him over here.
- He's trying to walk.
Balance must be affected by being weightless all that time in the rocket.
- We're all ready, sir.
- All right, Marsh.
Now, Victor, I want you to watch that screen over there.
Are you hearing me? Watch that screen and try to remember.
- Try to remember - That's it.
BR7 two hours before take-off.
Fuel pipe disconnected under the supervision of Mr Greene.
Charlie! There he is! The rehearsed routine of checks was completed.
Every item was examined.
Propulsion chamber, control apparatus, food supplies, pressure clothing.
I saw to the suits myself, of course.
Then we took a sort of last-minute record.
Well, this feels a bit pompous, but I just want to say I hope we make it.
That's all.
I only wish my wife were coming, too.
Dr Reichenheim was feeling pretty cheerful.
How can anybody look heroic wearing the spare parts of a vacuum cleaner? If this lot fizzles out, I hope it's on an island with lots of pretty girls.
Warum soll man sich denn Sorgen machen? Auf dieser Welt oder in den nächsten.
Speaking German just to tease Victor.
He knew he didn't understand.
Here's Victor himself.
Well, this is it.
I only hope I'm able to do my sums properly when the time comes.
Yes.
Got a Union Jack in case we happen to land on Mars.
Just a word with the wife.
Bye-bye, darling.
Take care of yourself.
I'll do my best to bring you back something, say a meteorite for the mantelpiece.
Bye-bye, darling.
And then the take-off.
- Victor? - Victor, do you remember now? - You must.
- Bring something back - Oh, why did I say that? - If only I could have gone.
- No reaction? - Nothing.
- Sorry, Louisa.
I've upset you for nothing.
- No, no.
Charlie was there.
I was with him.
Come with me, Mrs Greene.
The sound recorder.
We'll try that.
- You've no right to go on testing him - What harm is it doing? I've got to know! I feel so helplessly ignorant here.
What am I, Gordon? An ambitious charlatan or? Sorry.
That film made me remember, at any rate.
Yes.
What? What was that last thing Reichenheim said? My German's not very good.
I think it was "Warum soll man sich denn Sorgen machen?" - "Auf dieser Welt" - So he got that.
"oder in der Nicht.
" - I didn't know he spoke German.
- Neither did I.
Ask him a technical question on the rocket.
How How is the gimbal system decontrolled? Wie kann man das "gimbal system" von der automatischen Schaltung loslösen? Durch Herausschaltung der automatischen Servomotors von den Schiebeachsen.
Through declutching the automatic servomotors from their independent axis.
Complete answer.
Ask him his name.
Lhr Name ist? Doktor Ludwig There's an Inspector Lomax here, sir.
Would you come right away? No further announcement concerning the two men missing from the British rocket vehicle which landed last night on Wimbledon Common.
The sole occupant, Victor Carroon, is at present in hospital recovering from shock and exhaustion.
It is confirmed A little out of date, aren't they, Professor? Did you bring him here? - What can I do for you, Inspector? - Ah, to the point.
I'm returning those files.
- Find what you wanted? - Not what I expected.
We fingerprinted Carroon.
I'd like to repeat the procedure.
- Now, look here - Officially.
All right.
He's gone to his quarters with Dr Briscoe.
- Found out anything? - Nothing that's evidence.
- Changed your views about the door? - No.
Well, alive or dead, they went out of it.
That much is certain.
Is it? Quatermass.
Oh, yes, John.
Did you? As simple as that, eh? Hold on, John.
Paterson's found a defect in the control apparatus.
An electrical fault.
Thank you, John.
What? What?! Where? All right.
Yes, I'll be over right away.
Marsh! Get Dr Briscoe quickly! We're going over to the rocket.
- What did he say? - He's found something.
It was when I was checking the safety casing of the wiring.
It's in here.
- I thought I'd better ring you straight away.
- Can you get at it, Doctor? - What is it? - It's a sort of powder, but it's heavy.
And I'd say colloidal.
- Organic.
Is there any more of it? - Yes.
I tested different points.
That stuff's everywhere, lining the wall.
The centrifugal force might have spread it out from - Well, from here.
- A lot of it? Yes.
What went on here? What did it do to them? You'll be able to see the next episode of "The Quatermass Experiment" next Saturday evening at a quarter to nine.