In that last quarter of the twentieth century...
...the whole world seemed to sicken.Civilised institutions, whether old or new, fell...
...as if some primal disorder was reasserting itself.
And men asked themselves...
"Why should this be?"
[TAXI ENGINE IDLES]
That's it. Come on - out.
But we're not there.
Look - I can't get no further.
The studio's just down there - through the alleyway.
You can walk it!
I distinctly understood...
Push off.
Don't you want your fare?
Where've you been, guv?
No cash - all been paid for. Just get going.
[DISTANT EXPLOSION]
[POLICE SIREN]
[SOUND OF FLAMES]
[GLASS CRUNCHING]
[SHORT BURST OF GUNFIRE]
[MAN AND WOMAN ARGUING IN DISTANCE]
[MORE GUNFIRE, WOMAN SHOUTING]
[WOMAN WHISPERING] What's that?!
- What? - Listen.
[GUNFIRE AND GLASS SMASHING]
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Get out of my way.
Certainly not.
All right.
You've got it.
We've got you, old chap.
What's he worth?
Well, I'm not worth kidnapping, if that's what you want?
That is for us to say.
Take his teeth out.
Mmmm.
I say - they're his own!
Well...?
Righto.
[SHOUTING AND GROANING]
[SHOUTING]
Look out!
[CAR HORN BEEPING]
[DOG BARKING]
Go gettem, boy!
Easy now.
Have they gone?
My dog's seeing them off.
[WHISTLES]
They were enjoying it.
Yes, of course they were.
Can you stand?
Yes.
That's better.
Where do you live?
What?
PUPPY. Here, boy!
Do you live around here?
Er... No, I was, er...
looking for the television studios.
I'm supposed to be in a programme.
So am I.
Maybe it's the same one. What's your name?
Er... Quatermass.
Well, I'm Joe Kapp.
Yes, of course. Yes. Yes.
Yes, they told me about you. How do you do?
Oh. What a way to meet!
Come with me.
Puppy!
[DOG BARKING IN THE DISTANCE]
[ALARM BELL RINGING]
What do you want?
ID.
They're expecting us.
Professor Quatermass. Doctor Kapp.
Quatermass! Kapp!
Had trouble?
Yes. So get on with it.
- The Badder Gang? - Muggers.
Muggers? You were lucky.
We have a big Badder gang round here.
They'd have shut you up.
And what about you? Don't you do anything?
Aaah. We don't go out.
Badders?
They like to call themselves after the old Baader-Meinhofs.
Oh, come on. Hurry up.
- All right, George? - Righto.
Up. Well, we'd better get it up now, Paul.
We don't want it on the floor, do we?
Camera one. Stand by.
- Right, a bit higher. - You want a new shot, do you?
A bit higher.
Higher.
That's nice. That's nice. Now hold it there. Nice.
Not nice at all! Figure out who designed that thing.
After all, we have got some standards still.
Excuse me. ls somebody getting a doctor?
A doctor?
Well, the Professor out there, your guest.
They said they'd try and get a doctor.
At this hour? What a hope?
Well, how bad is he?
Well, he was hurt.
God, you don't mean we can't use him?
Get a camera on the old man, please.
And is Toby there? Toby Gough?
Toby. Have a word with him. Reassure me.
[STUDIO BACKGROUND NOISE]
Well, how do we feel now, Mr Quatermass?
- I'll manage. - Good man.
Oh, thanks, Toby.
Why haven't they cleaned him up?
Make-up, please!
Where is that old slag?
Make-up! Oh, there you are.
Mr Quatermass.
Is he meant to look like that?
No, of course not. He's been mugged.
Oh.
Oh, it happens all the time.
You too?
A broken jaw last time.
Now...
I'll be doing the questions, so you just lean on me.
Talk if you feel like it, but...
well, if you don't, don't worry, no one's going to...
- I mean... - Notice?
It'll be fine.
Excuse me.
[STUDIO NOISES]
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
But it's not my choice...
doing a programme in the middle of the night.
Well then, why?
The Americans! It's their show.
It's their peak hour. Huh.
Fancy having a peak hour.
Fancy having an audience!
And then the Russians go along with them...
because for them it's dawn and it gets the masses up early.
He'll survive.
How'd you get him into this?
Someone remembered his name.
He seemed quite willing.
Glad of a few pence - the usual thing.
Do you know anything about him?
Quite enough, I think. Grand old space boffin.
The original.
Yes, all-out pioneer.
With the British Rocket Group, practically built it with his own hands.
Well, perhaps, you know, he was too soon.
Premature. I mean, he did strike trouble.
Well, you can't blame that on him.
Took appalling risks.
That first crew he sent up.
When they got back...
they'd completely... well, they were...
Toby, you're not going to say anything about that on...
Don't worry, I'm not going to bring that up.
This is supposed to be a jolly celebration.
- You watching the time? - It's nearly time.
Better check the satellite link-up.
There now, love. Won't 'ardly show.
Thank you.
Five minutes, studio.
All right?
You saved my life.
Oh, hardly that, sir!
Hm. I think you did.
I simply had no idea.
None at all.
It's bad.
They don't tell you.
They're just bland about it.
They call it "urban collapse", then it's nobody' s fault.
Yes, but... the savagery.
You should see Paris. Or Rotterdam.
Little suburban streets with...
with dead bodies.
Huh. I'd never have believed it till I came down here this week.
Where do you live?
Quite out of all this. In a cottage, by a loch.
In the West of Scotland.
Oh, I don't...
Oh, it's dreadful. It's dreadful.
- Look, don't stay. - What?
Go now, if you like.
I'll help you. Try and... get you on a train.
What, you mean, er... walk out on all this?
Oh, they don't care.
So why should you?
Er, no, um... I'm looking for my granddaughter.
Have you got the revised schedule?
Yes.
Now, Professor - Doctor Kapp, if you wouldn't mind.
Yes, yes, of course.
That's her.
My daughter's daughter.
Her parents were killed on an autobahn.
She-she-she came to stay with me, but, er...
then she ran away.
Have you any children?
Two. A lot younger.
She was only sixteen.
Do you know, they won't even list them?
There are so many missing they... they've just given up.
But I've... I've got to try.
Anything. Anything at all.
I mean, if you should ever... ever happen to, er...
Er... please keep it, hmm? Her name's on the back. Hetty. Hetty Carson.
I'll remember, sir.
Yes, I'm... I'm afraid it's become quite an obsession.
Forgive me, Dr Kapp.
Well don't worry. l... I'd feel the same.
Oh! I never even asked about your work.
Your, urn... your radio telescope.
Did you ever get it finished?
Yes. And working.
It's out in the wilds. The best place for it.
I only come to town when they make me "sing for my supper".
Like now.
Well, it's good to hear of something that works.
Professor Quatermass?
- Hello there, Bernard. - Chuck!
Chuck! Chuck Marshall.
- Where are you? - New York.
I've got to link you in to the "big show".
He was an astronaut - the Apollo missions.
Hey, that really dates me.
Say, who's there with you? Er... Joe Kapp? I know Joe. Hi, Joe.
Chuck.
Bernard, we haven' t met up since I don't know when.
What have you been doing with yourself all these years?
Well, I...
l-l-l think I've been what we used to call a... a "drop-out".
Well... well, er... glad you're with us.
Right. Two minutes please, gentlemen.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC WITH ASTRONAUT CHATTER]
I say, that's rather marvellous, isn't it?
Music's good.
Stand by to take out grams.
Right, fade music.
[SPACE COMMS] Ah, roger - copy.
And there it is.
Marshall's voice.
The Hands in Space Project.
- Complete at last. - [COMMS] Roger.
After all the long delays and disagreements...
these Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts...
are putting the final touches to their joint work.
Orbiting 22,000 miles above our heads.
And take Marshall. Good.
It's just a few minutes now to the joint switch on...
by the Chairman of the Soviet Praesidium...
and the President of the United States.
And take Houston. Good. Well done.
At NASA - Project Control - everything is calm, but busy, you can be sure.
And back to Marshall. Good.
Back to studio.
- Meanwhile, let's grab a reaction from... - Five. Four...
Corning to you any moment now, studio.
Toby Gough. In London.
And cut to one. Right, on you now.
Well, thank you, Chuck.
Now, we're certainly very excited, here in London, about this project.
That's right - going in...
And we're fortunate in having with us here tonight...
two distinguished experts.
First, I'm going to ask Dr Joseph Kapp, radio astronomer.
Well, I suppose I'm sad. In this country we can only sit and watch.
Hmm. You'd like to be up there?
What, with all that apparatus? Oh, yes, of course.
But now, a father figure of space research...
Professor Bernard Quatermass.
- And cut to two. - And two.
Sir, after all the shocks and setbacks of your own career, what are your thoughts now?
I'm ashamed.
God!
What?
Well, I don't think you have any need...
To think that I might have contributed in any way to this...
disgusting charade.
Charade...?
That's what I said.
Yes, well, an understandable note of...
You asked for my thoughts, you're going to hear them.
- Dr Kapp. I wonder if you'd like to... - Pan over. Pan over to Kapp.
Let him talk.
What we're looking at there is a wedding.
A symbolic wedding between a corrupt democracy...
and a monstrous tyranny.
- Two superpowers, full of diseases... - Professor Quatermass?
Political diseases. Economic diseases. Social diseases.
And their infections are too strong for us - the small countries.
When we catch them, we die.
We're dying now.
And they... mock us with that thing?
Well, their diseases are in that too. It can't live!
That is a most interesting contention. Unfortunately, we simply...
It'll come to nothing!
Please?
Sooner than they think!
And let's leave it at that.
- Well, you're evidently a man of very extreme... - Well, I'll.
- If you've had an opportunity... - L-l-I'll tell you what I am.
I'm an old man...
trying to find a child.
Do you see that?
That's all I'm interested in now.
A human face.
The child of my own child.
I want to see her again.
And to hell with all this!
I think we we're off the air. Have they cut us?
Thank you... sir.
I, um. I'm afraid, er, we lost some of that, er...
Well, it sounded like controversial comment from the English end, but...
[ELECTRONIC SOUNDS]
I'm afraid we have something slightly haywire with our communications here.
Over to Project Control.
[SPACE COMMS] Er, Houston, we lost radio contact.
Roger - we concur.
Something's bugging them, too.
Ah, we've got the picture back.
Project Control to Space Lab. We've indication of on-board malfunction.
How do you read? Space Lab - information, please.
My God.
Fast - report, please. Report!
It's out of control.
Chuck, what's happening?!
What's the word your end?
There's no regular contact. You know what I mean?
I've lost all systems.
There's something really wrong...
Space Lab, do you read me?
Project Control to Space Lab.
[ELECTRONIC STATIC]
Breaking up - it's falling to pieces.
What?
How could it happen?
I don't understand...
Guys!
[TALKING IN RUSSIAN]
We have indication of runaway malfunction on all on-board systems.
Project Control to Space Lab 2 - do you read me?
Please try and locate the...
[ELECTRONIC NOISES AND STATIC]
That's one of the Russians.
Project...
[TALKING IN RUSSIAN]
[ELECTRONIC NOISES]
Oh my God.
What's happening?
What happened to the goddamn picture?
What do you mean we've lost them? I know that - something blew!
Lost?
You mean dead?
All of them?
Are we off the air?
Okay.
- Look, Chuck, l-l-l-l don't know... - Who's that?
- Who's that talking? - It's Toby Gough.
Are we still linked to London?
This is London, Chuck.- Toby Gough.
- Give me Quatermass. - Chuck.
- This is an appalling... - What did you mean...
when you said, something about it all coming to nothing...
sooner than they think?
I didn't mean anything.
Come on! Come on!
Well, it was just a personal... feeling, I...
Is that all? Or did you know something?
I don't understand.
That somebody was going to do it!
- You mean... cause that? - Yes!
Out in that Third World you"re so busy joining.
You dropped some big hints, my friend.
Now you'd better have answers!
Okay. Cut it.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
I didn't mean...
anything more.
You know that?
Yeah.
It was, er...
it was just about her. I...
I wanted to show her picture.
I mean...
she could be in any country.
Where's your coat?
- Oh, it's there. - I'm going to get you out of here.
Wait a minute. Don't you think that, er, I really ought to try and...
Listen.
That hotline between the US and Moscow will be white hot.
Yes.
I expect it will.
In a situation like this, stones get flung.
- So don't be a nebbish. - A what?
Nebbish. It's Yiddish.
He's the guy they all fling the stones at.
Now you stick with me - and we can find out what really happened.
[DOG BARKING]
[ELECTRONIC VOICE] This is your statutory warning.
In five seconds we shoot to kill.
Shots will be fired.
Give me your hand.
I warn you - this is your last chance to surrender.
Fire at will!
Home-made.
It's a bit heavy on batteries - but it works, though.
Who was that?
- They were girls. - Girls?
Yes - and they can be the worst.
Well done, boy.
Good PUPPY-
Say hello to our friend again.
- You remember the oil? - What oil?
North Sea oil. It was going to put everything right.
Oil and water don't mix. Who says?
Well, they mix all right, if you smash the pipelines.
The gangs proved that!
[JEERS AND YELLS]
There's a car coming.
Catskin!
[ONE MAN BAND PLAYING]
Real catskin. Oi - catskin?
Here you are - genuine catskin.
Gutsucker, killed at the Battle of Catterick Camp...
and his power has never left him.
Every one of these envelopes...
contains the magic of Gutsucker.
You didn't expect this, did you?
[BACKGROUND CHATTER]
When yer kids get the cough yer'll bless my name!
Here - what are you doin' here?
Get out of 'ere!
We don't want you 'ere.
Go on - get out of it!
[SMASHING GLASS]
Violence everywhere.
This is where they get rid of some...
Wembley Stadium.
Once the home of innocent sport.
Yes.
I've read about it.
They call it The Killing Ground.
- They actually encourage it? - Well, contain it.
Well, at least, that was the notion.
"What the hell", they said, for the price of a few bodies.
Like the Roman arenas.
Right.
Gladiators.
Schmadiators.
Oh, well - as long as it keeps them happy.
PayCOP-
Metropolitan Contract Police.
ID ready?
Let us through, officer.
We got a sniper here.
Really?
[BULLET RICOCHET]
You wanna chance it'?
Yes.
That way, then - and make it fast.
[GUN FIRING]
[NEWSREADER'S VOICE] power supply situation.
But promised that a serious attempt would be made to...
restore the North Sea pipelines by the end of the year.
From Brazil, reports of a severe explosion with many lives lost.
From Birmingham, official denials that the four bodies found are those of the kidnapped councillors.
A late item on the space disaster.
The Government has firmly dissociated itself from the statement by a scientist last night...
which led to a Soviet demand for a sabotage probe.
I knew it.
Today's power cuts, for Northern England, South Wales, London and Kent.
They may not have meant...
It's you, all right.
[GENTLE RINGING OF BELLS]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
- Who are they? - Planet People.
Oh. They've got some strange belief.
Magic. It's always magic.
He was swinging a kind of...
plumb-bob.
To bring on the magic.
What else?
More of them - look.
Up there.
Well, at least they don't seem violent.
Oh, they're violent in a different way.
To human thought.
[HORN BEEPING]
Stop here.
What's the matter?
I've got to talk to them.
Professor?
Bernard!
Be careful!
Er, excuse me.
I just wanted to ask...
has anybody seen her?
Why?
Have you?
What do you want to know for?
I'm her grandfather.
Please! I'm... I-I-I-I've got to find her.
Oh, please help me.
Look, her-her name's on the back. Hetty.
Mine's there too, hmm?
Er, please take them, urn.
Well, here you are, dear. Take them. Thank you.
She talked about the Planet People.
L-I think she wanted to belong.
Er, look, dear - you're about her age.
Take-take some of these? Please? Please!
What are you?
Let's go.
Wait a minute.
What are you? Cops?
No.
What then?
What kind of an old man are you?
Well, I'm...
I was a scientist.
Leave them.
What kind of scientist? Some are worse.
- Space research. - Rockets?
Yes. That's worse!
Rockets make holes in the skin of the world.
Did you know that?
They tear it open!
Is that what you believe?
Come on.
No-no-no - wait.
Well, what does it mean to be Planet People?
What do you believe in?
You wouldn't understand.
I might.
We're going there.
To one of them.
To another planet?
Come on. They're mad.
We are not mad!
Then tell me - where, in the whole Solar System...
where you won't get frozen solid or fried alive?
Not there.
Oh, I give you UP-
Among the stars.
Okay.
Well, you might find a planet.
Only trouble...
it'll take you a hundred thousand years to get there.
By his rocket.
Well, how else?
Come on - let's hear it.
By meditation?
By occult transference?
Come on? Where's the launch pad?
I want to know. Hey?
This is one lift-off I really want to see!
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh.
Don't feel sorry for them.
But why?
[CHANTING IN THE DISTANCE]
They can't explain because they don't know.
Their mystery is a zero.
Their mouths are switched off because their brains are switched off.
So many of them.
They infest the land.
Like lemmings in search of the sea.
Well, I thought you'd understand.
Oh, I do.
You're not that much older.
It's enough.
I want a generation gap between me and them.
I hate them because they've...
given UP-
It's not a world to be young in.
Was it ever?
Not like this.
Bernard.
I'm last in two hundred generations of learned Jews.
I mean, not all so perfectly learned, but by God they tried.
They knew it was the only way...
to beat the dark.
[EERIE MUSIC]
Aren't they beautiful?
Come on, boy. Tell 'em I'm home.
Where'd you live? [DOG BARKING]
Down the bottom of the hill.
Ah.
What was this place?
An observatory.
No, no. I mean before.
No, always. Was and is.
Built by Josiah Doyle, in 1756...
to observe the moon, through his ten-foot telescope.
Now we look a bit further.
About seven hundred and fifty million light years.
Ah.
"To fright the ignorant".
Well, naturally they called him, "Mooney" Doyle.
This was his study.
Up there was his parlour.
For entertaining interested guests.
Ladies, etcetera.
Oh, not his. Sorry.
Nor any of the other bits and pieces.
I got them in shops, while you still could.
They're of his time.
Now, through here.
That blasted door. Look, I distinctly said...
It's you. I didn't expect you back so...
This is Tommy Roach, who runs us all - as you notice.
- Tommy, I'd like to introduce you to... - Professor Quatermass.
- Pleased to meet you, sir. - Mr Roach.
You saw it last night?
Yes, we all did.
Alison Thorpe.
Frank Chen.
How do you do? Pleased to meet you.
Very pleased to meet you.
We, er, eavesdropped on the satellite link to make sure.
You never know these days what will get shown.
You were right to say what you did.
Was I?
They were just playing politics up there.
All those years, bidding each other up.
Just to waste resources. On and on, just for show.
No - I agree with every word you said.
- How many died? - Twenty-seven.
God!
They've no idea?
None they're admitting to.
So until they do, and stop yelling "sabotage" and looking for scapegoats...
this gentleman is our guest?
He's my double.
You wouldn't believe it but he is. In essentials.
I think, just possibly, we can help.
We found something.
It's not much, but...
Frank.
It was somewhere between the two dishes.
An anomaly?
I don't think so. Anomalies usually make me itch.
And I didn't itch.
We had one of them lined up on your show.
- Dog Dish. - That's right.
Oh, we call them "Dog Dish" and "Cat Dish".
Well, we've got to call them something.
So while we were paying an audience at about 02:57...
Cat Dish was on duty elsewhere...
keeping an eye on that black hole in Cygnus Z.
Now.
[RECORDING OF SPACE LAB TALKING TO PROJECT CONTROL]
There.
SPACE COMMS Space Lab.
That's when their picture appeared.
Approximately fourteen seconds after the first sign of trouble.
Fourteen point three.
Start of a great disturbance that lasted a total of... twenty seconds.
During which time they...
[RECORDING OF SPACE LAB TALKING TO CONTROL]
Initial cause?
Well, any opinions?
Simple gross malfunction. Too fast for the safety devices.
[RECORDING OF SPACE LAB TALKING]
Well?
What did you find?
Well, afterwards in the, er, routine checks...
it was you, Alison, that spotted it.
The trace? Yes.
Ah, yes.
- Your heavy disturbance. - You boosted it?
No. It was that strong.
Look - what are you getting at, Tommy?
Well, the point is...
that Cat Dish, that's the other one...
facing in a totally different direction, picked it up too.
Identical.
It's nasty, Joe.
A thing like this, I don't itch.
I wheeze.
Fault?
In both the plotters?
Well, in the receivers? It must be. They're all over-age.
Frank, I've got five new modules - well, not new. Nothing's new.
But they're the best I could get. Here.
Unload them and get them installed.
Righty-o.
Joe, it's not just the timing...
the coincidence. It's the sheer spread.
Later, Tommy.
Let's go.
Oh, Joe - did you get her anything?
- What? - Debbie.
Oh, God.
No chance. Debbie's four.
And very acquisitive.
Well, anyway - there's nothing to get them.
Well, give her this. It's for her.
[LAUGHS] She'll guess you made it.
Let her.
Tommy had his own outfit.
Vandalized to hell.
- All okay, Frank? - Up to now.
You must be driving better.
So don't drop them.
The last of the wine.
[LAUGHTER]
You get Government help?
A trickle. For prestige reasons.
No luxuries, eh?
Wait till you see my house.
Oh, emergency generators.
Overworked, like everything else.
Where do you get the fuel?
I'm still on the list.
But some day soon... pow!
Then it'll be beg, borrow or steal.
[BIRDSONG AND SHEEP BLEATING IN DISTANCE]
Am I fiddling while Rome burns?
No.
It's only a tin trumpet, but...
my God, the music.
"The children followed it..."
"crossed the brook..."
"and then saw, deep in the forest, a bright light shining..."
"through the trees."
- "They hurried in the direction of..." - Oh, this puzzle is too hard.
It's easy!
Look! Daddy!
[GENTLE MUSIC]
Mummy! Mummy! Daddy's back!
- Mummy, Daddy's back! - Is he?
Hello, baby.
I've got something for you.
I promised I would, didn't I?
There.
Oh, Joe!
[CRYING]
You're all right, now.
[SNIFFLING]
- Hello, darling. - Hello.
- How are you? - Okay, thank you.
Been a good girl?
- How do you do? - Oh!
You know who this is?
- Yes! You're welcome. - Thank you.
Well, come in.
You take the Professor's bag, Sarah.
Okay, Daddy.
I like the pillbox.
Final refuge.
Army issue, 1941.
I'm astonished!
Oh, just a few bits from here and there.
It's charming.
It's fifteen months' work.
You should see Claire with a hatchet. A real baleboosteh.
Hmm, well, you've got to.
Excuse all this mess.
I like your home.
It's just like the ones that Alison makes.
Yes, it is.
You eat a lot.
Shh! Debbie!
[LAUGHING] Well, I'm hungry.
Have some more.
Thank you. I will.
It's good. Very good.
Are old men always greedy?
Always!
And I'm the greediest of the lot.
That er... that jar.
Oh, yes.
You didn't make it?
- No. - Mummy dug I'! UP-
It's a beaker.
Made by the Beaker Folk. Five thousand years old.
Well... give or take a few.
Hold it.
- It's perfect. - Not quite.
It should have gone to a museum, but...
they burnt the museum down.
Where'd you find it?
In the field out there.
Oh, er... not digging potatoes.
I'm trained.
It was going to be my work, but...
well.
I just manage a little.
In her spare time.
There's a Neolithic burial ground out there...
and our stone circle.
I'll show you.
Can I come? Can I come?
Come on Puppy. Come on.
PUPPY, come back!
The locals call them "The Stumpy Men".
Well, they don't look very athletic.
They go incredibly deep.
I made a test on one.
Did you find anything?
Some day I'll do it properly.
Puppy-Puppy!
Some day.
' PUP! Puppy, where are you? ' PUPPY, where are you?
All I've done, was down there.
A Beaker grave.
A dozen pots. Like the one you saw. Mostly broken.
Some arrow-heads, buttons.
They had buttons.
And one day, I put some fruit wine in that pot.
And I drank from it.
And I thought...
somebody else was drinking from this pot...
out of this pot...
five thousand years ago.
And it...
well, it was as if they were standing next to me.
Perhaps they even had fruit wine.
My mother used to say...
"if you're Jewish, you think old."
[BARKING] Mummy, Mummy! Look! Puppy.
He's gone funny! Come quick!
[GROWLING]
All right, Puppy! Good dog. Quiet.
Quiet, quiet. Good boy. Good boy!
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh. Leh.
Who are they?
Planet People.
I've never seen any before.
Joe's talked about them.
He hates them.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Well, why would they come here?
I don't know.
Leh. Leh.
They're singing!
[GIGGLING] Leh, leh, leh.
Trouble! Right - get that door locked and barred.
Tommy, you have a look.
You've been through this.
Stop!
STOP!
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Get out of here. You can't come in here.
Get away.
Go on! Get out!
[GUN SHOT AND DOG BARKING]
No! Don't!
Clare! Get back.
Joe! They're only kids, Joe!
Go back!
They won't let you through.
Go another way!
This way.
Get back!
All of you! Go on - get out!
Joe. Wait!
Where are you going?
Ringstone Round.
Let them through.
Straight ahead.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Don't go near anything.
And don't touch anything!
Ringstone Round.
It's the nearest way.
I felt sorry for them.
Leh. Leh. Leh. Leh. Leh.
Oh, no!
Sarah!
Leh, leh, leh, leh.
Where'd you get that? From them?
Found it
Sarah, these are mad people. They believe in mad things!
You must never take anything from them.
Never! NEVER!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[FAINT CHANTING AND TINKLING OF BELLS]
Leh. Leh. Leh.
[TINKLING OF BELLS]
Come with us.
Where?
Ringstone Round.
We're going to Ringstone Round!
No!
All right?
Why there?
Oh, the usual.
Somewhere to sit and wait for the end of the world.
It used to be Stonehenge or Glastonbury.
Now it's Ringstone Round.
They have to find it with their magic bobs.
Following "magic" earth lines.
Last time I was there it was swarming with tourists.
I know a rhyme about Ringstone Round.
A nursery rhyme?
Yes, of course - yes.
I remember teaching it to...
And how's it go, now?
"H uffity puffity."
"Huffity, puffity Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat it'll never be found."
"So, pull up your britches..."
- You have to do the things. - Yes, yes - that's right.
"right up to your chin..."
"and fasten your...?"
Cloak.
"your cloak with a bright new pin."
"And when we are ready then we can begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
Yes. It's, er...
curious about nursery rhymes.
What else they may be saying.
Yes, about plague or politics.
Ringstone Round.
- Can't be too far away? - About half an hour.
- Oh, no, no - it's more than that. - Oh, not much.
Would you like to go there?
Oh, look. I...
Tommy's waiting for me. Oh, we wouldn't take long.
Alison?
Mmm?
Could you stay with the children for a while?
Yes, yes.
Oh, goody!
It's even older than Stonehenge.
Cruder, of course, and not as big...
but it could have been the prototype.
- To Stonehenge? - That's one theory.
It would have been the Beaker Folk.
Five thousand years.
Look.
We'll read it together.
I don't want to look at that book.
Oh, come on, love. It'll be fun.
This is Mummy's book, when she was little.
Really?
Come on, let's find it then.
It's in here somewhere - I know it is.
"Huffity, puffity Ringstone Round".
I don't like that book.
That old man gave me this. It's a lady.
My Daddy gave me this.
Oh, that's nice.
It's from London. It's nicer than yours.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Look! There it is.
[CHANTING GETTING LOUDER]
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Who the hell are you? Come on. Shift!
Captain, we thought we could help these...
Shut up. I thought you had the gas?
They're nothing. No gas!
Knock 'em back, down there.
They've busted through!
Move!
[CHANTING AND SHOUTING]
Wait! They're doing no harm - don't hurt them!
For God's sake, man!
Listen - I've got a riot on my hands, here. Do you understand?
He's making it! Joe!
Kickalong!
[CHANTING] Kickalong! Kickalong! Kickalong!
Kickalong! Kickalong! Kickalong!
LEH. LEH. LEH. LEH. LEH.
Fall back into the middle!
Get back into the middle!
Get back! Get back!
Get out of here!
D'you wanna get killed? They're gonna rush us.
Can I talk to them?
Talk to them? You some kind of guru?
Okay, you've got one minute.
Listen to me! Listen to me!
I'm on your side.
What the...
Leave him.
I agree with you.
I say what you do about the world.
It's poisoned.
[CHEERING]
And it's sick.
[CHEERING]
And you want to get out of it.
[CHEERING]
You want to go to another planet.
[CHEERING]
Up there! To the Planet!
No!
It can't happen.
YES!
You'll get angry...
and you'll get hurt. By them.
No!
There is no such planet!
Yes!
No! No!
We go! We go to the Planet!
[CHEERING]
We leave them, in the muck they make!
They bust it - so they've got it.
We're getting out.
Soon!
[CHANTING] Soon. Soon. Soon.
[SCREAMING]
Get him out - while you can.
[CROWD SHOUTING AND YELLING]
You two - quick!
I didn't know. I didn't know!
Get back!
I had to try.
You did your best.
[CROWD SHOUTING AND SCREAMING]
I think we're out of it.
[BANGING]
Get me out of here!
Come on. Come on!
Hurry up. Get me out of here!
Pull the door off!
Stand back!
[UNEARTHLY HIGH-PITCHED NOISE]
[SCREAMING]
[END THEME MUSIC]
[THAMES IDENT]
[THEME MUSIC]
[RADIO STATIC]
God! We're going to lose the lot.
Wait, Tommy!
We're being swamped.
- It's over. - What?
Look - coming back.
Oh. For a second, I really thought...
It's okay.
The cut-out's held.
But what the hell...?!
Frank!
Those new units.
I've checked every one.
Yes, but whatever it was, I mean it...
It came from outside.
"Huffity puffity, Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat it will never be found."
"So pull up your bri..." what's "britches"?
Pants.
"Right up to your chin."
Let me! Let me!
"And fasten your cloak..."
"with a bright new pin."
"And when we are ready, then we can begin."
"H uffity puffity puff."
I don't believe it.
Let's go.
[HISSING NOISE]
God, you can hear the earth!
[CRASH]
Must have been...
how many do you reckon were here?
Hundreds.
They did it!
They got away!
They've all gone!
[SHOUTING]
Not quite all of 'em.
Look.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Those didn't make it.
They were destroyed.
They were unlucky.
Like an accident.
You always get accidents.
What about the rest of 'em?
Have they got away?
They went to the Planet- all of 'em!
Nothing you can do to bring 'em back.
They've gone!!!
[CROWD SHOUTING] Gone!
And we'll go soon!
[CROWD SHOUTING]
Next time!
It must be soon!
[CROWD CHANTING] Soon. Soon. Soon.
You just went on ahead.
We're coming too!
Yes, they went on ahead.
Make the land ready till we get there!
Make it ready!
Leh! Leh! Leh!
I don't understand.
I don't want to understand.
They knew it would happen.
And it did.
[CHANTING IN THE DISTANCE] Leh. Leh. Leh.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Somethings still alive!
[GASP]
Get a blanket.
'N. I~~_
Clare.
[LOUD WEEPING]
She was outside it.
You're all right.
- Tom? - You're safe now.
What happened, Torn?
She can't hear you.
I can't see out of my eyes!
My eyes!
GODS!
They shouldn't have been here.
They weren't meant.
And them.
I know them.
On that road - they talked to us. Asking things.
Science man.
What are they doing?
They've got somebody!
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
What are you doing now?!
She's hurt.
Well, leave her!
I want to find out how.
For your science - that's what you want her for.
I want to help her.
- Stop trying to know things! - Look, give her here.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
Leave her alone.
Tom?
What happened, Torn?
He must have gone.
- She can't hear or see you. - Keep out of it, you!
He's gone!
They've all gone!
- All gone. - Yes!
I got left.
It was the lightning.
I never meant to be scared.
It was lovely lightning.
[CROWD CHANTING] Lovely lightning. Lovely lightning.
You'll go soon.
[CROWD CHANTING SOFTLY]
Yes. Yes. Soon. Soon.
I can't see!
Stay with us! We can go together! We'll take you!
Yes, we will. We'll look after you.
It'll come again.
It'll take us, too!
[CHANTING] Soon. Soon.
We're waiting.
We won't be long!
We're coming out of all the blackness of this world!
Soon! Soon! Soon!
[CROWD CHANTING]
Get in!
Quickly!
Go!
Let her go! She's ours!
Get outta here! Get off!
Give her here! She's ours!
You're always interfering, you science men!
You think you know! But you DON'T know!
[CROWD SCREAMING AND SHOUTING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Hold on tight!
You stopped me!
You took my chance!
I could'a gone to the Planet!
- They want her! - They want us!
Keep down! Heads down!
[MACHINE GUN FIRING]
[SCREAMING]
Look.
Dog Dish nearly there.
[RADIO STATIC]
In position and locking on.
What's your favourite programme?
It's better.
Not much.
Right. Commencing wide-angle sweep.
Both dishes, reflector mode.
Filter and intensify to cut the local interference of unknown source.
Well, why say "unknown"?
All right.
"Undefined".
"Unidentified"?
It comes from that big splatter. The near one.
It's an effect!
Massive. That doesn't mean near.
- I know it was near! - Right.
Oh! These dishes!
We can see across the universe but we can't...
Tommy - if you don't mind, I'll just go outside for a few minutes.
And get some air.
There's no night or day in here. You can't... tell.
Go to the house - send Alison over. I've got to have somebody up...
Frank, did you hear me?
How many have you got?
I don't know.
How many have you got?
I don't know.
[GROWLING]
- Hello, boy. - Hello, Frank.
Hello. Where's Alison?
She's gone.
Where?
She just went.
She said Puppy would look after us.
And he did. I love Puppy.
When I'm older I'm going to marry him.
[ETHEREAL MUSIC]
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Joe'?
- Yes? - Alison's gone.
- What? - She just set off!
- What about the kids? - Oh, they're all right.
But... Joe!
Who's she?
What happened?
Clare.
You go in first.
Did you see Ringstone Round?
Yes.
Now, listen. We've brought someone with us and she's ill.
So I want you to clear your plates and put them in the sink. All right?
Yes, Mummy.
Very quickly. There we are.
But I... I haven't finished.
Never mind. We can... can eat it later.
Now, straight off into the garden, all right?
Yes, Mummy.
Bring her this way.
I'll just move Debbie in with Sarah. It'll be all right.
But that leg!
I'll manage.
- A hospital. - What hospital?
[GROAN]
I'll manage.
I've had a lot of practical experience.
My own children.
Seeing them through childhood illnesses.
You're safe.
I know what to do.
You... saw it happen.
I think we saw it too.
What, you?
The dishes picked it up.
Massive overload.
It nearly beat the failsafe. We could have lost the lot.
Okay.
We'll run everything.
Heuristic mode, start up a few guesses.
There's a lot of data wiped out.
The sheer weight did that.
We need something to build on. That's all we need.
Oh, we've got that. Frank - get back to one of the earliest.
No, wait a minute. I know the best approach.
Pull in last night's data?
- Only back to a certain point. - For comparison?
Yeah, but only... now where's that other...
Joe.
Oh, Bernard - they got it all here.
I think you ought to get home.
No, I'm all right. I can carry on.
I don't mean that.
I think you ought to.
Of course! It's just come to me.
Last night - the Space Lab smash-up.
That could have been the same thing.
Loss of communication. Sudden overload. Total malfunction.
Suppose all that was merely a...
a side effect. Like ours - here, today?
More, Tommy.
Well, suppose the Space Lab had received a...
a side-swipe from whatever this is.
And all the time the... the real...
the real target was somewhere on the surface of the Earth.
Do you see?
Another Ringstone Round?
Yes, somewhere. God knows what part of the world!
That was what was being hit.
- Last night? - Could have been.
I mean, it's an idea. That's all it is, but...
well...
But, there... there'd be reports. There have to be.
Well, they'd have to say something.
[RADIO STATIC]
[ELECTRONIC WHINE]
I'll get back up as soon as I can.
There's so much to work through.
Candles.
She's got the candles out.
We're not very religious, but every once in a while...
Yes.
Tonight.
Now, where is she?
Clare?
Darling!
- Mummy! Daddy's here. - She won't listen.
The old Jewish thing.
Always concentrated on the home.
A bit of cosy ritual to make everything safe.
There should be wine set ready.
My old man was always a stickler for the details.
I'm afraid it's only some of the stuff I made, but...
I keep forgetting.
Just for a moment, it's like...
dropping asleep and then waking up.
And remembering it.
- Do you do that? - Joe.
- Why won't Mummy say? - What?
She always says about things. But she won't.
- Did the wind blow? - Yes.
- Like in the rhyme? - Yes.
Good!
Everything's all right, for the moment. I think.
Urn... sit-sit down. Sit down.
- "Huffity puffity..." - Shh shh shh.
And now we eat.
Leh. Leh. Leh
[SCREAM]
Leh. Leh. Leh.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Leh! Leh! Leh! Leh!
[CHANTING]
Leh. Leh.
For her sake.
I had to.
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
[DOG BARKING]
What is it?
Planet People.
Well, call him off.
Don't let him hurt them.
[WHISTLING]
[DOG BARKING]
How is she?
She's alive.
She didn't sleep.
You didn't, either.
Puppy! Come on!
[CAR HORN BEEPING]
It's Annie!
Come on, PUPPY!
Annie?
Dr Kapp!
Joe, did you see that?!
I nearly ran them down. Two of them.
They're half mad, these kids.
I've been on the road since dawn and a-a dozen times...
"get out - get out of the way", and pray to God they will.
They're everywhere. What is the matter with them?
[CHILDREN SHOUTING HELLO]
Oh, look who's here! Hello, my loves.
Oh, you're not going to be like that when you grow up, hmm?
You mustn't turn foolish. You promise me?
- Yes. - Yes.
I've come to ask your Daddy...
Joe! The phones!
Well, they're always bad...
but since yesterday, I just gave up!
It's something different this time.
But even the radio!
Oh, it's impossible to tell what's going on any more.
And then I got something on my hot-line...
well, that still works.
As far as anything works.
So I came rushing up here.
- Well, Annie... - On the way up...
What?
This is Professor Quatermass.
Well!
District Commissioner Anne Morgan.
- How do you do? - Oh, what a relief!
Oh, they wanted me to find him. They thought he might be here.
I'm in trouble?
I don't think so.
Mm, yesterday I landed myself in... in official hot water.
Must be water under the bridge by now.
This is something else. They want your help.
And they want you, Joe.
They want your machinery - your antennae, there.
L-I've got some...
figures here. You'll probably be able to make...
more sense out of them than I...
What happened at Ringstone Round?
Sarah?
Why don't you take Debbie in?
Look, go and feed Nannie.
Nannie's feeding herself, though.
Well, pick something she can't reach.
Give her a treat. Go on.
I drove past there, just now. And it's all... blasted.
You wouldn't believe it, but the stones are broken.
And there's a sort of...
debris I've never seen before.
Have you any idea?
We were there.
- What? - Shh!
Come on, kids.
It was terrifying.
But what happened?
[QUIETLY] It was an appalling sight.
[snuenue]
"Huffity puffity Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat, it'll never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
I want to ask you something.
It's quite important.
We saw some bodies.
Or more exactly... parts of bodies.
Did you see any?
No.
When you were there?
Well, how far did you go?
Up towards the stones?
Nothing?
Well, perhaps the others took them away.
Or perhaps...
There was one survivor.
We brought her with us.
Hello, Annie.
Oh, my dear!
Oh, dear, oh...!
You'd better come and see her.
[PANTING]
You can't treat that!
I can.
I'm willing her.
Oh, God - let me think.
There's no hospital within fifty miles of here that makes any sense.
So many closed down.
I think it's the whole nervous system.
Shh!
She can't hear you.
Poor little creature.
She's a lucky one.
Or unlucky.
If you see it their way.
They wanted something to come and take them.
And something did.
30$.!
She sure about this?
It's not a normal configuration.
Annie, these figures...?
Well, I did my best, Joe. I'm not an expert.
We'll try them anyway. Okay, Frank?
I thought I knew about trouble.
But this!
You're, urn... District Commissioner?
Yes.
Sounds like something from the days of Empire.
Evening dress in the jungle and...
putting down the natives!
Yes, that's what we were for - "putting down the natives."
Our own!
Joe - I'm getting a signal.
Okay. Let's have it.
That's the satellite.
[RADIO INDISTINCT FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
- What's that? - Spanish?
I don't think so, no.
Chuck!
That was Chuck Marshall, wasn't it?
Yes. Chuck!
Well, come on! Sound!
Have we any contact yet? I'm trying for Dr Joseph Kapp.
Chuck - Joe Kapp here. I'm with you.
We've got your picture, you can't see us. A matter of facilities.
Okay, fine.
First of all - a warning.
It is possible that we're attracting attention.
We just don't know.
But be ready to cut - and cut fast!
That's why we're on this configuration. Now...
can you locate Bernard Quatermass?
- Well, he's here. - What?
You mean he's with you? That's great!
Put him on.
Hello, Bernard?
Hello, Chuck.
Chuck, urn...
I'm sorry about the last time.
Oh, please - forget that.
Listen.
What we have here now is...
so urgent an-and so frightful...
it demands immediate action, so...
- You heard about it? - Heard about it?
I'm going to show it to you. I want you to watch this, Bernard.
I need your opinion.
Okay, run it.
But ho-how can he poss...
I don't think he means...
We just got this in from Brazil.
State of Sao Paulo.
Some place known as... oh, what the hell...
O Papoes.
Some thirty hours ago when we were...
so occupied with our disaster in space...
what was really going on was there!
I knew it. I knew it!
Some kind of youth gathering.
Twelve or thirteen thousand kids.
Nobody knows how many because they were wiped out!
Obliterated without trace!
Bernard, do you believe me?
Yes.
I believe you.
Bernard...
way in the past with your Rocket Group...
y-you tangled with some...
dire, hellish powers.
Does anything about this remind you...
Is it anything you recognise?
Recognise? Yes.
You do?
Not from any...
past experience.
No, but um...
Tell him.
From yesterday, Chuck.
Yesterday.
- Go on, quick. - It happened here!
The same thing.
[RADIO STATIC]
- Hold him, can't you? - It's a low orbit.
Chuck!
It was here too!
Here, in England!
At Ringstone Round!
[RADIO STATIC]
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
It's all right. It's all right. Shh, shh, shh.
Please. Please!
- Please! - Shh!
It's all right!
Isabel.
Can't you get them back?
No.
Not till the next pass.
So Ringstone Round wasn't the first.
I said so. Didn't I say?
You've no idea what this is!
A-and the Americans haven't either.
And they were desperate enough to take the risk.
I want to get that girl to London.
She's the only evidence we've got.
The only specimen.
The proof of what this...
does to human tissue and possibly how.
I want her under expert examination today.
Use her?
Yes.
Annie.
What's your badge worth?
Can you get us through?
I'll try my best.
Right, Joe?
Yes. Do it.
Clare might, uh...
No.
I want that kid out!
Don't touch her!
Leave her alone!
All right, darling. You'll be all right.
- No! - It's got to be done!
I'm taking her to hospital.
You'll do what they said!
- You'll experiment on her! - A hospital.
You'll kill her!
- Isabel! - Darling!
She told me her name.
She said her name.
That's MY blanket.
Mind out, kids.
Mummy!
That's my blanket! She's got my blanket.
She's sick, darling. She's sick.
I didn't like her.
Joe'?
I'll get through to you tonight.
One way or another.
Take care.
Daddy.
The old man - he's stopped looking so old.
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNSHOT] I mean it, y'see!
Now get away from here or I'll give you a real taste!
[SCREAMING BABY]
Don't think I'm frightened of scum like you, 'cos I'm bloomin' well not!
He's scared stiff.
You got food in there?
I got nothin'!
People who hole up have always got food!
They make sure!
Now, come on. Give us a bit.
I told you. Leave me be!
My baby's hungry!
Lift it up and let him see it.
No!
What are you doing? No!
[GUNSHOT] Stop it!
[BABY SCREAMING]
Get out, the lot of yer!
I'm not bluffin'
I'll shoot to kill!
Come on, now. Open up!
I mean it - I've got more guns here.
A lot of guns.
Already loaded.
You haven't got a chance.
All right then. You win.
Just give us a bit for the kids.
Just one tin of food. Beans, anything.
You mean that? You'll go?
Bible oath, mister.
All right, then.
[BABY SCREAMING]
'Ere y'are.
[MACHINE GUN FIRING] [SCREAMING]
- Car comin'! - Cops!
We must get away - quick!
[MACHINE GUN FIRING]
It was gunfire.
When you hear it, just keep going.
That's the best rule. Keep going faster.
If they jump up in front of you, drive at them.
You do that?
I've done it.
Poor little wretch.
If she can just last out.
Poor all of them.
That's what I used to feel, when I still had feelings.
All those lost children, wandering the roads...
dragging their children - their babies.
Sometimes I've seen them...
and I've just wanted to gather them all up in my arms...
and hold them tight and love them.
Even the gangs - would you believe?
The Badders and the Blue Brigade.
So long as they didn't come after me, I could feel for them all.
I could.
I'm a mess.
Steady, District Commissioner.
[VOICE ON THE RADIO] Dr Joseph Kapp.
Dr Kapp. Do we have any contact yet?
Joe Kapp here.
You're fairly rough.
It'll have to do. Listen.
We did get that, last time.
The incident Quatermass told about.
Is he there?
He's left - on the track of something.
Okay, never mind.
How many were in it? Casualties?
I don't know. Hundreds.
Right.
Joe'?
We're plotting others, now.
Sketchy first reports. Stuff about explosions...
lightning bolts...
mass casualties.
Where?
One in Indonesia...
one in Brittany, France.
We could be mistaken - because the times are crazy!
They were almost simultaneous.
Within two minutes of each other.
Yeah, okay.
Joe, we're leaving now. Out.
[RADIO STATIC]
Do you think they wanted to involve us?
Start a search - radar mode.
Risky.
Two minutes apart.
Across... a third of the Earth's surface.
I mean, any conceivable orbit...
even allowing time for...
The velocity would have...
- So it's more than one? - No.
Must be.
Not necessarily.
- Tommy, it's plural. - Doesn't have to be.
I can imagine...
Tommy.
What's up there?
Getting near London.
Pay Cops?
They don't show their noses far afield.
I hate them.
You remember the good old bobbies?
Good morning, officer - can you help me? My kitten's got stuck up a tree.
And they would help.
But... we lost them.
What went wrong...? And what happened?
Was it the kids?
Oh, Professor - Bernard - what got into them all?
I mean, the blind rage - in every land.
As if we had to have it.
Oh, when I was a girl...
That was years.
It really was different then.
Well, you could walk in the open and not be afraid.
You didn't have to... hide your face from strangers.
- All these years. - Dreadful years.
It could have been on its way.
From smashing things to smashing people.
Tried to find explanations and all we found were excuses.
The faults of the system - the contradictions of society.
- Homing in. - What...?
And these years would be nothing.
Just a final stage that came far enough.
Locating, probing, beaming.
What was that you said just now?
"What got into them?"
Well, supposing it was "that"?
Whatever it is.
Caused it? Is that what you're saying?
Immense power...
approaching through decades.
Decades to us!
A few seconds - in some different... inconceivable timescale.
I don't want to believe it. It's even worse!
Don't believe it.
Just suppose...
.“suppose“.
And the most vulnerable of human organisms...
always the most recently formed.
The youngest.
The things they kept saying to us.
"You don't understand us", they said.
As if they... sensed, what we didn't.
And then... and they'd get angrier because we couldn't.
Look.
Isn't it there in the eyes?
All there to see.
All the time.
The strangeness?
And I couldn't read it!
- Who is she? - She's mine.
My granddaughter.
Oh, God - I'm too old! My brain's drying.
If I could miss that...
what else am I missing now...?
All the rage of the world.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Hold her.
Leh. Leh. Leh.
Isabel?
She's only just alive.
But she can still scent it.
And she wants it.
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh. Leh.
A radar search has to be out.
A: The thing's not detectable.
And, B: if it is - and we hit it...
All right, we'll play safe.
Stick to Reflector Mode.
Can we increase the spread?
- Dog Dish? - No.
Dog Dish has to remain on the Americans, if they come through.
That's essential.
Frank - the outer units. Status?
Well, West's okay. East's still out.
Very efficient vandals.
I thought you were going over?
No chance - you've had the wagon.
- Much to do? - It's a mess.
Perhaps I could manage a lash-up?
Frank - get the emergency pack.
And, Torn...
calibrate... West and Cat Dish.
And don't do anything I wouldn't do!
When you're back we'll talk concepts.
Thought some up?
They're nasty!
Oh, Joe - take the gun.
Thanks, Frank.
It's all there.
Good luck.
What's all that for?
I thought I'd go to the mound.
What? Now?!
I've got all my gear out.
I could start a dig. I always meant to.
Listen, bubeleh...
I want you to go back and stay with the kids.
Put them away.
It's not a good time - you know that.
Okay?
I'll be back soon.
- Where are you going? - One of the outer units.
I've got to.
I'll only be an hour.
Soon.
Promise.
Soon.
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
These great gatherings.
They're another freak of our time.
Huge assemblies.
Mindless - enormous.
Supposedly to listen to some leader or pop star, but really just to...
just to crowd together.
- Or to fight. - Yes.
More and more.
It all fits the pattern.
This dreadful pattern.
- Do you know any Portuguese? - Mm?
It's what they speak in Brazil.
I've been trying and trying...
that place where it happened - O Papoes.
Wouldn't that mean the... "Giants" or "Ogres", or something?
"Stones".
Yes, it could be couldn't it?
Can we go back?
We're too late - we're nearly there.
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
[WAGON ENGINE SPLUTTERING]
[SINISTER MUSIC]
[RADIO STATIC]
Yanks are giving it a miss, this time.
I hope that's all.
[PRINTING AND TAPPING NOISES]
[CROWD CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Stop! They're mad!
What do you think?
- There's Alison! - What?
There! Over there!
Frank!
I want my Mummy!
I want my Daddy!
He'll come soon. He'll come!
[BARKING AND CHILDREN SHOUTING] Puppy, come back! Come back!
[UNEARTHLY HIGH-PITCHED NOISE]
[RADIO NEWSREADER] Lasfly“.
An official denial of rumours concerning the stone monument of Ringstone Round...
that some form of electric storm caused casualties...
among people visiting the spot.
No such weather conditions have been reported.
Now - tomorrow's power cuts.
Eastern England... [RADIO TURNED OFF]
They know.
This isn't going to be easy.
I'm counting on you.
Rule One.
The District Commissioner...
stays in her district.
Never mind.
Roadblock!
Get your ID ready.
No, it's not - it's Badders!
It's a gang fight! Hold on!!!
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
Oh, my God!!!
Blue Brigade. They're the worst!
Oh, they're on the car!
Hold on.
Hold on!
[SHOUTING AND GUNFIRE]
Get you...
Hold on!
Sorry! 0h, my God!!!
[TYRES SCREECHING]
[MORE GUNFIRE]
CLARE!!!
Children...?
Children?!
[SOBBING]
[END THEME MUSIC]
[THAMES IDENT]
[THEME MUSIC]
[GUNSHOTS IN THE DISTANCE]
[GUNSHOTS NEARBY]
[PAINED SHOUTING]
Oh!
[GASPING]
[SINGING] "He died to save us all."
"We may not know, we cannot tell..."
"What pain He had to bear."
"But we believe..."
[CRASHING]
- Eh? - Who's there?
I can see someone.
Badders?
Ge-get away, quick!
No! No, wait.
Wait. Please.
- Help me. - Help?
Oh, look at him.
Who are you?
He's hurt!
Hey, here - where do you come from?
They tell you about us?
[PAINED SHOUTING]
Oh, poor love. He is in a state.
Oh, well, what are we gonna do with him?
We need to get him down.
Eh?
Here, we don't know who he is!
Ooh, Arthur!
Down, then. Come on. Let's go.
Oh!
Down?
Bye, Dick.
[BANGING]
Down? Where?
Come on, love. This way.
[ACCORDION MUSIC]
- We going in here? - That's right.
[MORE BANGING AND STUMBLING]
Yes, that's it.
Nearly there.
Good evening.
Never seen the like of this, eh?
No! No, I haven't.
Hmm. All the way down to the old motors. See?
Keep moving, now!
God intended a use for everything.
That's what I say.
Careful, now.
Mind yer 'ead.
Now, then.
Who is he?
I dunno.
Found him up top.
Ere, gangs was it?
- Gangs after yer? - Er, yes, I think.
Umm, Blue Brigade.
Oh, Well! Oh!
[CRYING]
All right, Susie.
They done her old man.
Let's have a look, love.
See what the damage is.
I used to be a nurse.
Thank you - again.
[QUIETLY] Once upon a time.
[GASPING]
His 'ead's split.
That's the worst.
Oh, you'll have to bathe that.
It's the brain, you see?
You've got to look after your brain.
Yes.
An' his foot's done in.
He's a good age.
I'd be very grateful if you could...
if you could just fix me up, huh?
Help me get on my Way.
Please?
He could 'ave Dick's place.
Ch... oh, I dunno.
What about Dick?
Oh, well - Dick's passed away.
Eh?
Yes - we buried him.
Oh... yes.
No-no... no-no. No, I mustn't stay here.
I I-l can't explain - there's...
no-no time but I-it's vital I've got to find some people and explain to them.
I mean, I-l I've got... [AGONISED SHOUTING]
Oh, no!
[DISTANT SINGING]
"His movements are graceful, all girls he will please."
"And my love he's stolen away."
What are you doing?
He's a well to-do man.
'Ere - feel that cloth!
Got a 'ome.
Money, too.
That's just rubbish.
- He's got to contribute. - Yes.
But he doesn't want to stay - he said.
He's in there now, ain't he?
And he's got a gold watch on him.
- That'll do. - Oh, Jack!
- Let him be. - It's the rule!
[GROANING]
How now, mate?
Fuzzy?
Mmm.
She give you somethin' to knock out the pain, see?
Won't do you no harm.
Look, uh...
I gotta explain.
Um.
We got rules down 'ere.
Well, we-we gotta have.
A-a-a-an' one rule is that, um...
everybody's got to contribute.
You understand?
You want my watch?
Well, it's-it's gotta be gold - or silver.
N-no cash.
We got a soft gang round 'ere, y'see?
You know what a "soft gang" is?
No.
Well, they uh, they let us have stuff.
See us right.
If we pay 'em.
You take it.
Ah. It's just a rule, like I said.
Well, ta, mate.
You rest now, eh?
Y-y-your...
soft gang?
Oh, they'll take this. Don't worry.
Listen...
would they do something else?
[GROUP SINGING "ABIDE WITH ME"]
His name! I thought I recognised it.
- Do you know who he is? - No.
Listen.
Now listen, everybody.
There's a place...
you must have heard of.
Called Ringstone Round.
All them hundreds...?
I watched it happen.
Kids!
They call themselves "Planet People."
- Oh. We know about them. - Oh, yes.
They believe, that somehow...
they're going to be taken away to another planet.
It always seemed like nonsense.
But it 'appened...?
Something happened.
This was the second time.
The first time was in another country.
- In Brazil. - More kids.
Everything the same.
And by now, there may be...
I only know one thing.
We had one survivor.
I was bringing her with me for tests.
I've got to find her.
Yeah... this planet?
What do you reckon about it, eh?
Well, er... [LAUGHS NERVOUSLY]
as a belief, it's possible.
As a scientific fact...
there isn't the... Why should it be for them?!
What?
The kids.
[CROWD COMPLAINING] Why should it be? Why?
They want everything.
They got everything.
They got the lot orf of us, didn't they?
[CROWD COMPLAINING] Always. Yes, quite.
You haven't understood.
Yeah, yeah - they busted it all up for us.
Their gangs and their violence.
And they got us livin' down 'ere!
In a hole!
[CROWD COMPLAINING] Yes. That's right. That's right.
If there is...
such a place - a planet.
Why can't WE go there? Why should it be for them? You tell me that...
Mr Professor.
It ought to be us.
[CROWD AGREEING] Yes, yes. Oh, yes.
[SINGING] "long, long trail a-winding."
"Into the land of my dreams."
"Where the nightingales are singing..."
"and the wide blue..." [CRYING]
I'm sorry, dear. I'm sorry.
There is no planet.
I read in a book...
there could be lots.
'Undreds and thousands of planets.
But if there are...
they wouldn't be like ours.
You don't know.
You don't!
Then help me find out.
What's your name?
- Jack. - Jack...
this, er, this soft gang of yours?
Could they get me through?
[MEDICAL MONITORS BEEPING]
Well, can you hear me now?
Ye-yes, I know all about that, sir, but you MUST LISTEN.
I've got a survivor here from the Ringstone Round disaster.
I've managed to get her into Intensive Care.
Yes, I said "disaster"!
Yes, I have heard those bulletins, but you must know? Well, of course you do!
Anne Morgan.
District Commissioner.
South Western Area.
This is just the job for me regular run.
I can carry near 'undred weight in here.
- Stuff they've looted? - Mostly.
Now, don't depend on it. I'll do me best.
Goodbye, love.
Jack's a thief - you know that.
A very good one.
But he's getting slow, so he buys as well.
I don't know what we'd do without Jack.
Oh, look here.
A pocketful of photographs.
They're all the same, too.
- Ooh, who is she? - My granddaughter.
Are you givin' them away or somethin'?
I bet she run off.
It's what they do!
Funny, you being a scientist.
Oh, why?
We got one.
Living here?
Who?
- Mr Chisholm! - Ooh, yes.
Mr Chisholm.
Where?
He lives along 'ere.
Ooh.
He's very old.
Mr Chisholm!
You awake, love'?
- Come in. - It's Edna.
Eh, somebody to meet you.
- Professor, um... - Quatermass.
Oh.
Very nice.
Mr Chisholm?
I understand that... you too were a scientist?
Oh, yes.
For many years.
- I worked in research. - Research, eh?
What area?
I was with Greeley and Presser.
Er... I don't think I...
They made the best soap in the world.
Soap.
[MEDICAL MONITORS BEEPING]
Doctor!
Look, can you PLEASE authorise some top-level immediate examination.
There may not be much time.
This may be the only chance we have to find out how this dreadful... What?
What others? How many have there been?
Where?
What's happening?
[EXPLOSION]
[ECHOING] Sarah!
Oh.
Debbie!
[CRYING]
Hello, Jack.
It's Jack!
What's happening?
It's Jack.
I won some flour.
Oh, look.
It's all I got.
Oh.
Didn't they 'ave nothing?
They wasn't there.
What?
- They musta' been! - I'm telling yer...
there wasn't one of 'em.
Not Peewee, nor nobody?
No sign.
But they're always there.
Well, they wasn't!
Then you shoulda' waited.
He should have.
[GROANING] I did, didn' I?
I went all searchin'.
I went that far, I thought I'd never get back.
Well, I reckon Jack done his best.
He always does.
What's happened?
It's the soft gang...
he couldn't find them. Oh, dear.
He should have.
My God.
What do you reckon then?
They're gone.
[SOBBING]
What'll we do?
P'raps they haven't gone forever?
Wraps not.
We've been lucky.
They've been good to us.
I never liked 'em.
Never trusted 'em.
Yer never saw 'em!
Oh, don't fret, Win.
We'll manage.
Where is 'e?
- Who? - Him.
Oh, he's in with old Chisholm.
He's in there all the time.
At my peak...
I could differentiate one thousand, five hundred and thirty two separate odours.
Ha, ha! To achieve that... took a lot of training.
What you were saying just now about... musk?
Aaah, musk.
It is THE great perfume.
About making it?
We never used synthetics at Greeleys!
No, no, no - I mean obtaining it.
Always from the male musk deer.
A dried secretion.
The finest came from Tibet.
In boxes covered in silk.
- So precious. - The deer?
Were they always killed?
Well, of course.
Do you know, the hunters lured them with the sound of flutes.
Or trapped them in nets of green hemp - which they couldn't see.
[LAUGHING]
How much of the animal was used?
Oh, a trace - a mere trace.
You are talking about a fragrance.
Our Mr Greeley's father...
had actually been to the East, in his youth.
And he observed... [DISTANT WAILING]
Where is he?
- What's goin' on? - What have you done with him?
- Done with who? - Don't shoot me. Please!
Search!
Not me! Leave us alone!
[PEOPLE COMPLAINING AND CRIES FOR HELP]
You're the one - I saw you.
Where have you put him?
I'll give you three seconds!
You want me?
- Professor Quatermass? - Yes.
[SCREAMING]
The-they weren't doing any harm. They were really kind to me.
Right. Not a move.
What are you doin'? Where you takin' 'im?
He's been hurt!
Who were they?
Army.
Real thing!
What's this all about? I wasn't kidnapped. They were just trying to help me.
I knew it!
Oh, thank God!
He had to be around here somewhere, if he was still...
Right. Let's get inside.
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Blue Brigade.
Planet People, too.
I'd never have thought...
Right. Let's go.
It's happened again, hasn't it?
I was afraid.
Many?
Places like Ringstone Round? Megaliths?
Joe KBPFTS?
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN'S SINGING]
"Round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush..."
"the mulberry bush, here we go round the mulberry bush..."
"on a cold and frosty morning."
[CHILDREN'S VOICES] "Hello, Daddy!"
"Daddy, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Now come on, Daddy. Mummy's waiting."
"Mum!"
"Puppy!"
"We played outside - with Puppy."
"Debbie?" _ "Puppy-ll.
"He ran round and round."
"And we tried to chase him."
"Yes. And he almost knocked Debbie over."
Right.
ID. Let's 'ave 'em.
Is this a take-over, sir'?
Sort of.
Okay, George.
[HEAVY METAL GUITAR PLAYING]
Out, out, out. Come on - out. Out!
Yes, hold it! Hold it. Hold that!
It's nice, yes.
I know it's child's stuff.
Vivien and Caroline are doing nothing with their burns.
I want them to really swing 'em, you know? Like they do in the canteen.
Three on three, Five on two, next.
Thanks, that's good.
No, no, no. Across. Across.
Eight on two, next.
Oh, come on. Come on!
Oh, no! 'Ang on.
Now, why have we stopped? Why have we stopped, love?
Bert. He's fallen off the banana!
Oh, Christ, poor love. All right, then. Okay.
- Listen, listen... - Three on three.
Brian's bum is... it-it's too white. I can see where his tan stops. Okay?
An-and Bert's trunk is... it-it's - er... it's too stiff.
We're nearly into power cuts, loves. Come on - quickly, please!
Power cuts. The power cuts. Urgh.
Emergency generators have let me down twice.
Please will somebody do something about it.
Okay.
Well, that's good. He made the banana, anyway.
Fine. Pick it up! Pick it up!
Okay. Fine. Fine.
Why won't she use them? She frightened of 'em or something?
Hit 'im! Hit 'im!!!
God!
God, you'd think she'd never had a stick in her hand before.
And...
[ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYING]
Step, step. Shove it!
Good.
- I'll get her on Five. - Hold it!
Sorry, but we're taking over the studio.
What the hell is it this time?
- I've never known such a complete... - John?
- Yes. - Umm...
we seem to have visitors.
WHAT?!
Excuse me. I'll just go up and have a word.
[PEOPLE MUTTERING] Can't just walk into the studio.
Toby, they can't?! Not my show!
Don't blame me, pal.
But "Tittupy Bumpity" is the only show anyone watches any more!
- Don't they realise? - It's an emergency!
Well, what isn't?
It has got to be done!
- Why? - Through landlines.
Well, some other studio, then!
What other?
These awful things.
I've seen this programme before. Pfft!
But under protest, Toby. Under protest. I shall put that clearly on record.
All right!
"Tittup... Tittupy Bumpity" has a special place.
It's what used to be called a family show after all, I mean if it's...
Now, everybody - stay calm, please.
This is a kind of emergency, but there is no danger.
Now, Vic? Vic - will you clear all this? Quick as you can.
You may want to stay and listen.
Now, it's okay if you do, but over there, please - and dead quiet.
It's their lives too, I suppose.
We've got NASA on the line.
Okay, punch 'em through.
[RADIO STATIC]
We now have thirty-one recorded instances.
All around the globe.
Same pattern.
Some big gathering of younger-age human beings. Both sexes.
- Lost. - Destroyed.
Bernard...
let's keep it at lost, for now.
All right, just till provable.
Of which we need all we can get...
because we don't have the slightest idea of what we're...
Look“.
The tracking devices tell us nothing.
They say there's nothing up there.
Nothing discernible in Earth orbit.
All we've got is what we know we're getting.
These...
power blasts - out of the blue, literally!
Chuck...
forget about "what" for a moment.
Think about...
"when". - When?
How many of these strikes...
were on crowds gathered near megaliths?
Stone circles? Yes.
I'd say a-about a third.
And these circles date back, what? Four or five thousand years?
That your "when"?
Significant.
Oh, just one thing.
You're saying...
those stones weren't put there by human hands?
Oh, yes, they were.
- Well then... - No doubt about it.
- Well then, what... - I think...
that men may have...
raised those megaliths to...
commemorate - to mark - places that had become... terrible to them.
Places that had been...
visited.
You reckon it came then?
And left traces behind.
Perhaps... deep under the surface.
In our terms...
guidance beacons set in the earth - for next time.
And this is "next time".
[WHISPERING AND MUTTERING]
Ssh! Quiet please!
Now for the "what".
Try this.
A colossal...
invisible skin.
A skin?
Yes, just to get...
some kind of an image. Call it a... film.
A membrane. A bubble.
Anything up to... a million miles round.
Completely surrounding the Earth...
yet enclosing it - at a great distance.
Half-way to the Moon, say.
A sphere of energy so... diffuse...
that our detectors can't see it. They look right through it.
And yet organised...
able to...
concentrate all its power in an instant.
And do...
well, what...
what we know it does.
Well, you've gotten ahead of us in some respects. But, uh...
any guesses as to why?
It's, um...
it-its purpose?
Yes.
We're obviously facing an intelligence of... some order.
It seems to us that the primary need is to... What is it?
Okay.
Okay, let him take it, then.
Bernard?
We've got this Moscow link, now. Somebody you know.
Academician Pavel Grigoritch Gurov.
Oh, yeah. Yes.
Yes, I know him.
Quatermass!
This is a tragedy!
It is a cosmic error!
An error?
A... terrible misunderstanding.
Well, what do you mean?
All my life I have dreaded it.
That some advanced form of society should appear...
and fail to communicate.
Now it happens. Here!
In Volgograd Province, in Kursk, Uzbekistan!
Today... a mass gathering of the Pioneers.
The Young Communist League.
Children!
[SOBBING]
Oh, God.
When they came before, they found savages.
You see - I agree with you, Quatermass.
In the Bronze Age.
Da. But now it comes again and it mistakes. We are advanced society.
It might not think so.
Planned society. Marxist-Leninist, is ours!
Da. And even you in the West.
We must reach it! We must communicate!
Communicate? With-with-with that?
Well, in Soviet Union we have much-prepared method...
code and radio emissions...
teknika of govorit! Oh, talk to it - we can!
Gurov's out of his mind.
We're gonna try it.
You are?! Now, Chuck...
We've got a shuttle rocket on the pad, right now.
The Russkies came on through with a lot of stuff.
We're gonna use it.
Now, wait a minute. Now, wait a minute!
Bernard.
I want your evaluations. I want them quick.
We're into countdown.
Well, go on!
Help him, if he's trying to save us!
- Keep out of it, John. - Well, he must - he must!
My evaluation, Chuck?
Here it is.
Forget about trying to get through to it.
- But surely we have to try to... - The ripe crop...
can't appeal to the reaper!
What does he mean? What is it'?
I think...
this is the gathering time.
The human race...
is being harvested!
[SCREAMING]
Mrs Morgan?
As District Commissioner...
I see a lot of these...
megalith sites are in your area.
Yes, sir.
Can they be effectively sealed off?
If we had more army units.
More?!
It's the only hope.
The Pay Cops are useless, you know that.
And there are far too many sites.
- How many? - Hundreds!
Let me see those.
At least they're highly recognisable.
These gigantic stones.
Not always.
As I tried to explain, sir.
The real signal...
is probably far beneath.
These stones were put there by our ancestors, I-in an attempt to...
appease something.
- What about Silchester? - Oh, Silchester.
No megaliths there!
- Look here, isn't it time? - About five minutes, sir.
Professor?
What about Silchester?
I think there would have been stones there once.
It was one of the great node points.
The junction of every road and track in the area.
The Romans built their city on it.
And the stones?
Well, perhaps they've been... shifted or broken.
But what was underneath... stayed.
Under the open fields.
And yesterday, those kids found it.
Please! Please!
Three thousand more of them!
A meadow.
Appropriate, for a human harvest.
That is really what you believe is happening?
I have to.
So these are no help, then?
The dangerous places could be anywhere.
Perhaps.
Traditional gathering sites.
Then even here - in London?
The great parks.
Tyburn, Eastcheap.
Or right here.
Two hundred feet above our head.
Maiden Castle.
- Blackhills. - Runnymeade.
NO!
Professor Quatermass, this "harvest" theory of yours. I don't like it.
I don't buy it!
But surely, this terrible event...
"Terrible", "terrifying" - those are his words.
For countless thousands of deaths.
"Deaths"?
What do you mean, David?
I believe that we're in the presence of something that...
he doesn't begin to understand.
And you do?
Something...
momentous, I agree.
A process so...
infinitely... awesome.
Yes. Yes, professor - I think I do. I'm still young enough.
I can just begin to grasp what the kids instinctively feel...
must be.
The planet?
Yes!
[RADIO] "Er, Mission Control, Houston."
"Stand by to receive."
"Status report."
Shall we go?
"Indicates it is now in estimated..."
I'd like you to be right.
"Commencing direct radio transmission from shuttle rocket."
"Ten seconds from now."
"Radio alone will be used."
I've got an old friend up there. Chuck Marshall.
One of the best they ever had.
Direct transmission.
Isn't that taking a risk?
That's the idea, sir. To get noticed.
- They'll be within range now. - "Mission Commander to Mission Control."
"Ground elapsed time is six hours, forty minutes."
"Distance from Earth..."
"one hundred and ten thousand miles."
"We have, at this time, no sighting of any kind."
[BEEPING]
"Mother Bird. Mission Control to Mother Bird."
Of course - the mother bird draws attention away from the chicks.
"Zone of this... power web."
"We could be closing on it."
"We suggest you start signals now."
"Good a time as any."
"Roger. Will do."
Giorgi?
Yeah, he's ready with his box of tricks.
For the benefit of those that, er, might have missed it...
we are not talking to it in Russian.
The language is mathematics.
In the load bay behind us...
there's a transmitter the size of a... gasoline truck.
Two thirty-metre antennas...
are now extended and transmitting at full power.
If it should respond in any way...
we're ready.
[TELETYPE PRINTER]
Clear sighting of Earth.
Looks real small.
Hard to believe anything could make a precise fix way out here.
[COMPUTER ALARM]
Hey, we got something.
They've found it. My God!
Wait. Wait.
"Unless... it could just be an indication of..."
Malfunction.
Oh, my God, Chuck.
"Hold it, Mother Bird."
"Our computer says you've got a minor on board malfunction."
"Check it out, would you?"
[COMPUTER ALARM]
[SIGHING]
Sorry, Mission Control.
Blame Giorgi.
He's not, er, overly familiar with American-type control.
I don't know, though.
We're getting a kind of a generalised...
I don't know what the hell we're getting!
Hey, Giorgi - did you see that?
That was outside.
"It's incredible!"
"it's-it's like a gigantic laser beam... only it pulsates!"
"it could be ten miles away... or-or a hundred!"
"Pointing straight towards Earth!"
"And in the other direction - right away out!"
"I'll try and get a camera on it."
There won't be time.
"It's gone."
Twenty seconds.
I wonder where...?
Must remember...
it wasn't just a beam of light.
It was a carrier beam.
Carrier.
Mother Bird to Mission Control.
The range is correct.
I'm going to try those braking manoeuvres.
We'll start with a four second burn.
"We read you, Mother Bird."
"We'll monitor your burn status, stage by stage."
"We've got all the stuff we need via telemetry."
"From here on we keep voice contact." [UNEARTHLY HIGH-PITCHED NOISE]
We're into malfunction!
Total malfunction! All systems... [SCREAMING]
"Mother Bird, are you receiving me?"
"Mother Bird, are you able to receive me?"
"Mother Bird, this is Mission Control."
"Can you read us?"
"Mother Bird, do you read u..."
I don't think... it even knew they were there.
[BACKGROUND CHATTER]
Well, Professor? That beam.
Yes, I heard him.
A great beam - out to infinity.
I think we imagine something different, you and I.
Have you read the Isabel Report?
The medical report on that child who survived for one day?
No.
Then you should.
It's irrelevant.
She didn't go with them.
[WIND KEENING]
[PLAINTIVE MUSIC]
[FRUSTRATED GRUNTING]
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "What are you doing, Daddy?"
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
[GUITAR STRUMMING]
"Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round"
"if you lose your hat, it will never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"When you are ready, then we can begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
[PUFFING]
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
[PUFFING]
"Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round."
- "if you lose your hat..." - Hey! Where you going, mate?!
- "...will never be found." - Come back - don't be stupid!
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"And when you are ready, then we shall begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
[PUFFING]
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
[PUFFING]
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
[GUNFIRE AND SCREAMING]
[SCREAMING]
[GUNFIRE STOPS, CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
There's more of 'em. More!
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Hold it - there's more of 'em. Over there.
Let's go wiv 'em.
[CHANTING] "Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat, it will never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"And when you're ready, then we shall begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
"Puff! Puff."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
"Puff! Puff!"
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
"Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat, it will never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"And when you are ready, then we shall begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
"Puff! Puff!"
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
"Puff! Puff!"
Get him out - get him clear.
- Move. Come on, now. - Don't worry, dear - yes, you'll be all right.
Quickly.
Don't worry, dear - we'll get you to a doctor. Mind that door.
Careful. Careful.
That was coming.
Ask him.
It's up to him, now. He must.
- The Stadium. - What?
You've got to stop it.
Ah, no - no action.
But you must have heard.
They're gathering in tens of thousands.
God knows how they're getting there...
They've always done it!
It's an institution.
But not like this!
The game's ceased to matter much. I agree.
In fact it's minimal.
Oh, let's face it - the whole thing's been encouraged as an outlet.
A bit of harmless bloodletting.
We could accept a few hundred casualties.
Oh, that's us. That's what we've come to!
That place can hold a hundred thousand!
If.
Yes - "if"!
Do you really suggest Wembley Stadium is an ancient site?
The "Sacred Turf", they call it.
- I wonder what's underneath? - [SNIGGERING]
Do something, man. Stop them!
[CROWD ROARING]
[EXCITED SHOUTING]
[CAR HORN BEEPING]
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
Listen.
[MORE GUNSHOTS]
Shots.
I doubt if he'll do anything.
No - what they're chanting.
It's that old rhyme.
The nursery rhyme.
"H uffity Puffity..."
"Ringst0ne Round."
Get on with it, man.
Do you think he wants our help?
[PISTOL SHOTS]
[GLASS SMASHING]
[GUNFIRE AND CROWD NOISES]
Where do I go now?!
This way! This way!
[WAGON LAMP SMASHING AGAINST ENTRANCE]
They're still there.
Cut 'em off!
We're trapped!
We've got 'em - they're trapped!
Mind that column. Mind out!
Oh, my God. Watch it!
- Look out! - [SCREAMING]
[GROANING]
Annie!
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
[UNEARTHLY HIGH-PITCHED NOISE]
[END THEME MUSIC]
[THAMES IDENT]
[OPENING THEME]
[SILENCE, BARRING FOOTSTEPS]
[PLAINTIVE, DISCORDANT MUSIC]
[WIND KEENING]
Hey - you!
What the hell are you doing?!
Come here!
Loofing, eh?
Do you know the penalty for that?
No - wait, please!
I've been down there all night.
Liar!
Nobody's been down there all night!
Do you know what's happened here?!
Don't turn your back on me, you filthy, smelly old git.
I, uh... think you'd better... see my papers.
Papers“?
He's says he's got papers.
I don't want to see your papers - I might catch something from them.
Take him round the back.
Look - here.
Who'd you steal that from?
Look at it, man.
How was I supposed to know?
Anyone else down there?
Well, go and have a look!
No.
There's nobody alive.
Just something to... investigate later.
I want to see the Stadium.
Well, sir...
it's all... it's all been affected, sir - we're not supposed...
It's only the dust.
You've struck this before?
Yes.
How many were there?
Here?
Do they know?
Maybe seventy thousand.
Who can tell?
They shouldn't have been here!
Should've been stopped a long time ago.
Look at it!
Guns everywhere.
They only came for trouble.
Ripping each other to pieces.
Last night it was guns.
We were put on standby and I thought "here we go".
And...
then...
It's not only the dust.
You do...
you do find... other kinds...
other...
[RETCHING]
Yes, you do.
Here comes the sun.
Oh... I could do with that.
Worst night I've ever had.
The sun?!
[DISCORDANT MUSIC]
The sun - it's...
turned...
It's like vomit.
[FRANTIC CHANTING] Leh! Leh! Leh!
[CHANTING] "Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat, it will never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"And when you are ready, then we can begin."
"Huffity, puffity, puff. Puff puff."
This is Pavel Grigoritch Gurov.
Of the Soviet Academy of Sciences.
Mr Gurov has a statement to make.
In the matter of this special threat, er...
co-operation between Soviet Union and US of America...
has now ceased.
Er, since failure of rocket mission...
And collapse of communications.
Er, please.
What is this force which attacks us?
Mass destruction of personnel in Soviet Union...
and also in associated democratic republics of Eastern Europe...
as well as other places...
indicates that it is not sensible... not...
Not... sentient.
Academician Gurov now thinks as I do.
That we're facing not an intelligence...
but a machine...
of unbelievable sophistication...
but still a machine. Da. Da.
But, Professor...
a machine must have a maker?
Of course.
But the intelligence that made this...
is quite beyond our reach...
and our understanding.
It's probably thousands of light years away.
This is, um... call it a probe they've sent.
Just as we've sent probes to other planets...
to get soil samples.
This thing...
must be programmed...
to sense living human protein...
and to take it.
It is not efficient. It wastes.
Today I fly through a sky that has gone... gone sick!
Particles in the atmosphere.
Particles of... personnel that...
[SOBBING]
My... son. He was Major, Soviet Forces - Far Eastern Sector...
with duties to prevent these gatherings, but...
they run with the rest. Even Red Army, they are taken.
Mr Gurov has come here at great personal risk.
Because now I agree with him.
In Moskva, they say it alive.
Kolpakov say... he is a fool, but he say and they believe it - alive.
It's Marshal Kolpakov.
An extreme hawk.
Yeah. He prepare now to send rockets - many of them.
Kolpakov wish to kill it.
He cannot. It will not kill.
He's got no target.
How can he?
Only......
if he knew in advance...
where that beam was going to strike.
If he could hit it...
during the... twenty seconds that...
It is not possible to shoot at the William of the Wisp.
The Earth is losing of its young.
It can die.
Time. We haven't any, have we?
None at all.
I will work with him.
I'll need facilities.
But there won't be enough of those, either...
so I want people.
Well, tell us who you want.
Well, they'll have to have their wits about them and, er...
like us, they must be old.
Old?!
Yes.
The older the better.
- Where you taking 'im? - I need him.
What do you want with 'im?
Mr Chisholm, love?
I need his help, Edna.
Back among the perfumes of the world!
I can't wait!
You come too, Jack.
I need a good thief.
[TELEPRINTER NOISE]
We've got the old man.
I didn't think he'd survive it.
What use? Even these - they don't remember.
They don't know what they do.
Each remembers something - a specialised essential.
- Now, if we can co-ordinate... - Co-ordinate?!
You can't even read my cyrillic.
I can read your equations.
When computer beat me, I go back to this.
All my life I use it - since child.
Draws picture in mind - you can see problem.
So now we must keep problem clear in mind.
How this thing attacks.
It attacks on place marked from ancient time...
but only when also a big number of crowd is there, da?
- Oh, not again! - Oh, please?
Well... if it helps.
Spasiba. So, it must detect crowd...
like heat-seeking missile.
Body heat?
Well, I thought...
Oh, forgive that I think on this as I work on this...
but what about the sound of personnel? The noise?
Do we eliminate that?
No.
We use it.
So, I am right.
We use everything that's a possible factor.
But I'm sure all the aggression, the yelling...
and the dancing - it's just to excite.
To stir up the glandular secretions.
The unique smell of the human species.
- Not us. - What?
Not the old. We stink.
[SNIFFING]
Pure, perfect zibetone.
However did you isolate it?
I made it.
This?
Synthetic.
Never!
Ah! All right, cock - let's have it. Come here.
We got batteries for all occasions, here.
Oh, Guv. I got most of that stuff.
Er, niaouli oil beat me, that's all.
Good man.
And the bedding and all that stuff - that's outside.
Nothing but the best.
There you are, sir. You'll be all right now.
Oh! Guv... listen?
Them that's down the 'ole?
Oh, yes.
See they're supplied.
No, No. They wanna help.
Them that's up to it.
Tea, everyone.
I'm not sure any more.
Even on the simple part - it's been too long!
Glad you're with us.
You've heard about Bovington Camp?
Yes.
My God.
[OSCILLOSCOPE TWEETING]
[YAWNING]
I never sleep.
I haven't slept for... oh, let me see...
[LAUGHING] quite a number of years.
[CHANTING IN DISTANCE] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Listen to them.
That sky.
Do you still say harvest?
Yes.
Well, perhaps we mistake. What sort of harvest is thrown away so.
Something was taken.
It must be.
But what?
Some... trace.
The very scent that betrays them.
Perhaps a flavour.
[EXCLAIMS IN RUSSIAN]
To enrich the lifestyle of...
inconceivable beings.
Not even that.
Just amuse them.
My God, I can't remember which of these...
There - the digital filter!
[ELECTRONIC HUM]
I'll leave at dawn.
Shouldn't take more than a day.
Who is that?
Dyevushka - girl?
My granddaughter.
Child of my daughter.
Gone?
I think so.
Oh, she was like you.
Help!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
He's collapsed.
- It was too much for him! - Jack!
Help him? Help him!
Oh, come on - hurry!
Well, you see - I've been worried about him all day.
Frances - calm, now. This is the sort of setback...
Setback?!
But we did it!
That's benzaldehyde.
The electric image of a smell.
Now we can begin!
Thought so.
Not much damage here.
May be in luck.
Just a minute, sir.
All circuits burned out, of course.
Only to be expected.
Somebody's been here.
This is the...
Yes, they've actually tried to fix... [NOISE FROM OTHER ROOM]
Hello?
Anybody there?
30$.!
I'd no idea that...
that you were still here.
We knew the place had been hit.
Joe, en“
the family?
They're alive.
They escaped?
Where are they?
Alive.
All...
they're all alive!
Joe'?
You can go now.
What?
I want you to go.
You've been, urn... working on this?
Yes.
There was less damage than I thought.
But I'll get it going.
I'm going to try and communicate.
Only simple signals.
Just enough to indicate that we're capable...
of understanding any message it sends back.
Of course, it may be completely beyond our intelligence...
30$.!
But I've got to try.
It's been tried!
The Russians and the Americans - they did what they could.
Marshall died in the attempt!
This was only the beginning.
It's gone on.
It's wiped out vast numbers all over the world.
It never stops.
They aren't destroyed.
Nobody's destroyed. They're all alive.
And I'm going find them.
Come with me, Joe?
Look, I told you...
I'll be back.
Don't interfere with me.
Don't interfere!
[CAR ENGINE]
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "What are you doing now, Daddy?"
Fixing.
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "Always fixing."
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "Let's go somewhere."
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "All of us."
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "Somewhere we've never been."
We will.
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "When?"
When you're bigger.
[GHOSTLY WIFE TALKING] "Soon?"
Soon.
[GHOSTLY WIFE TALKING] "Soon?"
[GHOSTLY CHILDREN TALKING] "We'll take Puppy!"
At last! I can now believe it may be possible.
We should be able to convert the signals.
If we get enough power.
Into any form of radiation.
What about the signals?
How far advanced?
The sound. Very good.
Misru?
The pheremone synthesis?
I think we are onto it.
A vital part.
That Chisholm?
Incredible!
No machine could do it.
I remember, you see...
the first girl I ever lay with.
Her body odour.
The precise constituents.
After seventy-four years.
This place was favoured!
It did come here!
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
Kickalong - look!
Halt!
This your place?
Yes.
All gone but you?
Seen this before, haven't we?
Yes.
Always one or two left crying.
Yes.
It touched here, all right.
All touched with the fingers of the lightning!
[MUTTERING] Lightning.
What you been doing?
What you been up to?
You been trying to fix...
Don't!
Science Man - this is no good for anything.
I've got to use it!
I've got to get through!
Get through?
Communicate.
Transmit some kind of...
"Communicate"?
- He's interfering. - Don't let 'im!
We've got to find a way to make ourselves understood.
To show that we're capable of understanding.
Bust it!
No!
This is a kid's toy.
All kids' things.
I had a baby once.
You wanted to be with them.
Go after 'em. Find 'em.
That was no way, Science Man - all them silly wires.
The Planet don't want none of that.
It takes you if you're fit to go.
[MURMURING] Takes you - the lightning.
Fit?
Your woman and your kids. Were they fit to go?
Or did you spoil 'em?
He'd spoil them.
Too much think and talk. That'd spoil 'em.
Got to know it all.
Know it, know it, know it.
If you done that, Daddy Science Man...
if they're no good...
they just get... spilled away.
Spmed?
See the sky? All sick.
What that is...
is "spillings".
All them - now they're fit to go!
I picked 'em.
I picked you.
I walk you and guard you and guide you till it comes for us!
[MURMURING] Comes for us. Lightning.
The lightning comes to take us.
Can he come too?
You a Jew?
Yes.
Okay - it's a start. It's believing.
But you don't do it right.
You got too much sin.
Sin?
All this is... sin.
Your sin... is to know things.
Now you want to come with us...
you gotta to get it all outta your brain.
Get it out?
All the muck you learned. Every bit.
But you can't unlearn!
All them words in there.
You've got to get them out.
Get them out.
Words?
That's it.
How?
- "How?"! - Listen to him.
What's that?
- I won't. - Say!
Arm!
Lew.
[OTHERS JOIN IN] Leh!
Lew.
Loh.
Loh!
Lah.
- Lah. - Lah.
Lam.
[FRENZIED CHANTING] Lah! Lah! Lah! Lah! Lah! Lah!
NO!!!
You can't be made fit!
Your woman - and your kids.
Spillings!
[FRANTIC CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
SOON!
[CHANTING] Soon! Soon! Soon!
Hey, you!
I wanna stay with him!
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE]
[CHANTING BEGINS AGAIN]
[HEAVY TRUCK ENGINES]
[DOOR OPENING]
Quatermass!
It's all right.
Bernard.
I know.
What?
They ARE dead.
Mr Gurov?
I've managed to get that call through for you, sir.
Ah.
Look out for the marked crates, remember.
They needn't be opened yet. Now, where's Mr Misru?
Mr Misru?
Mr Misru?!
[SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN]
Da.
Da, da. Spasiba.
My Embassy contact.
Kolpakov - he did it!
Like I say, he did deploy against that...
greatest part of strikeforce Soviet Union.
- Hundreds of rockets. - What happened?
Useless.
Got no target.
Some did locate - poof! Instant malfunction.
One of them even attacked the Moon.
So I was right.
And you.
We both knew it.
This is going to be the only way.
Government has lost control.
Your government?
Da.
This on top of all in Soviet Union - revolution.
[CAR ENGINE STARTING]
Evacuation?
Where?
We're clearing the area, sir.
Why?
Now just be still.
No, no. No.
I don't need that.
Just tell me.
What's it for?
- Well, sir, because... - Where is he?
Where's Quatermass?
Professor Quatermass himself gave orders that you should...
Quatermass!
Is it okay to start everything now?
Yes, yes. Put them up.
Bernard?
[COUGHING]
You all right?
What's going on?
Get off!
Listen...
all this talk of... evacuation?
They're clearing the area.
Joe, I'm sorry.
They wanted to get me out.
I... had to take it for granted.
I've got to use this place.
It's the only possible.
But it's already been hit.
That's what I mean.
I just can't seem to...
It means there's a marker.
Right here.
Somewhere underneath.
A marker beacon...
left fifty centuries ago.
That's why it was hit.
Why I can use it.
Use your antennae.
So you ARE going to try and signal?
We're setting a trap for it.
Eh?
Bernard?
Just say it!
Joe...
if you're after a wild beast...
you don't go chasing it over the landscape.
You bring it to you.
You bait a trap for it.
A beast?
A machine beast.
A man-eater.
I'm going to put out the analogue...
of a human presence.
The sound of them.
The smell of them.
Their blood.
Their secretions.
Hormones.
Pheromones.
Human young...
about a million of them.
How's that for bait?
And the poison?
There'll be poison.
[CROWD CHANTING FROM SPEAKERS]
[PITCH OF SOUND INCREASES TO INAUDIBILITY]
Gone out of human range.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Gently - gently!
[CONCERNED MUTTERING]
- Let me at it. - Is he all right?
Jack...
Why are they all so old?
We've got to be.
Old and crazy.
I mean - to destroy that with a bomb!
That!
I can't.
What?
No question.
But you...
you just... Sting it.
Send a shock through its ganglia.
It'll be like a man who stepped on a hornet.
That's all.
Give it a zetz, eh?
Somewhere...
on the other side of the universe.
[CAR BEEPING]
Cup of tea?
Da.
If only it functions as it should.
Perhaps that's the hold-up?
Mmm. This focus mechanism.
Very ingenious.
But our people have certain criticisms.
Where the hell is it?
Quatermass - this is not for you to do!
You can trust me.
But I-I did not intend to...
I'll manage.
Besides...
I've got some help.
[HELICOPTER ENGINE, MOVING CLOSER]
Bernard? Look!
Thirty-five kilotons of thermonuclear blast...
focussed upwards.
If this won't do it... nothing will.
[ELECTRICAL HUMMING]
[HUMMING INCREASES]
Just thump it.
Like that.
Simplest arrangement we could rig up.
[ELECTRICAL HUMMING STOPS]
Foolproof.
Now - I'll arm it.
Blast area is focused to a minimum.
Yes.
Which will be approximately, um...
I know what I'm doing.
I wish to check.
Professor, I trust there's no question of this man's taking charge.
None.
Hmph!
There should be!
It should not be for him and him to do.
He's going with you.
Sorry.
That's it.
[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]
[METAL WHISTLE]
I'll confirm the second our patrols are clear - about half an hour.
Civilians?
Done our best.
By the nature of the weapon there shouldn't be too much...
I mean... Sorry.
Gentlemen, I don't know how to...
Probably see you in the morning.
Ah... yes.
[ENGINE STARTING]
Bye, love.
I've made some sandwiches for you - they're over there.
I put a thermos as well.
Thank you, Edna.
Our military friend left this.
Latest statistics.
My God.
Quatermass?
Yes?
Right, General.
Thank you.
[OWL HOOTING]
Time.
Now, the build up.
Full hour?
Mmm. One million kids mustn't arrive too quickly.
Think it matters?
It might.
We are giving a performance.
[ELECTRIC HUMMING]
[HUMMING BUILDS IN INTENSITY]
Trap's set.
Our Planet People are... they're starting to arrive.
Monitor.
Well...
just one thing to do.
Going to have that cup of tea.
The hut down there.
I can just make it out.
Not much of a home.
Yes it was.
We were always going to go to the seaside.
Some day - when things got better, we said.
I can make them exist, do you know that?
Oh, not by magic or faith...
by thinking.
I can carry Debbie down to the water's edge...
where she never went.
She dips her toes in.
It's not so cold - not too cold.
And she's pleased.
Because she's been afraid of it and now she isn't.
And she sees the little bits of weed drifting about...
the colours and the shine.
Then Clare comes with Sarah by the hand - walking in the waves.
I can touch them.
Oh, I know what evil is.
That's evil.
Perhaps "evil" is...
always something else's "good"?
Perhaps it's a cosmic law?
Satan?
The Enemy.
[ELECTRONIC ALARM]
Suppose it can't?
Like lightning not striking twice.
This lightning's programmed.
If only I've guessed the program.
They're all here, now.
A million of them.
Waiting for you.
A million kids.
[ELECTRONIC CROWD NOISE]
You came yesterday.
Five thousand years ago.
Tasted them.
Found them good.
And came again today.
So come now.
Come!
There's somebody!
[CHANTING] Leh. Leh. Leh.
There are more of them!
Get away!!!
Get back!!!
GET AWAY!!!
Get away from here!
Get away!
You'll all die!
[ELECTRONIC ALARM] That's a bomb!
[AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE, SCREAMING]
[ELECTRONIC CROWD NOISE ROARING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[LABOURED BREATHING]
He...
[GASPING FOR BREATH]
[SINISTER MUSIC]
[HOPEFUL MUSIC]
[DETONATION]
[GUROV] The message was taken.
It has not come again.
We pray it will never come again.
I have watched the sky and the land become clean.
Here, as in all the world...
the countryside has beauty once more.
Little children can play in its fields...
and sing their innocent songs again.
[CHILDREN'S VOICES] Come on, hurry up. Come on!
Hurry.
[LAUGHING]
[CHILDREN SINGING] "Huffity Puffity, Ringstone Round."
"if you lose your hat, it will never be found."
"So pull up your britches, right up to your chin."
"And fasten your cloak, with a bright new pin."
"And when we are ready, then we can begin."
"H uffity, puffity, puff."
[RHYME SEGUES INTO HOPEFUL END THEME]