X the Unknown (1956) Movie Script

- One minute 14, dead.

- Very good, sir.

Ah! Well done lad.

All right, back to your

place, Corporal Webb.

Well, I think we'll call

it a day, Sergeant.

Sir.

Yes, Lansing, what is it?

Please, sir. I haven't

had a turn yet.

That's right, Lansing.

You haven't, have you?

I think I should, sir.

All right.

Bury it again, Sergeant.

All right!

Come on, Lansing, move!

What are you waiting for?

Ah, Sergeant...

Bury it somewhere he won't

take all day to find it.

Thank you, sir.

Awk! I told you, didn't I?

We'll be the last platoon

at the cookhouse again.

The food's bad enough

when it's warm.

I'll give him, "Haven't

had a go yet."

All ready, sir!

Call him on!

Well, you men should have a pretty good

idea how to use a Geiger counter by now.

Remember what you've

learned here today.

It could save your life.

And one other thing...

You've been practicing with a piece

of harmless radioactive material.

If it ever comes to the real thing,

the radioactivity won't be harmless...

it will be extremely lethal.

So find it, mark it...

and get out of the way quickly.

Leave it to be dealt with

by those that know how.

Right?! That's got it.

When Lansing's done his

bit, we'll call it a day.

- Oh blimey, look at jet moving.

- He'll take a week to find it.

Not if I can help it, he won't.

Shouldn't take long, sir.

- I think he's found it.

- Oh, don't be so sure,

he couldn't find the

nose on his stupid face.

There... what did I tell you?

- Lansing... what is it?!

- I'm getting a very good reading, sir.

Give me the counter.

- Sergeant, fetch Major Cartwright!

- Right, sir.

I knew it.

We'll be out here all night.

Aye, aye, talk of the devil.

Bannerman wants

to speak to you, sir.

- Oh good, what is it?

- Over this ridge, sir.

Mr. Bannerman?

I was just coming over

to see you, Bannerman.

Why haven't you got

your men moving yet?

There was all the

transport back to camp.

There's something wrong here, sir.

We're getting a reading on the counter

where there shouldn't be one.

- Oh.

- It's ah... strongest about here.

- Where have you got your stuff buried?

- Over there, sir, by the tree.

- All right, let's have a look.

- Lansing!...

Mark this spot with my stick, will you.

- Very good, sir.

- Hang on here.

- Come on, Sergeant, where'd he put it?

- Somewhere around here, sir.

Try the counter, Mr. Bannerman.

- Haggis, do you know what?

- No, what?

It's uranium, that's what it is.

It's a bloomin' uranium mine.

I wonder if we'll get

a chance to stake a claim?

No, not if the army get

their hooks into it.

Sir? There's something

happening over here, sir.

Look, just a minute, Lansing!

Sir!

- See to it, Sergeant.

- Right, sir!

You see, sir, the reaction

couldn't possibly be because...

What on earth's that?

I don't know, sir.

It sounds like thunder.

Sergeant, get these men dispersed!

Quickly!

Right! You men, you heard what he said!

Come along, all of you!

Come on, jump to it!

Come along, come along, men!

Lansing!

Go and get that man.

He's got cloth ears.

Come on, now!

Move up there!

Come on, Lance.

Lansing, come out of there.

Lansing!

Attention, please, attention

please, will Dr. Adam Royston...

...report to the Director's

office immediately.

Attention, please, attention please...

...will Dr. Adam Royston report to

the Director's office immediately.

Cobalt, container 19.

Start your readings.

2,1,1, point 5.

Doctor Royston, report to the

director's office immediately.

Doctor Royston, report to the

director's office immediately.

Sounds like your Pa is

after Dr. Royston's blood.

He'll be after mine if

he catches me doing this.

Open it.

It's best to be the office type...

administration.

Peter... just a moment.

- Where's Dr. Royston?

- He asked me to stand by, sir.

So I see.

He's in his workshop, it's

all right, this is purely routine.

Maybe it is, but that's no reason

for you to be doing his work for him.

Master data coming up.

Cobalt, container 20, start reading.

What is Dr. Royston

doing in that lab of his?

Just an experiment.

One of his own.

Safe to come in, sir?

Oh, it's you, Russell, come on in.

Stay behind the screen,

it's all radioactive.

Your radio needs fixing, sir.

Your radio, needs fixing,

it shouldn't make a noise like that.

Radiation...

The day I can cut the racket

in the radio without...

...putting that stuff back in

there, then...

then, that'll be clever.

Now, what was it you

wanted to see me about?

The director wants you up at

the establishment, sir. - Oh, no.

- Well, you got a car out here?

- No, sir, I came by bike.

All right, I'll walk,

I need a little exercise anyway.

Said it was urgent, sir.

Seemed a bit cross you might say.

Yes, I'm sure he did.

Tell him I'll run all the way.

I don't care what you say, Adam.

I am in charge here.

And I shall decide what you will

do and what you will not do.

While we're on the subject,

I do wish you wouldn't waste Peter's time.

You mean I should be

wasting my own time?

That is not the point.

Peter's job here

is administration

Oh, I know, he want's to be a scientist,

but, that's no reason for

you to encourage him.

He has a great future in front of him.

You must allow me to

decide what's best for him.

Oh, I'm sorry, John,

I didn't think for a minute...

I know you didn't, Adam,

that's just the trouble.

Well, let's see it

doesn't happen again, eh.

Oh, by the way,

the army has phoned it.

It appears they've picked

up some radiation reaction.

I'd like you to go and have a look at it.

What?

I've been working on a project.

- Couldn't you possibly send somebody else?

- I'm afraid not, Adam.

Have a car out in front in

5 minutes for Dr. Royston.

- May I see those solders now?

- Of course.

There's no radioactivity there

now, there's...

You're quite sure there couldn't

possibly have been some mistake?

Wait to you see those men,

there's no mistake about them.

Back, back... whoa!

Mr. Bannerman?

Just a moment, please?

This chap was nearest the explosion.

We thought he was just a

bit shaken up at first.

Then these burns

started breaking out.

- Not very pretty is it?

- No it isn't.

Thank you, boys.

- What about the other fella?

- He's over here.

He went back to fetch that one.

He wasn't quite so near the explosion.

Let's have a look at your

back, old chap.

What do you make of that, hey?

Were you carrying this when

the explosion happened?

Yes, sir.

Excuse me.

- OK, Sergeant.

- All right, sir.

All right, sir?

- Have you finished?

- Yes, thank you.

- All right, carry on, Sergeant.

- Come along, old chap.

Major, I'd like to get some...

...further equipment out here.

I wonder now if

there's any way that

that you can get a

message back to my office?

Yes, I'll take care of it,

I'll send it over the air to HQ.

- They'll phone it through from there.

- Good.

Poor old Lance is in a terrible state.

Did you see it?

Horrible. I saw a man once, fell up against

a furnace door, looked just about the same.

- He's passed over the nu.

- Passed over the what?

Died, screened all night he did.

Hey, do you mind,

I'm just going to have my tea.

Tea, we'll not be back

in time for breakfast.

- Swing that light off.

- If it was so sudden, Major...

How did you have time to disperse...?

- Major, you didn't answer my question.

Do you think it is atomic?

- Well, there certainly was radioactivity.

- What are they trying to do now?

I think they're trying to sound the pit.

If there was radiation, how do you

account for the absence of it now?

- I don't know.

- What about those burned men?

They've been taken to the hospital.

Military or civil? - Military.

- This one that died, who was he?

- His name was Lansing.

- A National Serviceman?

- Yes.

Is there anything in the fact that the only

one who died was a National Servicemen?

Good heavens man,

he was nearest the explosions!

- Sir?

- Yes, Sergeant, what is it?

- Dr. Royston wants to see you, sir.

- Aye, and we'd like to see Dr. Royston.

I'm sorry gentlemen,

I told you once before,

no unauthorized person

is allowed to approach.

What right do you have....?

Listen to me!

You are on War Department property.

I am in charge.

Either you do as I say or I shall

have you escorted from here.

Do you know who...?

Gentlemen, please!

- Dr. Royston's over by the equipment, sir.

- Thank you, Sergeant.

Good night, gentlemen.

I'm fair starved.

Did you hear the sergeant tell

those newspaper fella's off a strip.

It's all right for him,

he's had something to eat.

What's the matter with

you, have you got worms?

- You're quite certain about that?

- Yes, sir.

I'm getting quite a number

of readings off the sides, but

I don't think there

can be any doubt.

- You want me, Royston?

- Oh, Major, yes.

There's nothing more we can do out here,

I suggest that you leave a couple of

men on guard, even if it's only to keep

people from stepping over the edge.

No point in keeping men out here all night.

I'll have the area roped off and put

up a couple of "Keep Off" notices.

Kiddo, you get things wrapped up,

and I'll wait for you in the car.

What is it anyway?

Have you found out

how deep it is?

How deep?

No, we haven't.

Do you mean to tell me this

thing might be bottomless?

I mean the operative range

of this equipment is limited.

- Good night, Major.

- Good night, sir.

How deep do you think that

fissure really is, sir?

I don't know.

Now, the Major was going on about it being

bottomless, you seem to have told him.

Did I? That was very

unscientific of me.

We know it must have a

bottom somewhere,

whatever caused that split

had to have a beginning.

Had to have an end too.

Well, surely the forces causing

these surface splits just disperse.

Forces causing surface spits don't

burn a man to death by radiation.

What are you getting at, sir?

Peter, I'm not getting at

anything, I just don't know.

But, for the time being,

let's assume that you're right.

Let's not conjure up visions of nameless

horrors creeping around in the night.

It's all clear.

- They'll kill me when I get home.

- It's on mine.

But we swore,

and we can not break a swear.

Repeat the oath.

I swear to get into the tower, and look to

see if old Tom sleeps there every night.

- Are you scared?

- No.

How will ya then?

Let's get it over.

- You'll wait here?

- I'll wait for 5 minutes.

Three minutes!

Good luck, Willie.

Go on!

Make haste, Willie.

What was it, Willie?

What did you see?

Willie, wait for me!

Willie, wait!

Wait up, Willie!

Don't leave me!

Willie, wait!

Wait!

- What rate, Doctor?

- Sixty drops a minute.

Well?

First degree radiation burns, Kelly.

I thought so,

that's why I called you in.

Kelly, when did he come in?

About an hour ago. Perhaps you better

see the parents, they're outside.

- Replaced the dressings, nurse, will you?

- Yes, Doctor.

What's wrong with him, Doctor?

What is it?

Is there anything you can tell

us, Doctor?

Well, I'm afraid it's a

little early yet, to...

Your son has been badly burned.

- If you could tell us how or...

- Burned, burned by what?

That's what we're trying to find out.

When did you first notice anything?

- It was this morning.

- I went into his room to wake him up.

He was lying there with those

horrible marks all over him.

Well, yesterday,

what happened yesterday?

- Where did he go, do you know?

- We don't know.

He stopped out late with a friend of

his, Ian Osborne.

Ask him.

He'll be able to tell you

where they were last night.

Oh, Ian, just a moment.

Somebody wants to meet you, Ian.

Ian...

this is Dr. Royston.

- Dr. Royston, this is Ian Osborn.

- How are you, Ian?

Thank you.

Let's sit down, Ian.

Now, I've just come from visiting

your friend, Willie Harding.

He's not very well, Ian.

What's wrong with him?

Well, you know, you and he were

out late last night, weren't you?

And something must have

happened to him where you were.

I'd like you to

tell me what it was.

Where did you go, Ian?

Where was it, Ian?

I can not tell you.

We swore an oath.

Willie is sick.

He's very sick, Ian.

I can't, I can't, we swore an oath.

Yes, yes, but that was when Willie

was fit and healthy, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Now that he's sick, see, that's

different, he'd want you to tell.

Are you sure?

I'm very sure.

Well, we went out to the

tower in the marshes.

It was awfully creepy.

I dared Willie to go to the tower.

Hello, anybody there?

Mister.

Wake up, mister!

What is it... what, what, what is it?

Oh! Look at the waste.

- You care for a dram?

- No, no thank you.

- I came out here because...

- Oh, come on man, have a dram.

That container, that's mine, it came

from my workshop. Where did you get it?

- This? I found it lying about...

- Don't touch it!

Here man, mind what you're up to!

Stay away from that!

You touch it, and it may kill you.

Come in.

- Good evening, sir.

- Hello, Peter.

I can see what you

meant on the phone.

- Is it safe?

- Unfortunately, yes.

- This is lead, isn't it?

- Half an inch thick.

There's a sort of...

I know, I found the same

thing up at the tower.

There's a towel there.

You won't be able to wipe it off, Peter.

It'll just disappear in an hour or two.

What is it?

Well, whatever it is,

it's all over the place.

How do you explain it, sir?

All this extraordinary damage just

to steal on old sample container.

Do you know what's in that

container, Peter?

It's Tritium.

Don't be alarmed now,

it's completely harmless.

And how long would you say

Tritium retains its radioactivity?

It's not a very stable

compound, about 30 years.

28 actually,

now take a radiation reading.

No, the counters working all

right, here, look.

Just the luminous paint on my watch.

What happened, sir?

I don't understand.

Peter, I'm afraid I don't either.

Yesterday the material

on that container was

giving a danger point

radiation reading.

- Now as you just saw, it's nothing.

- But that's impossible!

Isn't it?

Yesterday I would have said yes,

but this fact is inescapable.

The energy trapped in that Tritium

has been sucked right out of it.

And furthermore, these windows were

barred and that door was locked all night.

So, whoever it was came in here must be...

most unusual.

- Really, Inspector McGill.

- Tristen.

I'm sorry, but the whole

thing's quite ridiculous.

I never thought anyone would

call you people in on this.

The local police called us.

As you know, sir, any crime,

however small, connected with

this establishment,

automatically comes through to us.

Quite possibly,

but this crime,

if you can call it that,

has nothing to do with

the establishment.

This tin can was stole from

Dr. Royston's own workshop,

it's purely a personal matter.

I should have thought

the local police

were well able to

take care of that.

As for the story of Dr. Royston's

about the tin containing some...

...radioactive material.

Well, I've spoke to the doctor about that,

and I don't want to hear anymore

about the matter, thank you.

Well, I do, sir.

So, perhaps you can tell me

where I can find Dr. Royston.

Obviously, Inspector...

...Mr. McGill...

If you place any credence in this

story, you don't

know the first thing about

the basic facts of science.

- Now, let me...

- Dr. Royston does.

- Does what?

- Know about the basic fact of science.

Look here, sir,

I've been sent up here to...

...pursue an investigation.

Perhaps you'll allow

me to do just that.

Where can I find Dr. Royston?

Don't you chaps even stop to eat?

My name's McGill,

do you mind if I sit down?

United Kingdom, Atomic Energy

Commission, Internal Security Police.

Sounds very impressive.

Impressive, yes, except on paydays.

- Well, Inspector, what can I possibly...

- Mister.

OK, Mac, what can I tell you?

It's about that child that was

burned, any idea how it happened?

Well, not for sure, no.

It's possible he may have handled

that sample container of mine.

Oh, the case of the missing radiation.

Yes, I've heard about that already.

- From the Director?

- From the Director.

There's no doubt as to his

opinions about the matter.

What about yours?

Oh, I'm not entitled to have any opinion.

I'm only interested in facts.

I was talking to that old

reprobate up in the tower, old Tom.

One fact I did manage

to learn was that child

never went near that

container of yours.

He was burned by something else.

Dr. Royston, I'd like you to

help me find out what it was.

I'm so sorry.

Oh, Willie.

I expect you'd like to stay here

awhile, use my room.

Thank you.

The boy's parents.

Is he dead?

I'm afraid so,

he never regained consciousness

Adam, we've got to find out

how this thing happened!

- That's what we're trying to do, Doctor.

- Kelly. - McGill

That's why we came

to seek for it.

Dr. Royston, isn't it?

- Mr. Harding, how...

- There's nothing you can say will help.

I know about you, Dr. Royston!

You're a scientist, not a doctor.

You don't look after the sick

You meddle with things that kill,

like they killed my boy in here.

You should be locked up Royston.

Locked up with other like you.

Letting off bombs you can't control.

You're not safe.

You're a murderer.

Mr. Harding, please.

I don't know what to do.

I just don't know.

My wife!

I don't think he really

meant what he said, Adam.

Yes, he did, Mac.

He meant it.

I'm sure you know, that though it all,

we only try to create, not destroy.

Two minutes?

Right.

Zena, in here.

Hmm, cozy.

- Convenient too.

- So I've heard from the other nurses.

You don't want to take any

notice of what they tell you.

Oh, but I do,

that's why I'm here.

What did you think

I came down for?

A course of... radium treatment?

Zena, darling,

why didn't we start doing this earlier?

I've given you enough

encouragement, haven't I?

But you should've been more direct.

You should've come up and said...

Harry, I want... I want...

- What the?

- It switched on.

Must be your electric personality.

Stay here, don't move.

This is where we stored the radium.

Yes.

Obviously, the radium was the target.

Safe proved no obstacle

whatsoever, did it?

What sort of heat would

be required to do this?

Heat far beyond anything

we ever dreamed of.

Don't forget the time element.

Whatever happened in here must've

taken place in a few seconds.

Perhaps we'll learn a bit more

when we can talk to the girl.

Look, there's another thing, Adam.

- I know, it's all over the place.

- Same as in your workshop.

Any luck?

I don't know if she'll recover,

but I think it would be a good

thing if we got here away from

here as quickly as possible.

You mean she won't be able

to tell us what happened?

She won't be able to

tell you her own name.

Royston?

What is this?

What are we dealing with?

How could anyone get in

here when there are people

outside there in the

corridor all the time?

Well, apparently,

this is the only place it could come in.

But, the grill doesn't open,

it's cemented to the wall.

- Came in through the grill.

- But, Adam, that's impossible.

Whatever it was that

did all this certainly

wasn't small enough

to come through that.

Well, how small is

10,000 gallons of oil?

What do you mean?

10,000 gallons of oil would take up

a pretty large area, wouldn't it?

And yet,

10,000 gallons of oil could come

through the holes in that

grill, couldn't it?

Yes, it could.

Then, that's the way it got into my

workshop, it came in under the door.

You know, obviously...

this thing can take up

any shape it needs to.

Where do you think it is now?

Somewhere out on the ridges.

Well, thank goodness

that Major didn't take my

advice and station a

couple soldiers out there.

But he did.

Brew up!

- What's that?

- Tea.

You don't hear something?

Like what?

I don't know.

Must have been...

No, it couldn't have been.

Hey, Spider,

there's a really great glow out here.

- What is it, Haggis?

- I'm not sure.

- You better go and have a look.

- Yeah.

- Why me?

- Frightened?

Yeah.... and I don't

mind admitting it either.

You know these parts better than

me, you go have a look.

I don't know these parts.

- You're a Scott, ain't ya?

- Aye, but I was born 300 miles from here.

Doesn't matter now,

anyhow, it's gone away.

Well, I suppose I'd

better go have a look.

- Keep my tea warm, Spider.

- OK.

Here, Haggis...

Haggis, I've been thinking...

Why don't you and me go

to Glasgow on our next 48?

You can show me the castle!

Hey, Spider, come here, quick!

Look!

Haggis?!

What's the matter, Haggis?!

What is it, Haggis?

Haggis?!

Where are you, Haggis?

Haggis?

Guard?!

Guard!

Looks like we're too late.

I suggested this meeting

because I think I

have an idea of what

we may be dealing with.

Perhaps one of you

may have a solution.

Then again, perhaps one of

you may think I'm talking a

lot of nonsense and can offer

a more logical conclusion.

What's this going to be

then, Adam, fact or theory?

Partly fact, mostly theory.

I see, well, carry on,

we're all listening.

I'd like to resurrect for just a moment,

if I may, a treatise I did when I

was a student. Which has to do with

the cooling of the earth's Surface.

Hundred's of millions of years

ago, the earth was like the sun...

...no form, no solidity to it,

it was just a blazing mass of energy.

And then the Earth started cooling,

and as it cooled an outer crust was formed.

The energy was still there, but it was

being compressed beneath this crust.

As time went by, the crust grew deeper.

An the compression became

greater as this vast energy

was being squeezed into

an ever decreasing space.

May I interrupt a moment, Adam?

What you're telling us is

something every schoolboy knows.

What's it leading to?

I'm sorry, maybe I should

skip the preliminaries.

No, don't skip anything, Adam,

I was never very bright at school.

Well, then in a comparatively

short space of time,

a matter of a 100 thousand

years, man has evolved.

And man has evolved from

nothing, to becoming the most

intelligent creature on

the surface of this planet.

Now, considering the far

greater span of time involved...

...isn't it reasonable

to assume that the

forces contained in the

center of this earth...

...have developed an

intelligence of their own?

If we accept this, we must then

consider what these forces would think.

Their world is slowly being

compressed out of existence.

Therefore, survival must be

uppermost in their thoughts.

What's more natural in their

search for survival than that they

should return to the face of the

planet where once they lived.

Now...

...if you check, you will find every 50 years,

by virtue of the position of the Earth in the

solar system, a greater pull is exerted on the

surface of this planet than at other times.

Quite unnoticeable to us,

but 2,000 miles down, who knows?

And during the short period of

time that this pull is at it's most

powerful, you will also find there's

always been a freak earth tremor.

And that in each of these cases, a fissure

has opened in the surface of the Earth.

Now, what if, on these occasions,

some of the vast energy trapped below

had caused the eruptions or tremors

in an attempt to reach the surface?

What if, in fact,

it did reach the surface?

It looked around for a means

to sustain its existence.

For to live,

one must have nourishment.

And these forces are almost pure

energy, and what does energy live on?

- Energy.

- Exactly.

Energy can only be fed

with more energy... or...

...radiation, if you like.

50, 100, 150 years ago, these forces

found themselves without any means

of sustenance and their mass became

unstable and they disintegrated.

Now, we come to this 50 year cycle...

...this time, there's radiation!

There was radiation in the hospital.

There was radiation in my workshop!

As long as this thing feeds, it will live.

And the more it lives,

the more it will grow.

It's fantastic.

I admit, it does sound that

way, doesn't it?

But if anyone can offer a

simpler explanation of what's

been going on,

I'd be grateful and relived to hear it.

You're trying to tell us that some kind

of creature came up out of the fissure?

Mac, I'm not trying to tell you

anything, I'm just putting

forward a theory based on

the facts that we know.

- So, what do we look for?

- I don't know.

And what do we do if

we find something?

I'm afraid I don't know that either.

How big is this thing supposed to be?

Might be the size of my fist.

Might be as large as a house.

We can't stand about here, we've got

to find this thing, and destroy it.

Destroy it?

How are you going to do that,

shoot it, burn it, blow it up?

Listen to me, all of you!

We've been told a story based on a

little fact, and a great deal of fiction.

I'm amazed that this story

has been accepted by all

of you without the slightest

doubt or hesitation.

I said just now that I

thought the whole thing

was fantastic,

I'll go further than that...

...it's absolute rubbish!

Dr. Royston, you're a

scientist, you deal with facts.

A man of your intelligence and capabilities

has no right to talk as you have.

You astound me!

- What about that boy being burned?

- We've been all through that.

And that business

at the hospital?

There must be some perfectly

logical explanation for it,

I suggest we leave the police

to find out what it is.

I'm the police, in a way, and I've

come here to get Dr. Royston's advice.

In that case,

I'll waste no more time.

Good night, gentlemen.

I'm sorry if anybody

else feels that way.

Let's try and get a

look at this thing.

The only way we can do

that is go to the fissure.

But we've been there

more than once already.

We've seen nothing.

You misunderstood me. Somebody

has got to go down in the fissure.

Well, all ready, sir.

Peter, now, you're quite sure you

still want to go through with this?

I know, we've argued this out before.

After all,

I did volunteer for the job.

- He's right, Adam.

- OK, Peter.

Thank you.

- Senior doesn't like it at all.

- Ha ha, nor do any of us.

Director of the establishment’s

been on to him,

told him he thinks the whole

things a waste of time.

I hope you're not in any

trouble, Major.

Not yet,

but I have strict orders what to do.

All ready. Sir.

- You're all right now, are you?

- Yes, sure.

What's the drill?

If there's any radioactivity

on that Geiger counter,

let us know and we'll

get you out of there.

Right, lower it away.

Keep going.

Lower.

Lower away.

Keep going,

Lower.

You all right, sir?

Nothing to report, sir.

Lower.

Oop.

- Oop, stop, stop there!

- Hold it!

All right, lower away again.

Stop lowering!

You all right, sir?

He's all right.

What is it?

He's all right,

but something's happening, sir.

No, it's all right, keep lowering.

Keep lowering!

Stop! Stop lowering!

Get me out of here, quick!

Faster! Faster!

Faster! Fast as you can!

Come on now!

Bring him up, boys.

Come on, boys!

Faster! Heave! Faster!

Crank faster!

You were right, sir.

There's a body of a

soldier down there.

- It's all burnt up.

- What else?

Well, never mind about that,

let's get away from here.

Peter,

what did you see down there?

I don't know what it was,

it was like something out of a

nightmare, it was horrible.

We'll talk about that later,

and you get in the car, Peter.

I told you I had my orders, sir.

They were to take action if

anything was found down there.

What sort of action?

Kill whatever it is,

and concrete the whole thing over.

Concrete it over?

- You don't mean that?

- Those are my orders.

Well, Major, when do you start?

Tonight, right away.

- Sergeant?

- Right, sir!

Well, you seem to be

making a job of it.

I think this should do the trick.

What about you?

You know this Royston chap,

brilliant of course, I'm sure.

But the trouble with some

of these scientific types

is they can't see the

easy way out of anything.

It's got to be complicated

if it's going to work.

Come in, come in.

Hello, Mac.

Where you been all day?

Here, hold this.

- Down at the fissure.

- Oh, they finished down there?

- What did they do, exactly?

- Practically everything.

Flame throwers, high explosive,

and a neat little concrete tombstone.

Rest in peace, huh?

You don't think it's done any

good, do you?

Well, how could it?

Let's look at the facts, you know this...

Here, give me that.

There's this "X", this unknown

quantity, whatever it is, has

forced it's way through miles

and miles of solid rock.

How's a couple feet of

concrete going to stop it?

But what about the

flamethrowers and explosive?

Nothing could live after that!

Perhaps nothing we've ever

encountered before, but...

...no, this isn't a living

organism, as we know it.

It's life source may be

the same as we've got here.

Stay on the side of the screen.

That's good.

Now, Mac, how would you

go about killing that?

What is it?

It's a particle of mud.

And by virtue of it's atomic

structure, emits radiation.

That's all it is, just mud.

How do you kill mud?

Have you informed anyone

in London about all this?

Hmm, no more than a half a dozen times.

And?

Well, at first they were

interested, but skeptical.

They suggested I get in touch

with the Director about it.

And later on,

the Director got in touch with them.

The result is,

I've been called back to London.

- When?

- Tonight.

I'm catching the last

plane from Glasgow.

Mac, I'm sorry to hear that.

You've become one of

my staunchest allies.

Adam, this thing is going to

break out again, isn't it?

In my opinion, yes.

Isn't there anything

we can do to stop it?

I don't know.

Something I've been working

on a long time now. A method of...

...disintegrating atomic structure,

obviating with the sudden explosion.

Well, it's...

Look, what's an atomic bomb?

It's a breaking up of atomic

particles, isn't it?

Well, not quite, but that's close enough.

You see, I'm

trying to achieve this breaking

up, without the explosion.

This is a...

Look, I'll show you.

Now, in that lead container is

an atomically unstable compound.

Two things can happen to it...

Either it will continue to give off radiation

for the next 200 years, or it can be

subjected to an outside force which will

disintegrate it in a fraction of a second.

- A bomb, in fact.

- Well, if you like, yes.

But see,

that's what I'm trying to prevent.

Now, theoretically...

...if you draw this stuff

between the scanners...

...and adjust the scanners

to a certain pitch,

a neutralizing affect

should be achieved.

You mean to say that this apparatus

would neutralize an atomic bomb?

- So that it wouldn't explode?

- That's my point, it couldn't.

It couldn't, it wouldn't

be a bomb anymore, it would

just be a handful of mud

and a very expensive casing.

But, Adam, that's fantastic!

A step in the right direction

anyway, isn't it, Mac?

Will you be able to use this

against that thing out there?

Six months time, perhaps, but...

Yes, Russell, what is it?

Mr. Peters sent me down to

remind you of the time, sir.

Oh... yes, yes, thank you.

Oh, Russell, you were able to

locate Mr. Elliott, weren't you?

- Not yet, no sir.

- Oh, that's too bad.

All right, thank you,

I'll be right out.

We're taking the cobalt

out of the pile tonight,

and we haven't been

able to locate John yet.

Well, Mac, we're sure going

to miss you around here.

Goodbye, Adam. Good luck.

- Peter, is that truck ready?

- Yes, it's standing by outside, sir.

Well, as soon as these are all

out, I want you to

get a quick reading,

and then we'll load them.

The pile is now inactive!

OK, boys, let's get started

and I'll get these out.

No, sir, I don't. I think we have

every chance of seeing it again.

Excuse me...

I'm sorry, sir, the lines bad.

Yes, I see.

But I only want one more night, sir.

If nothing happens, I can catch

the first plane tomorrow morning.

Station Sergeant speaking.

Yes, of course. Aye.

Aye.

Where?

Well, thank you, sir.

Oh, there's one other thing.

I believe the Director,

Mr. Elliott's got in touch

with you earlier today.

You must speak up,

this phone's bad!

- Oh, yes, I've seen him.

- I've got that.

What about the occupants?

They what?

You must be mad!

No sir, he doesn't, I

know, but all the same.

All right, sir.

Very well, good night.

All right,

I'll send somebody out right away!

Williams, I want you to go

out, there's been an accident!

Right, Sarge.

- Thank you, Sergeant.

- Right, sir

And tell McGowan to report to

me when he comes off duty.

People melting, indeed.

- What's that you say?

- Oh, there's been an accident, sir.

Four miles from here.

Yes, I know, I heard that,

but what's this about people melting?

Well, that's what the man on the beat

said, I think he must be...

Let me have that address.

Thank you.

Hey, what do you

think you're doing?

Do you hear me?

I say,

what do you think you're doing?

Sorry, sir.

Where's the nearest telephone?

The nearest public phone is

a couple of miles away, sir.

But maybe one of these people

will let you use theirs.

Anybody live near

here have a phone?

Aye, there's a phone in my shop, half

a mile down the road. You can use that.

Thanks very much.

Pop in the car, I'll drive you down.

Dr. Royston?

John, we've just taken the

cobalt out of the pile.

- There wasn't time...

- On who's authority?

Well, there wasn't really

time to check with you.

You know how long it takes to

get that pile started again.

You'll put the cobalt bombardment

weeks behind schedule.

Entirely on you own initiative,

you break in on an official experiment.

You deactivate the pile

without consulting me.

This isn't your

workshop, Royston!

This is a government establishment,

and I'm it's director.

Look, I'm sorry,

you'll have to speak louder.

No, he's busy right now,

this is Peter Elliott.

Oh yes.

Yes.

I'll tell him, right away.

Dr. Royston, it's McGill.

It appears what you were

afraid of has happened.

It's just killed 4 people in a car.

The lines terrible,

but I think he said they'd melted.

Hello, Mac, this is Royston.

What's this all about?

Yes, yes, wait a minute.

Just a minute.

Do you have a pencil, please?

Go ahead.

Yes.

Where?

Yes, right... right.

Got it.

Do you have a local

surveying map in your office?

Yes, there's one up there.

- Let's take a look at it.

- Yes, of course, come on.

This point right

here is the fissure.

Now, here is the hospital.

This is where something

was seen glowing.

Now, over here, is my workshop.

If we follow this line,

right here is the old tower.

You know, this thing can

obviously sense radioactivity.

And once it does, nothing can stop it.

Makes straight for the radiation.

And then returns to the fissure.

And by these lines, it's pretty

clear it returns by the same route.

Now, this latest report,

this burned out car, is right here.

Now, if we extend the line from

the fissure through this point,

somewhere along this extended

line is where it's headed.

- I see.

- Here!

That's right, it's on its way for

the biggest meal of it's life!

Hurry up, man, hurry

up, open the gate!

- All right, all right.

- Oh, come along, man, open up the gate.

- Let's see your pass.

- Oh, you know me.

- Come along, open up!

- Sorry, sir, let's see your pass first.

- Here.

- All right, sir.

We daren't put that cobalt back in the

pile, we've got to get it out of here fast.

There must be a limit to the

distance it can sense radiation.

We've got to get

beyond that point.

Adam,

I just wanted to say that...

Oh, never mind.

I'll go and warn the security people.

- Mac.

- Adam.

- Any sign of it yet?

- No, not yet.

It can't be far off.

I've warned everybody to keep indoors.

Upstairs, if possible.

I posted every man I could lay

hands on to keep watch for it.

I tried to phone London again, but there's

something the matter with the lines.

It's all interference.

We've got the same trouble here.

- Nobody's spotted a thing, huh?

- None of my men have seen anything.

I'd like to know why?

A thing that big simply can't disappear.

No, but it might alter it's form

and become almost invisible.

Isn't that true?

What's going on here?

We're trying to get this

cobalt loaded and out of here.

What about the gates

around this place?

They're being watched.

I'd like to phone around the

gates, if I may?

There's a phone in there.

The line isn't very good, I'm afraid.

Peter!

Check the main gate.

See if you can spot it.

Clear this yard, boys!

- Adam, what about the cobalt?

- There's nothing we can do about that now.

But if it gets near, it might explode it.

Then we'll be the first to explode a

cobalt bomb, now clear out of here!

Boys, get out of this yard!

Come on!

Hello! Wait a minute!

It's the main yard gate.

Where can we see it from?

Up that ladder, sir!

Tell everyone to stay clear of the

west approach to the reactor building.

It's coming in that way.

Our only chance is the hope

that it absorbs radiation.

Won't that make it unstable

as the cobalt decays?

Yes, yes it would.

Dr. Royston...

...its on its way.

The man on the main gate

had it just like the others.

It's coming in on the west side.

Look! There it is on the roof!

Up there, quick!

It's growing larger.

The mass has to increase to

accommodate the extra radiation.

How big will it get?

The important thing is how

unstable is it going to get?

Isn't there anything we can do?

Well, we can try, but not here.

The only thing we can do is to

let it go back to the fissure.

Now we know the exact

route it will take so let's

clear that route and get

everybody out of its path.

I'll see if the army has a helicopter.

We can use that

to keep a check on it,

in case it changes direction.

What are you going to do, Adam?

- I'm going down to my workshop.

- It's moving.

Any luck?

I can't hear a thing,

the static's drowning out everything.

The sergeant says that's a sure

sign the thing's not far off.

- Aye, let's get back to Lock Mouth.

- Aye.

Come on now, hurry!

You'll be safe inside the chapel.

Come on now.

Inside, hurry!

- Do you need any help, minister?

- I don't think so.

How near is it going to come?

It should pass within a 100

yards of where you are now.

Between those trees.

- How much longer.

- About 2 minutes, as far as I can tell.

Come on, Mrs. McGinty,

let me take your bundle.

Come on, it's nice and warm inside.

There you are.

It's changed direction,

it's not following the same route.

Plot a map the other way out.

That was close.

Army copter to mobile, heading out

from Loch Mouth, traveling east.

Oh, what's the use, they'll never

hear anything in this static.

- Are you getting all this, lad?

- Oh, yes, sir.

Oh, fine, let's get over to Check Point 3.

Just... there.

Come on, ladies, hurry,

there is no time to lose, hurry!

Inside, quickly!

Wait here.

Every line out of this place is useless.

Radio's even worse.

There's no hope of getting

through to London now.

We've got to handle this ourselves.

I still think that as soon as it gets to

the fissure, we ought to leave it alone.

That is, until we can get

in touch with the ministry.

Look, Mr. Elliott,

Adam says the larger this

thing grows,

the more its range will increase.

You know the next

point it will make for?

There, that's it, the experimental

nuclear power station at Glen Cardiff.

And to reach there, it will go right

through the center of Inverness.

Now do you see, we've got to

stop this thing at the fissure.

And we've got to stop it for good.

- Well, Adam?

- How's it going?

Not too good,

I'm just ready to try again.

Watch out now, just in case.

- That's it, it's worked.

- You've done it, Adam, you've done it!

Adam, look!

The container, it's glowing!

What's happening, sir?

Well, that won't do,

we'll have to try again.

There's no time to try again!

If a piece of material no bigger

than a pin head can cause an

explosion like that can't you

imagine what would happen out there?

We've got to have time!

I don't care, Adam,

we've got to take the chance!

We've got to try and stop

this thing at the fissure!

Dr. Royston?

Those scanners, they could have

slipped out of synchronization.

They might have, yes.

Might have been a

hundred other things.

But could it have been the

scanners, Adam?

Yes, yes, they...

...being out of sync

might have caused it.

Everything you've asked for

is at the fissure, Adam.

Trucks, radioactive material...

everything's ready!

Well, if that's the way it's got to

be, let's get started.

Tell them to get that

copter away from here.

Noise enough to wake the dead,

let alone that thing down there.

Right, sir.

- Is everything here, Major?

- I don't know yet.

What are all these men doing?

Mac, let's clear this area.

Well, if anything goes wrong,

it won't matter much where they are.

True, but they'll get in our way.

Now, is this our Jeep?

That's it, just as you ordered.

You know what you got on the

back there is bait, don't you?

Yes, sir.

The purpose is to entice

whatever is down there, out.

Now don't you get any closer than 15

feet, you understand that?

Very good, sir.

Let's get started.

- Have the trucks follow.

- Right.

- Mr. Thomson, follow this car down.

- Right, sir.

Now, Peter, don't let that Jeep

get any closer than 15 feet.

- Remember that, 15 feet.

- Right, sir!

Can we do anything to help, Adam?

No, Mac, just keep your fingers crossed.

Right, well,

we'll stay out of your way, anyhow.

Major, impress upon your men the importance

of keeping these scanners in phase.

As soon as we're ready,

I'll give the signal for the switch on.

Right.

Everything all right?

Thank you, sir.

I've got the cobalt out.

- I'll get the men under cover, sir.

- What's that? Yes, yes!

Hold it, you lads, take cover.

Come along all of you,

get your heads down behind this bank here.

Come on, Dole, what are you waiting for?

What's going to happen, Sarge?

I'm gonna kick you head in if you don't

get it down, that's what's gonna happen.

Give me the OK as soon as

you're synchronized. - Right!

- You ready number one?

- Ready, sir!

Are you ready number two?

Ready, sir!

Excuse me, Major.

Peter!

Turn on the Jeep.

Bring out the Jeep!

Hey, what's the matter?

Right, come on, get

out, I'll take it.

Good luck, sir!

You better take cover too.

It's Peter.

- What do you think you're doing?

- The drivers sick.

That's no reason why

you should do it.

What's he doing?

Peter!

Peter, don't go any closer!

Peter!

Peter! Peter, don't be a fool!

Get back! Get back!

Peter!

Peter, get out, Peter!

Get out, and try to walk!

All right!

Switch on!

- Switch on!

- Right, sir!

Switch on!

It's gone.

Adam, it's gone!

It worked, Mac, didn't it?

Bring out the Geigers!

Let's have a reading!

What was that?

I don't know,

but it shouldn't have happened.

But the thing's gone!

You should be very proud, Adam.

Your theories worked!

It has, Adam.

X the Unknown (1956) - full transcript