Quatermass and the Pit [1967 feature film version]
Nigel Kneale's 1958/9 television serial Quatermass and the Pit had
the eponymous Professor Q investigating what transpired to be the remains
of a Martian spaceship discovered during the building of a new office block
in Hobbs Lane, Knightsbridge, although he also discovers that the ghostly
manifestations that accompany it had been evident during the building of
"Hobbs Lane" Underground station in 1927. In 1958 London was the scene
of extensive building on the former bomb sites, but in 1967 - with the
construction of the Victoria line - it made perfect sense to change the main
locale for the film version to the "Hobbs End" Central line station, although
Kneale actually attributes this revision to Anthony Hinds (son of Hammer
Films co-founder Will Hammer). It is also noted that this station was built
in 1927. |
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| Nice shot down the platform, although the track seen on the right is
only a temporary narrow-guage one used by the builders who have now
vacated. |
Although most of the platform set is well realised, the supposed
new cast-iron tunnel segments are remarkably unconvincing! |
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| The Tube diagram behind Julian Glover is Harry Beck's 1956 Quad Royal
poster, his first to represent the Thames without the use of diagonals, and
the last to include the short Acton Town - South Acton branch of
the District Line. |
The directional sign top-left reads:
<---- CENTRAL LINE
EAST BOUND PLATFORM 2 |
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| Looking east, the rest of the platform is conveniently shielded by a
makeshift wooden partition. |
Note the "solid" LT roundel on the tunnel wall - a design that now
survives only at Covent Garden and Caledonian Road stations. |
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| Seen from the inside, the canopy over the station entrance seems remarkable
flimsy, and as for the exposed light bulbs...! |
Opposite the station, a street nameplate confirms the postal district
of the Hobbs End area. |
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| This tracking shot uniquely shows the track-side tunnel wall,
complete with smaller and more modern LU roundels. |
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| Shot down Hobbs Lane, showing the rather extravant
neo-classic facade of the station entrance. |
A nice touch of authetic detail - a sign immediately inside
the entrance directs passengers:
TEMPORARY BOOKING HALL
KEEP RIGHT |
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| This low-angle shot shows that an attempt has been made by the set designer
to suggest the platform tunnel does actually have a roof! |
The sign above the roundel reads:
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| In the ruined cross paggeway, the directional sign swinging from one
chain shows that the "other" side apparently reads:
CENTRAL LINE ---- >
EAST BOUND PLATFORM 1 |
This suggests a terminus akin to Elephant & Castle, where trains
can terminate or depart from either platform by means of a cross-over
just to the east of the platform tunnels.
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The London Underground in Films & TV
| PAGE HISTORY: |
| 09/03/04 |
First upload |
| 11/04/04 |
Minor corrections |
| 14/03/10 |
Minor corrections |
| 22/10/17 |
Hosting transfer & amendments |
|