| The Gamma People | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Gilling |
| Screenplay by | John Gilling John Gossage |
| Story by | Robert Aldrich Louis Pollock |
| Produced by | John Gossage |
| Starring | Paul Douglas Eva Bartok |
| Cinematography | Ted Moore |
| Edited by | Jack Slade |
| Music by | George Melachrino |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £85,060[2] |
The Gamma People is a 1956 Britishscience fictionhorror film produced by John Gossage, directed byJohn Gilling and starringPaul Douglas andEva Bartok.[3] The film, shot inImst, Austria, was distributed byColumbia Pictures and evolved from a script treatment originally written in the early 1950s byRobert Aldrich.[4]The Gamma People was released theatrically in the U.S. as adouble feature with the 1956 British science fiction film1984.[5]
A railroad passenger car carrying a reporter and his photographer mysteriously breaks away from its locomotive, accidentally ending up on a remote sidetrack in Gudavia, an isolatedRuritanian-style, one-village dictatorship. The newsmen discover a mad scientist usinggamma rays to turn the country's youth into either geniuses or subhumans.
In June 1951,Irving Allen announced he would makeThe Gamma People in Austria withBrian Donlevy andVirginia Grey. It was based on a screenplay by Oliver Crawford and a story by Louis Pollock. Allen said the script was about German scientific experiments during the war which caused cells to mutate. He said he had finance from the United States and Austria.[9] Allen did a location trip to Austria in July.[10]
In December 1951 Allen announced he had formed Warwick Productions with Albert Broccoli, but that he still intended to makeThe Gamma People withRobert Aldrich.[11]Dick Powell was slated to star.[12]
The film would not be made for another three years. Paul Douglas was cast in the lead and Warwick wantedTrevor Howard to co-star.[13][14] Filming took place in Austria in July 1955.Patricia Medina was meant to co-star, but then was called in for another commitment, on aSam Katzman film.Eva Bartók took her place.[15]
Writer Louis Pollock would be blacklisted for five years, having been confused for Los Angeles clothier, Louis Pollack, who refused to give testimony to theHouse Un-American Activities Committee.[16]