A corpse is discovered in the remote community of Petrie’s Island, completely devoid of bones. The local police constable (Sam Kydd) consults the island’s doctor, Dr Landers (Eddie Bryne) who is at a loss to explain.
Landers travels to the mainland to consult pathologist Dr Stanley (Peter Cushing) and Dr David West (Edward Judd) who is an expert on bone disease. Intrigued by the bizarre symptoms, they return with Landers to the island, accompanied by West’s girlfriend Toni Merril (Carole Gray).
There they discover that well-known cancer specialist Dr Philips (Peter Forbes-Robertson) has been performing experiments on the island, Unfortunately, Philips and his colleagues are all dead – their bodies are also boneless.
Apparently, Philips was trying to create a living organism that could attack cancer cells, but something went wrong and he ended up creating a silicone-based creature that consumed the actual bone itself.
These creatures – dubbed the “Silicates” – are now roaming the island, sucking the bones out of every living creature they encounter. It’s a slow and agonisingly painful way to die.
The electronic sound effects are provided by Barry Gray, who created the music for most of the Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows.
Dr Brian Stanley
Peter Cushing
Dr David West
Edward Judd
Toni Merrill
Carole Gray
Dr Reginald Landers
Eddie Byrne
Constable John Harris
Sam Kydd
Mr Roger Campbell
Niall MacGinnis
Peter Argyle
James Caffrey
Ian Bellows
Liam Gaffney
Dunley
Roger Heathcott
Halsey
Keith Bell
Old Woman
Margaret Lacey
Morton
Shay Gorman
Dr Lawrence Phillips
Peter Forbes-Robertson
Carson
Richard Bidlake
Mrs Bellows
Joyce Hemson
Director
Terence Fisher