Dr. Who and the Daleks (theatrical film)

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This article concerns the film. For other uses, see Doctor Who and the Daleks.
File:Dr Who and the Daleks Pic2.jpeg
Dr. Who and the Daleks
Doctor: Dr. Who
Companions: Ian
Barbara
Susan
Enemy: The Daleks
Setting: Skaro
Writer: Terry Nation (story)
Max Rosenborg (uncredited)
Milton Subotsky
David Whitaker (additional material, uncredited)
Director: Gordon Flemyng
Producer: Max Rosenborg
Milton Subotsky
Cinematography: John Wilcox
Release Date: 25th June 1965
Format: Cinematic Theatrical Movie
Running Time: 83 minutes
Next Movie: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.
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Released in 1965, Dr. Who and the Daleks was the first feature film based on the Doctor Who television series. Adapted from the television serial DW: The Daleks, the colour film stars Peter Cushing as a human scientist named Dr. Who who invents the TARDIS and takes his companions on a journey to the planet Skaro, where they help the peace-loving Thals battle the evil Daleks.

Synopsis

Accidentally thrown together, Dr. Who (Peter Cushing), his granddaughters, and their friend Ian cross the universe in Who's new invention, the space and time machine known as "TARDIS". When they land on the planet Skaro, the travelers meet the kind and placid Thals, who live in fear of the dreaded Daleks. Somehow, Who and his party must find a way to help the Thals overcome the deadly mutants who live inside impenetrable metal casings.

Plot

To be added.

Cast

Crew

  • Music - Barry Gray, Malcolm Lockyer
  • Cinematography - John Wilcox
  • Film Editor - Oswald Hafenrichter
  • Art Director - Bill Constable
  • Assistant Art Director - Kenneth Ryan
  • Set Decoration - Scott Slimon
  • Assistant Director - Anthony Waye
  • Camera Operator - David Harcourt
  • Camera Grip - Ray Jones
  • Construction Manager - Bill Waldron
  • Production Manager - Ted Lloyd
  • Supervising Electrician - Maurice Gillett
  • Make-up Artist - Jill Carpenter
  • Hair Stylist - Henri Montsash
  • Wardrobe - Jackie Cummins
  • Continuity - Pamela Davies
  • Sound Recordist - Buster Ambler
  • Sound Supervisor - John Cox
  • Sound Editors - Roy Hyde and Tom Preistley
  • Special Electronic Effects - Les Hillman
  • Special Effects - Ted Samuels
  • Matte Painter - Gerald Larn
  • Executive Producer - Joe Vegoda

Story notes

  • Several of the Dalek props were purchased by the BBC and appear in DW: The Chase, as it was broadcast before the cinematic release of this film, the Dalek movie props were seen on TV before they were seen in the cinemas.
  • The Daleks were proposed to have flame throwers, however this was vetoed, the reason for the need to have anything is that the negative effect of the Dalek's weapons could not be achieved on film.
  • According to Gordon Flemyng "We used that (the fire extinguisher) because we couldn't afford to add a ray to the film and it wouldn't have been good enough to just have people fall down. We wanted something that could be seen." [1]
  • Another reason was given by Milton Subotsky "We were going to have them shooting out flames, by John Trevelyn, the censor, thought children would be frightened of flames. So we went to the other extreme and armed them with fire extinguishers." [1]
  • In the film, TARDIS is referenced as such without the definite article "the", unlike the TV series which always used the phrase "the TARDIS" when referring to the ship.
  • The interior of TARDIS is completely different from the TV version, with the outside windows of the ship visible, and it appears there is only a single room, the console room. The 2005 revival's version of the TARDIS interior actually borrows a few of these elements: the exterior police box door (with windows) is visible from inside, and usually only a single room is visible (though others are mentioned).
  • The unlicensed book I Am the Doctor: The Unauthorised Diaries of a Timelord suggests that the movie was based upon a memoir written by Barbara Wright of the TV series. As this book is not licenced it cannot be considered canonical.
  • In Spain this movie was entitled; Dr. Who Y Los Daleks.
  • The alien-esque look of the jungles was achieved by filming all those scenes without the anamorphic lens (wide-screen lens) on the camera, giving them a strange unearthly quality. [1]

Crew notes

  • Barry Gray, best known as Gerry Anderson's staff composer for his numerous Supermarionation and SF TV series, composed the musical score for the film. As a result, this film - and its sequel - are to date the only officially authorized productions based upon Doctor Who to use theme music other than the original Ron Grainer/Delia Derbyshire theme. Several reference books, including The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Program 1947-1979, erroneously credit Gray with composing the music for the TV series, too.

Myths

  • After the First Doctor regenerated people believed that Dr. Who was just a future or past incarnation of the Doctor. Not impossible to imagine, but that doesn't explain the alternate versions of Susan, Barbara and Ian featured in the film.
  • One suggestion to canonise the film (and its sequel) has been to consider it a work of in-universe fiction created by Barbara Wright upon her return to Earth: a dramatization depicting the major events of her adventures with the Doctor while changing or omitting specific details.

Filming Locations

Plot Holes, Errors and Mistakes

  • There is a staircase next to the Daleks water supply pipe, as they can't use stairs this a production design error.
  • The Daleks' lights flash indiscriminately and do not match the voice, they also flash when they are not speaking. Director Gordon Flemyng being unfamiliar with The Daleks, didn't realise the lights on the Dalek were there to distinguish which Dalek was speaking and so they flash randomly, this caused problems when the dialogue for the Daleks was being dubbed, this is why some of the Dalek dialogue is rather labourious as the voice artists tried to match the dialogue to the random light flashes.

Continuity

  • The film ends with a visual gag of the ship appearing in front of a group of Roman soldiers. ST: The House on Oldark Moor picks up on this point and reveals that Ian had become a gladiator.

Timeline

DVD, Video and Other Releases

Super 8 Releases

Video Releases

  • Released in the UK on VHS and Beta in 1982 by Thorn EMI.
  • Released in the US on VHS in 1985 by Thorn EMI.
  • Re-released in UK on VHS in 1988 by Warner Home Video.
  • Re-released in US on VHS in 1989 by GoodTimes Home Video.
  • Released in Australia in 1990 by Universal.
  • Re-released in US in 1994 by Lumiere.
  • Re-released in UK in 1996 by Warner Home Video.

DVD Releases

Region 4 Australian DVD release, 2001
  • Released in Australia in 2001 by Universal / Studio Canal as a double release with Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in the 'Doctor Who and the Daleks..'. boxset. Note: the print of Dr Who and the Daleks on this Disc set features a different edit, from the generally accepted print, during the battle scene at the end of the movie and is a zoomed version of the VHS master. Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD is a correct anamorphic print but has a sound glitch about 10 seconds in and has the prologue and opening titles switched around.
  • Released in US in 2001 by Anchor Bay as a single disc and with Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in 'The Doctor Who Movie Collection' boxset.
  • Released in UK in 2002 by Studio Canal/Warner as a double release with Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.. and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in 'The Dr Who movie collection' boxset and the 'Dr Who - The Motion Pictures' (Gold Edition) boxset. Note:The first pressing of the 'Dr Who and the Daleks' disc in this set had a sound problem which caused all music and effects to sound glassy and "echoed" and so it was re-pressed by Warner, this also had a problem as the disc now froze on chapter 16, this was corrected for the 3rd pressing, this version and the Gold Edition boxset version have no problems.
  • Released in the UK in 2006 by Studio Canal/Optimum as a double release with Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in the 'Doctor Who:The Dalek Collection' boxset.

Novelisations

No novelisation based upon the film script was ever published, however the original teleplay, The Daleks, was adapted as Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks by David Whitaker, published by Frederick Muller in late 1964. Later, when the book was republished by Target Books, it was retitled Doctor Who and the Daleks.

Comic book adaptation

Dr. Who and the Daleks was adapted as an American comic book by Dell Publishing in 1966 (the year the film was released in the US). The comic book featured artwork by Dick Giordano and was the first US comic book appearance of anything connected to the Doctor Who franchise. Reprinted in the UK - Doctor Who Classic Comics issue 9 - by Marvel Comics UK in the 1990s.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Howe, David J., Stammers, Mark, Walker, Stephen James, 1992, Doctor Who: The Sixties, Doctor Who Books, an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd, London, p.130, p.129
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