THE BRITISH TV series ‘Doctor Who’ first hit the BBC screens in November 1963. The concept was originally seen as an entertainment and educational programme, based around Doctor Who, played by veteran Brit film actor William Hartnell, who was planned to travelled through space and time, in a police telephone box, named TARDIS, dropping in on various 'historical happenings and characters'. The first FOUR episodes, of 'An Unearthly Child' was a good foundation and intro. But little did the series creator and head of drama Sydney Newman, realise what he had on his hands, after first he launched the first episode, their proposed intention 'fill the Saturday evening time-slot and appeal to both the younger and older audiences of the neighbouring programmes . . .. but the was an unexpected game changer! Within the next seven episodes, they would be managing one of the BBC's biggest direct hits and a name that would be on everyone's lips. . .Daleks!
The GIFS feature here are not 4K footage from the
#StudioCanal release
THE REST AS THEY SAY, is history, television history, life changing eventually for many millions of viewers, children and fans! Midway through the huge success of the Dr Who first series, it was decided that the Daleks , were the main attraction, a new evil metal villains, that potentially not only proved to hold and attract huge audiences, but also beyond their weekly episodic treat in front of their black and white tv sets, and into the paying seats of cinemas through-out the country. Daleks in FULL COLOUR, a WIDESCREEN full 90 MINUTE adventure! The idea not only had casters, it had legs to run and work! And so, the concept of the very first Dr Who feature film was lauched.
EVENTUALLY, two feature films, unique in the annals of
Doctor Who, were made for the big screen as an attempt to cash in on the
“Dalekmania” of the mid-1960s. 'Dr Who and the Daleks' and 'Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD' weren’t produced by the BBC, but
were nevertheless loosely based on First Doctor William Hartnell’s
opening Dalek stories, some pretty sizeable differences were made in
order to circumvent copyright laws. Thus, the look of the TARDIS
interior and the redesigned Daleks are not quite what viewers may
expect.
SINCE THEIR RELEASE on VHS, then DVD and even Blu-ray some years ago, the film
prints have been restored and remastered, and are now presented for the
first time in ultra high-definition 4K. The first outing, and the 1965 ‘Dr Who
and the Daleks’, certainly looks brighter, more colourful and sharper than ever
before.
‘DRWHOANDTHEDALEKS’ sees the TARDIS land on the planet Skaro.
Exploring their surroundings, the planet appears to be dead; the soil
nothing but sand and the forest now nothing but the petrified remains of
trees. The travellers suffer radiation sickness from the high levels of
radioactivity – the result of a nuclear war between the Daleks and the
Thals. With the Daleks planning to wipe out all surviving Thals, Dr. Who
and his companions must find a way to convince the inherently
pacifistic Thals to fight back in order to save themselves.
IN ORDER TO REACH a wider and more international audience, an
established big screen English star was found to play the lead role. The
charming Peter Cushing, extremely charming and lovable as “Dr Who” (now depicted
as an eccentric Englishman who invents a time machine in his back
garden, rather than an alien traveller in space and time). His portrayal
is the complete opposite of small screen counterpart Hartnell’s alien
and occasionally sinister Doctor – instead providing a warmer hero for
young children to more easily trust. The Daleks, who fired death rays on
the television, expel fire-extinguisher carbon dioxide gas to
successfully render them less terrifying. They are also
brightly-coloured and some even have multi-coloured sensors, which gives
them a friendly rather than sinister appearance. And rather than
travelling with a difficult, moody teenage granddaughter as William
Hartnell’s Doctor did, Peter Cushing’s Susan is a young child who is
much easier to handle (brilliantly played, it must be said, by young
Roberta Tovey). The comic element is played up by the Doctor’s young
male sidekick. Beloved entertainer Roy Castle offers exquisite comic
timing and pratfalls and manages a bit of heroism along the way too.
‘DR WHO AND THE DALEKS’ is beautifully directed by Gordon Flemyng, and
he succeeds in rendering an epic feel to the adventure. He has a great
eye for detail, making each frame interesting to look at, using
different levels and taking full advantage of extensive studio space.
The rocks sliding apart to reveal brilliant lights beneath the Dalek
city is an especially effective cinematic moment. Undoubtedly, this is a
slicker, faster-paced and altogether bigger budget version of ‘Doctor
Who’. Barry Gray’s distinctive and dramatic cool jazz musical score is
another major plus point, and immediately attention-grabbing when played
over the opening credits. The charm of the film is its nostalgic 1960s
period (now apologised for in the inevitable yawn-inducing trigger
warning at the start of the disc). It succeeds because it stands the
test of time as an exciting adventure.
THE OVERALL EFFECT of the restoration, which brings clarity and
definition to the film, is a double-edged sword. Certainly ‘Dr Who and
the Daleks’ has never looked better. Cushing's white wig and bushy eyebrows complete the transformation of his interpretation of the good Dr, but you will also spot the brush strokes of Cushing's make up, the strings on the Dalek craft, but hey... it's sci-fi, make believe and for the kids!
THE INTERESTING 1960s vintage-style cover artwork by Johnny Dombrowski
packages ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ in a very different comic strip-like concept. A
collector’s edition also includes a booklet. There are several exciting
extra features on the disc. ‘The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro’ is
sixteen minutes in length and sees modern-day voice of the Daleks
Nicholas Briggs and other ‘Doctor Who’ luminaries putting the legacy of
the 1960s films into context within the wider world of ‘Doctor Who’.
‘Restoring Dr Who in 4K’ is an eleven-minute instalment about how the
original film elements have been digitally enhanced for this
restoration.
THIS DISC ALSO boasts the documentary ‘Dalekmania, filmed in the
mid-1990s, which covers both films and features some of the
then-surviving cast and crew from both films and explores the possible
reasons for the overwhelming popularity of the Daleks. Of particular
interest are the stories of Jill Curzon and Roberta Tovey, guest actors
Barrie Ingham and Yvonne Antrobus; as well as Eddie Powell, a stuntman
whose involvement in the second film left him with a broken ankle.
Pinewood Studios expert and Roger Moore’s former right-hand man Gareth
Owen is also available to impart his knowledge of the film’s origins. An
audio commentary featuring film critic Kim Newman in conversation with
‘Doctor Who’ writers Robert Shearman and Mark Gatiss takes you all the
way through the film with affectionate insights. A separate audio track
reunites companions Jennie Linden (Barbara) and Roberta Tovey (Susan).
IF DON'T OWN #StudioCanal's fine 'DR WHO AND THE DALEKS' 4K Blu Ray or are looking for an upgrade, NOW is your chance to own, witness and experexperience the film as it has never been seen before before. Out of this WORLD!
Cast: Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, Jennie Linden, Roberta Tovey, Barrie Ingham, Yvonne Antrobus Director: Gordon Flemying Certificate: U Duration: 83 mins Released by: Studiocanal Release date: 20th June 2022! YOU CAN PURCHASE AND Buy ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ HERE!
MORE ON Peter Cushing and DR WHO AND THE DALEKS with RARE STILLS GALLERY can be found in another PCSuk FEATURE: HERE!
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