Dalekmania
Encyclopedia
Dalekmania is a 1995 direct-to-video documentary released in the United Kingdom. "Dalekmania" is the name given to the craze or "mania" among children in the United Kingdom
in the 1960s for all things associated with writer Terry Nation
's creations, the Dalek
s, who were then regularly appearing in the BBC
's television drama series Doctor Who
.
that examines that 60s craze and focuses in particular on the two 1960s Doctor Who
films starring Peter Cushing
(the Cushing Doctor
), Dr. Who and the Daleks
and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD
which both feature the Daleks. Interviews cover the making of the films and their fans. The documentary is the main Special Feature on the Dalek movie DVD release.
The documentary Dalekmania starts from the beginning, at least as far as the Dalek movies are concerned, and runs through their history, at the same time interviewing actors like Roberta Tovey
, who played Dr. Who's granddaughter in the two films, and Jill Curzon
, who played his niece in the second film. There are appearances from actors Barrie Ingham
and Yvonne Antrobus
, who played the leaders of the Thals in the first film.
The actors give interesting personal accounts of the filming of these movies, including anecdotes about the tough porters who were brought in from Covent Garden Market to play the male Thals and their shock when they learned that they would have to shave their chests and arms and wear wigs and make-up to get into character.
The documentary also reveals that the men operating the Daleks were supposedly not treated particularly well, as none of the other actors can recall seeing anyone get in or out of a Dalek, or ever actually meeting a Dalek operator. They recall fond memories of working with cast members who have since died, including Peter Cushing
and Roy Castle
.
Script writer and Dalek creator Terry Nation
also makes an appearance through archival interview footage, and shares his thoughts on the differences between Doctor Who on television and the Dalek movies. He also explains the pride he took in his mechanical creations, and the lengths he went to over the years to protect their image.
There are also contributions from fans of the films, in the form of Gary Gillat and Marcus Hearn, editors of fan magazines concerned with Doctor Who. They attempt to explain the huge impact that the Daleks have had on the public imagination over the years.
The Daleks used during filming were made by London
-based model maker Julian Vince, who was also interviewed in the documentary. However, his Daleks were not seen in the final edit due to rights restrictions issues with the BBC (i.e. the fact that the Julian Vince-created props were shown moving and were thus actual Dalek characters, rather than empty props). The sole-remaining Dalek prop in the final edit is a static first movie Red Dalek, seen with Michael Wisher as the cinema commissionaire, and this prop was built by Steve Allen and David Brian.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1960s for all things associated with writer Terry Nation
Terry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
's creations, the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, who were then regularly appearing in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's television drama series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Production
Borrowing that name, Dalekmania is also a 1995 documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that examines that 60s craze and focuses in particular on the two 1960s Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
films starring Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
(the Cushing Doctor
Dr. Who (Dalek films)
Dr. Who is a character based on the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Although based upon the character of the Doctor from the television series, the character is fundamentally different, most notably in being human....
), Dr. Who and the Daleks
Dr. Who and the Daleks
Dr. Who and the Daleks was the first of two Doctor Who films made in the 1960s. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D....
and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD
Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD
Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. is the second of two films based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It was the sequel to Dr. Who and the Daleks , and starred Peter Cushing in his return to the role of the eccentric inventor and time traveller "Dr. Who". It also...
which both feature the Daleks. Interviews cover the making of the films and their fans. The documentary is the main Special Feature on the Dalek movie DVD release.
The documentary Dalekmania starts from the beginning, at least as far as the Dalek movies are concerned, and runs through their history, at the same time interviewing actors like Roberta Tovey
Roberta Tovey
Roberta Tovey is an English actress and singer who has appeared in many films and television programmes. One of her better-known roles was that of Susan, the granddaughter of Dr. Who in the 1960s films Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD...
, who played Dr. Who's granddaughter in the two films, and Jill Curzon
Jill Curzon
Jill Curzon is a British actress most famous for her film and television appearances during the 1960s.Her television appearances include The Champions , Adam Adamant Lives! , The Saint , Hugh and I and Disneyland...
, who played his niece in the second film. There are appearances from actors Barrie Ingham
Barrie Ingham
Barrie Ingham is an English actor in stage, TV and film.-Life and career:Ingham was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the son of Irene and Harold Ellis Stead Ingham. He was educated at Heath Grammar School and became a Royal Artillery Officer. His major theatre debut was at Manchester Library...
and Yvonne Antrobus
Yvonne Antrobus
Yvonne Antrobus is a British novelist, abridger, radio dramatist and actress, best known for her appearance in the 1965 movie Doctor Who and the Daleks....
, who played the leaders of the Thals in the first film.
The actors give interesting personal accounts of the filming of these movies, including anecdotes about the tough porters who were brought in from Covent Garden Market to play the male Thals and their shock when they learned that they would have to shave their chests and arms and wear wigs and make-up to get into character.
The documentary also reveals that the men operating the Daleks were supposedly not treated particularly well, as none of the other actors can recall seeing anyone get in or out of a Dalek, or ever actually meeting a Dalek operator. They recall fond memories of working with cast members who have since died, including Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
and Roy Castle
Roy Castle
Roy Castle OBE was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name...
.
Script writer and Dalek creator Terry Nation
Terry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
also makes an appearance through archival interview footage, and shares his thoughts on the differences between Doctor Who on television and the Dalek movies. He also explains the pride he took in his mechanical creations, and the lengths he went to over the years to protect their image.
There are also contributions from fans of the films, in the form of Gary Gillat and Marcus Hearn, editors of fan magazines concerned with Doctor Who. They attempt to explain the huge impact that the Daleks have had on the public imagination over the years.
The Daleks used during filming were made by London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based model maker Julian Vince, who was also interviewed in the documentary. However, his Daleks were not seen in the final edit due to rights restrictions issues with the BBC (i.e. the fact that the Julian Vince-created props were shown moving and were thus actual Dalek characters, rather than empty props). The sole-remaining Dalek prop in the final edit is a static first movie Red Dalek, seen with Michael Wisher as the cinema commissionaire, and this prop was built by Steve Allen and David Brian.