Review: Dr Who and the Daleks

The movie industry and the movie going public were a different breed in the mid 1960s. There were many more successful British production companies in a highly lucrative industry with a wider variety of distribution networks and for some people movie going was a routine that involved catching up on the latest news headlines as well as catching the latest blockbuster.

Multiplexes barely existed and cinemas didn't have to either be called Vue or Odeon. It was a different World. In 1965 the first adaptation of Dr Who reached the big screen and it's worth bearing in mind that it would be competing against other films with mega budgets in order to gain affection amongst the Saturday matinee crew.

Taking a quick look at film releases that year shows the diverse nature of what was on offer so Dr Who and the Daleks entered the fray (Does anyone have a copy of Pinocchio in Space???) and was a broad success.

And rightly so. This is a slick production with sumptuous sets and some excellent design. There are some problems with the production but they're minor quibbles really: The story is rather on the dull side. I prefer the lengthy BBC version as the tension really mounts between the two Skaro races and the members of the TARDIS crew. However that tension is completely taken out of the film because there is no place for it - the plot allows the action to come to the fore which is just right for the kids movie style.

This story is clearly a re-telling of The Time Machine and in places it even looks like the original film version and it also blends in some wonderful adult themes such as the obvious Nazi style Daleks as well as playing on the Cold War insecurities of nuclear warfare. These are all subtly woven into the plot rather than slapping the viewer in the face. The point being that these were the concerns of the day but playing out on the big screen and on another World.

Peter Cushing plays the central character as a man of science and fun. He's in with the kids and immediately the viewer can make the connection with the old man who never grew up. In the first scene we see him reading the Eagle comic giving a hint as to his mischievous sense of fun. He is at one with his granddaughter, Susan, who wants to explore the planet they find themselves on just as much as he does.

Roy Castle plays Ian, the boyfriend of Dr Who's other granddaughter, Barbara and adds some slapstick humour to the mix. Most fans find his performance embarrassing but it really fits with the time and the type of movie this was.

It's well known that the producers wanted the Daleks to fire... er fire out of their exterminating guns. When this was vetoed by the censors (and let's face it it would have been horrifying) the crew went in the opposite direction and chose fire extinguisher foam. A fantastic idea that gives the Daleks extra eeriness and looks just as good now as it must have on the film's release.

The movie holds up rather well and is shown on British TV with regularity, normally on Channel 4 and in widescreen format. It still looks magnificent, the Daleks look and sound great, the music is unfortunately dull but on the whole Dr Who doesn't get much better than this: entertaining, fun, thought provoking and short!