''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
Terence Joseph Nation (8 August 19309 March 1997) was a British screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for ''Doctor Who'', as well as the series '' Surviv ...
's creations, the
Dalek
The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...
s,
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/ref> who were then regularly appearing in the BBC's television drama series ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
''.
Production
Borrowing that name, ''Dalekmania'' is also a 1995 documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
that examines that mid 1960s craze and focuses in particular on the two 1960s ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'' films, '' Dr. Who and the Daleks'' and ''Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD
''Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.'' is a 1966 British science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng and written by Milton Subotsky, and the second of two films based on the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It stars ...
'' which both feature Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...
as Dr. Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
and 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 - although the introduction sequence is omitted.
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 (born 9 August 1953) is an English actress who has appeared in films and television programmes. One of her better-known roles was that of Susan, the granddaughter of Dr. Who, in the films '' Dr. Who and the Daleks'' (1965) and '' D ...
, who played Dr. Who's granddaughter, Susan
Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...
, in the two films, and Jill Curzon
Jill Curzon is an English actress best known for her film and television appearances during the 1960s.[Jill Curzon]
at t ...
, who played his niece Louise, in the second film. There are also appearances from actors Barrie Ingham and Yvonne Antrobus
Yvonne Daphne Antrobus (born 1 November 1940) is a British novelist, abridger, radio dramatist, and actress.
Writing
She has made over 100 abridgments and dramatisations for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 and for independent audio publishers, ...
, who played the leaders of the Thals
The Thals are a fictional race of humanoid aliens, originating from the planet Skaro, in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The species first appeared in the 1963–64 serial ''The Daleks'', and were created by write ...
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 Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...
and Roy Castle.
Also interviewed in the documentary is script writer and Dalek creator Terry Nation
Terence Joseph Nation (8 August 19309 March 1997) was a British screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for ''Doctor Who'', as well as the series '' Surviv ...
, who 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 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 is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
-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.
References
External links
DVD Verdict Review - ''Dalekmania''
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{{Dr. Who and the Daleks
British documentary films
Daleks
Works about Doctor Who
1960s in the United Kingdom
1995 films
1995 documentary films
Documentary films about television
Documentary films about fandom
Direct-to-video documentary films
1960s fads and trends
1990s English-language films
1990s British films